There are probably few non-Mac / iPod users who respected Apple CEO Steve Jobs more than me. His really was one of the greatest American stories of American stories: a far-seeing innovator who changed the way the world worked – literally, bringing technology to the masses in a way that wasn’t even thinkable, say, two decades ago. To me, he’s as much of a giant as Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, and Phil Spector. Well, maybe Phil’s half a step down… 🙂

You’ve often heard me say there’s a difference between book sense and common sense, and that these days common sense ain’t really that common at all. But still, it shocked me to to read the following about Job’s decision on how to treat his cancer when he was first diagnosed, and it makes me truly sad:

Jobs learned in October 2003 that he had a neuroendocrine tumor — a relatively rare type of pancreatic cancer that normally grows more slowly and is therefore more treatable. Instead of opting for surgery, he took on a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbal remedies and other treatments he found online, and even consulted a psychic. He also was influenced by a doctor who ran a clinic that advised juice fasts, bowel cleansings and other unproven approaches, the book says, before finally having surgery in July 2004.

Isaacson, quoting Jobs, writes in the book: “`I really didn’t want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work,’ he told me years later with a hint of regret.”

This really hits kind of home to me, for, although our cancers were different – his a form of pancreatic, mine prostate – the recommended treatment was the same. Get the surgery out of the way while it was still non-invasive and releatively easy to deal with. Now, certainly, we’re talking different cancers and we all know cancers don’t always respond the same way to treatment, but putting one’s faith in “diet, acupuncture, herbal remedies and other treatments he found online” sounds like toying with fate if you ask me. I was lucky – not only that my cancer was detected very early in its process, but that I found a doctor quite by accident who is universally respected as the absolute best in his business.

I’ve thanked Dr. Kevin Bigelow personally on many occasions; after reading this article on Jobs and the choice he made makes me realize just how good the choice I made was.