Immediately after hearing of Joe's condition yesterday I sent him an e-mail to express my concern and offer to help in any way that I can.
Late last night I received an answer, which to be honest I was surprised at, since I assumed Joe was receiving multiple e-mails from friends and supporters and that he probably would not have time to respond any time soon, if at all.
However it was actually a very informative and blunt assessment of his condition and what he is doing to stay healthy for as long as he can.
My intent in sending the e-mail was simply to contact my old friend and provide support. I had no intention of sharing the contents of any response with all of you, except perhaps to let you know he was doing well.
However Joe suggested that I DO share the contents with you, except for some more personally exchanges, so I will.
Here is a portion of Joe's response:
Fortunately, I feel really good right now. I might even write a piece called "How Prostate Cancer Saved My Life
(Before It Killed Me.)"
I no longer eat red meat, or even skin-on chicken. No dairy (milk, eggs, butter, cheese) except a few ounces of fat-free,
unsweetened yogurt into which I mix my Fiber One and raspberries or blueberries in the morning. No bread,
no rice, no pasta, no sugar. In other words, none of the foods I've loved and grown fat on over 70 years.
Instead, it's fish (salmon, salmon, and more salmon), greens (broccoli, kale, mustard greens, etc.) some fruit
(blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds) tons of tomatoes, especially cooked, because cooking releases
ten times more lycopene, an occasional handful of walnuts or almonds, lots of garlic, smidgens of olive oil,
and for spices, turmeric, ginger, oregano and cayenne pepper. Oh, and green tea and rooibus tea. Lots of both.
Red wine is allowed, praise the Lord!
I work with a trainer at a gym for an hour three days a week. The other four, and sometimes even on those
three, I spend forty-five minutes to an hour on a treadmill in our basement, and I push both the incline and the
speed to the point where I stumble off it, panting and sweating and yelling upstairs to Nancy that she'd better
call 911.
Nancy, of course, is Joe's wife. A very lovely woman that I met once at the house in Wasilla, and a person that Joe is very lucky to have by his side. She will definitely take good care of him.
As you can tell Joe is not one to sugar coat things and goes on to offer his usual no frills assessment of his condition. He is upbeat but still remains firmly reality based.
Before you ask, yes I did send him some of the links that all of you provided, and I am sure he is very appreciative of your concern.
Joe does have some projects in the works that sound very interesting, so yes he still plans on producing more amazing literature for all of us to enjoy.
Personally I plan on buying everything he produces from now on. (Of course I would have done that even without the cancer.)
If I receive anymore updates, and Joe gives his permission, I will gladly share them with you. But for right now I guess the best thing we can do is to keep a positive thought and follow Joe's example by make our own healthy choices as well.
Because as Joe says, "In a battle between mortality and an individual, mortality always wins."
Yes it does but it should always know that it is in for a hell of a fight first.
Kick cancer's ass, Joe!
ReplyDeleteSounds like Joe is doing great! He sounds and looks healthier than Sarah who does look like she is in the last stages of cancer.
DeleteGo Joe! Kick Cancer's ASS!
Many thanks for the update, G.
ReplyDeleteBBB
Second that.
ReplyDeleteHoping Mr. McGinniss makes a full, healthy recover and keeps up the other to fight to expose cheats, liars and murderers!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good fight, Joe.
Interesting diet he's on. It's basically what we eat over the course of a week, every week, for years. Except we still eat bread, rice and pasta -- in the form of Dave's Killer (nuts, seeds) bread, basmati or jasmin rice, wheat or pappardelli pasta.
ReplyDeleteThis diet hasn't done much for weight loss (thanks to the allowed starches, no doubt) but it takes processed foods out of the equation.
Good for Joe, I hope his diet helps him cope, and gives him time to do what he wants to do.
Hell, I hope it heals him!
DeleteColon and prostate cancer has been directly linked to processed meats in particular. Stay away from nitrates, nitrites. Stay away from processed sugars which feed cancer cell reproduction. Diets heavy in greens such as broc and kale, and berries such as blueberries are very heavy in anti-oxidants.
ReplyDeleteCheck out this link for detailed information on Paw Paw and other natural products that have anti-cancer properties. This was developed by Dr. Jerry McLaughlin, Ph.D. retired from Purdue University.
IT WORKS!
http://www.pawpawresearch.com/index.html
Yes, it does work.
DeleteSpeaking of Purdue, my son is studying under Professor Negishi Eiichi, who won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for palladium catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis" jointly with Richard F. Heck and Akira Suzuki.
Apples, Joe, apples.
God´s candy.
Organic apples!!
DeleteChrist, his diet makes me salivate!
ReplyDeleteApples, Joe, apples.
Think Beatles.
Honey Crisps, Gala, Fuji, Paula Reds....
Red wine in small measures, Joe!
ReplyDeleteI've just started this very diet on Jan.3rd...lost 20lbs ditching all animal or man made products. Kinda scary when you think about all we've been putting in our mouths.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Joe, take care and remember wine is the dessert for the mind.
Good Luck Joe. With his determination he can beat this!
ReplyDeleteHow very neat that he is keeping up with correspondence. Embracing a healthier diet is inspiring, hope that gets a lot of people to reflect on their eating culture.
ReplyDeleteDamn! This is devastating news. And yet Joe has managed to use this most personal challenge to be an inspiration to others. He's clearly a man who loves and is loved.
ReplyDeleteI'm a better person because of Joe and his work. My thanks to Joe for sharing his intellect, insight, and big heart, with the hope his treatment plan will keep him symptom-free and contributing for many more years.
Hey Joe! And anyone else interested! Look into the anti-Cancer, Anti-heart disease diet of Johanna Budwig. Buy her books! It's sounds similar to what Joe is eating, but it's main premise is the differences between good fats (omega 3's) and bad fats (most other fats.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.budwig-stiftung.de/index.php?L=1
I think her diet may be right!
Give em hell, Joe! We need your voice!
ReplyDeleteSlightly OT, but related...
ReplyDeleteJoe McGinniss' note reminds me of what Christopher Hitchens spoke about in his last slim volume of essays before esophageal cancer took its course.
He titled it "Mortality" and his matter-of-fact attitude towards Life and Death is inspiring, as is the sentiment in Mr. McGinniss' first sentence above.
Stay positive!
I know it is tiresome to be bombarded with well meaning tips when you have cancer - I just went through this, but please let Joe know that he should add Essiac Tea to his arsenal. http://www.healthfreedom.info/Cancer%20Essiac.htm
ReplyDeleteHe says he eats no sugar or bread or pasta (I assume that means no wheat), but mentions Fiber One. I assume that is the breakfast cereal. It contains wheat, GMO corn, sugar, artificial flavor and some other toxic chemicals. It is very unhealthy. Get rid of that dietician. Everything should be organic to reduce toxins. Eating healthy does not have to boring or tasteless many spices and herbs can be used. This is my favorite breakfast food which has squash, egg and lots of spices. I cut the honey to 2 TBSP and add a bit more ingredients so there is about 1/4 TBSP of honey per/custard cup. Only use raw honey. http://gapsdietjourney.com/2012/01/recipe-coconut-milk-pumpkin-pie-custard/
ReplyDeleteAmen! and YUM!
DeleteI wish Joe the success I know he will have. The survival rate is very high with prostate cancer.
ReplyDeleteIt's called the "China Study Diet," also the books name. Known to cure cancer as it lowers your ph/acid (read the book for a more scientific explanation)... it works so well they are actually using the diet to cure breast cancer... good luck Joe, everyone elese, worth a read BEFORE u get cancer.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing that Gryphen! Good info for all of us. Wish Joe the best and please thank him for allowing you to share that with us. Would be nice to see a guest column from Joe here, maybe once a month or more.
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Gryphen, for sharing this with us. Sounds like Joe has all the tools he needs! He's got the love of his wife, friends who genuinely care for him, and many people who wish him the best.
ReplyDeleteAttitude is everything!