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Rodeo in Joliet - a saga of survival against the oddsPowerful Patient, 2010 Week 34Host: Joyce Graff, http://powerfulpatient.org, editor@vhl.org 800-767-4845
Glenn Rockowitz has laughed at the face of death four times. He's still counting. This remarkable man's book, Rodeo in Juliet, describes his survival of cancer against all odds and his ultimate achievement of personal happiness in the face of the most dire personal ordeals imaginable. Glenn shares with Joyce his powerful perspective on the value of life.
About our Guest:
Glenn Rockowitz is a writer, comedian, filmmaker, and four-time cancer survivor. He is the founder of Best Medicine, a nonprofit organization that brings comedy performances to homebound cancer and AIDS patients. He is currently forming Change It Back, an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer coalition designed to improve treatment standards for AYA patients.
About Rodeo in Joliet:
How do young people deal with cancer? A view from the bed side.
What does it feel to be young, alive, with your whole life in front of you and have someone tell you that the world as you know it is about to end with a single word:
Cancer.
Can you imagine beating it, not just once, twice, three times, mind you, but four times (and still counting)?
Well, one special person has come up with a novel solution to cope, how to have the courage, strength and hope. Develop a sense of crude humor. Give life the finger when faced with the impossible.
Seattle based writer Glenn Rockowitz, is a four-time cancer survivor (still counting). He is author of the memoir, Rodeo in Joliet which chronicles his journey from the doctor’s prognosis of “three months at best” to his miraculous remission several months later. In a recent interview, he described his life to date with one word:
IRONIC.
“That’s probably the best word to describe the lion’s share of my adult life. Although , actually the word ‘screwed’ is probably more appropriate. Let me explain. Here’s the nutshell of the last ten years of my life:
When I was 28-years old, my wife eight and a half months pregnant with our only child, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive, late-stage cancer and given three months to live.
The following week, I drove five hours to share the news with my atheist father. He responded by offering up his first and only prayer to the mythical God he mocked for 57 years: Please God take away my son’s cancer and give it to me.
And God responded:
Careful what you wish for, big guy.
Stage IV. Three months to live.
Screwed, right?
A couple years earlier, I started a nonprofit company called Best Medicine that brought stand-up comedians to the homes of terminally ill cancer and AIDS patients. I started that company two years before I was diagnosed with my own cancer.
Yes, two years before my own diagnosis.
Ironic? Sure.
But again, probably better to call it screwed.”
Rodeo in Joliet was released nationally earlier this year and quickly became a word-of-mouth bestseller.
Be forewarned though: it is not easy to be in Glenn Rockowitz’s head. As he is staring down his own death, he doesn’t much care whether you like him or not. There is plenty of dark humor, vomit and absolutely no sugarcoating. You will see, hear, taste and smell his cancer experience, including the rollercoaster of volatile emotions and occasional self-sabotage during his Hail Mary experimental treatment. And as he white-knuckles his way through the cancer trenches, you can’t help but come around to root for him. So instead of a memoir, call it a love letter: a visceral, powerful love letter from a man to his father and to his son that will leave you gasping and grateful to be alive when you reach the final page.
We asked Glenn, “Where does the title of the book come from?”He responded:
“During one of my many initial chemo sessions, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a leather-skinned ex-con who had done fourteen years in Joliet Prison for assault and armed robbery. He shared one story in particular that has stayed with me to this day:
A dark ritual that the prisoners of Joliet performed on every new inmate as they entered prison. A ritual they affectionately referred to as the Rodeo in Joliet.
And it worked this way:
Every time a newbie was admitted, the general inmate population had an unspoken agreement to let him feel safe, let him feel like everything he may have imagined prison life to be was probably all in his head.
That period of calm would last three days.
And then on that third day, a group of the other prisoners would surround the new guy and…uh, well, make love to him. And not in the robes, scented candles, Kenny G kind of way. Once that initial ‘lovemaking’ session was over, they would let the guy stand up and walk away, let him think that the rite of passage was over, let him think he was now safe to go about his day. But, before making it to the other side of the prison yard, the Rodeo would begin all over again. I quickly realized that the ritual he spoke of was actually the perfect metaphor for this disease. Just when you think you’re safe, BAM! Down for another round. Welcome to the Rodeo.
Now, ten years after my initial death sentence, I sit and I reflect on the four (yes FOUR!) different cancers I’ve fought and beaten since.
And all I can feel is gratitude.
Gratitude for the fact that now, looking at all of these things in my rearview mirror, I can take all of that suffering and direct it into helping other young adults navigate through the hell that is this disease.
We asked Glenn “So what are you doing about it?”Glenn said:
“I’m taking my 20 plus years of experience as a professional stand-up, filmmaker and television writer and using it to raise awareness of the AYA plight.
I am currently forming Change It Back, an Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) advocacy group that works to improve treatment standards for the tens of thousands of young people just like me. Being a part of this AYA demographic through all of my cancer battles, I’ve learned some astonishing facts.
Did you know that over 70,000 AYAs like me are diagnosed with cancer every year? Did you also know that we haven’t seen an increase in survival rate since 1975? Pediatric oncology and adult oncology have made tremendous strides in survival rates. But AYA…almost none.
There are very specific needs of people in this demographic: Issues of fertility, insurance coverage and clinical trial participation to name just a few.
And what about my own Rodeo?
No idea.
But I guess that’s the point: it doesn’t matter.
I just have to do what I have been doing for the last 10 years.
And what I recommend my fellow prisoners do when they’re beaten down and feeling scared and lonely and tired and hopeless:
Turn off the Kenny G, put away the scented candles and stand back up.”
We asked: What is it about humor that helps people living with illness?
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