A Brooks Superfan Gives Back
- Bubba Strauss, 54, is battling stage 4 cancer, but he’s still focusing on bringing joy to others; Strauss takes vets to Garth Brooks concerts.
- Strauss has not shared what kind of cancer he has, but it has metastasized; the cancer spread to his spine and brain.
- Focusing on the good and focusing on uplifting others can impact cancer treatment; stay positive, it matters, experts tell us.
The 54-year-old resident of Cincinnati has even enjoyed video calls with his favorite star. During a Zoom last year, reports East Idaho News, Strauss told Brooks, "My wife wanted me to tell you she knows that I love you more than her." Brooks laughed, and Strauss added, "She's OK with that and is perfectly fine that she's No. 2."
Strauss wanted to share his love of Garth Brooks with others, so he founded the charity Bubba Strauss Vets4Garth which gives vets the opportunity to see the country phenom. "I go to each city and state and find veterans,” he says. “I thank them for their service by treating them to dinner and then give them floor seats. I get to treat them to one of the best concert acts of all time. I want to make it unforgettable. It's my way of saying thank you rather than just doing it on Veterans Day."
Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis
Strauss has not publicly shared what type of cancer he’s battling, but we do know it spread to his spine and his brain. As a result, the doctors told him he couldn’t attend Brooks’s July 2021 concert in Vegas; Strauss went ahead with his plans, though. He’s staying attuned to what makes him happy and brings him joy.
When you’re diagnosed with cancer, it can feel debilitating, anxiety-producing, and even worse. Many people experience grief and even depression. A small percentage of people (around 15%) diagnosed with cancer will experience clinical depression, one during which they may not even be able to get out of bed. Help is available, though. And treating any mental health issues, such as depression, during a cancer battle is good for your cancer treatment, too.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Scott Irwin, the director of supportive care services at Cedars-Sinai, explains the importance of treating depression should it arise alongside cancer. He says, “Depression is a really interesting topic, because a lot of people assume that, oh, they have cancer. They must be depressed. That’s actually not true. 85% of patients do not get what would be considered a clinical depression. 15% do.”
“For prescribing medications for depression in the context of cancer, I often try to choose medications with the lowest side effect profile. If patients are getting hormonal therapy, there’s particular antidepressants that we can’t use, because they may lower the effectiveness of that hormonal therapy. And so we choose antidepressants that don’t impact the cancer care.”
Focusing on the Good Through Cancer
Strauss is an excellent example of focusing on the good through cancer. “Seeing my vets happy makes me happier. I can’t take (money) with me when I die, and I’m getting rewarded by the satisfaction I get doing what I’m doing,” he says. Many find as Strauss has that giving back to others during difficult times can take the focus off of you and your struggle, and it can alleviate internal hardship.
In an earlier interview, Cedars-Sinai colorectal surgeon, Dr. Zuri Murrell, says, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow,” he says.
“But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life,” says Dr. Murrell.
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