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James Rhio O’ Connor Scholarship Essay

by

Jhonphilipp Yonan

A deep base buzzes and throbs through my head drowning out my doctor’s voice along with the sounds
of the bustling staff outside of the door. I could barely feel his hand on my shoulder as he stood there
expressionless trying to remain detached as he tried to comfort me. All I can hear and feel is my heart
slamming through my chest as its deep bellows moan in syncopation with the throbbing in my head.
Trying hard to be in the moment, I try to rationalize my reaction. I received the stimulus, I looked into my
past experience, I tried to devise a plan, I tried to execute. But I couldn’t plan and I couldn’t execute. The
stimulus shocked me. The stimulus was the doctor telling me that I have cancer. “Mr. Yonan, tests show
that you have pleural mesothelioma…we will do what we can…I’m sorry.” “Plural?” I think to myself.
“How many do I have?” My breaths get even shorter. I just thought it was bronchitis. I have to find out
more. Hopefully research will at least reduce the anxiety.

Upon Googling pleural mesoth-e-l-i-o-m-a, many sites pop up. There’s MAA Center, mesothelioma web,
asbestos news…asbestos? Surviving mesothelioma, sounds positive to me. It’s
www.survivingmesothelioma.com. It states that pleural mesothelioma affects the lining around the
internal organs. Cancerous lining can invade and damage adjacent organs and eventually spread to the
rest of the body. Now on WebMD, they state that within four months to a year, I can die of respiratory,
pneumonia and even heart failure if I let it go far enough. The American Society of Clinical Oncology
explains in detail the treatment of this horrible cancer. It’s so hard to swallow right now; it’s been a
challenge for months. My head feels so hot I don’t know if it’s the stress or the fever that’s been bogging
me down since the weekend. The American Society of Clinical Oncology states that I can go through
radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or even surgery. Radiation therapy can easily affect my healthy lung.
Chemo seems that it will make me feel worse than I do now. Extrapleural pneumonectomy “is the removal
of the lining of the lung, the entire lung, a portion of the diaphragm, and often a portion of the lining
around the heart.” Not a chance. At this point, I need something more positive. Back at
www.survivingmesothelioma.com, I notice the story of a survivor named James Rhio O’Connor. He was
diagnosed in 2001 and was told that he had a year to live. He was told there was no other option and
that he should prepare to remain in hospice care. He wanted to be in charge of his own destiny and not
let anyone else imprison him into succumbing to the cancer. James’ determination led him to working
closely with clinicians and developed his own “regimen of over 100 supplements a day, changed his diet”,
and “practiced mind-body medicine.” His acquired knowledge, will and positive mindset prolonged his life
over seven more years. Tragically, James Rhio O’Connor died July 11, 2009. It was still difficult to
swallow.

Prior to my diagnosis, I spent every day of my adult life inspiring my personal training clients to always
move forward and to constantly improve. My company is called MUV Integrated Fitness. My whole
philosophy is to maintain a positive outlook and to be in charge of your own destiny whether it’s with
fitness, diet, business, family, or life in general. James Rhio O’Connor is a true inspiration to me and I’m
sure to many. I commend him for his ability to think outside of the box and create his own blueprint in life.
I cannot tell you how many times people have come to me with recurring hip pain or knee pain. They’re
already flirting with the idea of surgery, yet all they have to do is stretch out their illiotibial band. My
business was designed around thinking outside of the box and breaking all molds of the perception
people have had about fitness for three decades. Why can’t I apply that to myself? In order to be self-
actualized and to help others improve, I have to apply it to myself. James wrote a book called, They Said
Months, I Chose Years: A Mesothelioma Survivor's Story. Utilizing his in-depth scientific research, he
cites almost one hundred medical articles to support his daily regimen. The book will help me continue
research based off of his framework and hopefully help me find local clinicians with whom I can consult.

Finally my breathing is returning to “normal” and seems easier to maintain a positive mindset. Knowledge
does reduce anxiety. There is another book in my personal library, Bruce Lee: The Artist of Life. Bruce
Lee has always been an inspiration to me in the martial arts, fitness, and work ethic. The book contains a
collection of his essays pertaining to the evolution of his art and philosophy. It also contains his extensive
research and analysis of Eastern Philosophy, Existentialism, and Gestalt Therapy. One of his quotes
stuck with me since I was a child, “life is a constant movement, un-rhythmic movement, as well as
constant change...with life comes movement, with death comes rigidity.” I must constantly acquire
knowledge to improve myself and beat this cancer. There are other survivors who are going on eight
years, even 12! It is up to me, like J.R. O’Connor, to be in charge of my life’s outcome. I must make
pleural mesothelioma a part of my life. As Robert Greene said in The 48 Laws of Power, “keep your
friends close, but your enemies closer”. Every day of my life will be dedicated to improving my health
through fitness, proper nutrition and constant research. I hope to inspire others just as James and the
other survivors inspire me.

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