It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over: 3 Truths About Remission

I woke up this morning thinking it was time to write another blog post. Just as that thought passed through my mind, two other phrases came to me: Yogi Berra’s famous “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over,” followed by the term “remission.” Why? Because they have a simpatico relationship.

This is an important topic as it relates to remission, but one that I didn’t cover in my book. Let me explain…

Is Remission the End of a Cancer Battle?

If you are a cancer patient or family member, every ounce of your being is probably hoping, praying and busting your tail to one day hear your doctor say… “I have good news. Your most recent test results indicate that your cancer is in remission.”

Remission, to those battling cancer, represents the end, the finish line and a cause for celebration. Or does it?

When I hear the word remission, I have a slightly different mindset and think of the phrase that Yogi Berra made famous… ”It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.”

What do I mean by this?

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Remission Truth #1: Remission does represent the end of something: the end of the current treatment regimen.

Remission represents the successful completion of your treatment regimen and you should feel good about your effort and outcome. You must, however, never let your guard down in this battle against cancer and accept that additional scans and/or strategic treatment(s), may be required in the future depending on the cancer type.

Remission Truth #2: Remission does represent the finish line, the finish line for this phase of your cancer journey.

Remission represents the finish line for this phase of your cancer journey but doesn’t mean you should automatically go back to the life you had pre-diagnosis. After you give yourself some time to celebrate and re-charge your battery, you will also want to re-assess any lifestyle issues that may have been contributing factors to your cancer diagnosis – personal health issues, financial issues, stress-related issues, dysfunctional relationships, bad eating habits, etc. Since you are starting this next phase of your life with virtually a clean slate, now may be a good time to start the regular exercise program or get serious about losing the 10+ pounds you’ve been talking about. Or consider quitting the dead-end job or leaving the relationship that no longer brings you joy and happiness.

Remission Truth #3: Remission does represent a cause for celebration, a cause for celebrating life!

Yes, remission represents a significant accomplishment and cause for celebration with your cancer support team. You will also want to start living your life without everything being solely about cancer or its treatment. You had to put your life on hold temporarily to fight this formidable health opponent; now it’s time to begin making time for loved ones, or for doing things for yourself that you have always wanted to do. What are you waiting for?

So Is It Ever Over?

If you’re in remission, congratulations. You have won the battle. So show off your battle scars and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Live life on your terms but also remember to never stop fighting!

Self-Care During Chemo

Going through chemo? Have a loved one who is going through it? We all know that you have to take care of yourself big time when you’re dealing with this kind of treatment, but sometimes it feels overwhelming to know where to start. You are already dealing with keeping track of a thousand things at one moment, let alone thinking about self-care. But it’s THAT important! 

Here are a few tips to help you take self-care seriously without losing your mind:

  1. Say “no.” This isn’t the time to be over-committing or saying yes to a ton of things. This is a season of life where you need to be selfish with your commitments and be really careful about what you spend your time and energy on. Saying “no” is an okay thing during this season of life. People will understand!
  2. Stay active. Stay as active as you can, based on how you’re feeling, but staying active, stretching, walking or other light exercise is going to help keep your body flowing well. Not only that, but staying active is going to be great for your mind as you walk through chemo. We’re not saying run a marathon here, or even break a sweat. But, if you can manage to move around, keep that blood flowing!
  3. Know your limits. Be mindful of what your limits are and don’t overdo it. Take time to rest and gear up. You are in a battle, so it’s important to consider how valuable rest time for this battle!
  4. Be smart with food. Think about filling your body with food that will fuel you. If you’re feeling sick, this is going to be even more important because any food you consume will need to be as fueling as possible. Focus on whole foods and avoid sugars and processed foods as much as possible. 
  5. Focus on the goal. Your days may vary in terms of how you feel, how your body reacts, and where your mind is focused. Work hard to look ahead. This current chemo treatment is not what life is all about. It’s part of the battle, but you have a big goal you’re fighting for. Focus on that!

Chemotherapy can be draining, some days more than others. It’s important to remember that you need to take care of yourself first so that you can fight this cancer battle with everything you’ve got. This is a season to be a little selfish, or self-focused. Whether you’re fighting cancer, or not, most of us could benefit from hearing a reminder for self care today. The better we are, the better we can fight cancer, and love others well too!

Writing for the Web: 7 Do’s and Don’ts I Learned

I’ve been writing blog posts for three months now. And it’s been an interesting (and educational) experience. Writing for the web is a very different skillset and experience than writing for another medium. And so, I think now may be a good time for me share some very basic lessons I’ve recently learned.

Lessons on Writing for the Web

Lesson #1: Keep humor simple.

I’ve found that humor is difficult for readers “to get” when it’s part of an email or blog post. I think this has a lot to do with how body language and our voice inflections impact or “set-up” the punch line. A good rule of thumb is to keep the humor simple and light. You can’t go wrong that way.

Lesson #2: Be nice.

I’ve found people are turned off by (and tune-out) negative attacks on anyone or anything. After all, what makes anyone think that someone is just dying to spend their free time reading Debbie Downer web posts? News flash: They aren’t.

Lesson #3: Keep your language clean.

I try to stay away from using four-letter word bombs in my writing. It’s been said, and I believe, that it takes more creativity and shows a greater level of intelligence to convey your thoughts or ideas without the use of any four-letter word bombs. Think about it the next time you go into pre-launch mode.

Lesson #4: Make your reader the top priority.

When writing for the web, remember that you already know the subject matter you are writing about. You’re writing because you believe there is value to be gained by sharing this knowledge with others. So, who are you writing for? It’s the reader. Keep that in mind the next time you’re creating an email or post.

Lesson #5: Avoid hot-button issues.

One thing I encourage everyone to stay away from is editorializing about controversial subjects like politics and religion. Why? Because 50% of your reading audience will agree with your point of view and the other 50% are going to think you are a f#@%ing Moron. (I think I may have found an exception to Lesson #3 above).

Lesson #6: Keep the personal personal.

If you like to share explicit pictures, jokes etc. on the web, I would encourage you to be selective and discreet with your postings. Know your audience before you press the PUBLISH key, and ask yourself the following question pre-launch: “Do I really want this person or group of people viewing the post?”

Lesson #7: A Golden Rule for web posting.

I’ve saved what I believe to be a Golden Rule for web posting for last: Everything posted by you or about you on the web is like a bad tattoo … it’s permanent!

You may be thinking that this isn’t fair. I would agree. However, the reality is an innocent mistake or momentary lapse in judgment could have a long-term negative influence on key life decisions, such as applying for college, getting a job, a car loan, a mortgage etc.

Follow these seven lessons when you’re writing for the web, and avoid making some of the mistakes that many others are regretting.

Will Power: The Key to Self Determination

The human body is a highly complex and amazing piece of machinery that is seldom exercised to its fullest capacity. Additionally, the human body has a unique ability to transform itself, at any age. The secret to harnessing this awesomeness? Will power. And by that, I mean my friend, Will Mowrey, and his power principles. Let me explain.

The Story of Will Mowrey

Will Mowrey, one of my band of brothers, is truly an elite athlete -and an inspiration to us all, as he nears double nickels.  Here’s a little background on Will.

At 18, Will was competing as a power lifter on a national level. At his peak performance, he was 5’10,” weighed 258 lbs. and could max bench 500 lbs., squat 700 lbs., and dead-lift 600 lbs. As an aside, Will used to rep 225 lbs. over 30 times. To put that into perspective, Kansas State’s Alex Barnes set a new record of 34 reps at 225 lbs at the 2019 NFL combine. These numbers alone are enough to put Will in a very select athletic category but it gets better.

In 2004, at age 40, Will decided that he wanted to lose weight and transform his body from a physical strength machine to an aerobically-conditioned machine. So he took up jogging, which morphed into cycling after he broke his ankle.

Will’s first foray into cycling was on an old, ill-fitted Walmart mountain bike. His early rides were only 10+ miles, and required multiple stops. But this didn’t deter Will in the least. As his passion for cycling grew, his mileage and speeds increased, along with a desire for better technology (which resulted in a numerous bike upgrades).

Fast forward to 2019 … on a recent solo ride, a 178 lb. Will rode his Tour de France-style road-racing bike 82 miles in just over four hours. For the last six years, he has averaged 10,000 miles per year (or 60,000 total miles), with approximately 700,000 feet of climbing, per year. That’s the equivalent of riding up Mount Everest (elevation 29,035 feet) 24 times in one year.

Will rides, on average, 300 days a year and typically logs 220+ miles per week. All of this data has been logged and can be found on a special cycling software program, Strava. The facts are in: Will’s athletic achievements put him in an elite “freak” athlete category by any measurement criteria.

Will Power (and Will’s Power)

So how does Will maintain an elite-level cycling performance regimen in his 50’s? What lessons can others learn from him and apply in their own lives?

Will adheres to a very strict set of principles; which he uses to guide his life both on and off the bike.

Will’s P-O-W-E-R principles include:

Plan:  to define a way or approach to accomplish a goal(s).

Obsess:  to be single-minded in focus or purpose.

Will:  to impose your desires over an action or emotion.

Execute:  to perform a task or action to the best of your ability.

Resilient:  to adjust easily to difficulties or change.

Finding Your Own Will Power

I started this blog by saying the human body is an amazing and complex piece of machinery and has a unique ability to transform itself, at any age. It is my hope that this blog post both inspires you and motivates you to push yourself well-beyond your comfort zone, regardless of the endeavor, as my good friend Will Mowrey has demonstrated in his latest mastery of cycling.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a quote credited to Darwin P. Kingsley as it relates to will power …”You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do, except the limitations of your own mind.”