Staying Positive during Cancer
- Fans are sending love to "Dakota" Fred Hurt, star of Discovery's "Gold Rush: White Water," as he finds joyful activities during his stage 4 brain cancer battle.
- Hurt did not say what type of brain cancer he has, but glioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer.
- Thankfully, Hurt’s been able to keep busy, sharing that he was fixing up an old, beautiful car.
- Studies suggest emotional health is associated with survival, so it’s important to stay positive and pay attention to your mental state during a cancer battle.
- One of our experts recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally making the time to do those activities throughout the day.
Hurt is a Discovery TV personality who grew to fame for documenting his thrilling hunts for gold on the shows “Gold Rush” and later “Gold Rush: White Water.” Sadly, the he has had to take a step back from his wildest adventures since receiving a stage 4 brain cancer diagnosis.
Read MoreThe ‘Gold Rush’ Star Is Keeping Busy
Although Fred Hurt has a lot to deal with right now, it’s nice to see he isn’t letting cancer keep him down.
He recently posted about needing “a little distraction” from his medical issues, and a follow-up post shows that he’s found a solution.
“Had a friend (Kaleo) over to help with a little modification on my '31 A,” he wrote under a couple of pictures of black vintage car. “Gonna slant the window and put some paint on Black Beauty. It'll take a while.”
Over 1,000 people have since liked Hurt’s post, and friends and fans alike were quick to praise his car-fixing efforts in the comment section.
Staying Busy During a Cancer Journey
“You Go Fred,” one Facebook user wrote. “Keep on keeping on.”
“Love your ride, Fred. Hope you are doing ok!” another woman commented.
Plenty of others have sent him well wishes and notes of encouragement on his Facebook posts.
SurvivorNet is happy to see the young-at-heart adventurer finding the happiness he needs amid his cancer journey.
Finding Joy Outside of Cancer
When faced with a cancer battle, it can be hard to focus on life outside of your disease. But it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient.
“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. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, also advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She noted that emotional well-being has been studied as a factor in 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. Chase told SurvivorNet. "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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If you’re like “Gold Rush” star “Dakota” Fred Hurt, focusing on your emotional health might look like working on cars. Other people might turn to yoga, painting, writing, dog-walking or a number of different things.
There are no right or wrong answers, but Dr. Chase says doing things that bring you joy is important.
She recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally making the time to do those activities throughout the day.
"Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy," Chase says. "And trying to do those ten things…to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day."
What Kind of Brain Cancer Does Dakota Fred Hurt Have?
Hurt’s company did not say what specific kind of brain cancer he has, but there are many types of brain cancer. It happens when there is a growth of cells in or around the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Some of these tumors grow quickly and some grow slowly.
The most common form of brain cancer is called glioblastoma, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is a type of glioma, which is a growth of cells that look like glial cells. Those surround and support nerve cells in the brain tissue.
While glioblastoma is incurable, it is treatable. There is more and more hope with patients living longer lives these days.
Dr. Henry Friedman, a renowned neuro-oncologist at Duke Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet that there is indeed more optimism surrounding this disease.
Dr. Friedman and his Duke colleagues are investigating a new therapy that combines the modified poliovirus and immunotherapy to treat glioblastoma.
"The modified poliovirus is used to treat this tumor by injecting it directly into the tumor, through a catheter. It is designed to lyse the tumor and cause the tumor cells to basically break up," he explained.
"I think that the modified poliovirus is going to be a game-changer in glioblastoma," Dr. Friedman added, "but I should also say that its reach is now extending into melanoma (skin cancer) soon to bladder cancer."
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