Physical maintenance is a daily priority for cancer patients, but it's not the only thing that can help them beat the odds.
For many, tending to the soul is just as important.
John Atkinson is keeping the peace with his spirit.
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John celebrates news that the cancer is stable in February.
He's sharing his story to raise awareness that people who don't smoke get lung cancer, too.
Source: Lung Cancer Alliance
2008
March 28 Selected as finalist for Golf Digest’s U.S. Open Challenge, a chance to try to break 100 in a round of golf with three celebrities at Torrey Pines. He beat out 56,000 others.
Photography:
John celebrates news that the cancer is stable in February.
John Atkinson was 38 years old when he was diagnosed in 2007 with inoperable, Stage 4 lung cancer.
He doesn't smoke.
He's sharing his story to raise awareness that people who don't smoke get lung cancer, too.
Donations
If you are interested in helping underwrite this multimedia blog, please contact: Peter Soby.
What is Stage 4?
Lung cancer is divided into four categories to determine treatment plans.
Stage IV is the most advanced form because the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy drugs are the most common treatment. Tumors typically cannot be removed by surgery.
Source: Lung Cancer Alliance
Lung cancer facts
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
60%+ of newly diagnosed patients never smoked or quit smoking, many of them decades ago
More people die of lung cancer than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers ... combined
Lung cancer kills an average of 439 people a day
Source: Lung Cancer Alliance
What’s happened
2007
March 29 Diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer
April Starts taking Avastin intravenously every three weeks
April-June Has four rounds of chemotherapy drugs Gemzar and Carboplatin
June Starts taking Tarceva daily
Nov. 29 Celebrates eight-month anniversary since diagnosis
March 29 Diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer
April Starts taking Avastin intravenously every three weeks
April-June Has four rounds of chemotherapy drugs Gemzar and Carboplatin
June Starts taking Tarceva daily
Nov. 29 Celebrates eight-month anniversary since diagnosis
2008
March 28 Selected as finalist for Golf Digest’s U.S. Open Challenge, a chance to try to break 100 in a round of golf with three celebrities at Torrey Pines. He beat out 56,000 others.
March 29 Celebrates one-year anniversary since diagnosis
April 30 Wins U.S. Open Challenge contest by a landslide, getting 42 percent of 117,331 online votes
April 30 Wins U.S. Open Challenge contest by a landslide, getting 42 percent of 117,331 online votes
May Wins trip to New York City as top 10 of 10,000 employees at Bard Peripheral Vascular, where he sells medical devices
June 8 Plays Golf Digest round with singer Justin Timberlake, Today Show anchor Matt Lauer and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo
June 12 Learns cancer has spread to abdomen
June 8 Plays Golf Digest round with singer Justin Timberlake, Today Show anchor Matt Lauer and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo
June 12 Learns cancer has spread to abdomen
June 15 Celebrity round airs on TV
June 16 Interviewed on Today Show
July Starts treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
June 16 Interviewed on Today Show
July Starts treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
Mid-August Hospitalized for surgery for collapsed lung and lung fluid
Aug. 26 Learns cancer has progressed, Houston treatment ends
Aug. 27 Has surgery to remove blood clot in leg
Aug. 29 Learns of lung blood clots, remains hospitalized
Sept. 2 Starts chemotherapy in Omaha
Aug. 26 Learns cancer has progressed, Houston treatment ends
Aug. 27 Has surgery to remove blood clot in leg
Aug. 29 Learns of lung blood clots, remains hospitalized
Sept. 2 Starts chemotherapy in Omaha
Sept. 5 Goes home from hospital
Production crew
John used to be a videographer for an Omaha television news station. A team of journalists is helping tell his story through this multimedia blog.
Charles Coleman, Videobuzz
Photography:
Posts
1 comment:
What an incredibly beautiful, poignant video!
John, your strength and faith during this time of such unimaginable adversity is truly an inspiration to us all. I hope and pray that you will be able to teach Christopher how to sink a jump shot and grow into a young man like you with a zest for life and so many special gifts so share with the world. I dream that you will be present for Machaela’s and Andrea’s first dates so you can convey to these gentlemen that your daughters are precious, amazing young women who deserve to be treated with respect and care, just like you behave toward your beautiful wife Lori.
Your unwavering positive attitude and magnificent spirit have inspired us all. Thank you for communicating with the world and raising awareness for lung cancer through this blog.
We love you.
–Shawna, Dave, & Logan Hannam
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