Brett and I had the privilege of hearing the brother of David Servan-Schreiber (author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life) speak last week at MD Anderson. Franklin Servan-Schreiber spoke on the legacy of his brother, particularly his last months of life and the process of dying from cancer recurrence.
Warning: I’m going to talk about death
I left the event humbled with many mixed feelings. BIG questions on my life plan crept up again- “What is God’s plan for me?” “How long will I live?” “What if it’s back?” Of course, these are all the questions and fears that I shouldn’t dwell on. But jeez, how’s a cancer patient supposed to completely clear the morbid thoughts forever? I decided (once again) I would embrace life, the entire cycle of it- caterpillar, butterfly and all. If you know me, you know I speak openly about living and dying. Brett knows small details about the planning of my funeral like... I want to have “On Eagle’s Wings” sung at my funeral. And… I would really like the have the young girl from our church sing it. His response is always “you had better tell someone else, because you are going to outlive me”. Okay, okay. I am planning to live a really, really long time, isn’t everyone? It just so happened that I have had to think a little bit sooner about death than most. Cancer or not, we should all be prepared. “Prepared”- hmmm, and what does that mean.
David wrote Not the Last Goodbye in the few months before his death. It was published in June 2011 and went straight to the best sellers list. He died 8 weeks later in a small hospital in Normandy, France. It’s a beautiful story on his life explaining his recurrence from brain cancer and his process of dying. He writes on hope and reminds his audience of the measurable data out there on living an ‘anticancer way of life’. He writes:
“There is no miracle cure against cancer, no 100 percent success rate, even in conventional medicine, which is extremely effective. However, there are ways to maximize our natural defenses by taking care of our bodies both physically and mentally. There’s no doubt that these methods, which are accessible to everyone, reinforce the potential of our natural self-defense systems. Numerous research studies have delivered conclusive proof, and fortunately, there are physicians and hospitals that recognize it. In my case, I am convinced that these approaches have considerably improved my life, both in terms of its span and its quality. I was first diagnosed with a brain tumor nineteen years ago. The fact that I have lived all these years with such an aggressive form of cancer- 99 percent of people with this cancer do not live longer that six years- is enough to support the idea that it is within my power to contribute positively to my health.”
I don’t know about you, but this sure does give me a kick in the behind to start living better. Not just nutrition, but to work on my stress management, be more aware of the chemicals surrounding me, see my longevity and golden friends more. Thankfully today, I get to go on a weekend retreat with one of my golden friends. How timely is that!
During his speech, Franklin told us that his brother often turned to Psalm 23, psalm of David. I will remember this always.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Be Well,
