OTHER CANCER FIGHTERS and “Fighting Like Hell”

I advocate doing simple research on cancer and your specific kind of cancer and the internet makes this very easy. My routine is Monday through Friday looking at the site - http://news.yahoo.com/fc/Health/Cancer - to see if there is anything pertinent to me. Most often there is no new information that I want to pursue, but when there is, I can look further into that and ask my oncologist or CAM doctor. If you have internet access, the looking is free. If you don’t, maybe a friend or relative would help. The routine only takes about five minutes a day.

I also advocate regular exercise. For me, the main form of exercise is bicycling. This is my thing and I have ridden tens of thousands of miles. I also like walking. Finding an exercise that you enjoy helps. There are substantial mental as well as physical benefits to regular exercise. I also have a short routine of exercise and simple weight training. I don’t particularly enjoy this, but it’s a good thing to do. One of my exercises is push-ups. The first time after surgery I tried to do them, I collapsed on the floor unable to do even one. It took several weeks to be able to do that significant first one. It was a mark of improvement and I celebrated with a fist pump like Tiger Woods sinking a long putt. I’m a long way from a Tiger Woods level, but I still do push-ups and get a feeling of satisfaction with them.

Finally, cancer patients should “fight like hell”. To me, this encompasses everything I’ve been discussing: doctors who think “outside the box” and appreciate both the art and science of medicine, attitude, thinking long term, not letting people peg you as some poor sick person, rather seeing yourself as whole person and not being defined only as a cancer patient, doing what you can to promote your health by utilizing appropriate CAM options, religious faith and exercise. Fight on! To translate the old Yiddish phrase – “To Life”.