I AM A CANCER VICTOR
NOT SURVIVOR
My name
is Tom Silver and I am a cancer Victor. I
like to think of myself as a cancer Victor rather than a cancer survivor
because to me, the word survivor implies that I was a victim. My
experience was
much different than that and I would like to share my story with you
today.
My story
began the same as for so many. I went to my
doctor for a simple check up and instead of being given a wonderful bill
of
health, I was told I had an aggressive cancer. The
words hit me the same as they hit most people like a
large punch right between the eyes!
My initial response was typical fear, worry, and I felt
incredibly
overwhelmed with everything I was about to experience and learn.
I
remained in this mode for a few weeks. But then
almost as quickly as I reacted when I got the initial diagnosis, I
realized my
attitude was heading me down the wrong path. My negativity, worry,
concerns,
and excessive over-thinking were the biggest dangers to my winning over
this
disease and I suddenly realized it.
And that is when I decided I was going to drastically change how I
went
through this experience. It was that day that I decided I was going to
look at
this experience as an adventure and a way to learn something new. I
actually
became excited about having cancer.
As I
looked at it as a new adventure, I also began
to say that I was happy to have it and to experience it because it gave
me a greater
understanding of the dis-ease, a greater under-standing of me as a
person, and
a greater understanding of others who experience it.
I went in
for radiation everyday for 8 and half
weeks with a positive attitude & happy because I knew that would
help my
immune system stay strong. I joked around with the radiation technicians
and
the radiologist. I made it a point
to help some of the other patients in the waiting room by my positive
attitude
and the smiles I would put on my face every day. I
wanted other patients to feel positive & happy also.
During my
treatments, I remained positive, and I used
my mind and imagination to believe the treatments were curing me and
that my
own immune system was getting stronger and more powerful every day. I
actually
used my techniques of going into a lower brain wave state to stimulate
and
strengthen my immune system with mind healing chemicals.
After the
first few weeks of treatments, I started
feeling pains and cramps and eating foods of any sort became a painful
experience. But even then I continued to stay happy and positive. I continued to imagine the radiation
working on just the cancer cells and I imagined it avoiding the healthy
cells.
I
continued to focus on being positive and any
negativity that entered my mind, I quickly recognized and sent on its
way, replacing
the thought with a positive one.
I was
never afraid to tell others that I had cancer
and even their fearful words such as That is really awful or That is
terrible never
affected my positive thinking, positive thoughts and positive feelings.
But when I
would tell people that I actually enjoyed
having cancer and that it is a new adventure for me, they would, of
course, be
shocked at what I said. They could not fathom thinking of cancer this
way
because their minds were filled with fear and the thought of death.
How
can you be so positive and happy going through
what you are, was what people would say to me. However,
I would just smile and not let
their fears affect me.
I was
happy, I was positive, I was optimistic, and I
was on a new adventure of understanding and being a Cancer Victor. A
fighter, a
winner.
During my
beginning treatments the doctors told me
that after the almost 9 weeks of radiation treatments I would be tired,
weak
and would be sleeping and doing nothing for weeks or more.
I did not
know if that would happen to me or not,
but I did not let those predictions alter my positive attitude and happy
thoughts. And after my treatments
were completed, my radiation specialist doctor, Dr. Song was totally
amazed
that I still had full energy. My radiologist said I was one of the most
positive and happiest patients he had ever had.
During my
treatments, I was still teaching extensive
Scientific Hypnotherapy sessions to students coming in from other
countries, as
well as conducting private hypnotherapy sessions to help clients
overcome all
types of obstacles including drug addictions and fear removals.
The
Doctor said that my positive, happy, joyful
attitude had a profound effect on my healing and the abundance of energy
that
remained with me even at the end of radiation treatments.
The radiologist Doctor even suggested
that I should tell others about how I used my mind to give me joy, hope,
happiness
and health during my intense radiation treatments.
That
final week of radiation, I was completely full
of energy and I never lost my energy after the treatments. One week
after my
treatments, I performed a halftime hypnosis show at Staples center for
opening
night of the Clippers NBA game. I also did a hypnosis show at a popular
restaurant
in Beverly Hills. I continued to maintain my hypnotherapy practice just
as
though I had not been through treatments at all.
A few
weeks later I did a halftime show at Bradley
University In Peoria ILL. Since
my treatments I conducted a hypnosis
training course for Doctors in Holland, I performed hypnosis halftime
shows for
The Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and also have conducted hypnotherapy
sessions for two upcoming reality TV shows .
I am
truly happy to have experienced cancer and to
understand it and to test my ability to feel joy, happiness and health. My wife Suzanne is also a Cancer Victor
and she saw first hand how my happy positive thoughts, emotions and
attitude
helped battle, empower and conquer the disease that we call Cancer. Anyone can do what I did because there is
nothing special about me. It is simply a decision you can make and a
process
you can follow. Be Positive, be Happy and enjoy every day as a miracle,
because
your life is truly a miracle.
We are
not Victims.
We are
not just survivors.
We are
Cancer Victors, Winners, Fighters, Warriors
and Success stories.
I am
happy and proud to have had cancer, and to tell
you my story.
My
name is Tom Silver.
I
am a cancer Victor!
I am a cancer conqueror!
