Living Well While Surviving Cancer

Should Retirees Be Conservative Investors?

Having a retirement investment strategy.

To answer this question, take a look at the following video and 99 retirement tips from Fisher Investments.

Click the image to download the free guide.

Embarking on the Next Stage of Life

Retiring well is the plan.

With the beginning of 2019, I have embarked on the next stage of life. For me, that means retirement from my full-time profession. For 44 years, I was a professor (the last thirty, a distinguished professor). But I am not retiring from life. And there are several things I plan to do in the future.

While at the Zarb Business School of Hofstra University for all of those 44 years, I had a very rewarding career. I was extremely involved in the three pillars of academe: teaching undergraduate and graduate classes; engaging in scholarly research; and providing service to my department, my school, and to the university overall. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to also co-author two leading textbooks that were used worldwide and that went through many new editions. And I was lucky enough to be recognized with a teacher of the year award and four dean’s awards for service to the business school.

But, I realize that at this point that I want to move onto the next phase of my life. As this blog has noted before, I do not intend to “throw away” any days. And I want to live life every day. This is a time for reflection — both keeping my positive memories as well as striving to build new ones.

It was essential for me to retire while healthy enough to enjoy my next series of adventures. I will NEVER forget how lucky I am to be a pancreatic cancer survivor who celebrates four years post-surgery next month.

Embarking on the Next Stage of Life

So, where am I going in this next chapter? 🙂

These are my priorities, with more to come:

To give back to my fellow cancer victims and their families through blog posts, other social media, and related efforts.
To continue to publicize my FREE book on Surviving Cancer and Embracing Life: My Personal Journey. I want to reach as many people as I can with my inspirational message.

Embarking on the Next Stage of Life

To make further personal appearances and do more radio interviews on surviving cancer.
To expand my “giving back” scope to volunteer work with seniors, the poor, and others.
To write a sequel to Surviving Cancer on my experiences since the first book was published.
To do two vacation trips each year with the LOML (love of my life) Linda.
To see if I have it in me to write a novel, something I’ve never done before.
To keep on posting through my Evans on Marketing blog.
To teach one graduate course per year, during the fall semester.
To spend more time with my communities.
To continue to write about personal and professional self-branding — building on this brief FREE book: Self-Branding for Professional Success.

And more to come!!

Sometimes Overlooked Cancer Causes

Be more aware of the causes of cancer.

It is imperative that we understand as much as possible about cancer. That is why we published these earlier posts: Being Smart About Your Health. Interesting Cancer Facts. And Where Cancer Rates Are Highest. Today, we look at sometimes overlooked cancer causes.

Click on the image below to see a slide show from Sharecare that focuses on nine sometimes overlooked causes of cancer:

“Symptoms may not be so obvious. Some can be dangerously deceptive even. Seemingly minor changes, like a nagging cough or persistent backache, can sometimes signal cancer. Too often, these are not taken seriously until the disease has progressed.”

“So, how can you distinguish between an innocent ache and a pain you should report to your doctor? ‘I tell patients that if there are symptoms that are out of the ordinary or persistent or frequent in nature or extreme in intensity, they should seek attention from their primary provider,” says oncologist Elwyn Cabebe, MD, of Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California.”

“Signs and symptoms vary widely, so don’t hesitate to talk to your health-care provider about anything that seems out of the ordinary—especially if you notice one of these nine cancer indicators.”

How to Get and Stay Stronger

Tips to stay healthier

To get some some excellent tips about staying/getting strong, check out the links below to several recent NY Times’ articles. There should be at least one article that addresses YOUR needs.

Live Life Every Day

Today, I am quite sad. More on that shortly.

In our blog, we have focused on the journeys of people with serious health issues. And sought to be inspiring through posts such as these:

Why I am Sad Today

Over the weekend, the female half of one of my closest and dearest couples passed away. She was the same age as me. And she dealt with a plethora of health issues over the years. As has her husband. This post is in honor of them both. She suffered greatly. And as a survivor of a long-time marriage, he is suffering a lot now. They have been the NICEST people I know.

Understand that you are in my heart and head. And always will be. The fond memories will not fade away. Rest in peace.

Yet, we know that life goes on and that we must treasure each day, because we can be snatched away suddenly. As we’ve noted before: Try not to “throw away” any days. They are precious.

That’s why I find Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” (written by Craig Michael Wiseman, James Timothy Nichols, and Tim Nichols) to be so inspirational. Even though the specific lyrics of the song mostly do not apply to me, the focus is on living life every day:

He said:

“I was in my early forties
With a lot of life before me
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days
Looking at the x-rays
Talkin’ ’bout the options
And talkin’ ’bout sweet time”

I asked him:
“When it sank in
That this might really be the real end
How’s it hit you
When you get that kind of news?
Man, what’d you do?”

He said:
“I went skydiving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I’d been denying”

And he said:
“Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying”

He said:
“I was finally the husband
That most of the time I wasn’t
And I became a friend a friend would like to have
And all of a sudden going fishin’
Wasn’t such an imposition
And I went three times that year I lost my dad
I finally read the Good Book, and I
Took a good, long, hard look
At what I’d do if I could do it all again.”

New Year’s 2019 Resolutions – Part Two

Be motivated to set and follow cancer-related New Year’s resolutions.

As we noted yesterday, we need to set meaningful resolutions so as to be better. We should do this in a positive, motivated, and continuing manner. Today, we offer New Year’s 2019 Resolutions – Part Two.

This post deals more directly with the kinds of resolutions that those of us dealing with cancer need to address.

According to the Irish Cancer Society:

“[We are] urging people to make simple lifestyle changes, as part of their New Year’s resolutions, to significantly lower their risk of cancer. Four out of ten cancer cases are preventable by making a number of lifestyle changes recommended in the European Code Against Cancer. 40% of cancer risk has been attributed to five lifestyle factors—tobacco, diet, overweight/obesity, alcohol and low physical activity.”

“The Society suggests people follow the European Code Against Cancer, which includes 12 simple steps to help reduce their risk of cancer.”

Consider the applicable steps when setting and adhering to your own personal cancer-related resolutions for 2019.

To view a larger (and more readable) version of the infographic, click the image.

New Year’s 2019 Resolutions – Part One

Be motivated to set and follow New Year’s resolutions.

As we begin the new year, we need to set meaningful resolutions so as to be better. We should do this a positive, motivated, and continuing manner. Today, New Year’s 2019 Resolutions – Part One. Tomorrow, New Year’s 2019 Resolutions – Part Two.

Not only start 2019 by addressing your personal resolutions, but end the year by keeping to these resolutions.

Consider these 15 resolutions as described by Health Fitness Revolution.