Why June 27th?

I don’t often stop my series ('Oh, brilliant advertising, how I miss you so'), but a part of me feels the need to acknowledge the date.

You see, a year ago today my life was turned upside-down (and then some).?What started out as a ‘swollen-gland-that-wouldn’t-go-away’ turned into something much more. Much, much more.?

It’s one of those conversations that you can never ‘un-hear’ — my doctor looking right at me and in a very doctor-like monotone voice saying, “ … the results from the biopsy came back …? it’s cancer … ”??I forget the exact medical term, but it was labeled as a type of ‘throat cancer’ —?and?no, I don’t smoke.

The weeks that followed my diagnosis were intense. I had to ‘pick’ my oncology team and hospital. Had to be ‘fitted’ for a radiation mask (see pics below). And maybe hardest of all, had to share the news with my teenage daughters.?

Treatment started fast and furious —?2 months of radiation and chemotherapy — and to be completely honest, it was brutal. In fact, by the 4th week of radiation, I lost my ability to swallow and had to have a feeding tube surgically attached to my stomach.?

My mind, my body, my spirit were in a place completely foreign to me.?Cancer was slowly attacking every facet of my life.?If this was only four weeks in, what would the next four months be like??

And my energy level was at an all-time low. I?remember thinking that what little energy I had left, perhaps, should be channeled into getting better. And maybe, just maybe, I should take a break from posting ads on LinkedIn.

But then I had an epiphany (quite possibly drug-induced, as I was on some some serious meds back then) — if I stopped posting, in some way, I was surrendering to cancer. Giving “it" permission to completely take over my life. I mean, it had already taken away my ability to swallow. Would soon take away my ability to talk. Why not take this, too?

To quote Randy Pausch (if you have never seen his ‘The Last Lecture’ on?YouTube?— go now), “you can’t change the cards you are dealt, but how you play the hand.”?

And that got me thinking.?You want to play, cancer? I’m game. Bring it. (Again, I credit those ‘meds’ for giving me a little new-found bravado.)

It soon became a battle of wills, me vs. cancer.?I was determined to post. And cancer, it seemed, was determined to stop me.

Days I was in an infusion chair for hours, I posted.

Days I didn’t, sleep, I posted.

Days I had my head latched to table for radiation, I posted

Days I couldn’t get out of bed, I posted.

Days I had a clogged feeding tube (seriously, no fun), I posted.

Days I couldn’t speak because my throat was so raw, I posted

Days I felt like shit, I posted.

Days I couldn’t swallow saliva without pain, I posted.

Days I don’t remember, I posted.

Days I was spitting up blood, ?… OK, I didn’t post those days, but I’m allowed a day-or-two off, right?

In the insanity that became my life, posting kept me sane.

This series, and the worldwide fans it has (can I say ‘my fans’ without sounding like an a-hole?) have truly meant the world to me. And helped me in ways you will never?understand. So I just wanted to say thanks.?

Thanks for all the kind words about the series.

Thanks for tagging me/the posts.

Thanks for sharing my love, our love, of brilliant advertising.

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

It goes without saying that I now have mad-respect for anyone who has gone through cancer treatment, #MadRespect?

Epilogue:

So here we are a year later.?

Am I 100%? No I’m not. Not even close.?But I like to say I’m closer to 100 than to 0.?

A recent PET scan in ’24 has shown no sign of cancer, and the feeding tube was finally removed in early Spring.?

I’m trying my best to eat three meals day, but everything does not go down (nor go down easy). And I’ve lost a ridiculous amount of weight, about 60 lbs (that’s 27 kg, for my international friends).?

My weight loss, combined with the trauma my body has been through, makes me weaker than I like to be.

Weekly oncologist appointments?have been mostly positive, and the staff behind the front desk there makes me feel grand, especially when they say, “... Mr. Benedikt, it’s good to see you smiling again ...”

So what now? I have 3 simple requests of you:

? Kiss and hug your loved ones

? Don’t take your health for granted (trust me when I say, ‘things can change in a day’)

? Be kind

See you tomorrow.

:-)

Gregg

#whenadvertisingtriedharder