Rick Lamplugh's Blog
October 31, 2024
Into the Wilds
On the summer solstice and our wedding anniversary, Mary and I were hiking with our friend Fred. While climbing a steep hillside in a National Forest, we stopped to catch our breath and watch some female elk and their young watch us. The young had lost their spotted coats, but their mothers had not lost their protective nature. We kept our distance and shared the joy of this wild moment. Thankful, we resumed walking through knee-high grass dotted with colorful wildflowers.
Until the ringing of my cell phone shattered the wild silence.
I usually kill the phone when I hike, but I was awaiting a call from my urologist with the results of a prostate biopsy. I glanced at the phone’s screen; it was him. I felt relief and dread. I would finally know the results; they might be bad.
“I have to take this call,” I said. Mary jerked her head toward me, concern obvious; she knew about the call. I gave her a nod. As I turned away, Mary and Fred silently looked at each other and found a seat on a couch-sized boulder left by a melting glacier at the end of the last ice age. I walked a few paces, took a deep breath, and put the phone on speaker. Nerves tingling, I managed a little small talk.
The urologist quickly moved to the heart of the matter: “Unfortunately, we did find cancer…”
My shoulders sagged, and my stomach tightened as he described how the biopsy revealed prostate cancer cells with varying degrees of aggressiveness. One set of cells was not very aggressive; one was medium aggressive. But a very aggressive third set concerned him. And that concerned me.
He recommended...
To continue reading this first chapter of The Wilds of Cancer: A Journey, click over to my new Substack publication:
https://lamplugh.substack.com/p/1-int...
For the backstory on The Wilds of Cancer, see:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Until the ringing of my cell phone shattered the wild silence.
I usually kill the phone when I hike, but I was awaiting a call from my urologist with the results of a prostate biopsy. I glanced at the phone’s screen; it was him. I felt relief and dread. I would finally know the results; they might be bad.
“I have to take this call,” I said. Mary jerked her head toward me, concern obvious; she knew about the call. I gave her a nod. As I turned away, Mary and Fred silently looked at each other and found a seat on a couch-sized boulder left by a melting glacier at the end of the last ice age. I walked a few paces, took a deep breath, and put the phone on speaker. Nerves tingling, I managed a little small talk.
The urologist quickly moved to the heart of the matter: “Unfortunately, we did find cancer…”
My shoulders sagged, and my stomach tightened as he described how the biopsy revealed prostate cancer cells with varying degrees of aggressiveness. One set of cells was not very aggressive; one was medium aggressive. But a very aggressive third set concerned him. And that concerned me.
He recommended...
To continue reading this first chapter of The Wilds of Cancer: A Journey, click over to my new Substack publication:
https://lamplugh.substack.com/p/1-int...
For the backstory on The Wilds of Cancer, see:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
My Next Book
The Wilds of Cancer: A Life-Affirming Journey is the title of my forthcoming book.
I’ve published four previous books, and I wanted to try something different before publishing this one: I decided to release selected chapters from the book’s final draft via Substack. https://lamplugh.substack.com/
Each of these honest and heartfelt quick reads is about my journey into the wilds of cancer. While I touch on the effective and conventional medical treatment I completed, these are not stories about how to treat cancer medically. I’m a writer, not a doctor.
Instead, I share how my wife, Mary, and I handled an onslaught of facts and feelings as we sought the most life-affirming way to face a serious and seemingly endless challenge. I share how we dealt with the multitude of changes forced upon us by a life-threatening disease.
As I worked on the book, I found plenty of scientific research confirming that diet, attitude, rest, exercise, and time in nature are powerful tools for building a better life. Some chapters will focus on how these easily controlled tools helped me deal with the various medical and personal challenges I faced.
I have published these preview chapters with the hope that you will share comments, criticisms, and suggestions—especially if you or someone you know is battling a life-changing disease. I would take your input to heart, and it could improve the final book.
I hope you’ll subscribe, enjoy, and share your comments, criticisms, and suggestions.
Wishing you the best,
Rick
I’ve published four previous books, and I wanted to try something different before publishing this one: I decided to release selected chapters from the book’s final draft via Substack. https://lamplugh.substack.com/
Each of these honest and heartfelt quick reads is about my journey into the wilds of cancer. While I touch on the effective and conventional medical treatment I completed, these are not stories about how to treat cancer medically. I’m a writer, not a doctor.
Instead, I share how my wife, Mary, and I handled an onslaught of facts and feelings as we sought the most life-affirming way to face a serious and seemingly endless challenge. I share how we dealt with the multitude of changes forced upon us by a life-threatening disease.
As I worked on the book, I found plenty of scientific research confirming that diet, attitude, rest, exercise, and time in nature are powerful tools for building a better life. Some chapters will focus on how these easily controlled tools helped me deal with the various medical and personal challenges I faced.
I have published these preview chapters with the hope that you will share comments, criticisms, and suggestions—especially if you or someone you know is battling a life-changing disease. I would take your input to heart, and it could improve the final book.
I hope you’ll subscribe, enjoy, and share your comments, criticisms, and suggestions.
Wishing you the best,
Rick
