Written by: David Kegley, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Personal Crisis
If you have experienced a crisis or tragedy, you will most likely recall the date, time of day, who was with you, and many details about the situation, much like those of us on the 11th of September 2001, where the U.S. World Trade Towers were leveled or other moments of a national or international tragedy.
Crises take many forms; most we encounter are on a smaller scale. Many of us find that once a personal crisis occurs, the life we now have is different from our previous life. Things change in a big way. This is what happens from the moment of one’s major health diagnosis and beyond. Much like the national or international tragedy, we can remember the doctor’s office, who was with us, the time of day, the date, and many details about that day when we received the diagnosis. Whether it's cancer or Multiple Sclerosis, or a major chronic disease, it is what most of us deny will ever happen to us until it actually does. That’s where Cancer Journey Coaching comes in.
Cancer Journey Coaching
When a major diagnosis is delivered, many people get referrals to group therapy or individual therapy so that they can receive “the talking cure” from a trained psychotherapist qualified to intervene in cases of a health crisis. In many cases, that may be necessary, and in the appropriate cases, I make referrals so that people can deal with their past and with psychological illnesses. However, people in most countries, including the U.S., are less familiar with coaching as a preferred intervention. A small cadre of coaches find it one of their niches to accompany clients on their journey through such health crises. I’m one of them. I find it one of the most hopeful, delightful, and uplifting opportunities of my lifetime!
Major diagnoses are rarely the death knell they used to be. Cancer and other health crises are now most often survivable thanks to contemporary medicine. Attitudes and perspectives on life take center stage for what’s important going forward, and that’s where coaches shine. How will we cope with the life we have left? How will we adjust, given new limitations? How can I shift my perspective on my career? Then there are the surprises!
“…but cancer has been the best thing that ever happened to me!”
One survivor of breast cancer captured these surprises best when she summarized them to me like this: “I wouldn’t wish breast cancer on my worst enemy, but cancer has been the best thing that ever happened to me!” There is something almost unbelievable that occurs to people when put through the deepest challenge of their lives. Indeed, a life-threatening challenge, one you could never manufacture, that halts life in its tracks and causes a person to re-evaluate everything all over again. New possibilities emerge, and new strength comes from unknown personal depths. New paths are forged while some acquaintances and careers get pruned. These are the surprises of cancer or post-health-crisis journey.
I was 56 when diagnosed with cancer.
I didn’t come to Cancer Journey Coaching without experiencing cancer myself. In 2015, when I was 56 years old, I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. I underwent treatment in early 2016. The surprise for me occurred after my radical prostatectomy surgery. I took a 30-day medical leave to recover from the surgery. During that time, I began to sort out the end of my 25-year career as a pastor and the beginning of my coaching career. It was a transition during which I took the time, emotional space, and a sense of urgency to come to terms with letting go of a former career and embracing a new one. It was an enormous transition. I was not expecting or prepared to make such a change in my life until that medical leave. The surprises that cancer gave me played a role in the decision-making and pushed me toward realizing that it was time to make a change.
There is always hope.
One of my colleagues had a client who stayed in his executive position throughout his treatment and recovery because, as he put it, “ the work gave me the necessary distraction from pain and discomfort.” He kept his job and stayed the course of his career, a remarkable and rare feat. More often than not, people get stopped in their tracks due to a major health diagnosis and need multiple types of support, including a coach. I mention this executive to note that there are as many different journeys through a health crisis as there are people. No matter how things get reconfigured, attitude becomes a key ally in the path forward. I strive to help clients gain perspective on their life, create a sense of calm, understand their power of decision, and become more present in the life they have at this moment. Given those tools (and many others), there is always hope!
Want David to help you work through your cancer or health-crisis journey? You can reach him at: drkegley.com or LinkedIn.
David Kegley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Kegley specializes in coaching well-educated, progressive leaders and executives who have been stopped in their tracks due to health setbacks. His doctorate is in theology and preaching. His first 25-year career was in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., where he was a Pastor and Head of Staff. But, after getting nearly burned out, getting diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, and going through cancer treatment, he emerged as a credentialed coach. Now he Coaches in the areas where he experienced his own humility and growth: Health and Wellness, The Cancer Journey, Burnout Recovery, and Leadership and Executive.
