News yesterday of Alex Trebek's successful fight against stage 4 pancreatic cancer warmed my heart. Although still undergoing chemo, doctors are very pleased with his progress and hope that he will be soon be in full remission.
From the start, Trebek has been determined to beat his cancer and with the support and prayers of millions of people, he appears to be on the verge of beating the odds against this lethal disease.
His story reminds me of Laurie MacCaskill's cancer story as told by Eben Alexander in his book Living in a Mindful Universe.
"She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nine years earlier. Those familiar with cancer of the pancreas will know that the typical survival time following diagnosis is counted in months, not years. Remarkably, during a lunch we shared, she appeared completely fit and healthy.
Laurie had always been an exercise enthusiast. Following a persistent pain in the lower right side of her back, Laurie's diagnosis at 55 years of age came as quite a shock. Following an abdominal surgery soon after her diagnosis, she began an aggressive three year chemo regime, which had its ups and downs. She viewed her treatments as "just another thing on my calendar," and never used language like "my cancer" or "my final days." She followed all her doctors' instructions but remained detached from "owning " the illness.
After three years, chemotherapy was no longer effective and she was told she had four to six months to live. Following twelve liver biopsies, she was diagnosed with a liver infection and, medically, it seemed that this was heralding the end. Laurie was prescribed a daily IV injection for two hours a day over the course of one month. Typically, this is carried out in a hospital or, alternatively, through regular home visits from a nurse. Given her travel schedule, Laurie asked if she could perform the treatment herself. While the doctor had never received such a request, he arranged for the proper instructions.
"One day, I wanted to go on an early bike ride, but my IV was still going," Laurie shared. "I simply packed everything up and put it in my fanny pack while my husband and I rode the canyon. When my IV stopped, I found two bear proof containers on the side of the road, pulled out my small towel, syringes, and alcohol swabs, disconnected the tubeds, flushed with the appropriate drugs, and off we went. I felt I was responsible, careful, and, most important, living my life!
"Attitude - it has an incredible impact on our lives. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace that day. I am convinced that life is 10 percent of what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. Through my 'survivorship,' I have learned that contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of what you already have," Laurie added.
Indeed we have a choice in life to make the most of each day, even when contending with cancer.
Keep up the good fight Alex. You got this!
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