John Poole

   Early this year, I began to lose  a lot of weight. At first I thought it might be something involving my prostate gland as I had an above average reading of the prostate index for what is considered normal. So, I began eating raw bitter apricot kernels as a source of laetrile to address what I guessed might be cancer of the prostate gland. After a few months of no noticeable change for the better, I began coughing up blood in small amounts. On May 18 I went to the local Veterans Administration (VA) clinic. I was tested for blood and urine and had a chest z-ray. Something showed up in the area of the right lung. A couple of weeks later I had a CT scan taken of the chest,abdomen, and pelvis. Two hours later I was told that I had stage IV lung cancer, as it had spread to my brain and lower spine. I had one radiation treatment to the brain, and  a  month later 10 radiation treatments to the spine.  I was wiped out physically and mentally. A week and a half later I began taking a targeted medication for the lung. It helped clear up a problem that I had with the lung. For the last 5 weeks I have been steadily and gradually been regaining clarity and strength. I now use a walker for longer walks and a cane for shorter ones. I have been blessed by an outpouring of care from a number of sources from neighbors to friends and family, especially my sister Jeanne. I welcome visits and phone calls during the day, as I usually go to bed early in the evening.