What I Learned

Hendry, a well-known local investor and entrepreneur whose deals include the reorganization of Kaiser Steel and the liquidation of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, was diagnosed with lymphoma—a systemic cancer that can spread throughout the whole body—in December 2002. In Hendry’s case, the cancer spread to his bone marrow and colon. He now has been cancer free for three years.

“Part of what I learned is that you really have to take charge of your own medical treatment. You need to say, ‘Explain to me in plain language what you’re thinking about my condition and why you’re thinking that, why you’re recommending a certain course of action, what the alternatives are, and what the effects are. And please give me a realistic diagnosis.’

I found that from a legal and personal point of view, there is an incentive for doctors to be pessimistic. If they say your chances aren’t good and you live, you’re very grateful. If they say you will live and you die, they could be sued by family members. The other thing I learned is that, when you have a potentially deadly disease, you need to call your loved ones in and be totally honest and frank with them; it’s very cathartic. I also learned that your own personal attitude sends important messages to your immune system. And all of a sudden, you realize how unimportant it is to be a success in business.”