Not a Bad Death: How to Beat Cancer With a Calm Will to Live is a true-life, how-to book about fighting cancer or other life-threatening illness.
This is a firsthand account of a United States Air Force fighter pilot’s 20 year battle against Stage 4 leukemia. During his initial cancer diagnosis, the author was given less than a 5 percent chance of survival while at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland and later at Wilford Hall Air Force Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Not a Bad Death includes a detailed, insider look from the patient’s perspective of high-dose chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplant treatments, with the author sharing the emotions associated with each experience. The vivid descriptions are intended to remove fear of the unknown for the reader who might face similar treatments.
The author asserts he is not a brave, nor pain-tolerant man, and if he can do it with such an aggressive late-stage cancer and win, then you can do it.
Throughout his journey, the author noticed certain characteristics of his fellow cancer patients and their families that seemed to lead to remarkable success, including his own. The author believes that fear, doubt and stress are the enemies of winning. However, a calm, assertive confidence made a large contribution to his and others’ victories against terrible odds. Some cancer treatment facilities now are adding this heart/mind dynamic into their treatment protocols.
Chapter Eight introduces the “fear and doubt toolkit” and the “upward spiral,” which the author asserts are instrumental to winning.
Included in this book are a lessons learned section in Chapter Ten and an Appendix quick start checklist.
The author’s first oncologist told him, “If you keep your wits about you, you might just live.”
Let’s live!
This is a book about how to fight cancer with a calm will to live.
Everyone is encouraged to fight when they are told they are going to die from cancer or other life-threatening illnesses; however, seldom are these same people informed about how to fight for their lives or what to expect from their family, friends and even themselves while fighting.
This book is for them.
The author of this book was told he was going to die over 20 years ago. His first oncologist, just after breaking the news that Reid had leukemia, went on to explain to him and his tender wife that their future treatment plan was, “Well, to be honest, it’s not a bad death.”
The author asserts fear, stress, doubt and depression were key factors in defeat. Chapter Eight introduces the “fear and doubt toolkit” and how to develop one for yourself.
Chapter Nine talks about how to discover the new “normal” to cope with the changes the fight for your life will naturally bring.
Chapter Ten is a “lessons learned” summary of things the author wishes he had done, and things that should have been left undone.
The Appendix is a quick start guide for those who are looking to gain a means to get started and not overlook important steps to get on the right track.
