I’ll be back to posting original content in the next 1-2 weeks. In the meantime, for those of you who haven’t read “Life is a Ride: My Unconventional Journey of Cancer Recovery”, below is the Introduction to my book. The entire book is available online (paperback or e-book) wherever books are sold.
INTRODUCTION
It starts with a first breath, and then with a cry.
It ends with a last breath on the day you die.
And in between life is a ride.
In late October of 2016, I was diagnosed with stage III pancreatic cancer. I thought I was fucked.
This is my story of dealing with the physical and emotional fallout of a cancer diagnosis. It’s a story of tremendous fear. Of deep emotional pain. Of anguish, wondering how soon I was going to die and how painful my death would be.
And it’s also a story of courage while fighting fear. Of independence. Of putting one foot in front of the other. Of daring to be different and not following conventional wisdom.
Of perseverance.
It’s a story of connection. Of love. Of redemption. Of getting knocked down and finding a way to pick myself up off the mat.
Of hope.
And, most of all, it’s a story of beating the odds and getting healthy.
There will be some heroes mentioned in the book. Those who are heroes get identified with their real names. These are the people who helped save my life. They include family, friends, folks in the medical profession and people who’d survived a brutal cancer diagnosis.
And there are also, to be generous, some goats. Villains. Every story has to have some villains, yes? Well, I’ve changed the names of some of the villains and goats in this book. I don’t wish to publicly call them out for their bad advice, poor behavior, misdiagnoses or overall bad juju. (But contact me privately and I’ll tell you who they are.) I don’t wish them any ill will. They have to live with their bad behavior. That’s punishment enough for me.
What this book is not:
This is not an advice book or a how-to manual. If I have learned anything over the last four years, it’s that every one of us is different: our bodies, our genetics, our mental/emotional makeups, our personalities and our physical conditions.
There are different cancers, treatments, different loca‐ tions in the body where cancer can live and various stages of cancer.
There are differences in insurance coverages, doctors and hospitals.
Some people have better immune systems than others. Some are battling other underlying conditions, which can make it more difficult to ward off cancer. Some people have more success with certain treatments than others. Some have more failures.
There is only one Chris Joseph, just as there is only one of you. The treatments that worked for me may not work for you. The treatments that failed me may very well work for you.
Please do not use this book expecting anything other than for it to be interesting, thought-provoking and ulti‐ mately life-affirming.
This book is broken into three parts and an epilogue that roughly correspond to the chronology of my story over the past four years. Occasionally, the chronological flow will be interrupted by an event, an anecdote or a short profile that relates to the book’s themes.
Thank you in advance for reading.
Life is a ride. Indeed.