From the Battlefields of Vietnam to Fighting Brain Cancer Glioblastoma: My Journey
By Ray Croft | March 2025 Two Wars, One Life At 80 years old, I’ve fought two wars. One was in the jungles of Vietnam decades ago. The other – far more personal – began in 2022 within my own body. That year, I collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. The diagnosis was swift and devastating: Stage 4 Glioblastoma , the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Doctors told me I had a bit over a year to live , but the prognosis is worse in people over 70 , with a median survival of just 5.3 months. That means, at my age, the odds were against me. But I’m a fighter. I didn’t take that prognosis lying down. “If it’s going to give me a hard time, then I’m going to give the bastard a hard time back.” Conventional Treatment – And a Desire for More I did what most people do. I followed the conventional treatment path: Brain surgery 12 rounds of chemotherapy 21 sessions of radiation Blood thinners and anti-seizure meds It was rough. There’s no sugar-coating ...