Many people know Paul Kraus as the man who has survived with mesothelioma for nearly 21 years. He is the longest survivor of mesothelioma in history. Today he uses his time to educate others and raise awareness of the disease.
Not a lot of people know that he’s a holocaust survivor. He didn’t just survive the holocaust he was born in the Viehofen Forced Labor Camp, after his family narrowly escaped being deported to Auschwitz. There are only six living survivors of that camp, as of 2013.
Here are some of the lessons he learned about fighting cancer.
A Low Chance of Success is No Reason to Avoid Trying
Anyone who survived the holocaust was incredibly lucky to survive. The chances of survival were low, but that doesn’t mean you should give up.
Mesothelioma is very much the same, with survival rates over a five-year period being less than 10%. But Paul didn’t let that deter him.
When he was diagnosed he still went out of his way to be proactive in his treatment. Little chance of success is no reason to give in.
The Journey is Hard
When Paul was very young, his mother escaped the camp, with him and his toddler brother Peter, in January 1945. She survived the journey on foot to Budapest in freezing conditions. That journey was incredibly difficult, with little food or shelter as the war raged on.
You should be under no illusions that the journey of Surviving Mesothelioma will always be difficult. Some days will be better than others. Treatment is often a case of trial and error too.
That’s why you need to carefully manage your mental health through yoga and meditation, so your resilience remains strong.
There is Hope
Even in the darkest of situations, there’s always hope. The holocaust is littered with stories of hope and inspiration. Some of the gestures were small, such as sparing some food or hiding something from an SS officer, but they were meaningful, and they were vital.
Mesothelioma is similar in that the high mortality rate means that it’s difficult to find hope. The low number of people diagnosed with the disease makes it even harder to see any way out.
But through stories like Paul’s you can be inspired, and you can know that there is hope.
Conventional Wisdom Doesn’t Apply
Nobody could ever imagine that something as large or as brutal as the holocaust could ever happen in the middle of Europe. It’s part of the reason why it took so long for the secrets of the holocaust to be uncovered.
You need to understand that conventional wisdom isn’t always applicable. Paul used that principle to uncover alternative therapies many doctors had never even considered.
For example, he used Vitamin C therapy as part of his treatment regime.
Last Word – You Can Do it
The main takeaway from Paul’s experience of the holocaust is that you can do it. Others have come through the same situation as you’re in now.
If you apply yourself, there’s hope.
Do you know anyone currently suffering from mesothelioma?
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