Kim King is the PATIENT OF THE YEAR. Playing golf with a group of friends, King took a routine swing at his ball and feel to his knees in pain. Forced to retire from the game that day, he went to his Doctor expecting to be treated for a pulled muscle. When the pulled muscle turned into a broken bone, the reality of his situation quickly turned from bad to worse to worst… cancer. King handled the news with amazing clarity, "I will beat this disease! I will visualize the cancer leaving my body, I will stay positive, I will do whatever I have to do to live." The irony of King's situation is that to be the patient of the year he has had to be patient. A new skill and trait for him.
King is used to being the MAN in charge. Living large has been his life style; being in the spotlight has been his life. In football, he was the quarterback for Georgia Tech, good enough to be in the Georgia Sport's Hall of Fame. In business, his companies have made it big and then bigger. But there is much more to learn from this good 'OLE boy than how to be a success in sports and business. King has established a new standard for patience, courage and creativity; he has found joy and experienced grace.
The moral of King's story; be clear of your intentions, identify the challenge and stay strong and positive. King is going one on one with multiple myeloma, a very aggressive form of cancer. Weakened by the disease and wearing a baseball hat to cover the effects of the chemotherapy, King is showing us all how to fight the good fight and live with dignity.
As part of his support group, I could feel the circle began to tighten. Our discussions were aimed at supporting our friend and processing our fears for him and us. Cancer can be nasty and the victim can be gone before you know it. I was afraid for my friend. I wanted to encourage him to fight, yet I didn't want to be insensitive or worse yet… stupid. The metaphor of the huddle works here. King was once again the quarterback, inspiring us to give it our best. This time the best we had to give was to believe in him and his ability to beat the disease. In my case, every time my spirits dropped and the fear would take over, he was there to inspire me to hold on to the faith.
With this statement he pulled me in for good and I began to TRUST. "The challenge has been going from being active; able to exercise, play golf and hunt, to being bedridden. Each day, each moment I have to remind myself that losing my health and fitness is the price I have to pay to get better. To win the fight with depression; I have to hold on to the belief that ALL OF THIS is good for me, my Doctors came up with this plan and it is working and it WILL WORK. I will do my part, I will do my time, I will get better and I will regain my health and fitness." As King finished this statement, the truth hit me, "hey," I remember thinking, "he's 4th and very long in his fight to live and if he can trust in the game plan then so can I."
Great news! The plan is working, King is headed towards remission and he continues to lead and teach by example. "I'm grateful to this disease. It has forced to me to appreciate every moment and recognize the power of love. In the morning when I walk outside to get the paper, it can be cold and rainy and I love every moment. It's because of this love that I'm alive, fully alive for the first time."
