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Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult for anyone, but doctors with cancer surely face a special challenge. They're accustomed to giving medical care, not receiving it. And perhaps they know better than most what their future might look like.
We sat down with Dr. Michael Traub to hear his very personal story of diagnosis and survival. He shared the unique and focused daily self-care regime was his secret weapon in his successful battle against cancer.
Dr. Michael Tribe is the medical director of the Lockheed Health Center in Hawaii. He is a high profile physician who has been honored by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
In this episode of Practitioner Self-Care, Dr Traub shares his journey to recovery from a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. He reveals the phone call from a friend with the news that drove him to get a second surgery and 30 days of radiation therapy - and how that news affected his friends and family.
But that was just the start of Dr Traub’s journey. Some months later, a routine test revealed that his cancer may have spread to his brain stem.
While many people who receive a cancer diagnosis like this struggle with a feeling of deep existential dread, not so for Dr Traub. He shares the spiritual practice that kept him calm and balanced - and how his mindset inspired his colleagues and friends and helped his family deal with the unfolding events.
In a pointed criticism of the cancer treatment system, Dr Traub, reveals how his experience has further inspired him to be an advocate and a navigator for his patients going through a cancer diagnosis.
Dr Traub gives us an intimate view into his daily routine, his deep and abiding spiritual practice and a fitness regimen all designed with one thing in mind: to keep him healthy and happy for the long run (yes, Dr Traub is a triathlete).
Key Quotes
“I just felt like they didn't care, you know, about the gravity of the situation. I felt like I know a lot of what my patients feel when they're in the system and nobody is really treating them like a human being.
And so it really motivated me to be an advocate and a navigator for my patients as they go through the system, because it's fraught with snags and obstacles and thoughtlessness and inconsiderate behavior.
It's just not a good system that we have. And I experienced that personally, and it really drove me to want to make it easier for my patients who are going through something similar”.
“I think that my experience with cancer three years ago caused me to revisit some of my values and how I live. I've made some healthy changes in my life, like not working so much and taking enough time off. In the past I've found myself in relationships that were not very healthy, but I am currently with somebody who accepts me for who I am”.
Dr Michael Traub
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The opinions expressed in this Nutramedica program are those of the guests and contributors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Nutritional Fundamentals For Health Inc.
This video is intended for licensed or registered health professionals and students of health professions only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information contained in these programs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
