March 12, 2024 • 36 mins
When Brad Corley retired, he expected leisure, not a cancer diagnosis. Yet, as he and his wife Becky sit down with us, their tale isn't one of despair, but of unexpected growth and an enriching journey towards health, hope, and faith. This podcast episode is an intimate account of how pre-diagnosis changes to diet and personal care became their armor in the battle against cancer and their source of resilience. Together, Brad and Becky reveal how leaning on one another, fortifying their faith, and embracing change and community transformed their ordeal into a story of hope and healing.
An oasis of fruit trees was just the beginning of Becky Corley's story. Beneath their branches, a profound transformation took root, as Becky and Brad navigated the tumultuous path of cancer treatment. Our conversation meanders through the emotional landscape of grappling with such a diagnosis, the power of a plant-based diet, and how these trials led Brad to declare cancer as the best thing to ever happen to him. Their journey is a testament to the profound gratitude that can blossom from life's most challenging moments and the pivotal role of a supportive spouse in weathering the storm.
Join us as we celebrate the creation of a support group that became a lifeline for those walking the tightrope of cancer treatment. Brad and Becky recount the initial reluctance that blossomed into a community rooted in faith, lifestyle transformation, and collective strength. They also highlight the work of HealingStrong, a nonprofit organization providing a harbor of resources and support for individuals and families navigating similar journeys. Our discussion underscores the power of purpose, the joy in every moment, and the courage found in unity, offering listeners an uplifting beacon of hope and a call to action to become part of a supportive healing network.
Corley HealingStrong Group Information & Contact:
healingstrong.mobile@gmail.com
*The group meets the third Sunday of every month from 5:00-6:30 pm, at Praise Family Church in West Mobile, AL.
HealingStrong's mission is to educate, equip and empower our group leaders and group participants through their journey with cancer or other chronic illnesses, and know there is HOPE. We bring this hope through educational materials, webinars, guest speakers, conferences, community small group support and more.
Please consider supporting our mission by becoming a part of our Membership Program, as a monthly donor.
When you do, you will receive additional resources such as: webinars, access to ALL our past and most recent conference videos, downloadables and more, as a bonus.
To learn more, head to the HealingStrong Membership Program link below:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Brad's path has been laid out for 57 years, before I
was even born.
So we've really learned totrust in him and give it to God
Again.
We're human.
There's still concerns and thedevil tries to prick us
sometimes, but it's just amazingthe work that God's done in our
(00:22):
life.
And I tell people it soundscrazy, but I tell people that
cancer is the best thing thatever happened to me, really just
from a spiritual perspective,and just was always a good guy,
but it's just made me a betterman, a better friend, a better
father, a better grandfather.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast,
a part of the Healing Strongorganization, the number one
network of holistic cancersupport groups in the world.
Each week we bring you storiesof hope, real stories that will
encourage you as you navigateyour way on your own journey to
health.
Now here's your host stage fourcancer thriver, jim Mann.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Today I have a lovely little couple.
They're sharing headphones, soyou know they're happily married
.
We have Becky and Brad with us.
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Doing great, doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That last name is Corley.
Corley, is that how you say it?
That's correct.
Look at me.
It's a simple name.
I butcher it if it's more thantwo syllables, so you made it
just under the wire.
Well, you have a great story,brad.
Of course you're the one whogot the diagnosis, but before
that you guys were kind of on atrail of eating healthy and
(01:37):
doing the right things.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, we had started just a few months.
We've kind of been one toroller coaster, try to eat
healthy and then fall to theweight side.
But yeah, a few months prior tothat we had decided that we
were gonna change somelifestyles and eat healthier and
I think that was kind of God'sway of preparing us.
We had made up our minds thistime we were gonna stick with it
(02:00):
, doing some intermittentfasting and trying to eat
healthier and exercise.
So I think it was God preparingus for what, late ahead, that
we were unaware of.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, what made you jump on that train?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I would say I don't know.
Honestly.
I started just researchingdifferent.
I think it started withdeodorant, honestly and crazy as
that is, but I was like allthis deodorant is so toxic for
you and reading all these things, and so I thought, well, I'm
gonna find a better way, abetter alternative.
(02:33):
And so I started looking atsome different companies and
trying to find some non-toxictype personal care items.
And that led to everything elselaundry, soap and cleaning
products and all these differentthings.
And I remember back four monthsbefore Brad's diagnosis, I
actually stopped using deodorantlike regular deodorant and he
(02:57):
was like you are nuts.
I mean, we live in SouthAlabama, right on the water, and
it is hot in August, okay.
So he was like you're crazy.
He's like, well, I don't evenknow what you're doing.
And he was like I'll never notwear deodorant.
And so I went through thiswhole little detox thing and I
was listening to this woman thatI follow and it's her company
(03:17):
that kind of got me in all thisand she had a juicing live, like
a Facebook live, and she wasjuicing like I don't know, come
some carrots and stuff.
And I was like, well, that'sreally weird, why would she even
do that Didn't think anythingelse about.
It went on about my day andthen the rest of the story
continues on later, right?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
But yeah, so I stopped using deodorant.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
He thought I was nuts and.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Another thing for me was just sick of the every fad
diet that came along.
I would drop some weight, felta little healthier, and then I
would gain all that back, plusfive or six more pounds, you
know, and just do the same thingback and forth.
I was actually gotten up toalmost 240, a little over 240
pounds, just prior to mydiagnosis.
(04:04):
So I'm way too short to weigh240 pounds.
I was miserable.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I've always had the opposite problem and people
don't like me for it, but Icould never gain a pound.
I know most people will seethat as a problem, but it is
when you're a guy, you'rescrawny all through school and
you want to gain something.
What can I say?
This is not about me.
Anyway, your diagnosis wasn'tthat long ago.
How did that come about?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Well I had.
It was actually December, the10th of 2021, when I was
officially diagnosed and,ironically, that was one day
after I retired from 38 and ahalf years of employment with
the same company, on Decemberthe night.
So, happy retirement.
The next day.
Yeah, we were in Savannah,georgia.
(04:53):
Our company had a plan inSavannah.
I had been doing someconsultant work there and we
were working there that week andhad left early on Thursday to
come home to get the resultsfrom the biopsy on that Friday
and I had been having someissues.
My PSA had been increasing alittle bit earlier in the year.
(05:15):
Urologist was treating me foran infection and it told me
several times you know, hey,brad, we got to figure out
what's going on but it's a onein a hundred chance that you
have cancer.
Several times it told me thateven after the biopsy with the
ultrasound driven biopsy, hesaid it's just.
He said we'll get the results,we'll figure out what's going on
(05:35):
, but it's again, it's notcancer one in a hundred chance.
So we felt pretty good with it.
You know those are pretty goododds.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But we got the, we had the appointment schedule for
that Friday and we drove backand when we went to the
appointment the doctor walked in.
It was just kind of one ofthose things you could see it
all over his face, you know.
He said don't know what to say.
He said you're that one, youknow, I told you the one in a
hundred chance, butunfortunately you're that one,
(06:03):
and it's not good.
He told us that it was aGleason score of nine.
Yeah, and that's not knowing alot, but all that, you know, all
that ver verbiage meant withthe.
But he told us that he wantedto schedule bone scans as quick
as possible, which you know, allthat scared us.
And it was being you know thatbeing a Friday, the bone scans
(06:24):
were could not be scheduleduntil until that Monday.
So it was a long weekend, youknow, just trying to trying to
take in everything that he toldus and just thinking what you
know, what the future held, andhow do we tell our kids?
So?
So we packed up we have ahunting camp just north of us
and we packed up that Fridaywhen we got back from the doctor
(06:47):
and just so we're going tospend the, just spend the
weekend at the hunting camp justto kind of regroup and see how.
You know, how we're going totell the kids.
What does all this mean?
You know we have, we have sevenchildren.
So we, you know we have sevenchildren.
We, at the time of diagnosis,we had four grandkids and we now
have nine, and number 10 is onthe way this Thursday and number
(07:10):
11 in August.
So it's we have a big family.
So we're trying to figure outhow to tell them.
So we just we spent the week inthere just just loving on each
other and lots of tears, youknow, lots of crying, lots of
hugging, even tried to do somelaughing, and so we had the.
We came back and for the bonescan on Monday and the.
(07:33):
It's kind of a roller coasterride, you know we had gotten
that diagnosis on Friday andthen Monday we did the bone
scans and the bone scans wereclear.
So you know we were feeling.
We were feeling great again,again, not knowing a lot about
prostate cancer, and we werereferred us to a urologist after
the scans were done and thathad treated us and told us where
(07:57):
we would be going to NewOrleans to be treated there.
So we went and met with, metwith him and that's kind of
where he gave us the details ofwhat a Gleason score stage four
cancer met.
So that's kind of kind of thestory.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
But before before that you didn't, let me tell
that part.
Like when we came home from thehunting camp, I made him stop.
He stopped at Bed, Bath andBeyond and we bought a juicer
and I juice carrots for thefirst time on Sunday and he
drank carrots.
And they drank it and drank itProbably can count on my hands
(08:34):
the days that I've missed inover two and a half years,
because I remembered, and thatwas such a God thing that I saw
that crazy woman juicing somecarrots back in August and I
remembered and that was likeFriday on the like.
I was the first thing I wassearching for.
I was going back through, youknow, facebook.
I'm like, oh my gosh, I know Isaw this woman juicing these
carrots and it was because ChrisBeat Cancer told her to do that
(08:57):
and I'm like I don't know whatthat is, but I'm going to find
out.
So I found it and watched itagain and then I looked up Chris
Beat Cancer and Square One andwe, you know, brought Dove into
that program immediately andwhen I told him he was going to
drink some carrot juice, he waslike you're nuts, and I'm like
you're going to drink it andit's going to be good and so so,
(09:19):
yeah, so he did on Sunday andjust about every day since.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Isn't it weird how sweet the carrots are.
Crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah yeah, it's funny I drank so much.
Every time I would go to againour doctors in New Orleans and
we live in Mobile.
It's about an hour and 45minutes away, so but every
appointment usually without fail.
If I had something done, peoplewould ask me said you're,
you're mighty orange, is thereanything wrong with your liver?
I said no, I just drink a lotof carrot juice.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
And in New Orleans they say it like what's wrong
with your liver?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yes, before you got this diagnosis, obviously
you were getting ready forretirement and this probably
wasn't in your plans.
What were you planning on doing?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
traveling, we were we were really living the living,
the American dream.
You know I was.
I was 57 years old and my wifehad told me that I could retire.
So I mean, how it doesn't getany better than that.
You know, we had a year priorto that in 2020, we had bought
our dream home.
We live on the Gulf Coast, sowe had bought our dream home on
(10:23):
the water, on a river that Ifished in all my life as a kid.
So it was just like I said,living the dream.
You know, this is where we knewwe were going to live and raise
not raise kids.
They were all grown, but justhave a place on the water for
the grandkids to enjoy.
So that that was the planbefore.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Fish every day.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Fish every day, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, you had it all worked out, but yeah yeah,
somehow I think God might haveknown something was coming, you
think?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Yes, absolutely.
You know one of my favoritestories and we told our healing
strong group this from the verybeginning and I'll probably get
emotional thinking about it.
But when we moved here I'vealways loved my grandpa had a
big garden and all these fruittrees and all these things in
their, in their, in their yard.
When I was little and when we,when we bought this house, I
(11:14):
knew it was the one because ithad, was it four, four different
fruit trees.
We had a lime tree, 11 tree, acumquat tree and a sat symmetry
and I'm like, oh my gosh, thisis amazing.
And the cumquats like I didn'teven know what that was Like.
It's a little bitty orangelooking thing but we tried to
eat it.
It was terrible.
I'm like, what is this?
You know I don't even want that.
(11:35):
But when we, when we moved inand we had all these fruits and
you know I was just so enamoredby them I thought it was the
coolest thing ever.
Well, in, you know, in December, when you know he got diagnosed
and we started juicing allthese carrots, we started
juicing cumquats and here Ididn't even know what a cumquat
was, but God did and he put itin our yard.
(11:55):
How many years ago did he putthat cumquat tree there so that
it would be there, you know,when we needed it, and it was
just.
I still get emotional thinkingabout that, but yeah, it's
pretty pretty, a pretty big signfor sure.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
When things taste kind of bitter or not so good,
you see, that means it's packedfull of vitamins or something
nutritional that your body needs.
That we've avoided because itdidn't taste right for us.
It wasn't sugary enough, right.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Right, right, yep, they're very bitter.
And it's just weird to me thatyou eat the whole thing like the
peel and all.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
That's just weird, so yeah, and what was it fourth
tree?
You said.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
A satzuma tree.
It's like a little kind of likea mandarin orange, Real easy to
peel yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
All right, I didn't know what that was either.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
They're very, very, very prominent here where we
live.
So, okay, I knew what that onewas.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Now, you all grew up in the area.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
you said yeah, I've lived in Mobile all my life.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Yeah, you can't tell by the accent, I'm just kidding
and I totally get what you'retalking about, because after I
got my diagnosis and then I metwith the surgeon, because you
know, again they said you got tomeet with the surgeon like
right away.
I'm like am.
I going to die, like today.
But that's how they made mefeel and according to the
(13:11):
surgeon and the doctor theoncologist, you know I only had
a month or two to live.
So it was close to that.
But after we saw the surgeonand they had panic in their
faces, which is never good tosee that in the doctor.
But I remember going out to eatbreakfast with my wife and it
just it was hard to keep theemotions intact.
You know we're just thinkingokay, this is September.
(13:34):
I thought I'm apparently notgoing to make it till Christmas
and it's just a whirlwind ofemotions and everything in the
everything fades to thebackground, you know, and I'm
trying not to cry in arestaurant, but we had driven
separately and so I went off inmy Jeep which has the tinted
windows, thank God and justcried like a little baby and I'm
(13:54):
not a crier much at all.
So that was, it was gutwrenching because it's a, it's a
punch in the gut, you know, andI know it's pretty much what
you went through at your huntingcamp, right.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and it's.
It's, you know, and even for Iwould say, two or three months.
You know we had our bad days,but again, it's how God works
and never, not one time was, ifI was having a bad day, becky
was having a good day.
You know, she could pick me upIf she was having a bad day.
It was just one of those days Iwas having a great day.
So it was just amazing how Godworked through that, through
(14:27):
that period of time.
Where it was, it was tough, itwas, it was a struggle, but
we're, thank God, we're, we'reover that and completely put it
in God's hands.
You know one of our favoriteverses is Psalms one, 19, six
one 139, 16, 139, 16, that youknow, god knew.
God knew the story before wewere ever, you know, ever came
(14:47):
out of the womb.
God knew.
So we that just helps us to toput it in his hands there's,
there's Brad's path has laid out, has been laid out for 57 years
before I was the, you know,before I was even born.
So it's, we've really, we'vereally learned to trust in him
and give it to God.
And again, we still, you know,we're human.
(15:09):
There's still concerns and thedevil tries to prick us
sometimes, but it's just amazingthe work that God's done in our
life and it's.
I tell people.
It sounds crazy, but I tellpeople that cancer is the best
thing that ever happened to me,really just from a spiritual
perspective, and just was alwaysa good guy.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
That has just made me a better man, a better, a
better friend, a better father,a better grandfather, right, and
I would say, you know, thosefirst several months, we, you
know, because we did change,change our diet completely and
we started eating, you know, raw, raw fruits and vegetables and
no animal products whatsoever,and just jumped right in and I
(15:49):
think that probably helped also.
But we definitely made a choiceto focus on gratitude, like
once we got past that initial ohmy gosh.
You know, because theoncologist had told him you know
, you've got, you know three toseven years basically, and he
said you know, you're stage fourprostate cancer.
(16:10):
You know it's not, it's notlooking good, it's never going
to be cured, there's not reallya whole lot we can do.
We're going to do this, but youknow, just just know that, you
know it's.
You know, average three toseven years.
And so once we got past thatinitial fear and we made the
choice to start being gratefulevery single morning, like
that's how we started.
(16:31):
Every single day, you know,we're thankful for this and this
and this, and I think that, andI think that you know, we
started inching our way towardsmore hope than fear, and and and
I think that probably fruitsand vegetables had a part in
that too because our brain Imean our brain chemistry changed
, you know, when we because wewe had, you know, made it a
(16:51):
point to, you know kind of tryto change our lifestyle, but we
went hardcore on December the12th and, you know, didn't
haven't looked back since andpeople, you know, think we're
not still, probably, but that'sokay, we don't, we don't really
mind that at all, but but yeah,I think that it's it's life
changing, it's life altering.
(17:12):
And if you which I don't reallywant to say embrace, but if you
embrace it and make choices, Ithink that God has a plan for
each of us and he has a purposefor each of us and he equips you
to fulfill that purpose.
For that he has called you for,and so we are.
(17:33):
A motto is that we are gonna doeverything that we can do to
make our bodies as healthy aspossible, so that we can live
out every single day in hisservice and not miss one thing
that he had planned for us.
That's our goal is we wanna beable to participate in every
single thing that he has for us,and we gotta be healthy to be
(17:54):
able to do that.
So we make better choices now.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Becky, you have a terrible attitude.
Yeah, that is amazing.
I always said before cancereverything is in black and white
and after cancer it just turnsinto color.
Cause you're like you said, youbecome grateful for things.
I remember sitting in my cargoing to work.
I thought thank you, lord, forthis car with the heat in it,
(18:20):
thank you for the job I'm goingto, thank you for this house.
It's more than I deserve.
And you just, yeah, youappreciate every second.
You wanna kiss your kids more.
I don't know if they like it asmuch, but still you appreciate
them, even the dogs.
I don't kick the dogs anymore Inever did but anyway, sometimes
(18:41):
I needed it.
Cancer is like a Goliath to us,but to God it's not even a Nat,
I mean.
It's just means your life's outof balance.
The way he created you, it'ssomething's out of balance and
he will help you get it back in.
The doctors what did they?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
want you to do.
Dr Delacro in New Orleans, theposition that I was the
specialist that I see now.
He put me on hormone treatmentOkay, and told me that surgery
surgery was not an optionbecause it had metastasized to
the distant lymph nodes, so thatwas not an option.
I did end up having surgery aspart of an MD Anderson, a
(19:21):
clinical trial, so they didremove my prostate, but it was
again.
He made it clear that this wasnot a curable disease, that it
was treatable but not curablethrough surgery.
Okay.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And we very much I probably very much am a thorn in
his side and I think that hehas a love hate relationship
with me.
For sure he loves Brad, causeeverybody loves Brad.
But I ask a lot of questionsand I ask hard questions and I
tell him things, I tell him whatwe're doing and I tell him that
it's making a difference andhe's like, well, it's just, he
(19:56):
said it's not gonna changeanything and I'm like it's
absolutely gonna change things.
Like us, him eating this isgoing to make a difference in
him.
And I think our, I think yourlast appointment in December, he
even said he's like you know,he's like I don't ever want to
admit it, but he's like he saidwhat you're doing is really,
(20:17):
really making a difference.
And he so he finally is kind ofcoming around a little bit,
even though he doesn't like toadmit it.
He is a little bit so.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
I was asking a lot of questions about the juicing and
I mean you can tell before hewas just hey, I'm an oncologist,
you know you can do whateveryou want to do, but now I think
we've definitely convinced himthat there is other alternatives
.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, that's just so crazy to me, still to this day,
that doctors, as smart as theyare I mean they're trained a
certain way, I understand thatpart and they can only do a
certain amount of stuff becausetheir hands are tied.
As far as you know, they can'tprescribe carrots to you, right,
they'd get in trouble.
But they should at leastunderstand how important
nutrition is.
(21:02):
And some of them think itdoesn't matter at all, which I'm
like.
Come on, a third grader knowsbetter than that.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Yeah, and I told him too, which he thinks I'm crazy,
I'm sure.
But you know, and that's one ofthe things that we've done from
the beginning, we pray for himall the time, like we pray for
him all the time and I've toldhim, I'm like you know, god has
told me Brad's not gonna diefrom prostate cancer, and he
reminds me of that more than Ionly told him once, and he
reminds me sometimes when we'retalking.
He's like, well, you know, youtold me that God told you Brad's
(21:31):
not gonna die from prostatecancer.
I'm like you're right, he's not.
And so, and he so he'slistening, even if he doesn't
want to act like he listens tome and to us, he does.
And I think that you know Godis working in his life as well
and you know, for whatever thatmeans, we pray for him all the
time.
Cause, yeah, why wouldn't we?
Speaker 3 (21:50):
That's right.
So, brad, how are you doingtoday?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Doing well, and you know that's another thing that
he mentioned.
See, he brags about that how,how well I look.
You know because I told youearlier in the podcast that
prior to my diagnosis I'dweighed about 240 pounds and one
of the things he told me was ahormone treatment, that I would
gain weight, that you know Iwouldn't have any energy.
And I'm currently weigh about170 and just far, I mean, have
(22:18):
plenty of energy even on thehormone treatment, so I feel
great.
Wow, you look fantastic, Thankyou, of course I didn't see you
before, but you look great.
We have some before and afterpictures that we've shared with
our healing strong group.
They were like I don't believethose pictures are true.
They think that we somehow havemade those up.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And he did tell us in June of last year after his
he's got scans and everythingusually in June, and after those
scans last June he told he toldBrad that if he didn't know he
had cancer he would not knowthat he had cancer.
So he wouldn't actually.
So then I, of course, pushedhim.
I'm like so does that meanyou're telling us that he has no
(23:03):
evidence of disease?
And he kind of chuckled andhe's like, yes, if you'd like
for me to refer to it like that,I will.
He has no evidence of disease.
And I said, well, thank youvery much, I would like that.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yes, that's funny, you're like my wife.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yeah, my doctor visits are very entertaining.
I would almost love to videoone of our meetings.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah, I'm like real compliant, okay, whatever.
And my wife is no.
No, no, she's coming out withquestions, but I'm glad I
married her.
It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I can say the same thing.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, scoring some points there, that's good.
Make sure my wife listens tothis podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Like most people, you heard about healing strong
through Chris Warke in squareone.
We really like Chris.
He is our gatekeeper.
But I think I read, like me,you looked for healing strong
group and there wasn't any, soyou felt obligated, didn't you,
to start one.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Yeah, I, I I'm the one who brought it up initially
with Brad, and I had beenthinking about it because after
I saw it and kind of looked atit, and there's not a, you know,
not a group here and and I'mnot, I didn't really want to
join an online one that justwasn't something that was
interesting to me.
And I thought, you know, wereally, you know maybe you
should do this.
And then you know, I'm like,but gosh, you know, it's just
too much, it's too much, youcan't do that.
(24:26):
And so you know, prayed aboutit and, you know, just kind of
put it on the back burner formonths, several months, and then
brought it up after a couple ofmonths.
I brought it up to brand.
I'm like I really feel like Ihave to do this and I said I
don't know if you want to be,you know, involved with it or
not, or you know If you want tohelp or you don't want to help.
But I, I absolutely feel like Ihave to do this and I don't know
what it means yet, but I'mgonna figure it out and if you
(24:48):
want to help, you can help too,and so so, yeah, so then we I
looked into it a little bit moreand just signed up and, um,
then I talked to Janet, who isan amazing person, and they
actually have a house Down here,like not even 30 minutes from
from us, that they vacation atsometimes, and so we got to meet
(25:08):
with them very early on, wellbefore our first meeting, and so
, yeah, and it's been such ablessing, I think that the Just
you know everything kind oflined up and we're able to meet
in our church and, you know, thepeople that are coming are just
precious and we just learned somuch and it's just, it's been,
it's been fun, it really hasbeen.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, you feel like the people in your group, which
is so weird to me, that it's agroup full of people that are,
you know, battling cancer, goingon a journey.
You would think it'd be a lotof depressing people, but I mean
, ours is almost like a party.
Yeah, everyone's happy andthey're they're learning from
each other and they're talkingabout you know what they're
(25:48):
doing and and they getencouraged by other people and
they leave.
You know, sometimes I have to,like get them out of the parking
lot because they're justyacking and talking to each
other.
I thought do you remember?
You have cancer, you know, getdepressed it's.
It is such a it's such a, agreat thing to have a support
group like that.
And even if everyone's gotcancer, like I'm in the group
(26:10):
and I don't have cancer anymore,which I'm I'm preferred that
way, but most of the people inmy group still have cancer, but
yet, you know they're, they'reso uplifting and they're
encouraging to each other andand it's almost like I have a
cold, it's no big deal.
You find that in your groupalso.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yeah, we're and again , we're relatively new.
We've met.
We started in october and sowe've met Four or five times.
We didn't have a meeting indecember but yeah, we have
formed a, we formed a family,which we usually have between 12
and 15 there, that, but it'sjust again, just like already.
That bond is just like a familyand it has been great.
(26:49):
But we one unique thing withours or may not be unique, but A
lot of our members, probablyabout half of ours do not have
cancer or any chronic illness.
So that's just one of thethings that we've been doing is
just Just want to be proactiveand that's been a.
That's been really fun to workwith them and Just tell our
(27:11):
story and and share with them,and it's just been amazing to
see some of the changes thatthey've made and Are trying to
be again proactive to preventsomething Down the road in their
lives.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
So that's been been really uplifting for us All
right Now.
And they have just gotten thediagnosis and you know, and you
knew that feeling, you know youjust been punched in the gut and
you have no idea what thefuture holds.
You know it looks kind of grim.
What would you say to thosepeople right now?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Totally put it in god's hands that it god, god,
again, what we talked about.
God knew brad's path, brad'splan, before I was ever put on
this earth, so that we hold onto that promise, knowing that he
Again, we pray for our healing.
We can we kind of be carefulwith our, with our prayers,
because our healing was taken,it was taken care of, and on
(28:02):
Calvary you know that thestripes on his back was for our
healing.
So I don't want to pray god toheal me.
That's already been done.
I pray for our prayer to be thatwe have faith to believe that
our healing is going to takeplace.
So I would encourage them to tomake that their prayer, to give
god, give me the faith tobelieve that I'm going to be
healed and god give me thestrength to do that, to make the
(28:23):
changes that you know.
I don't think that we can justtrust in him for healing,
because he puts things likehealing strong chris war In our,
in, in our lives, to know thatwe do the right things, we make
changes and lifestyle changesthat can, that can help, that
can heal, that can preventdisease and I would add to that
surround yourself with friendswho have a strong faith and who
(28:48):
will believe for you.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Like, I think, that having a group of of people
family, friends, whoever healingstrong group that will pray for
you and that will Believe whenyou yourself have a hard time
believing, you know.
Surround yourself with, withthose, those friends that are
are are able to pray you through.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, like a healing strong group.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That will to live.
I know that it's it's talkedabout a lot and healing strong,
that that's important, that findsomething that you know.
Again we have.
We have a lot to live for withour big family again seven
children and Soon to be 11grandkids.
So we have a lot to live for.
Everybody doesn't have thatlarge family, but there's
something in their life that canbe that will to live, that
(29:35):
fight to live Every day.
Wake up and god, give me thestrength to fight another day.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I know most of us, you know, we want god to just
heal us instantly, like he's ourgenie.
We're just gonna rub the mayberub the bible and he'll come out
and ask us whatever we want,and it happens.
But I guess our prayer shouldbe more like what do I need to
learn from this?
You know, why is this in mylife Not?
You know, hey, get rid of it.
So I just keep going the way Iwas going.
(30:02):
Obviously, he doesn't put thecancer in there, but he knows
why it's there, what we did ordidn't do that caused it to be
there.
And and because you know, weall have the potential to have
cancer, we all have cancerouscells in us.
It's just, you know, do we letthem get out of control?
And I know, and I know it'sit's the same with you.
(30:22):
But you know, god just changedmy life.
He's given me a differentperspective and and I too was a
good little fella I never didanything wrong.
I'm almost perfect.
Okay, made it quick, but youknow I was a good little kid.
You know I never, I neverjoined a gang, never killed
anybody, let's put it that way.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
I mean, there you go.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Yeah, how much better can I be?
But, yeah, once I got thatcancer and kind of it kind of
shakes your uh, your perspective, uh, the way you see things,
and I find that I live moreintentionally and I put people
more important and I'm a peopleperson anyway but people are
still much more important thanprojects or schedules.
(31:01):
And, of course, Jesus Uh showsus that.
You know, he was never in ahurry.
He always took time for people,he was like one on one, even
though he was pressed in by thecrowds, he was always one on one
with people and made them feltlike they were seen, which is
what he did for me.
You know, I don't know if youheard my story or not, but you
know I was in radio and I had,you know, a half a million
(31:24):
listeners, but still, you know,I lived my life like I wasn't,
wasn't seen, like it didn'treally matter, which is it's
just so dumb.
I knew that was dumb, butthat's just the way I was wired.
And then, you know, through thecancer, he the response of the
radio audience who saw me as afamily because they listened to
me every morning, and I was justoverwhelmed with the fact that
(31:45):
God knew everything about.
You know, even though I didn'tknow that consciously, but this
it really hit home that God kneweverything about me.
He knew about the cancer beforeI was even born and he knew
what I needed and he delivered.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
and you know, and he still will, even if it's not,
you know, and there may bepeople who you know need to hear
this too.
Like yesterday morning, oractually Saturday night, I
needed to remember something onSunday and I didn't you know
like write it down or anything.
I was already in bed and I'mlike, oh man, I need, I need to
(32:20):
remember, I needed to rememberto text somebody because I
hadn't talked to her in a whileand I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm
like Lord, please let meremember to you know, text this
person tomorrow, because I needto check on her and see how
she's doing.
It's a healing, strong friendand no doubt, on our way to
church Sunday morning, we pulledup to a stoplight and the car
in front of us had a licenseplate that reminded me of this
(32:43):
person and I said, oh, thank you, jesus.
You know, let me.
I got my phone out right then hewas driving.
I got my phone right.
Then I text her and you knowlike he will.
Something as silly and simpleas that.
He wants to be the author ofour days and he wants us to live
in his will and to be, you know, like I said earlier, to have
every single blessing that hehas for us.
(33:05):
He wants us to be able toexperience that, and so I think
we just need to do a better jobsometime of asking for things.
Like you know, I don't think weask for nearly enough, but but
he'll remind you to text yourfriend if you ask.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah, so what are you going to do now with your
retirement?
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I, like Becky said I fish, I fish a lot.
There you go, yeah, I keep, Ikeep the boat in the water, so I
fish a lot.
I keep grandkids quite often.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yes, yes, spoiling them, of course.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Oh, absolutely they.
When they get to their houseand kind of cut up, we tell them
they don't act like that in ourhouse and they say our kids say
they don't act like thatbecause y'all don't have not
learned the word.
No, I said you're absolutelyright.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
We redirect a lot.
We don't really say no, a lotwe redirect.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Perfect.
Well, it's been a pleasuretalking with you too, and how
can people get ahold of you ifthey wanted to know more about
you or more about your?
Speaker 4 (34:04):
group.
You can find us on the HealingStrong um leader page, for sure,
and I don't know our emailaddress, but it's on the healing
, it's on the Healing Strong.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Let me see I can probably find it, it's on the
Healing Strongorg and just go tothe find a group and mobile.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
It is Healing Strong dot mobile at Gmail.
Yep, there you go.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Well, thank you so much.
I'm glad to hear you're doingwell and enjoying your
retirement and and the grandkids.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
We are.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Something I still don't have.
Good night.
I should have said, we only hadfour kids, so it's taking a
little longer.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
They're pretty fun.
I would highly recommend 10 outof 10.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Nothing like grandkids, for sure.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Well, thank, you so much.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
You've been listening to the I am healing strong
podcast.
A part of the Healing Strongorganization.
We hope you found encouragementin this episode, as well as the
confidence to take control ofyour healing journey, knowing
that God will guide you on thispath.
Healing Strong is a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to
(35:15):
connect, support and educateindividuals facing cancer and
other diseases throughstrategies that help to rebuild
the body, renew the soul andrefresh the spirit.
It costs nothing to be a part ofa local or online group.
You can do that by going to ourwebsite at healingstrongorg and
(35:38):
finding a group near you or anonline group, or start your own,
your choice.
While you're there, take a lookaround at all the free
resources.
Though the resources and groupsare free, we encourage you to
join our membership program at25 or $75 a month.
This helps us to be able toreach more people with hope and
(36:01):
encouragement, and that alsocomes with some extra perks as
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So check it out.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please give us a five star
rating, leave an encouragingcomment and help us spread the
word.
We'll see you next week withanother story on the I am
healing strong podcast.
Brad's path has been laid out for 57 years, before I
was even born.
So we've really learned totrust in him and give it to God
Again.
We're human.
There's still concerns and thedevil tries to prick us
sometimes, but it's just amazingthe work that God's done in our
(00:22):
life.
And I tell people it soundscrazy, but I tell people that
cancer is the best thing thatever happened to me, really just
from a spiritual perspective,and just was always a good guy,
but it's just made me a betterman, a better friend, a better
father, a better grandfather.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast,
a part of the Healing Strongorganization, the number one
network of holistic cancersupport groups in the world.
Each week we bring you storiesof hope, real stories that will
encourage you as you navigateyour way on your own journey to
health.
Now here's your host stage fourcancer thriver, jim Mann.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Today I have a lovely little couple.
They're sharing headphones, soyou know they're happily married
.
We have Becky and Brad with us.
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Doing great, doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That last name is Corley.
Corley, is that how you say it?
That's correct.
Look at me.
It's a simple name.
I butcher it if it's more thantwo syllables, so you made it
just under the wire.
Well, you have a great story,brad.
Of course you're the one whogot the diagnosis, but before
that you guys were kind of on atrail of eating healthy and
(01:37):
doing the right things.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, we had started just a few months.
We've kind of been one toroller coaster, try to eat
healthy and then fall to theweight side.
But yeah, a few months prior tothat we had decided that we
were gonna change somelifestyles and eat healthier and
I think that was kind of God'sway of preparing us.
We had made up our minds thistime we were gonna stick with it
(02:00):
, doing some intermittentfasting and trying to eat
healthier and exercise.
So I think it was God preparingus for what, late ahead, that
we were unaware of.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, what made you jump on that train?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I would say I don't know.
Honestly.
I started just researchingdifferent.
I think it started withdeodorant, honestly and crazy as
that is, but I was like allthis deodorant is so toxic for
you and reading all these things, and so I thought, well, I'm
gonna find a better way, abetter alternative.
(02:33):
And so I started looking atsome different companies and
trying to find some non-toxictype personal care items.
And that led to everything elselaundry, soap and cleaning
products and all these differentthings.
And I remember back four monthsbefore Brad's diagnosis, I
actually stopped using deodorantlike regular deodorant and he
(02:57):
was like you are nuts.
I mean, we live in SouthAlabama, right on the water, and
it is hot in August, okay.
So he was like you're crazy.
He's like, well, I don't evenknow what you're doing.
And he was like I'll never notwear deodorant.
And so I went through thiswhole little detox thing and I
was listening to this woman thatI follow and it's her company
(03:17):
that kind of got me in all thisand she had a juicing live, like
a Facebook live, and she wasjuicing like I don't know, come
some carrots and stuff.
And I was like, well, that'sreally weird, why would she even
do that Didn't think anythingelse about.
It went on about my day andthen the rest of the story
continues on later, right?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
But yeah, so I stopped using deodorant.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
He thought I was nuts and.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Another thing for me was just sick of the every fad
diet that came along.
I would drop some weight, felta little healthier, and then I
would gain all that back, plusfive or six more pounds, you
know, and just do the same thingback and forth.
I was actually gotten up toalmost 240, a little over 240
pounds, just prior to mydiagnosis.
(04:04):
So I'm way too short to weigh240 pounds.
I was miserable.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I've always had the opposite problem and people
don't like me for it, but Icould never gain a pound.
I know most people will seethat as a problem, but it is
when you're a guy, you'rescrawny all through school and
you want to gain something.
What can I say?
This is not about me.
Anyway, your diagnosis wasn'tthat long ago.
How did that come about?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Well I had.
It was actually December, the10th of 2021, when I was
officially diagnosed and,ironically, that was one day
after I retired from 38 and ahalf years of employment with
the same company, on Decemberthe night.
So, happy retirement.
The next day.
Yeah, we were in Savannah,georgia.
(04:53):
Our company had a plan inSavannah.
I had been doing someconsultant work there and we
were working there that week andhad left early on Thursday to
come home to get the resultsfrom the biopsy on that Friday
and I had been having someissues.
My PSA had been increasing alittle bit earlier in the year.
(05:15):
Urologist was treating me foran infection and it told me
several times you know, hey,brad, we got to figure out
what's going on but it's a onein a hundred chance that you
have cancer.
Several times it told me thateven after the biopsy with the
ultrasound driven biopsy, hesaid it's just.
He said we'll get the results,we'll figure out what's going on
(05:35):
, but it's again, it's notcancer one in a hundred chance.
So we felt pretty good with it.
You know those are pretty goododds.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But we got the, we had the appointment schedule for
that Friday and we drove backand when we went to the
appointment the doctor walked in.
It was just kind of one ofthose things you could see it
all over his face, you know.
He said don't know what to say.
He said you're that one, youknow, I told you the one in a
hundred chance, butunfortunately you're that one,
(06:03):
and it's not good.
He told us that it was aGleason score of nine.
Yeah, and that's not knowing alot, but all that, you know, all
that ver verbiage meant withthe.
But he told us that he wantedto schedule bone scans as quick
as possible, which you know, allthat scared us.
And it was being you know thatbeing a Friday, the bone scans
(06:24):
were could not be scheduleduntil until that Monday.
So it was a long weekend, youknow, just trying to trying to
take in everything that he toldus and just thinking what you
know, what the future held, andhow do we tell our kids?
So?
So we packed up we have ahunting camp just north of us
and we packed up that Fridaywhen we got back from the doctor
(06:47):
and just so we're going tospend the, just spend the
weekend at the hunting camp justto kind of regroup and see how.
You know, how we're going totell the kids.
What does all this mean?
You know we have, we have sevenchildren.
So we, you know we have sevenchildren.
We, at the time of diagnosis,we had four grandkids and we now
have nine, and number 10 is onthe way this Thursday and number
(07:10):
11 in August.
So it's we have a big family.
So we're trying to figure outhow to tell them.
So we just we spent the week inthere just just loving on each
other and lots of tears, youknow, lots of crying, lots of
hugging, even tried to do somelaughing, and so we had the.
We came back and for the bonescan on Monday and the.
(07:33):
It's kind of a roller coasterride, you know we had gotten
that diagnosis on Friday andthen Monday we did the bone
scans and the bone scans wereclear.
So you know we were feeling.
We were feeling great again,again, not knowing a lot about
prostate cancer, and we werereferred us to a urologist after
the scans were done and thathad treated us and told us where
(07:57):
we would be going to NewOrleans to be treated there.
So we went and met with, metwith him and that's kind of
where he gave us the details ofwhat a Gleason score stage four
cancer met.
So that's kind of kind of thestory.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
But before before that you didn't, let me tell
that part.
Like when we came home from thehunting camp, I made him stop.
He stopped at Bed, Bath andBeyond and we bought a juicer
and I juice carrots for thefirst time on Sunday and he
drank carrots.
And they drank it and drank itProbably can count on my hands
(08:34):
the days that I've missed inover two and a half years,
because I remembered, and thatwas such a God thing that I saw
that crazy woman juicing somecarrots back in August and I
remembered and that was likeFriday on the like.
I was the first thing I wassearching for.
I was going back through, youknow, facebook.
I'm like, oh my gosh, I know Isaw this woman juicing these
carrots and it was because ChrisBeat Cancer told her to do that
(08:57):
and I'm like I don't know whatthat is, but I'm going to find
out.
So I found it and watched itagain and then I looked up Chris
Beat Cancer and Square One andwe, you know, brought Dove into
that program immediately andwhen I told him he was going to
drink some carrot juice, he waslike you're nuts, and I'm like
you're going to drink it andit's going to be good and so so,
(09:19):
yeah, so he did on Sunday andjust about every day since.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Isn't it weird how sweet the carrots are.
Crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah yeah, it's funny I drank so much.
Every time I would go to againour doctors in New Orleans and
we live in Mobile.
It's about an hour and 45minutes away, so but every
appointment usually without fail.
If I had something done, peoplewould ask me said you're,
you're mighty orange, is thereanything wrong with your liver?
I said no, I just drink a lotof carrot juice.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
And in New Orleans they say it like what's wrong
with your liver?
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yes, before you got this diagnosis, obviously
you were getting ready forretirement and this probably
wasn't in your plans.
What were you planning on doing?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
traveling, we were we were really living the living,
the American dream.
You know I was.
I was 57 years old and my wifehad told me that I could retire.
So I mean, how it doesn't getany better than that.
You know, we had a year priorto that in 2020, we had bought
our dream home.
We live on the Gulf Coast, sowe had bought our dream home on
(10:23):
the water, on a river that Ifished in all my life as a kid.
So it was just like I said,living the dream.
You know, this is where we knewwe were going to live and raise
not raise kids.
They were all grown, but justhave a place on the water for
the grandkids to enjoy.
So that that was the planbefore.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Fish every day.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Fish every day, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, you had it all worked out, but yeah yeah,
somehow I think God might haveknown something was coming, you
think?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Yes, absolutely.
You know one of my favoritestories and we told our healing
strong group this from the verybeginning and I'll probably get
emotional thinking about it.
But when we moved here I'vealways loved my grandpa had a
big garden and all these fruittrees and all these things in
their, in their, in their yard.
When I was little and when we,when we bought this house, I
(11:14):
knew it was the one because ithad, was it four, four different
fruit trees.
We had a lime tree, 11 tree, acumquat tree and a sat symmetry
and I'm like, oh my gosh, thisis amazing.
And the cumquats like I didn'teven know what that was Like.
It's a little bitty orangelooking thing but we tried to
eat it.
It was terrible.
I'm like, what is this?
You know I don't even want that.
(11:35):
But when we, when we moved inand we had all these fruits and
you know I was just so enamoredby them I thought it was the
coolest thing ever.
Well, in, you know, in December, when you know he got diagnosed
and we started juicing allthese carrots, we started
juicing cumquats and here Ididn't even know what a cumquat
was, but God did and he put itin our yard.
(11:55):
How many years ago did he putthat cumquat tree there so that
it would be there, you know,when we needed it, and it was
just.
I still get emotional thinkingabout that, but yeah, it's
pretty pretty, a pretty big signfor sure.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
When things taste kind of bitter or not so good,
you see, that means it's packedfull of vitamins or something
nutritional that your body needs.
That we've avoided because itdidn't taste right for us.
It wasn't sugary enough, right.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Right, right, yep, they're very bitter.
And it's just weird to me thatyou eat the whole thing like the
peel and all.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
That's just weird, so yeah, and what was it fourth
tree?
You said.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
A satzuma tree.
It's like a little kind of likea mandarin orange, Real easy to
peel yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
All right, I didn't know what that was either.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
They're very, very, very prominent here where we
live.
So, okay, I knew what that onewas.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Now, you all grew up in the area.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
you said yeah, I've lived in Mobile all my life.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Yeah, you can't tell by the accent, I'm just kidding
and I totally get what you'retalking about, because after I
got my diagnosis and then I metwith the surgeon, because you
know, again they said you got tomeet with the surgeon like
right away.
I'm like am.
I going to die, like today.
But that's how they made mefeel and according to the
(13:11):
surgeon and the doctor theoncologist, you know I only had
a month or two to live.
So it was close to that.
But after we saw the surgeonand they had panic in their
faces, which is never good tosee that in the doctor.
But I remember going out to eatbreakfast with my wife and it
just it was hard to keep theemotions intact.
You know we're just thinkingokay, this is September.
(13:34):
I thought I'm apparently notgoing to make it till Christmas
and it's just a whirlwind ofemotions and everything in the
everything fades to thebackground, you know, and I'm
trying not to cry in arestaurant, but we had driven
separately and so I went off inmy Jeep which has the tinted
windows, thank God and justcried like a little baby and I'm
(13:54):
not a crier much at all.
So that was, it was gutwrenching because it's a, it's a
punch in the gut, you know, andI know it's pretty much what
you went through at your huntingcamp, right.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and it's.
It's, you know, and even for Iwould say, two or three months.
You know we had our bad days,but again, it's how God works
and never, not one time was, ifI was having a bad day, becky
was having a good day.
You know, she could pick me upIf she was having a bad day.
It was just one of those days Iwas having a great day.
So it was just amazing how Godworked through that, through
(14:27):
that period of time.
Where it was, it was tough, itwas, it was a struggle, but
we're, thank God, we're, we'reover that and completely put it
in God's hands.
You know one of our favoriteverses is Psalms one, 19, six
one 139, 16, 139, 16, that youknow, god knew.
God knew the story before wewere ever, you know, ever came
(14:47):
out of the womb.
God knew.
So we that just helps us to toput it in his hands there's,
there's Brad's path has laid out, has been laid out for 57 years
before I was the, you know,before I was even born.
So it's, we've really, we'vereally learned to trust in him
and give it to God.
And again, we still, you know,we're human.
(15:09):
There's still concerns and thedevil tries to prick us
sometimes, but it's just amazingthe work that God's done in our
life and it's.
I tell people.
It sounds crazy, but I tellpeople that cancer is the best
thing that ever happened to me,really just from a spiritual
perspective, and just was alwaysa good guy.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
That has just made me a better man, a better, a
better friend, a better father,a better grandfather, right, and
I would say, you know, thosefirst several months, we, you
know, because we did change,change our diet completely and
we started eating, you know, raw, raw fruits and vegetables and
no animal products whatsoever,and just jumped right in and I
(15:49):
think that probably helped also.
But we definitely made a choiceto focus on gratitude, like
once we got past that initial ohmy gosh.
You know, because theoncologist had told him you know
, you've got, you know three toseven years basically, and he
said you know, you're stage fourprostate cancer.
(16:10):
You know it's not, it's notlooking good, it's never going
to be cured, there's not reallya whole lot we can do.
We're going to do this, but youknow, just just know that, you
know it's.
You know, average three toseven years.
And so once we got past thatinitial fear and we made the
choice to start being gratefulevery single morning, like
that's how we started.
(16:31):
Every single day, you know,we're thankful for this and this
and this, and I think that, andI think that you know, we
started inching our way towardsmore hope than fear, and and and
I think that probably fruitsand vegetables had a part in
that too because our brain Imean our brain chemistry changed
, you know, when we because wewe had, you know, made it a
(16:51):
point to, you know kind of tryto change our lifestyle, but we
went hardcore on December the12th and, you know, didn't
haven't looked back since andpeople, you know, think we're
not still, probably, but that'sokay, we don't, we don't really
mind that at all, but but yeah,I think that it's it's life
changing, it's life altering.
(17:12):
And if you which I don't reallywant to say embrace, but if you
embrace it and make choices, Ithink that God has a plan for
each of us and he has a purposefor each of us and he equips you
to fulfill that purpose.
For that he has called you for,and so we are.
(17:33):
A motto is that we are gonna doeverything that we can do to
make our bodies as healthy aspossible, so that we can live
out every single day in hisservice and not miss one thing
that he had planned for us.
That's our goal is we wanna beable to participate in every
single thing that he has for us,and we gotta be healthy to be
(17:54):
able to do that.
So we make better choices now.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Becky, you have a terrible attitude.
Yeah, that is amazing.
I always said before cancereverything is in black and white
and after cancer it just turnsinto color.
Cause you're like you said, youbecome grateful for things.
I remember sitting in my cargoing to work.
I thought thank you, lord, forthis car with the heat in it,
(18:20):
thank you for the job I'm goingto, thank you for this house.
It's more than I deserve.
And you just, yeah, youappreciate every second.
You wanna kiss your kids more.
I don't know if they like it asmuch, but still you appreciate
them, even the dogs.
I don't kick the dogs anymore Inever did but anyway, sometimes
(18:41):
I needed it.
Cancer is like a Goliath to us,but to God it's not even a Nat,
I mean.
It's just means your life's outof balance.
The way he created you, it'ssomething's out of balance and
he will help you get it back in.
The doctors what did they?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
want you to do.
Dr Delacro in New Orleans, theposition that I was the
specialist that I see now.
He put me on hormone treatmentOkay, and told me that surgery
surgery was not an optionbecause it had metastasized to
the distant lymph nodes, so thatwas not an option.
I did end up having surgery aspart of an MD Anderson, a
(19:21):
clinical trial, so they didremove my prostate, but it was
again.
He made it clear that this wasnot a curable disease, that it
was treatable but not curablethrough surgery.
Okay.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And we very much I probably very much am a thorn in
his side and I think that hehas a love hate relationship
with me.
For sure he loves Brad, causeeverybody loves Brad.
But I ask a lot of questionsand I ask hard questions and I
tell him things, I tell him whatwe're doing and I tell him that
it's making a difference andhe's like, well, it's just, he
(19:56):
said it's not gonna changeanything and I'm like it's
absolutely gonna change things.
Like us, him eating this isgoing to make a difference in
him.
And I think our, I think yourlast appointment in December, he
even said he's like you know,he's like I don't ever want to
admit it, but he's like he saidwhat you're doing is really,
(20:17):
really making a difference.
And he so he finally is kind ofcoming around a little bit,
even though he doesn't like toadmit it.
He is a little bit so.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
I was asking a lot of questions about the juicing and
I mean you can tell before hewas just hey, I'm an oncologist,
you know you can do whateveryou want to do, but now I think
we've definitely convinced himthat there is other alternatives
.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, that's just so crazy to me, still to this day,
that doctors, as smart as theyare I mean they're trained a
certain way, I understand thatpart and they can only do a
certain amount of stuff becausetheir hands are tied.
As far as you know, they can'tprescribe carrots to you, right,
they'd get in trouble.
But they should at leastunderstand how important
nutrition is.
(21:02):
And some of them think itdoesn't matter at all, which I'm
like.
Come on, a third grader knowsbetter than that.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Yeah, and I told him too, which he thinks I'm crazy,
I'm sure.
But you know, and that's one ofthe things that we've done from
the beginning, we pray for himall the time, like we pray for
him all the time and I've toldhim, I'm like you know, god has
told me Brad's not gonna diefrom prostate cancer, and he
reminds me of that more than Ionly told him once, and he
reminds me sometimes when we'retalking.
He's like, well, you know, youtold me that God told you Brad's
(21:31):
not gonna die from prostatecancer.
I'm like you're right, he's not.
And so, and he so he'slistening, even if he doesn't
want to act like he listens tome and to us, he does.
And I think that you know Godis working in his life as well
and you know, for whatever thatmeans, we pray for him all the
time.
Cause, yeah, why wouldn't we?
Speaker 3 (21:50):
That's right.
So, brad, how are you doingtoday?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Doing well, and you know that's another thing that
he mentioned.
See, he brags about that how,how well I look.
You know because I told youearlier in the podcast that
prior to my diagnosis I'dweighed about 240 pounds and one
of the things he told me was ahormone treatment, that I would
gain weight, that you know Iwouldn't have any energy.
And I'm currently weigh about170 and just far, I mean, have
(22:18):
plenty of energy even on thehormone treatment, so I feel
great.
Wow, you look fantastic, Thankyou, of course I didn't see you
before, but you look great.
We have some before and afterpictures that we've shared with
our healing strong group.
They were like I don't believethose pictures are true.
They think that we somehow havemade those up.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
And he did tell us in June of last year after his
he's got scans and everythingusually in June, and after those
scans last June he told he toldBrad that if he didn't know he
had cancer he would not knowthat he had cancer.
So he wouldn't actually.
So then I, of course, pushedhim.
I'm like so does that meanyou're telling us that he has no
(23:03):
evidence of disease?
And he kind of chuckled andhe's like, yes, if you'd like
for me to refer to it like that,I will.
He has no evidence of disease.
And I said, well, thank youvery much, I would like that.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yes, that's funny, you're like my wife.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yeah, my doctor visits are very entertaining.
I would almost love to videoone of our meetings.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah, I'm like real compliant, okay, whatever.
And my wife is no.
No, no, she's coming out withquestions, but I'm glad I
married her.
It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I can say the same thing.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, scoring some points there, that's good.
Make sure my wife listens tothis podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Like most people, you heard about healing strong
through Chris Warke in squareone.
We really like Chris.
He is our gatekeeper.
But I think I read, like me,you looked for healing strong
group and there wasn't any, soyou felt obligated, didn't you,
to start one.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Yeah, I, I I'm the one who brought it up initially
with Brad, and I had beenthinking about it because after
I saw it and kind of looked atit, and there's not a, you know,
not a group here and and I'mnot, I didn't really want to
join an online one that justwasn't something that was
interesting to me.
And I thought, you know, wereally, you know maybe you
should do this.
And then you know, I'm like,but gosh, you know, it's just
too much, it's too much, youcan't do that.
(24:26):
And so you know, prayed aboutit and, you know, just kind of
put it on the back burner formonths, several months, and then
brought it up after a couple ofmonths.
I brought it up to brand.
I'm like I really feel like Ihave to do this and I said I
don't know if you want to be,you know, involved with it or
not, or you know If you want tohelp or you don't want to help.
But I, I absolutely feel like Ihave to do this and I don't know
what it means yet, but I'mgonna figure it out and if you
(24:48):
want to help, you can help too,and so so, yeah, so then we I
looked into it a little bit moreand just signed up and, um,
then I talked to Janet, who isan amazing person, and they
actually have a house Down here,like not even 30 minutes from
from us, that they vacation atsometimes, and so we got to meet
(25:08):
with them very early on, wellbefore our first meeting, and so
, yeah, and it's been such ablessing, I think that the Just
you know everything kind oflined up and we're able to meet
in our church and, you know, thepeople that are coming are just
precious and we just learned somuch and it's just, it's been,
it's been fun, it really hasbeen.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, you feel like the people in your group, which
is so weird to me, that it's agroup full of people that are,
you know, battling cancer, goingon a journey.
You would think it'd be a lotof depressing people, but I mean
, ours is almost like a party.
Yeah, everyone's happy andthey're they're learning from
each other and they're talkingabout you know what they're
(25:48):
doing and and they getencouraged by other people and
they leave.
You know, sometimes I have to,like get them out of the parking
lot because they're justyacking and talking to each
other.
I thought do you remember?
You have cancer, you know, getdepressed it's.
It is such a it's such a, agreat thing to have a support
group like that.
And even if everyone's gotcancer, like I'm in the group
(26:10):
and I don't have cancer anymore,which I'm I'm preferred that
way, but most of the people inmy group still have cancer, but
yet, you know they're, they'reso uplifting and they're
encouraging to each other andand it's almost like I have a
cold, it's no big deal.
You find that in your groupalso.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yeah, we're and again , we're relatively new.
We've met.
We started in october and sowe've met Four or five times.
We didn't have a meeting indecember but yeah, we have
formed a, we formed a family,which we usually have between 12
and 15 there, that, but it'sjust again, just like already.
That bond is just like a familyand it has been great.
(26:49):
But we one unique thing withours or may not be unique, but A
lot of our members, probablyabout half of ours do not have
cancer or any chronic illness.
So that's just one of thethings that we've been doing is
just Just want to be proactiveand that's been a.
That's been really fun to workwith them and Just tell our
(27:11):
story and and share with them,and it's just been amazing to
see some of the changes thatthey've made and Are trying to
be again proactive to preventsomething Down the road in their
lives.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
So that's been been really uplifting for us All
right Now.
And they have just gotten thediagnosis and you know, and you
knew that feeling, you know youjust been punched in the gut and
you have no idea what thefuture holds.
You know it looks kind of grim.
What would you say to thosepeople right now?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Totally put it in god's hands that it god, god,
again, what we talked about.
God knew brad's path, brad'splan, before I was ever put on
this earth, so that we hold onto that promise, knowing that he
Again, we pray for our healing.
We can we kind of be carefulwith our, with our prayers,
because our healing was taken,it was taken care of, and on
(28:02):
Calvary you know that thestripes on his back was for our
healing.
So I don't want to pray god toheal me.
That's already been done.
I pray for our prayer to be thatwe have faith to believe that
our healing is going to takeplace.
So I would encourage them to tomake that their prayer, to give
god, give me the faith tobelieve that I'm going to be
healed and god give me thestrength to do that, to make the
(28:23):
changes that you know.
I don't think that we can justtrust in him for healing,
because he puts things likehealing strong chris war In our,
in, in our lives, to know thatwe do the right things, we make
changes and lifestyle changesthat can, that can help, that
can heal, that can preventdisease and I would add to that
surround yourself with friendswho have a strong faith and who
(28:48):
will believe for you.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Like, I think, that having a group of of people
family, friends, whoever healingstrong group that will pray for
you and that will Believe whenyou yourself have a hard time
believing, you know.
Surround yourself with, withthose, those friends that are
are are able to pray you through.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, like a healing strong group.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That will to live.
I know that it's it's talkedabout a lot and healing strong,
that that's important, that findsomething that you know.
Again we have.
We have a lot to live for withour big family again seven
children and Soon to be 11grandkids.
So we have a lot to live for.
Everybody doesn't have thatlarge family, but there's
something in their life that canbe that will to live, that
(29:35):
fight to live Every day.
Wake up and god, give me thestrength to fight another day.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I know most of us, you know, we want god to just
heal us instantly, like he's ourgenie.
We're just gonna rub the mayberub the bible and he'll come out
and ask us whatever we want,and it happens.
But I guess our prayer shouldbe more like what do I need to
learn from this?
You know, why is this in mylife Not?
You know, hey, get rid of it.
So I just keep going the way Iwas going.
(30:02):
Obviously, he doesn't put thecancer in there, but he knows
why it's there, what we did ordidn't do that caused it to be
there.
And and because you know, weall have the potential to have
cancer, we all have cancerouscells in us.
It's just, you know, do we letthem get out of control?
And I know, and I know it'sit's the same with you.
(30:22):
But you know, god just changedmy life.
He's given me a differentperspective and and I too was a
good little fella I never didanything wrong.
I'm almost perfect.
Okay, made it quick, but youknow I was a good little kid.
You know I never, I neverjoined a gang, never killed
anybody, let's put it that way.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
I mean, there you go.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Yeah, how much better can I be?
But, yeah, once I got thatcancer and kind of it kind of
shakes your uh, your perspective, uh, the way you see things,
and I find that I live moreintentionally and I put people
more important and I'm a peopleperson anyway but people are
still much more important thanprojects or schedules.
(31:01):
And, of course, Jesus Uh showsus that.
You know, he was never in ahurry.
He always took time for people,he was like one on one, even
though he was pressed in by thecrowds, he was always one on one
with people and made them feltlike they were seen, which is
what he did for me.
You know, I don't know if youheard my story or not, but you
know I was in radio and I had,you know, a half a million
(31:24):
listeners, but still, you know,I lived my life like I wasn't,
wasn't seen, like it didn'treally matter, which is it's
just so dumb.
I knew that was dumb, butthat's just the way I was wired.
And then, you know, through thecancer, he the response of the
radio audience who saw me as afamily because they listened to
me every morning, and I was justoverwhelmed with the fact that
(31:45):
God knew everything about.
You know, even though I didn'tknow that consciously, but this
it really hit home that God kneweverything about me.
He knew about the cancer beforeI was even born and he knew
what I needed and he delivered.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
and you know, and he still will, even if it's not,
you know, and there may bepeople who you know need to hear
this too.
Like yesterday morning, oractually Saturday night, I
needed to remember something onSunday and I didn't you know
like write it down or anything.
I was already in bed and I'mlike, oh man, I need, I need to
(32:20):
remember, I needed to rememberto text somebody because I
hadn't talked to her in a whileand I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm
like Lord, please let meremember to you know, text this
person tomorrow, because I needto check on her and see how
she's doing.
It's a healing, strong friendand no doubt, on our way to
church Sunday morning, we pulledup to a stoplight and the car
in front of us had a licenseplate that reminded me of this
(32:43):
person and I said, oh, thank you, jesus.
You know, let me.
I got my phone out right then hewas driving.
I got my phone right.
Then I text her and you knowlike he will.
Something as silly and simpleas that.
He wants to be the author ofour days and he wants us to live
in his will and to be, you know, like I said earlier, to have
every single blessing that hehas for us.
(33:05):
He wants us to be able toexperience that, and so I think
we just need to do a better jobsometime of asking for things.
Like you know, I don't think weask for nearly enough, but but
he'll remind you to text yourfriend if you ask.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah, so what are you going to do now with your
retirement?
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I, like Becky said I fish, I fish a lot.
There you go, yeah, I keep, Ikeep the boat in the water, so I
fish a lot.
I keep grandkids quite often.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yes, yes, spoiling them, of course.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Oh, absolutely they.
When they get to their houseand kind of cut up, we tell them
they don't act like that in ourhouse and they say our kids say
they don't act like thatbecause y'all don't have not
learned the word.
No, I said you're absolutelyright.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
We redirect a lot.
We don't really say no, a lotwe redirect.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Perfect.
Well, it's been a pleasuretalking with you too, and how
can people get ahold of you ifthey wanted to know more about
you or more about your?
Speaker 4 (34:04):
group.
You can find us on the HealingStrong um leader page, for sure,
and I don't know our emailaddress, but it's on the healing
, it's on the Healing Strong.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Let me see I can probably find it, it's on the
Healing Strongorg and just go tothe find a group and mobile.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
It is Healing Strong dot mobile at Gmail.
Yep, there you go.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Well, thank you so much.
I'm glad to hear you're doingwell and enjoying your
retirement and and the grandkids.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
We are.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Something I still don't have.
Good night.
I should have said, we only hadfour kids, so it's taking a
little longer.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
They're pretty fun.
I would highly recommend 10 outof 10.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Nothing like grandkids, for sure.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Well, thank, you so much.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
You've been listening to the I am healing strong
podcast.
A part of the Healing Strongorganization.
We hope you found encouragementin this episode, as well as the
confidence to take control ofyour healing journey, knowing
that God will guide you on thispath.
Healing Strong is a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to
(35:15):
connect, support and educateindividuals facing cancer and
other diseases throughstrategies that help to rebuild
the body, renew the soul andrefresh the spirit.
It costs nothing to be a part ofa local or online group.
You can do that by going to ourwebsite at healingstrongorg and
(35:38):
finding a group near you or anonline group, or start your own,
your choice.
While you're there, take a lookaround at all the free
resources.
Though the resources and groupsare free, we encourage you to
join our membership program at25 or $75 a month.
This helps us to be able toreach more people with hope and
(36:01):
encouragement, and that alsocomes with some extra perks as
well.
So check it out.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please give us a five star
rating, leave an encouragingcomment and help us spread the
word.
We'll see you next week withanother story on the I am
healing strong podcast.
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