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Know Cancer Community

Xeros Dry Mouth Pump Aids Cancer Survivors

by admin on July 2, 2010

Hi. I’m Al Toman, and I am a cancer survivor.

I live in eastern North Carolina so all y’all are welcome to stop by anytime and share stories or just talk about things! If you like the beach we’re just 6 miles up the road from the white sands and blue water. If travel is out of the question, please drop by our site and leave us your story. Your story will help the next person who’s about to go through what you already did, and they will thank you for it.

The kind people of Knowcancer.com invited me to tell you my story, and see  how we can help each other. So, let’s hear a big round of applause for TheKnowme and the great folks here at Know Cancer who are making this happen.

Back in 2007 I decided to take on T4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Actually, it broke my upper palate right side in mid August of 2006, eventually taking out my wisdom tooth. I decided I better do something about it. Through several local appointments I was directed to Carol Shores, MD, PhD. Within the first 30 seconds of meeting Dr. Shores, I decided that she was the one who was going to get rid of Mr. Nasty T4. At the time she was based at UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina -which is a good 3-1/2 hour drive from the shore.Let’s just say we put a lot of miles on the car.

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Hope- The Most Essential Element

Know Cancer Community

A picture of me and my dad

Me and Dad

“‘Hope to the last!’ said Newman, clapping him on the back. ‘Always hope; that’s a dear boy. Never leave off hoping; it don’t answer. Do you mind me, Nick? It don’t answer. Don’t leave a stone unturned. It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But, don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope, to the last!’” –Charles Dickens

One of my favorite quotes from Charles Dickens. There are a plethora of essential elements to life- love, happiness, tolerance, respect, faith- the list goes on, and on. It varies from person to person, as does the degree of importance that each element holds. But hope is the cornerstone that people can rely upon when these other elements seem too far out of reach- when those cloudless blue skies seem more like a childish fairy tale than an actuality. Hope. In my opinion, the most important component in life.

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Letters to God Red Carpet World Premier

Know Cancer Community

Oh, what a night! It’s hard to put an exact order to the top ten nights of my life but the Letters to God (LTG) Orlando premier is most certainly on that list! On March 31st the LTG actors, actresses, producers, partners and supporters walked the red carpet at the Plaza Theatre smack in the heart of downtown Orlando—and what a love-fest it was! :) Those guys are up there among the kindest most thoughtful group of individuals that we Know Cancer folks get to work with.

It all started with the red carpet walk and a 2 hour mingling session, where we got to catch up with all of our good friends from Possibility Pictures. The crowd then migrated to the 2nd level where the moment of truth awaited us…that’s right, the movie cued and ready! I got to sit next to the great Ann Marie Boskovich, who sings my song “Everything is Beautiful” (which is in the movie)! When the credits rolled and the lights turned back on, you could not see a dry eye for miles—although, it was hard to see anything at that point with tears in our eyes and a mountain of Kleenex in our laps. The film was fantastic!! And what’s more, they included a survivor story about “yours truly” at the end of the movie, which was an incredible surprise!

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Know Cancer Partners with Possibility Pictures on its new film Letters to God

Inspiration

Letters to GodI am very excited to announce Know Cancer’s partnership with Possibility Pictures on their film “Letters to God!” The movie is about a young boy’s battle with cancer who finds strength and hope in writing letters to God. Created by the team who made Facing the Giants and Fireproof (which was voted the #1 independent film of 2008), the movie is destined for greatness. Know Cancer is proud to be the official cancer social network for moviegoers looking for post-movie support.

There is a little story to tell about how Know Cancer linked up with the incredible Letters to God (LTG) team. It all started about two years ago, when a good friend of mine Trina Harmon (world renowned songwriter and life/music coach) asked me to meet her in Nashville to help write a very special song. The song was for Tyson Beusenbark, a 17 year old boy who at the time was dealing with an exceptionally aggressive form of cancer. He wished for a song that would bring his mother hope in the most difficult times. When we talked to Tyson that day we could feel his strength and the “never give up” attitude pour out of him. After our conversation, Trina, Jason Deere and I wrote his song “Everything is Beautiful,” a song that would help us all to see the beauty beneath the façade of hardship. Looking back, it was undoubtedly one of the most memorable days of my life. Unfortunately, on August 1st 2008…Tyson passed away. His spirit will remain in the hearts and minds of all of us.

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Know Cancer 1 Year Anniversary

Inspiration

Exciting times in KC world! We are officially celebrating Know Cancer’s 1st Birthday!!! It’s hard to believe that an entire year has passed since the KC concept was hatched…and what an incredibly rewarding year it has been. On behalf of the Know Cancer team we thank all of you so much for your support. On a personal level, I am eternally thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this movement—but I am even more grateful to know the people behind the movement.

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