A Cancer Survivor's Story

I'd like to share with you an interview I recently had with my first cousin, Tim Storey, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was one of the first people I told when I received my own cancer diagnosis and has been an immense encouragement to me. I wrote about his advice in another blog entry from 2008 titled, Best 'Cancer Advice' I've Received.

At the time of this interview (mid-December), I did not know that Tim's cancer had returned. He is now scheduled for radiation treatments starting in January. In Tim's words, "I get to practice again what I’ve been preaching in this interview. I had my 3-1/2 month checkup and found that my PSA had risen, which is a sign that the surgery didn’t get it all after all. So, after Christmas, I will be entering the radiation phase of this battle. I maintain and am firmly established on achieving victory. My faith in God is not shaken, but instead, intensified. I’ll keep you posted on my progress."

I hope that Tim's story will be an encouragement and inspiration to other cancer survivors, as well as those of you who know and love someone with cancer. I guarantee that his story is well worth the read.

Q: What type and stage of cancer did you have?

I am a survivor of prostate cancer, Stage T3.

Q: How old were you at the time?

At the time of my cancer diagnosis I was 53 years old.

Q: Tell me about your life at the time of your cancer diagnosis.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was having the best year I had ever had in my electrical business. We were approaching one million dollars in sales for the first time in two-and-a-half years of existence. I was very busy and was also pretty stressed out much of the time because of never ending deadlines and trying to figure out how to balance the busyness of life with God and family. I was very close to God and very trusting in his sovereign guidance, but I was really having a struggle with church. My family and I were trying to find a healthy, well-balanced church and we weren’t having much luck in that endeavor. I guess that really shows the poor state of God’s Church when one has trouble finding a visible church that just teaches pure biblical truth.

Q: Can you describe what went through your mind when you were told that you had cancer?

I think the most immediate feeling was an end to the dread, almost relief. That sounds crazy, but throughout the testing and scanning process, I had already prepared myself for the fact that I had cancer. At the moment the doctor said the words nobody wants to hear, it was surreal. It was as if I had left my body and was watching a scene from a movie about someone else’s life. I’m not saying that I was some kind of superhuman, unfeeling robot. It’s just that my competitive nature immediately kicked in and my whole attitude became one of an athlete who is not going to be denied victory.

I was concerned about my wife, though. She was with me and was kind of in shock. I think she thought we were going to be told that all my tests came back negative. She is more of a worrier than I am, so another feeling that kicked in was that I needed to pump her up with a coach’s motivational half-time speech.

I’ve realized one of my callings in life was to be a coach because I end up coaching in every thing I do. I found myself coaching my wife into believing we could win this “game.” I’ll never forget the first thing I said to her when we got outside the doctor’s office. I said, “Next year at the Relay for Life, I’m going to run a six-minute mile."

I was just trying to establish right away that I not only intended to still be here the following year, but that I had every intention of being the new, improved model. I had no idea at the time how unrealistic the goal of a six-minute mile was, especially since I absolutely hate running and see no point in it at all-- unless someone is chasing you or you are chasing someone else! It just popped out. I still may do it though, who knows?

Q: What about your family and friends? How did they react to your diagnosis?

My mom and my brother were the first people I told over the phone on the one hour commute home from the doctor’s office in Austin. They were in shock. I think neither of them wanted to believe it. I called our two oldest children as well. They were both supportive and encouraging. When I got home, my wife and I sat our two youngest kids down and told them. I told them about the cool robot that was going to be doing my surgery and that we were going to beat it. I showed them a video of the da Vinci robotic surgery to show them exactly what was going to be done to me.

Again, I was in full coaching mode and they were terrific. If they were upset or scared, they didn’t show it to me. My sister sent me a book and talked to me about not getting down about it and staying positive. It’s kind of funny how some people immediately go for the positive reinforcement and others just avoid talking about it.

Q: What kind of treatment did you receive? Did you consider alternative treatments?

I had a radical prostatectomy by the da Vinci method. It was really cool. When I went into surgery, I remember looking around and it looked more like the Starship Enterprise than an operating room. I could see the robot and a huge big-screen monitor on the wall which enabled the doctor and all the support team to see what the robotic arms were seeing inside me.

I remember how organized the surgical team was and how confident and able they seemed. All my fears of surgery vanished as I was watching them and listening to them prepare. I just remember thinking that this was a good team and I was in good hands. The da Vinci is a five- armed robot that the doctor operates using joy sticks while surgical nurses change the instruments on the arms. He is doing the operating from across the room from the patient and seeing the whole thing on a monitor that is highly magnified.

The other method for my cancer would have been radiation. I was convinced this was the best treatment and never considered any other. I did consider using some holistic methods along with the surgery, but never used those methods. The thought of that much wheat grass kind of nauseated me.

Q: What kind of support helped you the most when going through cancer treatment?

The main thing was God. I just have been blessed with the gift of faith. I say "gift" because it is one of the spiritual gifts and we don’t all have it the same way. I just absolutely trust Him and His judgment. I knew that I was in the best hands I could be in and I left my worries and concerns with Him at the cross. Of course, the support of my wife and kids was tremendous as well.

I also had a great time of bonding with my wife and our two youngest children. We started reading Harry Potter novels during the 9:00-10:00 hour. That got me hooked on Harry Potter. I remember my daughter telling me, “You’re going to love the books, Dad.” She was right. I have read the books and seen most of the movies several times and it’s like I’m watching my own kids growing up.

That time of reading with my family is precious to me and is one of my favorite memories in life. That’s why, even though it sounds crazy on the surface, the time between my diagnosis and post surgery was one of the happiest times of my life. We were treasuring each minute with each other and were full of optimism and hope in meeting this challenge head on.

If I had to say some kind of formula for facing cancer, it would go like this:

Trust in God. Stay busy and excited about your work and the future. Spend more time than ever with your loved ones just enjoying the simplicity of getting to share life with them.

Q: What, if anything, have you changed in your lifestyle since being diagnosed with cancer?

I wish I could say that the things I did at first stayed with me up till today. I started out eating a whole lot healthier. I’ve since gone back to that, but strayed from the healthier lifestyle for quite some time after I got comfortable that I was cancer free.

My nature was somewhat of a hermit, but at first I was more of a “reach out and help someone” person. I had more empathy for people who were going through some kind of medical struggle. The busyness of life has gotten me away from that some, but I’m forever changed in the way I see struggling people now.

I think the most consistent thing that has changed is that each day I get up with an attitude of gratitude. I just treasure each day more than I used to, knowing that each day is so precious once you’ve had to face the reality of those days possibly coming to an end. I don’t worry about my eternal destiny, but I don’t want to waste a single day while I’m here by taking the day for granted.

Q: What do you believe are the keys to successfully navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment?

Faith and trust in God; going about your normal life as best you can. I think this keeps you from dwelling on the negative--stay positive. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Spend lots of time with your family and supportive people. Conversely, spend as little time as you can with negative, energy-draining people.

Q: If there is any one piece of advice you can share now that you have battled this disease, what would it be?

Take a proactive approach to your treatment. The doctors are only one half of the team, you are the other. Do research for yourself and participate in your treatment. Have the attitude of a warrior who will settle for nothing short of victory. Let this challenge draw you closer to God, not farther away from Him. Laugh a lot.

Comments

[Jodi Block (2nd oldest daughter to Tim)]

I just love that guy! That's some really good advice : )

[Dana]

Folks, you should know that Tim is an excellent musician and songwriter. I encourage you to follow this link and hear one of his songs, "Love Me Right Now" that has hit written all over it:

http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=27968

Love you, Tim!