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Encounter at the Waffle House

I was having breakfast with my boyfriend at the Waffle House in Woodstock, GA . We just sat down at a booth when a man around my age walked over and asked me if I had, or knew of, someone fighting cancer. I was wearing my Lazarex Cancer Foundation t-shirt at the time. I replied, “Yes, both.” He said he had something he’d like to share so I invited him to sit next to me. He had been treated for cancer about 7 years ago, after years of misdiagnosis. He had a tough surgery followed by a tougher regimen of chemo with cisplatin, a heavy duty chemotherapy drug. He said that after surviving the chemo treatment he could walk through the fires of hell and still come out grinning.

But what he wanted to share was this – apples. While going through treatment he could barely get food down or keep it in him. He discovered apples were well tolerated and he ate about 10 a day, getting all the nutrients and regulating fiber. He credits them with helping him stay healthy enough to survive his treatment. He said, “You tell your people to fight the good fight and start chomping.” So I am sharing his story. His name is Michael Jackson, a plumber at a local medical center. He left to go to work, with a big smile on his face, “Because,” he said, “I can.” I had to compose myself after he left.

by Karen Ambrogi, Communications Manager, Lazarex Cancer Foundation

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Breakfast at the Waffle House in Woodstock, GA