I Lost a Lung to Cancer. Here is How I Rebuilt My Body with Simple Food and Daily Movement

If you’ve been following my cancer journey for any length of time, you know that exercise and nutrition play leading roles in my rebuild.

Some might call it a diet. But that word makes me think of a trend, and a trend isn’t what I’m talking about. Anyone with a ring light and a confident delivery can suddenly become the King or Queen of “The Diet.” Knowledge of how the human body works apparently sold separately.

Diet also makes me think of weight loss. Although that may happen, what I’m working on is simplified nutrition.

What makes my body work? What helps it build—or rebuild? How can I nourish myself while my immune system recovers after chemotherapy?

Do I always get it right?

Oh, no. Sometimes my body lets me know. So do my cardiologist, electrophysiologist, pulmonary physician, oncologist, primary care provider, and various nurse practitioners.

I have quite a committee.

Nutrition is an important part of health and recovery, and figuring out what works for me has been a community endeavor. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Apparently, it can take one to help this grown man figure out supper.

A wise nurse practitioner and a nutritionist encouraged me to read labels and understand what was in my food. Beyond the amounts of fat, carbohydrates, and protein, they wanted me to look at the ingredients themselves. Keep things simple. Choose whole foods when I can.

Well, that was all I needed to hear.

Whole foods.

I’m a gardener at heart. If I can grow it, I will. If I can’t, I’ll buy it.

Let’s be honest. I buy most of it. A man can only get so far on tomatoes.

Yes, I know. That was lame.

In the beginning, every label was an enemy. Someone was trying to pull something over on me. How dare they hide this garbage in my food?

Then I started reading scientific journals and looking things up through PubMed and PubChem. My eyes began to open.

Wait a minute. Some of these unfamiliar names belonged to ordinary substances wearing fancy scientific clothing.

I learned that an ingredient’s name or origin doesn’t tell the whole story. Plant-derived doesn’t automatically mean harmless, and synthetic doesn’t automatically mean dangerous. Even a petroleum-derived starting material doesn’t mean someone poured gasoline into my groceries. I needed to understand the finished substance, what it was doing there, and how much I was consuming.

A shorter ingredient list might make shopping simpler, but counting ingredients wasn’t a substitute for understanding them.

I still read labels. I’ve just stopped treating every one like a ransom note.

Whole foods are where I’ve landed these days. Dried beans I cook myself. Whole grains. Nuts, seeds, and greens—greens and more greens.

Yes, I grind my own wheat. Perhaps that’s a little overboard, but I enjoy doing it.

I aim for variety, and rich colors catch my eye. I’ve also had to learn where my protein, B vitamins, calcium, and other nutrients are coming from. Under my physician’s guidance, I take a supplement, too.

And yes, I eat animal protein. These days, it’s usually a side dish rather than the centerpiece of my meal.

Has the effort paid off?

I would say it has. I’m in remission following cancer treatment that included chemotherapy and the removal of a lung. My medical team continues to guide me. Nutrition and movement are parts of how I care for the body that has been through all of that.

I can appreciate the difference without pretending I can assign credit for every improvement to something on my plate.

I know the appeal of that one special food—the one that will magically restore everything. I would certainly enjoy finding it growing in my garden.

But my rebuild has involved more than that. It takes effort, questions, adjustments, and listening to the physicians and nutrition professionals who understand my circumstances.

And I can’t forget to get up and move.

Exercise was rough at first. Some days it still is. Over time, though, I’ve found that what once felt difficult can become more manageable. Those small improvements help rebuild my confidence along with my strength.

I still get things wrong. I learn, make an adjustment, and try again.

Then I figure out what’s for supper.