Thriving as a Cancer Warrior
- Country star and stomach cancer warrior Toby Keith recently reminisced on the release of his first number one hit song “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
- Cancer has forced Keith to take a big step back from his music career with cancellations for all of his tour dates and festival appearances, but he’s still managed to keep busy and find joy. He recently acquired a bait and tackle brand name called Luck E Strike, raised awareness for the non-profit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and released a six-song compilation of some of his most patriotic hits for Memorial Day entitled “America.”
- Studies suggest emotional wellbeing is associated with survival, so it's crucial to stay positive and pay attention to your mental health while fighting cancer. One of our experts says the cancer warriors he sees do the best are the ones who find ways to appreciate life.
- Another one of our experts recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally taking time to do those activities throughout the day.
Keith was touring his 19th studio album "Peso In My Pocket" in 2021 when he discovered he had cancer. The life-changing news unfortunately forced him to halt scheduled performances, but the legendary crooner still has a fan base far and wide.
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“On this day back in 1993, #ShouldveBeenACowboy hit the top of the charts and became Toby's first #1 song!” Keith recently wrote on Instagram. “Who's still singing along 30 years later?”
Emotional Wellbeing during a Cancer Battle
The song was a part of Keith’s self-titled debut album released on April 20, 1993. According to CMT, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was “an out-of-the-box smash.” Other hit records on the debut album included “He Ain’t Worth Missing,” “A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action,” and “Wish I Didn’t Know Now.”
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“Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since #ShouldveBeenACowboy went #1 on June 5th, 1993,” Keith wrote in another recent post. “Turn it up!”
Toby Keith’s Cancer Battle
The current status of Toby Keith’s stomach cancer is unclear, but we do know he was diagnosed with the disease in the fall of 2021.
"Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer," Keith wrote on Instagram in June 2022. "I've spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.
"I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can't wait."
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Keith has since taken a big step back from his music career with cancellations for all of his tour dates and festival appearances, but he’s still managed to keep busy. He recently acquired a bait and tackle brand name called Luck E Strike, raised awareness for the non-profit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and released a six-song compilation of some of his most patriotic hits for Memorial Day entitled “America.”
Staying Positive amid a Cancer Journey
Whether it requires taking a trip down memory lane, painting a picture, listening to music, volunteering or talking on the phone with friends, it’s important to keep your spirits high when faced with cancer. In fact, Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, says the cancer warriors he sees do the best are the ones who find ways to appreciate life.
"I'm pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease," Dr. Murrell told SurvivorNet. "And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life."
Another expert even told us studies have shown that emotional wellbeing has an effect on patient outcomes.
"We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes," Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, said. "So, working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival.
"If that's related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities."
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Activities that bring joy can look different for everyone, so it’s important you think about what makes you the happiest. She advises cancer warriors to write down ten things that make them happy and take the time to do them throughout the day.
"Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy," Dr. Chase said. "And trying to do those ten things…to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day."
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