Thanks for joining me on this journey forward as I embody the challenge to defeat an early-stage yet aggressive cancer. I will continue to supply updates as relevant or interesting developments present themselves.

This is the first time that I have communicated this realization to anyone else. I've had many hours to contemplate this new situation in which I find myself, and the many times I've engaged in this, some form of gratitude has reared its head. My gratitude does not diminish or substitute my desire to also beat this cancer. My goal is to come out of this with more years ahead of me coupled with a renewed passion for living and savoring each moment.

I said in my announcement post about my diagnosis that I would be going into training. That is exactly what I have done, and it is precisely the mindset through which I have approached the upcoming battle that will be waged within my body; medicine and my natural immunity against the cancer cells which are also a part of me. Here is a little of what I have done and where I currently stand in the process:

Because cancer feeds on sugar—and because of the aggressive nature of the strain of cancer I have—it became necessary to eliminate all sugars from my diet. This included a radical reduction in the amount of carbohydrates I consume. No more pasta, potatoes, pizza (!), bread… Coffee is a treat only on Sundays, now.

So what my menu now entails is a higher ratio of meat to vegetables, keeping my carb intake to less than 50 grams. I like to shoot for no more than 20 grams if possible.

The key to understanding my approach is that I am not eating less food, but I am eating the right food. Here is what a typical daily intake is for me:

• 14-18 oz. of steak
• 4-6 eggs
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup hard cheese (parmesan or sharp cheddar)
• 1 cup of raw purple cabbage
• 8 oz grilled peppers
• 8oz grilled onion
• 8 oz asparagus/broccolini/Brussels sprouts
• 6 oz matcha tea
• 2 doses non-glutamine electrolytes
• 120 oz of water
• 2 oz apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 cups chicharrones (a worthy attempt to substitute for corn chips or crackers)
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans

In addition to making decisions about what I put into my body, I have also made adjustments to when I allow myself to eat. I am following a regime of intermittent fasting; simply put: I have one, 4-hour window per day when I can eat.

The object of this timetable to to address two separate things: autophagy and mitophagy. I've set links to Wikipedia pages if you want to do further reading. The entries there are not exhaustive, and the bulk of the research Candace (mainly) and I have done helps me to summarize the goal of eating only in a small window of time as this… Use a low-carb diet to place my body in ketosis and combine intermittent fasting to elevate my immune system to as close to peak as possible to make ready for the upcoming immunotherapy.

Thus far, I have been in metabolic ketosis for about a month now. My cancer is a metabolic cancer, so this is a step in the right direction. As an added benefit—and through the addition of an exercise regiment (which I will speak about later)—I have managed to shed almost 30 pounds of unwanted fat and gain muscle while receiving more than enough nutritional needs for my day and feeling well-fed and energetic. Win/win!

Another way to help boost the immune system is through exercise. I've returned to the gym at least five days a week for about one hour of weightlifting. I won't sugar-coat it: It takes a level of drive and commitment to do that I once had years ago, but am only just now re-experiencing.

So here is where more gratitude comes in... This feeling I have been feeling when needing to push myself to finish a set of reps, or complete the entire regiment for the day, or even show up at the gym in the first place! is an awakening of memories. Some of these memories are encoded in my muscles, no doubt, but the ones I want to share right now are ones awakening from years into the past during that single, life-changing season of high school wrestling that I participated in.

• '"C'mon, Mr. Lane", I can hear coach Perry Jones saying. "You're not done yet. Push yourself beyond your opponent."
• "GO, GO, GO!" Geoff says when the bar is shaking in my hands. "Quit being such a wus!"
• "You've got this, Kevin!" Jim Bob says with his gentle and firm voice.
• I see Alan with his quiet composure, dripping with sweat and making his body defy the grimace on his face, and hear Justin calling us all into unified purpose.
• Sean's stubbornness to quit and tenacity to win urges me forward.
• "Well done, gentlemen," Mr. J (Perry) says when my last set is complete and I am rubbing the burn in my muscles.

These men had a dramatic impact on shaping me when I was younger—instilling a confidence in me that I did not know that I had and a drive in me to do my best without needing to be the best. They are with me now, every day and every workout, doing the same magic and coaxing the same transformation out of me forty years later.

Throughout it all, the Spirit of God has been active in preparing me for this battle. Win or lose, I will come out on top. I know this with deep certainty.

It is almost self-evident from what I have already shared that the biggest challenge in my training is to overcome the mental and spiritual obstacles that could easily knock me off course. I am not in this fight alone (praise God!). I have an incredible wife and best friend in Candace who regularly encourages, coaches, and holds empathy for me. I have the Spirit of God who gives me purpose and meaning. I have riches beyond measure. Let me leave this post with a non-exhaustive list of words that have been in my mind throughout this process. There is no priority to them, but each is important.

Tomorrow, I am taking my training to the arena of competition. It will be a beautiful day.