mind/body/sprit

read it yesterday....
Fighting Cancer With Mind, Body And Heart
March 12, 2007

LIMA, Ohio -- The Greek word for Earth is "geo." And, in Greek, when you put an "a" or "alpha" in front of a word, the prefix turns it to the negative, Darrel Linder, a student of the language explained.

The Greek word "ageos" literally means "not of this Earth," but is also Greek for "holy."

Linder, 86, studies lots of things. For some years now, his focus has been cancer. Linder has learned two things about the disease: While it takes a lot of things of this Earth, such as chemotherapy and radiation, to beat cancer, it also requires the spiritual.

"It's a physical disease. It's in you and part of you," Linder said. "But because of that, some of the best treatment is the realm of the spiritual."

After surviving prostate cancer and the things required to treat it, he has focused on the other to help thousands. For his volunteer work, Linder is this year's American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Lima honorary chairman.

While having another operation in 1992, Linder learned he had cancer. It was slow to grow, so it wasn't treated until 1997. Through his experience, he realized he could help others.

Linder volunteers four days a week in the St. Rita's Regional Cancer Center public library, helping patients, caregivers and supporters better understand their diseases. He facilitates the hospital's Man to Man prostate cancer support group.

A person is often helped by learning about his particular cancer, because each is different and requires different treatment and picking among several courses. Linder has studied up; he can tell you about how the proteins in prostate cancer behave differently than others and describe the latest breast cancer treatment technology. He's more interested, however, in dispelling myths.

"The great myth is that if you have cancer, you'll die. It's not true," Linder said. "Ninety-eight percent of cancer is treatable. The other thing to know is 80 percent of cancer is preventable. Cancer has two main causes: environment and diet."

Linder also wrote a booklet, "Life in the Survivor's Lane," about his thoughts on living through and after cancer. Most people have been touched in some way by cancer; the fact that Linder's book has been given to 5,000 people in three years is a testament to cancer's broad reach.

"Cancer does not respect wealth or privilege, class, or creed," Linder wrote. "Life is not cancer-proof. We are given no guarantees in this life. But let us remember that we are not alone and that 'Love endureth all things.'"

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