Strategic Discipline Blog

My journey through Acute Myeloid Leukemia continues with this 3^rd segment from my book, CANCER CURED Chapter II

(For previous segments from CANCER CURED – What do You Feed?, CANCER CURED - Fear Not - TURNING POINT, CANCER CURED – What is Worry?, CANCER CURED - CHAPTER II - LIFE INSURANCE, CANCER CURED - Texting – A New Environment)

Procession

At one point during that first week, Dr. Carter ushers in a parade of white-smocked nurses, staff, and caregivers to provide a full explanation of my condition. Michelle sits in a chair while this group of 12-15 caregivers files into my room. Dr. Carter addressed me and the group, providing detailed information about leukemia, and the expected treatments, paying specific attention to ways typical patients respond to treatment. He indicated there are three typical responses. The first group receives one to two treatments, achieves remission status, and proceeds to bone marrow transplant on their way to recovery quickly, generally 4-6 months. This, Dr. Carter shares is the majority of patients, or about 50%. The next group requires 3 chemotherapies or more, this is about 30-40% of patients. Once their cancer is in remission, they proceed to the transplant stage and then are released. Finally, there is a small group, about 10%, who have a more difficult time in treatment. In their cases, normal treatments fail to get their leukemia in remission. They require moving to clinical trial. If/when this works, they proceed to bone marrow transplant if they can find a donor who matches their blood type, and then they too can be released. The entire discussion seems to drone on for over an hour.

I wonder what Michelle is feeling. It doesn’t require a great deal of acumen to realize Dr. Carter is referring to me and my condition when he shares the prognosis for those in the 10% group. I will get confirmation later in the week when the tests show I have a rare form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, known as monosomy 7. Monosomy 7 is a leukemia condition where one of the paired chromosomes in my cancer is not paired. (We all have two paired chromosomes in our DNA.) Monosomy 7 means my cancer will be even more difficult to treat and cure.

Doug loves a challenge!

By the time Dr. Carter and his troop have paraded into my room mid-week, I’ve already come full circle from Saturday, when Dr. Zenk delivered my death sentence. I have been blessed or cursed with a naïve sense of optimism. Right or wrong, I’ve always been able to see the good in every person. I’m also doggedly persistent, sometimes to my detriment. I expect the best despite the challenges. My mother told me at her first parent-teacher meeting with my first-grade teacher, Sister Maritina, told her, “Doug loves a challenge!”

While the news of my Acute Myeloid Leukemia had been devastating, my mind has already begun to work on how to find the good in this situation. I’ve already made my hospital room into my makeshift office. The table used for meals serves as my desk. Between my bed and the large recliner, I shift this adjustable wheeled table back and forth. As a radio salesman, facing continual rejection from 99% of the people I connected with, I have already trained myself to begin each day with positive affirmations. My Outlook is now filled with 15-20 daily reminders set to chime at 6:00 AM. Each of these is a positive reminder of my faith, God’s faith and love for me, and others, as well as positive quotes and assertions of the human spirit, and its ability to achieve amazing outcomes. Every morning when I get up and open my computer these Outlook reminders automatically appear. Reciting them daily helps boost my confidence and faith. I need them more than ever.

Challenge Your Team

Challenge your team, your business, yourself. I’m Doug Wick, I’m here to challenge, inspire, and ignite purpose and passion in your business!   To create an environment where everyone is inspired to give their best, contact Positioning Systems to schedule a free exploratory meeting.

Growth demands Strategic Discipline.

A lot was going on entering the hospital, discovering my initial diagnosis was worse than I had thought, and getting oriented to a new environment. Next blog I share why the Stockdale Paradox had such a powerful influence on me, and perhaps why the portion of this statement, most don’t quote, turned out to be the greatest inspiration.

Building an enduring great organization requires disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action, and superior results, to produce a distinctive impact on the world.

Discipline sustains momentum, over a long period, laying the foundations for lasting endurance.

A winning habit starts with 3 Strategic Disciplines: Priority, Metrics, and Meeting Rhythms.   Forecasting, accountability, individual, and team performance improve dramatically.

Meeting Rhythms achieve a disciplined focus on performance metrics to drive growth.

Let Positioning Systems help your business achieve these outcomes on the Four most Important Decisions your business faces:

Positioning Systems helps mid-sized ($5M - $500M+) businesses Scale-UP. We align your business to focus on Your One Thing! Contact dwick@positioningsystems.com to Scale Up your business! Take our Four Decisions Needs Assessment to discover how your business measures against other Scaled Up companies. We’ll contact you.

NEXT BLOG – CANCER CURED – Stockdale Paradox