Jim Lanagan
Patient brings resolve to cancer, other challenges
On a bitter March day seven years ago, Jim Lanagan started his morning in routine fashion. He got into his boat at sunrise and set out into Buzzards Bay to pull his lobster pots. Attempting to check his watch under layers of clothing, Lanagan bumped the steering wheel with his hand, the boat accelerated, and he flew overboard boots, jackets, and all. He yelled for help, but no one heard. As delirium set in, the frigid water swallowed him up.
"When my body realized it wanted to breathe, I came to. I just started to push and fight," says Lanagan. Those who know him aren't surprised that he survived this boating incident, nor his subsequent battle with cancer.
The path to Dana-Farber
Lanagan, 70, had trouble opening his mouth last winter. He had undergone some major dental work and the trismus, a restriction in the opening of the jaw, was initially attributed to that. However, a CT-scan revealed a one-inch mass in a troubling location: where the tongue meets the jaw. A biopsy showed a small, squamous cell carcinoma tumor had formed on his tongue. Because this is an aggressive form of cancer, in three months it grew to the size of a golf ball, while he explored treatment options.
Opinions from various experts called for chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, then an invasive surgical procedure to remove it, followed by radiation treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. Lanagan was looking at a dramatic change in his life, even if all went well. So, in April, he began receiving chemotherapy at a Boston-based hospital, and planned to undergo surgery even though it would hinder his ability to speak and swallow on his own.
After three opinions recommended invasive surgery, Lanagan called on Dana-Farber for a fourth. Eight months later, he is cancer free after chemotherapy and radiation, and did not undergo a single surgical procedure.
"I am lucky," says Lanagan. "In the end we felt that Dana-Farber was the best place for me to get well, and it was. When I got there everything fell into place. I didn't know what the word gratitude meant until all of this. I am thankful for my family, friends, prayer network, and God. I feel gratitude for Dana-Farber. Everyone should know how wonderful those people there are," says Lanagan.
Climbing the mountain
As you can tell from the story of the boating incident, Jim Lanagan is about as tough as they come. This loving husband to his wife of 47 years, Geraldine, seven children, and 21 grandchildren, is also a lifelong football coach and at-risk counselor for at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.
On a large mural above his desk is an image coined "Top of the Mountain." There are three levels drawn. The first is at the base, the second in the middle, and the third at the peak. The concept is simple: Your goal sits on top of the mountain and to get there you must start your journey at the bottom. You're going to fall, and the second line represents this plunge. It is how you will pick yourself up, find new tools or a new path, and start the ascent again, that matters. This is how Lanagan looks at the world, and it is the pragmatic approach he uses with his at-risk students. He has applied it to decades of coaching, and more recently to his personal battle with cancer.
A fighter with a sweet soul
When you realize how many people Jim Lanagan has touched (his Web site alone has nearly 600 messages of support) you see that this tough-looking man with a firm handshake and eagle eyes glows with a gentle kindness. He is an optimist who prides himself on routine. In fact, his doctors initially suggested he take the year off from work, but after three rounds of chemotherapy told him he could return sooner.
"I told them, I'm going to be here for the opening day of school because I want to keep my routine. I love my job, and I want to see my kids," says Lanagan. So when his students saw him last September, they weren't surprised one bit. Lanagan was still climbing his mountain but wouldn't let cancer knock him down. In fact, he played golf five days a week while undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
"There is only one way to fight your disease and that's with a positive state of mind," says Lanagan. "The power of the mind is an amazing thing. You must get the belief 'I'm going to get well' into your stream of thought."
– David Steger
