Rather Than Just Beat Cancer, One Survivor Ambushed It

Bill Jackson isn’t a person that sits back and watches as life passes him by. Rather, he’s in the driver’s seat setting the course. He activates his mind and body.

It’s that deeply seeded, proactive demeanor that’s likely the reason the 61-year-old actor, former dancer, and English teacher looks not a day past 45. It’s why his resume is chocked full of professional and academic achievements.

It’s also why Jackson survived the most common form of cancer found in men — prostate cancer.

But unlike other stories of heroism from cancer survivors, Jackson’s isn’t filled with anecdotes about the crippling effects of chemotherapy and ravaging surgeries. In fact he recovered from his surgery in just over a week, has just two small freckle-sized scars on his belly, and never received radiation.

It’s not because he was lucky. It’s because he was proactive.

“I didn’t fight cancer. I ambushed it because my doctors and I remained vigilant,” Jackson said. “If there’s ever a reason for a man to stay safe and healthy it’s to protect himself for things that will happen later in life. If I had not kept myself healthy, I would not have had the wherewithal to fight back.”

Jackson, a substitute teacher at , is taking his message of vigilance and a healthy lifestyle to the Menomonee Falls Relay for Life event that kicks off at 5 p.m. June 1 on the track at MFHS. The American Cancer Society, which sponsors the event, chose Jackson as the 2012 Honorary Survivor Chair for the event.

He was nominated by his students who were inspired by his survival story.

“I want to share my the message that men need to be vigilant. Women with men in their lives need to make sure their men vigilant,” Jackson said. “The best way to deal with cancer is to outrun it.”

From Diagnosis to Recovery

Jackson always knew he was predisposed to prostate cancer. It seemed it was not a matter of “if,” but of “when.” Both his grandfather and father were diagnosed with the disease in the past. For that reason, Jackson was screened two or three times a year rather than annually. Jackson already was diagnosed with prostatitis, which is a benign infection of the prostate gland.

The simple mention of “prostate exam” with a group of men can quickly lead to awkward stares at the feet, blushes, or a grimace of disgust. However, don’t look to Jackson for any sympathy if you’re a bit squeamish about a prostate exam.

“Men can be such sissies about that,” Jackson said. “Men need to save their own lives, because if you let cancer take you, they’ll need to ravage your body extensively to save you.”

Jackson said the much feared “digit test” isn’t always necessary. Rather, Jackson took simple blood tests to measure levels of Prostate-Specific Antigens (PSA), which when elevated can indicate the presence of cancer. It was a spiked PSA reading that led to doctors performing a biopsy and eventual early diagnosis of cancer.

In 2010, Jackson’s urologist and surgeon, Dr. Alex Zacharias, delivered the news that he indeed had cancer. Based on the location of two tumors on Jackson’s prostate it was decided to completely remove the gland.

“He didn’t say, ‘You have cancer,’ he said, ‘We found it,’ which made me feel a little better,” Jackson said. “He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Mr. Jackson you can be cured.’ I was in a bit of a stupor when we were talking about it.”

However, as an active and driven man, Jackson made sure he would remain the man he was when the procedure was over. The prospect of losing the entire prostate gland was no doubt intimidating.

“If all you’re offering me is to sit in a puddle and stare at my flaccid lap for the rest of my life, you can keep your hands to yourself,” Jackson told his doctor. “I will not surrender my virility. I would rather die.”

But Jackson didn’t surrender a thing.

After his diagnosis, Jackson underwent a state-of-the-art procedure to remove the entire prostate. Zacharias performed a complete prostatectomy utilizing the da Vinci robotic surgery system at .

While Jackson was under the knife and in a dream, he met a Caucasian man in khakis and a white shirt. That man turned out to be no one other than Death himself, Jackson said.

“He said, ‘I’m really glad I didn’t have to take you. Let’s put this off as long as we can,’” Jackson said. “That was my dream. Then I woke up and I looked to the right and there was my brother.”

Zacharias completely removed the prostate and preserved all the nerves that rested above it – preserving that fire in Jackson's belly. Jackson now has just two small incisions on his stomach to show as battle scars. Jackson was sent home just one day after surgery, and he had a weeklong recovery ahead of him. Though the time was short, it was a battle.

“The whole experience made me acutely aware of being alive with the pain associated with the recovery,” Jackson said. “But I remained actively involved in my recovery.”

Jackson exercised, built his strength, and retrained his muscles to operate sans the prostate gland.

After Cancer

Now, Jackson spends time with his students in the classroom — who are his true inspiration. Last year, his students rallied around him to raise money for cancer research. His class raised the most money at MFHS. It touched Jackson’s heart closely, and inspired him to share his message with others.

But apart from sharing a message of early detection and a healthy lifestyle, Jackson wants men to raze the wall that exists when discussing their bodies and monitoring their health.

He said often men have the mindset that they need to just “man up” when things go wrong. They often don’t go to the doctor until they’re sick, and surely aren’t comfortable talking about their bodies. However "manning up" is code for ignoring something, Jackson said.

“There’s a lot going on inside our bodies that we just take for granted because we don’t feel it,” Jackson said. “Get to the doctor. It can be a drag, but a lot of things in life are. The best medicine is preventative.”

Today, as a classified senior citizen, Jackson has improved his diet and takes the necessary supplements to stay healthy. He affectionately refers to his body as “his horse” and pats his chest when he says it. He said he’s ridden his "horse" for a while and it needs a little extra care to keep it going.

His message to other men young and old is simple.

“Develop a lust to live,” Jackson said. “Get out in the sun, get mad, travel, be brave, use your body. Develop a desire to live life.”

A Mission to End Cancer

The American Cancer Society started the Relay for Life in 1985 and has raised more than $4 billion for cancer research in that time. Their goal, which is to eliminate all forms of cancer, is daunting but necessary. Individuals like Jackson epitomize the mindset promoted by the organization.

“Even though he was diagnosed with cancer, there’s hope in his story, and recognizing your risk factors in the family. Being proactive is the message we want to get out there,” said Adam Martin, spokesman for the American Cancer Society.

The society is sponsoring its third long-term, nationwide study of individuals to discover trends associated with cancer. Researchers will monitor the health of people for 20 to 30 years. The past two long-range studies discovered links between cancer and both smoking and obesity. Though the impact of smoking and obesity on cancer rates is common knowledge now, it wasn’t at the time those studies were conducted decades ago.

The society raised some $9.4 million for cancer research last year in Wisconsin alone.

“We want to eliminate all forms of cancer. It’s an intimidating goal,” Martin said. “We help people stay well, get well, find cures, and fight back.”