I am genuinely very sorry to pass on to you the news of David S-S's death yesterday as a result of a relapse of his brain cancer. He did so much to give me, and hundreds of others, a format for life in remission, and hope for the future.
It would be easy to say that he was wrong, and that his death shows that cancer cannot be beaten. However, let's not forget that he had an aggressive cancer which he was not expected to survive for 6 months. He actually survived it(and a subsequent recurrence after 4 years), for 18 years.
At the end of his book he says:
"Some sceptics might say, "Before following his advice, wait and see if he's still alive next year." In other words, rather than examine their pre-conceived ideas, they might prefer to see no one escape the norm. To those I would answer that I don't know if I'll still be here in a year or in two or in sixty. They would be right. I am not invulnerable. But there is one thing I'm certain of. That I would never regret living as I live today, because the health and the greater awareness that this personal transformation has brought into my life give it a much greater value."
I personally owe a huge debt of gratitude to David Servan-Schreiber, and hope that his death will not discourage others who, like me strive to defy the return of the big 'C'.
Isadora.