Love the Wild is Back

It's been quite a journey

More than three years ago, I wrote the last post to this blog.

The post began with: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 2022. That diagnosis sent me down a trail I’ve never traveled before: battling a life-threatening illness. With my focus on this cancer journey, I’ve decided, after ten years, to stop advocating for wildlife and wild lands. Given this change, I will no longer post to Love the Wild.”

The post ended with: “Perhaps I will return someday to social media with postings about this journey into cancer. Or perhaps there’s a book in this. I just don’t know yet what the future will bring. I’ll miss the connections with readers. But my energy, my focus, and my writing must be elsewhere.”

I took some time recently to reflect on that cancer journey that began those four long years ago, when I was hiking up a hillside outside Yellowstone National Park, took an expected phone call, and heard my urologist confirm that my biopsy revealed aggressive prostate cancer. That call ended the hike and began a tougher journey deep into the unknowns of the wilds of cancer.

I underwent conventional treatment—forty-four shots of radiation and eighteen months of hormone therapy. During those challenging months, Mary and I dealt with the life-changing side effects of treatment. We also developed our supplemental approach to battling cancer, using diet, attitude, rest, and exercise, DARE, as we call it.

Two and a half years ago, treatment ended, and I began the recovery process. Bloodwork from my numerous post-follow-up appointments has shown no activity by any prostate cancer cells that may have survived treatment.

During treatment, I used daily journaling to help me cope with the wide range of questions and emotions I was experiencing. Some months into that journaling, I realized that others might benefit from reading about what Mary and I were dealing with. I created The Wilds of Cancer Substack and began posting. The responses to the posts were positive, which led me to turn those posts into chapters for what became my sixth book, The Wilds of Cancer. I published that book earlier this year.

As I have done with previous books, I entered The Wilds of Cancer into several national literary contests. I’ve recently learned that the book was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards contest. I’m thrilled.

So, over the last four years, I’ve run the gamut from diagnosis to treatment to recovery to publishing a book about the journey.

While that challenging time fades into a mix of positive and painful memories, I still take the view that it’s possible we didn’t get all the cancer cells; there could still be some of those tough little buggers inside me. My goal remains to make my body a hostile environment for them and a friendly one for healthy cells. I’ll keep following the DARE approach to help keep cancer at bay.

Another part of that approach is getting back into the wild. I’ve been slowly spending more time in nature and the backcountry. I’m glad to reconnect and remember why I love the wild so much. And feel how wild moments help me heal. I want to share some of these wonderful moments, so I’ve decided to resume posting to Love the Wild.

Next week I’ll share a slide show with music about a hike Mary and I recently took.

I’m happy to be back, and I would love to read your comments on my posts. They’ve kept me going in the past, and I’m sure they’ll do the same now.

Wishing you the best,

Rick

P.S. The award-winning The Wilds of Cancer is available on Amazon and Bookshop.org. Or as a signed copy from me.

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