Life

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When the doctors issue you

the sentence of imminent
death, would you sit in a
corner and wait for the
Grim Reaper to come and
claim you, or would you
throw caution to the winds
and go skiing instead? 19-
year-old Jothy Rosenberg
opted for the latter. The loss
of a leg and a part of his
lung to cancer did not come
in the way of his journey to
Utah, where he skied for
hundred days straight, and
returned more alive than
ever before. Jothy Rosenberg
relates to anu gulmohar
the amazing tale of how he
went on to defy the verdict
of doctors and now 36
years later, has been married
for 28 years, is father to
three children, started six
tech companies, participated
in seven bike-a-thons and
swum across San Francisco
bay 16 times. His ordeal and
courage will now seek to
inspire through his book
“Who Says I Can’t?”

Beating
life at its
OWN GAME
l i f e w h o s ays i c a n ' t !

“I think I was a fairly

normal, if perhaps a
bit of a wilful, kid.
Nothing spectacular but
there were perhaps a few
signs that I had some tough-
ness… When I had to face a
real and personal crisis, I
actually surprised myself at
how I handled it. At the age
of 19, when the doctor told
me no one had survived what
had just happened to me,
part of me did not accept that
because someone of 19 years
typically thinks they are im-
mortal. But embedded in my
brain from then on was a
worry, and it mostly resulted
in me living pretty hard and
fast and in me taking risks. I
figured that if I really was go-
ing to die, like they said, I
should live it up while I
could. I had always had the
attitude that I would prove
everyone wrong on any limi-
tations they placed on
me – whether it was how
stump was still sore and
swollen. Regardless, I was de-
termined to find out if skiing
was going to be off-limits for
me. I used regular ski poles as
that is all I knew about (later,
I would learn that something
called outriggers, which are
ski poles with little skis on
the ends, was the way to go).
When I tried to ski a little
and take a turn, I would im-
mediately fall to the snow
and it would hurt. Then I
would get up and try a turn
the other way. One turn di-
rection was much harder be-
cause it was unnatural to turn
to the left with just a left leg.
Still, while my parents were
cringing and trying to get me
to stop, I began to see that
this really was going to be
possible. Skiing was the sport
Jothy Rosenberg: (Left)
I was best at, and I loved it. I Skiing in France; (Centre)
really wanted to be able to do With his wife Carole and
it and this early attempt, in- realised that swimming timidating at first for some- “Individuals can surprise medicine” dog Gambit; (Above) On
stead of depressing me, made would be a great sport to one who had only really - Dr.Harsh Dua, Senior Oncologist, Apollo Hospital his wedding day
me elated. No one could see keep me fit. It’s really a won- swum in a pool with lane

many days I would have to
stay in the hospital, or that I
would never ski as well as
two-leggers. But I was not
trying to prove them wrong
about me dying; I was just
trying to live better and faster
while I could.
I lost my leg at 16 in Janu-
ary of that year. In March, be-
fore the snow was gone, I in-
sisted my parents take me to
a local ski hill. I was not even
yet fully healed and my
“The mind is stronger than any disease”
- Dr. Sanjay Chugh, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist
why. But I saw that with su-
per hard work and maniacal
focus I could learn this and
be good at skiing again. And
yes, that gave me a huge lease
on life.
I was a good swimmer as a
kid. My parents got all the
kids swimming lessons early
on. In junior high, I tried out
and made the swimming
team and got fairly good at
that sport. After the amputa-
tion and the loss of a lung I
derful sport for someone
with any kind of diminished
lung capacity because you
have to breath slowly (when
you turn your head) and
deeply. But it was when we
lived in California that I got
hooked on open water ocean
swimming. People were do-
ing triathlons and some
friends asked me to be a part
of a 3-person triathlon team
doing the swim portion. That
was a challenge – it was in-
markers – I just forced myself
to do it, and eventually got to
like it more and more.
It was many years, when I
was in my early 40s that I
started biking. I was the CEO
of my company and one of
my young employees asked
me to sponsor her in a fund-
raising bike ride she planned
to do from Boston to New
York City. That is a distance
of almost 380 miles they
would ride in four days to
raise money for AIDS re-
search. I liked the cause, and
I was amazed it was even
possible to ride 85 or more
miles per day. I was bragging
about what she was doing to
“Y
es, it is an amazing case. What we man – he had good overall strength – and
normally believe about cancer is that because he had good exercise in skiing, it
when it spreads, cure is not very easy at all. may have helped him indirectly by improv-
It is possible in many patients that when ing his immune system. He was told that he confidence back. For someone
there is lung surgery, or sometimes other wouldn’t live long, but most of such prog- who was told he had zero
surgeries, if there are only one or two lesions nostics are given on the basis of generalisa- chance of survival, being the
in these areas, then patients can sometimes tion. Individuals, sometimes, can beat the father of two fantastic kids
be cured. So, maybe because he was a young odds, and surprise medicine.”
(and the adopted father of a
third) is by far the accom-
plishment I could never have
looked at him and said, ‘Who sport and worked hard to fig- roar from the crowd at the anticipated and, now that it
says I can’t’ and at that mo- ure out how to be good at it, I fact that I had beaten an awful has happened, is the most
ment I decided no matter found it very satisfying to be lot of two-legged swimmers precious. I know that when
what, I would figure out how better than some two-leggers. was so gratifying that it al- we humans are tested and we
to do the same ride the next In skiing I would ski down most became a drug for me. I fight back, we end up stronger
year. I got a bike and started the hill fast and loved to pass highly recommend this to an- than before. That is natural
training. First I went 4 miles people standing around yone trying to bounce back and is true of everyone. What
then 11 then 25 and pretty knowing that they would do a from a physical or mental set- I went through changed me
soon I was ok doing 45 miles double-take when they fig- back. The main issue is a loss and made me stronger and
in a training ride. By then I ured out that I only had one of self-confidence that comes more willing to take risks.

“J othy's case is not an exception
but is evidence to the fact that
the power of the mind is stronger
than any disease. Sports are a bril-
liant form of therapy. It enables a
person to get distracted from his
problem, enhances the concentra-
tion levels, increases self-confidence.
Exercise (of any form) increases the one of my staffs and he said was hooked and ten years lat- leg. That was a huge confi- from such a setback. And as Many of those risks have
levels of what I would call 'happi- to me, “I can see you are ex- er I have done the Boston to dence builder. For once it we all know, you just cannot turned out well for me, so in
ness chemical' in the system, leads cited so it’s really sad that NYC ride three times, and the meant I did not mind people live a healthy and happy life that respect I think I can say
to weight loss and feeling of fitness. someone with only one leg 192-mile Pan-Massachusetts staring at me. Same thing without strong self-confi- that what happened to me –
Sports have this incredible power to could never do something Challenge ride across the state when I got out of the water at dence and self-esteem. For me cancer, amputation, loss of
make anyone feel 'alive'. It is some-
thing that I recommend to everyone like that.” He stunned me of Massachusetts six times. the annual Alcatraz swim and for many others, sports lung, living with a death
who comes to me!" with that comment, and I After I had focused on a across San Francisco Bay: the are a great way to get that self- threat – made me better.”

the sunday indian 48 28 march 2010 the sunday indian 49 28 march 2010