Joel Bacal: My name is Joe Bacal, and I am cancer survivor. Back in 06 of November I wasn’t feeling very good. You know, just didn’t have the energy that I normally have. I’m pretty, pretty excited person and just didn’t have it. And I was walking though a show, an automotive show in Vegas and really felt like something just wasn’t right. And I went to the doctors and they couldn’t find really anything, this-and-that, finally went to a ear, nose, and throat specialist where they found 5 limp notes that were about the size of a golf ball in my throat and they went ahead and did an biopsy pulled them out and basically they found out that I had Hodgkin lymphoma, it was a bit of a shock I’ve always been extremely healthy and this is completely out of left field. You know, having a 6 year old son and a wife and things, I’m thinking am I going to see my son? Is he going to be 7 or 8? You know, I just don’t know if I’m get pass the next year or two so, had my appointment, walked in, met my doctor I got the impression that he just was their to do a job, and I was just a number and no sympathy I didn’t have that connection. My wife and I both literally looked at each other and go; were out of here, this isn’t for us.
I saw a commercial, a Cancer Treatment Centers of America commercial; my brother-in-law also mentioned that I should call Cancer Treatment Centers of America. You’re not just talking to an operator and that immediately hit home. He says we’ll get you and your wife and your family out here next week or earlier, whenever you can get here we’ll have you on a plane, and we’ll make it happen. So I got off the plane in Tulsa and walked down the area to get my bags and see Rudy holding the sign saying; Mr.Bacal and he’s looking at me and smiling and just right away I felt like, you know, this is good, this is a good place to be. My sons like, “wow, this a cool car, a limo, you know, this is fun.” So we jumped in the car and headed over to the hospital. We got out of the vehicle, got our bags walked in the front door of the hospital, and I looked around, I scanned around a little bit. I mean I didn’t get the feeling I was in a hospital; it just felt much more like a hotel really; with the nice table, and people helping and this-and-that. I’m looking around and going, I seriously didn’t no if I’m in the right place.
I could have my results and move on and start my first round of chemo, right away, and I was like; let’s do it, let’s get it done. While I was talking to my doctor about you know, obviously loosing your hair and all the different side effects that chemotherapy has. You know, she’s was great, she like, this is what your going to experience, this is what’s going to happen here, at this time you’re going to feel like this, and were going to give you this for that. And that immediately made me feel like she like two turns a head, kinda like I am on a race track.
Not only does the Cancer Treatment Centers of America do your traditional type of therapy. They do a lot of other things that counter balance the treatments from chemotherapy or radiation and it’s just like, wait a minute this is what I’m looking for. I really felt the treatment would have been a lot harder physically if I didn’t counter balance it with that natural type of medicine. One of the things that impressed me the most was when our doctor looked down and looked at my information, she shared it with other doctors and sat in a board and decided on my treatment and, and I knew I was getting the right treatment.
As soon as I was done with radiation, I mean 4 months later I raced in the 40th running of the Baja 1,000, that’s how good I felt. I’m literally talking to myself as I’m driving going; I made it, I’m good to go, I mean, I beat cancer, and that was the defining moment right there. Being diagnosed with cancer is extremely difficult for anyone and you know, and if you’re serious about getting the right help and the right treatment then the Cancer Treatment Centers of America is the place to call. I mean just give them that time, let them explain to you what they did for me.