Heart of a Warrior

A fight worth undertaking. By Jim Morrison

FEAR flooded my thoughts and being. I was just handed my death sentence.

After many tests and agonizing days of pain and suffering, my oncologist informed my family of the very bad results. Stage 4 lung cancer which had metastasized to the sack around my heart. According to other cases, this is almost always fatal.

Chemotherapy was the only treatment option. Radiation was not possible.

Stunned and speechless, I wished this bad dream was over. Actually, it was just beginning. My entire life and family changed that cold January day in 2004.

Cancer is not something I had on my bucket list when I turned 50 years old. Nevertheless, being a cancer survivor now was!

I had never smoked, which made lung cancer even crazier.

So a long, painful and very fatiguing journey began. During my battle with cancer, I have learned so many great things. Things I believe only God and cancer can teach you. Yes, I am blessed to have a family that battled cancer and won.

I am now 10 years out from my “6 months to live” death sentence. I have 7 ½ years of remission. I still fight each and every day starting at 3am with my daily dose of Tarceva.

I have lots of collateral damage from three years of intense chemotherapy, three surgeries, and two relapses, but when I hear the bell for the next round, I walk to center ring to fight another day. That’s the heart of a warrior!

From day one of my cancer, the support my family and I received was so very humbling, but oh so very much needed and appreciated. Cancer is very hard work, and you need help.

I also had a great mentor who took my cancer on top of his own battle with cancer. He walked me through the very bad days of hopelessness and doubt. We spent hours together praying that we both would live long enough to see our daughters get married. And we did!

On a very early morning visit to my mentor’s hospice room, I was faint hearted and weakened, holding his hand and kissing his forehead, fearful that I could not win my battle without his support. He had taught me well and equipped me with the tools I needed to become the survivor he always told me I would be.

Before my mentor died, he wanted this promise from me. “Jim,” he said, “I want you to promise that you will help and mentor others like I have done for you.” He called me his angel and said because of my support to him, he lived as long as he did. I made that promise to my beloved fellow warrior that dreary morning.

Over many years now I have done my best to help and mentor fellow cancer warriors. I wrote a book, a tool about my experience with God and cancer. I am the spokesperson for our Post Falls Cancer Center. My wife and I get invited all around the country to share our battle and victory with others, to offer hope and assure others that faith is real.

My promise to my mentor will now become a Community Cancer Support Group right here in beautiful Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Local churches such as Heart of the City, The Altar and Real Life Ministries are already offering their support. Others, including Kootenai Health, Northwest Oncology and the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, are helping spread the word.

We can reach out to fellow warriors, their caregivers and families. We can offer mentoring, hope, fellowship and swap tools that each warrior is more than willing to share. I have asked a number of my fellow warriors, men and women, to help me help others and not one said no.

I have said for years now, I live by faith, but I deal with the reality of cancer. It devastates and kills. Warrior, you need support and so does your family. You are in denial of a killer disease if you think you can do it alone.

This group will be a safe place to seek God, ask for help, and speak “cancer” with other warriors who have been to hell and came back to help you. They really care and understand. Express your fears and expect to receive the truth, love, faith and hope, to see another sunrise.

Mark your calendars the first Sunday of every month beginning October 5th for an evening of hope community cancer support group, 5 to 7pm at the Heart of the City Church, located at 521 West Emma Avenue, Coeur d’ Alene.

For more information please contact:

Jim Morrison at 208-818-2266, or email toseeanothersunrise@gmail.com.

Chris Harper at 208-277-6760, or email Harperdreamteam@gmail.com.

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