Going with the Flo: Humor, being proactive key to healing

Flo Singer is indeed a Miracle Survivor and a great cancer coach!

Flo Singer’s humor was fully intact when she learned in 2002, at age 55, she had stage IV rectal cancer.

She recalls, “The doctor said, ‘Sorry Flo, but you have rectal cancer.’ I responded, that at least they caught it early. But he said ‘no’ and recommended surgery that day. He saw the scan, so he knew it was advanced. I deal with everything with humor, so I said. “I got it from all the smoke my ex blew up my ass.”

In reality, it was no laughing matter. The cancer had already gone through the colon wall and was in the lymph nodes and liver. But Flo was fortunate she had a doctor who believed in her ability to overcome the disease. “The surgeon told me I had a 20 percent survival rate, but said he never lot a patient to rectal cancer and didn’t want me to be the first. He said he was optimistic and wanted me to be, too.”

Flo said she made a decision that she was going to be cured and to “go through this with style and panache.” And that’s what she did as she simultaneously went through heavy chemo (administered through a port 24/7) and radiation for six weeks. She received 10 times the amount of chemo normally administered to patients, and as result lost some teeth and 1 1/2 inches in height. Afterwards she had surgery to take out two feet of her intestines.

“I couldn’t sit after a week, but went to work through it. I decided I wasn’t going to stay home and feel sorry for myself,” she recalls. ”In the mornings, I would give myself a five-minute pity party, then go to work. Every night I would visualize that my white blood cells were eating up my cancer and see myself as a whole, healthy person leading an active, normal life.”

Flo says she is grateful for the support of her adult children and the fact that they paid her bills when she was not working. She also was comforted by prayers from her friends and family.

Like the people featured in From Incurable to Incredible, Flo learned how to be her own advocate. She was on first-name basis with her doctors and asked a “million questions.” And one of her tools was her sense of humor.

“When I had surgery, I stuck a note under my gown that said, ‘I changed my mind. I want to upgrade my surgery to a boob job and tummy tuck.’ I wanted them to be in a good mood.”

The day after her surgery, doctors told her they found no evidence of disease. She has been free of signs of cancer since.

“I believe it was not my time and that God had other plans for me.”

Those plans included becoming a a health and wellness coach. Today, I’m benefiting from her decision as one of Flo’s clients. We’ve only had a couple of sessions and I can already see how it’s helping. She’s helping me to stay on track with taking care of myself and releasing guilt. Right now we’re doing some goal setting that will help stop procrastinating on things I need to do.

Flo is taking new clients; and I highly recommend her. You can contact Flo at https://flosinger.coachesconsole.com/v2/flosinger/website.

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