In the last year, I’ve had three friends hit hard by cancer. So when I came across the story of Dr. Steven Lewis, it immediately caught my eye. For those who have been in affected, directly or indirectly, by the disease, here’s an inspirational story of a local man who defied all odds.
Lewis is a visiting professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer not once, but twice, within the past seven years. The first was in 2007 and the second was nearly three years later, when the cancer had spread to his liver.
Even when diagnosed early, pancreatic cancer doesn’t have a positive outlook. Nearly three-quarters of the people with pancreatic cancer die within the first year of diagnosis. This particular cancer type has taken away many in the primes of their lives, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and actor Patrick Swayze.
But Lewis survived, enduring surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy. Despite a scary prognosis, he has been free of cancer and thriving for more than four years.
Lewis attributes his good fortune not only to the aggressive treatment but also to a caring community and positive attitude.
“A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer presents a terrible emotional burden for patients and their families,” Lewis said in a press release. “It is a better choice to face the mortal threat of this illness squarely than to react with negativity, complaint and despair. Whether individual patients survive or not, maintaining a positive attitude can help patients and their families beat the emotional devastation of pancreatic cancer.”
He says he believes that if he and his family had not been able to stay positive, the emotional devastation would likely have drained Lewis’s physical ability to fight the cancer. Building a community of support helped, too. He and his family found social support at CaringBridge.org, an online blog for people with severe diseases.
Lewis felt so inspired by his experience and the community support he enjoyed, that he published a book, The Ripple Effect: How a Positive and Caring Community Helped Save My Life. His hope is that the book will help others facing difficult life situations.
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About Lisette
Lisette Hilton, president of Words Come Alive, has had the luxury of reporting on health, fitness and other hot topics for more than 23 years. The longtime Boca Raton resident, University of Florida graduate and fitness buff writes for local, regional and national publications and websites. Find out more on www.wordscomealive.com.
