Former SGA vice-president Adam Brock was rushed to the emergency room to have his appendix removed in January. What was supposed to be a 45 minute procedure turned into a four and a half hour operation that completely changed his life. During his surgery doctors found that Brock had early stages of Burkitt’s lymphoma cancer.
“When I was told that I have cancer, I really thought I was in a nightmare. For the first three days, I just simply did not believe it. I had to begin telling people, but I was pretty much on auto-pilot with what I was saying and really didn’t believe in what I was telling them,” Brock said.
After he received the diagnosis, Brock tried searching the web for positive, uplifting blogs for people battling cancer. He said he couldn’t find one anywhere. That’s when he started his blog called “Brock Will Beat It”.
Brock used the blog to not only let his loved ones know about his health status, but to also inspire and motivate people battling cancer. Senior Chris Hixon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in 1998, and he said blogs like Adam’s give patients comfort in knowing they aren’t the only ones who are fighting.
“When I was going through chemotherapy, a blog like Adam’s would’ve been so helpful. I connected with a lot of other kids going through the same thing in the hospital I was at for two years, but knowing that there were people all over the world battling the same thing and fighting through it….people like Adam give people battling cancer hope,” Hixon said.
In one blog post, Brock urged his readers to look at life as if it was a marathon.
“Just like all marathons, there’s a rough part in the race that you just think that you’re not going to get through and you want to call it quits. Right now, I’m going through that rough part and I’m here to tell anyone who thinks they can’t get through it that they can and they will,” Brock said.
Normally, people battling different health problems use a blog to also accept donations to help with medical bills. Brock’s motive was a little different.
In his first blog post he said because not everyone suffering from cancer is as fortunate as him, he would not be accepting any donations. Instead, he asked his readers to donate money to Knight-Thon and Relay for Life to help people who need it more than him.
“The donations are quintessential Adam. I’ve only ever known him to be this wonderfully generous person. I laughed in the hospital when he was asking to volunteer on the pediatric oncology floor, even as he was undergoing treatment,” Brock’s boyfriend Eric Platt said.
Instead of giving monetary donations, Brock asked family and friends who read his blog to send him their top five favorite songs. He said music is something that has played a major role in getting him through each day.
After every blog post Brock closes it with writing “Clear Eyes. Full Heart. Can’t Lose.” It comes from his favorite television show “Friday Night Lights.” The show is about a high school football team who chants the phrase right before going out on the field to play a game. He says being diagnosed with cancer is a fight that he cannot lose and will not lose. To him, the phrase symbolizes that he will do whatever it takes to win his fight with cancer.
Brock said he has always had an optimistic view on life, something he said he got from his dad who died when he was 14 years old.
Since graduating from UCF, Brock moved to New York City and works in ad sales marketing at Food Network & Cooking Channel. In a blog post, Brock said being in the hustle and bustle of work is the best therapy there is.
Brock finished his second round of chemotherapy this month and will be moving on to his third round in April. In total, he will undergo anywhere from six to eight rounds of chemotherapy. His doctors hope that he will be in remission by the end of the summer.
Brock said the hardest part of the whole process is accepting that he is sick and can’t physically do things anymore. The “wait and see” moments also take a toll on him. He said he’s always been someone who needs to know what’s going to happen next in life, but cancer doesn’t exactly give him that luxury. He said he’s learned to accept the daily uncertainty of not knowing what his body’s next reaction is going to be. These unexpected hardships have made him appreciate his life and relationships more.
“People forget to check their blind sides from time to time. Sometimes, they get lucky and nothing happens. This time, I didn’t get so lucky. Like I said before, just another bump in the road to get over. Don’t look back, just keep moving forward and keep your eyes on the prize,” Brock said.
