On Wednesday, September 26th, I had the privilege of meeting and hearing a speech by Dr. Aron Ralston, a CMU graduate who is a presenter in the Robert Morris University Speaker Series at Heinz Hall.

My wife and I have attended these events regularly since the first year.  Throughout that time, we have had the privilege to hear such luminaries as John Major, Colin Powell, Nora Ephron, and Robert Kennedy, Jr.  (And these are just a handful of the impressive people that we’ve heard.)

In all cases, these speakers have provided a surfeit of talent and anecdotal knowledge.  I am especially overwhelmed by the stories of people who have undertaken impossible tasks and yet, somehow, still succeeded; stories from people like Aron Ralston.

At the age of 25, Mr. Ralston became trapped in a canyon where his arm was wedged between a giant boulder and the canyon's very narrow walls.  The dynamics of the accident are just too complicated to explain herein; except to say that most of the bones in Ralston’s lower hand and wrist were completely crushed.  In fact, “pulverized” might be a better word.

To make matters worse, Aron was in the hot desert sun during the day and the freezing desert night each evening.  The nominal amount of water he had was so little, in fact, that by the third day he was ultimately forced to drink his own urine.  He had no food and soon lost some 40 of his 165 lbs. 

You’d have to read his book, "Between A Rock and a Hard Place," to fully grasp all that happened to him and all that he did in order just to survive.  Although the title may not be all that clever, the point that the book makes is that anyone can persevere so long as they keep their wits about them, create a rational plan of action, and at some point, release themselves to a higher power.  Aron did all three of these things.

Another story that is circulating in the news is that of Dr. Randy Pausch.  Through no fault of his own, he acquired inoperable pancreatic cancer.  As some of may you already know, I myself have pancreatic cancer that has metastasized to both my lymph nodes and liver.  The key difference is that my cancers are all carcinoid in nature, while Dr. Pausch’s are what’s known as “adno” in nature.  All that this really means is that my cancer grows somewhat slowly, while his grows at much more rapid pace.

Dr. Pausch has a plan for his final 90 days on Earth.  He plans on spending as much time as possible with his family and his closest friends.  He is not looking for money or fame ... he is only looking to, perhaps, provide some guidance to others who may someday find themselves in his same position.  Guys like me, for that matter.

I doubt that Randy will publish a book as did Aron.  He simply lacks the time and the ability to concentrate enough to get it done.  (At least that’s my belief ... I suspect this guy could prove me wrong all across the board.)

These gentlemen are sharing the same wisdom.  As Aron looked at the very real possibility that he would likely have to amputate his own arm in order to survive (which is precisely what he did), Dr. Pausch long ago understood that there was no drug, no pill, no radiation, and no chemotherapy that could possibly even put a dent in this vicious and stalking overproduction of cells that is presently occurring in his vital organs.  Instead, Randy looked at the situation objectively and said, “Okay, this is my fate.  Now, how can I maximize the remaining months I have on this planet?”

How different this is from so many Americans who would instead sit there with their hands in their laps, chanting “woe is me, woe is me,” as well as asking the burning question, “why me, why me!” until death overtakes them.  We would try to find something or someone to blame our disease on and then we would be angry that no white knight would be riding in to save us.  This is, after all, “The American Way.”  

Obviously, I hope that none of us are faced with these choices in the future.  I right now have a very small chance of surviving my own cancer which has generated almost 400 tumors within my various vital organs.  It makes for a very difficult life.  My energy level is a fraction of what it used to be.  I can’t play with my children anywhere near the extent that I would like to.  And so on, and so on.

On October 11, I began an experimental program that could possibly forestall my fate. Only 63 people have gone before me in this program and from the data it seems that I have maybe a 35% chance that it will work.

In future editions of this blog, I plan on putting out some type of ongoing “Journal,” defining precisely what is happening with this new treatment.

In the meantime, I take great solace and encouragement from the words of Drs. Pausch and Ralston (Isn't it interesting that both of these gentlemen are non-medical doctors... the latter of whom no longer has a right arm)

I am also presently trying to get both onto my radio show. As sad as their cases are, they are the stuff of heroes. And we all need more heroes in our lives.