Brain Cancer Survivor Defies the Odds After 11 Brain Surgeries and a Stroke

0:01

Sometimes the most powerful stories aren't about avoiding hardship.

0:06

They're about refusing to stay down.

0:09

Today's guest, Scott Cook, has survived a brain tumor, 11 major brain surgeries, a stroke,

0:09

and countless setbacks.

0:18

Yet through it all, he kept moving forward.

0:22

This is a conversation about resilience, purpose, and what happens when you decide not to

0:22

quit.

0:37

Okay, sounds great.

0:39

So back in 2009, I was actually getting ready for competing a bodybuilding competition.

0:46

I thought I was gonna be a pro bodybuilder and s so I was getting ready to compete.

0:52

And one day it just it was actually in April.

0:57

I clapped in my house and couldn't move.

1:00

So my wife rushed me to the Y.

1:05

Army crawled in the car and then uh got in the car and she rushed me to the hospital.

1:10

And after I liked the exam with the ER doctor, I was sent for a CAS can and the CAS can

1:10

reveal the problem.

1:18

There's a plum size mask that was they grew over the base of my brain and clogged

1:18

drainage, so there's no drainage ran in my brain.

1:30

which is water in the brain and it fr froze me up and I couldn't move.

1:35

And then why this was found that had this.

1:39

I was shipped up to Hamilton, which is a city outside of where I live.

1:44

I was operated on that night.

1:46

The first operation was just kinda tip I was exploratory.

1:52

Didn't it would didn't get much of the tumor and so then went back in to to

1:58

get more and they I guess because the world was the tum was located that blow my brain

1:58

away to get up on it of the tumor and I didn't like I said solve any dodge they couldn't

2:10

attack the tumor so I I they only got thirty percent of it and they closing back up and I

2:10

was mangled from the two operations and so I

2:22

It told me the only way I could go home was if I climbed the flood stairs outside of my

2:22

room and somehow I climbed the flood stairs and went home and w and they shouldn't have

2:32

let me go home because when I went home my shun slowly got clogged with brain fluid and

2:32

blood and stuff and then I got suffers again and to get rushed back down to the hospital

2:46

again and go through all over again getting

2:51

I shouldn't revise and the attack more of the tumor and everything kinda settled down

2:51

after that and they told me that I'll run never have kids and never walk again and slowly

3:05

I just

3:08

Didn't give up.

3:09

I'd researched the right foods to eat and what to do and I just slowly went to back to the

3:09

gym and rode the bike.

3:18

And slowly by riding the bike, I got confidence enough to start lifting weights again.

3:23

And so I like I said, I was right into nutrition and finding out the best things to do as

3:23

far as recovering.

3:32

And I was able to start weight training again and weight training

3:35

For some reason I think it just gave me the confidence and the strength to be able to live

3:35

through anything, you know, just battle and that's one what my whole story is about,

3:47

brother, is that we're all stronger than life gets terrible.

3:52

Life can get really, really terrible, but we are really, really strong, you know?

3:57

It's not believing God, it's believing ourselves.

4:00

We're incredible.

4:01

We we can overcome anything if we just

4:04

Try, you know?

4:05

All it's easier to give up.

4:08

It's easier to give in.

4:09

But what you give is what you get.

4:11

So if you don't give up, if you don't give in, then you're able to get really anything.

4:17

I because that I was I was also told that I'd never have kids.

4:21

They because of everything I went through in my body would never recover enough to have

4:21

children.

4:25

I get two kids, brother, two.

4:27

A fourteen year old son Yeah, and a twelve year old daughter.

4:31

I'm like so lucky

4:33

And then I'll become a fat a dad and raise them, teach them and and really inspire them to

4:33

know that they're incredible and they have strength and power over anything that can

4:45

happen in life, you know?

4:47

So that's what my story is about, is just bo we can all overcome any obstacle if we

4:47

believe we can.

4:56

That's what it's not believing.

4:59

It's believing ourselves, believing our talents, our abilities.

5:03

Our skills and our ability to overcome any obstacle.

5:07

Because if you believe it, you will achieve it, you know?

5:31

Why?

5:35

I feel felt I felt kind of like dead man walking.

5:40

That's why I felt like all the

5:45

Doctors and all the nurses and all the everyone was like good luck son, best luck to you.

5:51

And then when I went in the ambulance to Hamilton, a chaplain came with me.

5:56

I would imagine to give me my last rights 'cause I didn't think I was gonna survive the

5:56

trip to Hamilton.

6:03

And I made it through and I got through and now I'm here so I'm telling you that this

6:03

human spirit is stronger than things in terrible

6:12

And we can overcome any obstacle if we don't give up.

6:16

That's the that's my truth anyways.

6:40

Well I would say I for my last shunt operations was when everything was so much harder

6:40

'cause I had the stroke and the stroke like left me in a wheelchair and I had to come to

6:56

the wheelchair and now I'm the walker so like

7:01

Just getting out of the wheelchair and going back to the gym was so difficult.

7:09

But we have it in us.

7:12

If we don't allow ourselves to feel oh I'm this is too much, I can't handle this.

7:19

If you go out to your dream and you dream big, you can achieve anything.

7:24

I'm telling you, brother.

7:32

Yeah.

7:45

You know what?

7:47

I can't say I always had the ambitions and those kind of pulled me through the h hard

7:47

times when I told myself I when I wanted to give up.

7:58

You know, I just kept on keeping on and I was able to stride and and because I was able to

7:58

I reached for it, I was able to grab it and that kept me going.

8:10

So no, I didn't really have any time where I doubted myself.

8:13

I just

8:14

knew that this is an obstacle that I had to overcome and how do I overcome it, you know?

8:27

Yeah.

8:28

Well that

8:32

No, it that's what we are all created to be, man.

8:36

It's survivors, you know.

8:38

I'm not the only one.

8:40

We're all survivors, we just gotta choose to be strong and not give up.

8:45

Not do what's easy, you know?

8:47

It's easier to give up, it's easier to give in, it's easier to like I said, dude, I can't

8:47

do it.

8:52

But you gotta remember you're strong enough, you're good enough, and you can overcome any

8:52

obstacle.

8:59

You know what I'm talking about.

9:22

For sure.

9:23

Hundred percent.

9:25

What they said, what you give is what you get.

9:44

I just didn't believe it.

9:46

I believed that I would overcome it.

9:49

And I've been able to overcome it all, you know.

9:52

So just don't believe that you can't do it.

9:55

You believe what you achieved, like I said.

9:57

So you gotta believe that you can do it and you will do it.

10:01

You gotta put in what it takes to make it happen.

10:04

And I was willing to do that and that's why I think I overcame everything.

10:09

Not that I'm better than everyone.

10:11

I just didn't give up.

10:12

Like I said, what you gives is what you get.

10:14

So

10:28

Uh I would say for me every night when I will go to sleep my shun have a bunch of shunts

10:28

in my head.

10:42

They drained food off of my head and my stomach and stuff.

10:46

So I used to throw up every morning because the shunts would drain my stomach and make me

10:46

throw up.

10:54

Just getting up and throwing up and continuing the day.

10:59

You know, it was the hardest part.

11:01

But like I said, I had was an amazing I had an amazing sport group and I had family, so I

11:01

didn't have any excuse to

11:11

Be for me, you know.

11:12

I had to I had something I had to do, so I had to accomplish it, or I didn't didn't get

11:12

done, you know.

11:20

So I'm lucky that I had a family and had purpose.

11:23

Because without purpose, people perish.

11:27

See me purpose to overcome stuff, you know?

11:31

And I had the reason to overcome, so I the the purpose gave me the strength to endure it

11:31

all the

11:40

poop they had to go through, you know?

12:07

Well it's it's funny because in high school I was always a little small little kid and my

12:07

mom's cousin was is James Cameron, the director, producer of Terminator, so I was a new

12:23

boy Arnold Schwarzenegger.

12:25

I was always really into bodybuilding, trying to look at the kid, you know.

12:30

So that's what got me into working out and then I just got really good progress and

12:36

End up saving my life from brain cancer, you know?

12:39

It's crazy.

12:56

Cool.

12:56

That's one uniforming.

13:00

That's why it survived, brothers to share, you know.

13:24

Sure.

13:26

For sure.

13:26

Well, like I said, if I can share my serve strength to help other people be strong to

13:26

overcome what they have to deal with, then my journey was worth it, you know?

13:40

Except what you give is what you get, you know?

13:42

It's fun give inspiration that I can inspire to overcome even worse stuff that's gonna

13:42

happen, you know?

13:50

That's called life.

13:51

Life sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down.

13:54

Sometimes things go real well and sometimes I don't, you know?

13:58

So you gotta just go with it.

14:00

Go with the wave in a sense, you know?

14:05

Yeah, for sure.

14:07

it during your darkest moments, you know, like what maybe you were recovering from

14:07

surgery, maybe it was when you were diagnosed.

14:15

Like what did what did fear look like to you?

14:17

Was there any fear that like entered your mind and

14:21

Just really just the fear of death, brother.

14:24

The fear of that I wouldn't be able to do

14:30

have a family like I wanted and live my dreams in bodybuilding like I wanted.

14:35

But because like I said they didn't give up, I was given a second chance, you know?

14:41

And I can and I'm not gonna let the second chance go.

14:45

Mm-hmm.

15:01

Oh I would say honestly it it maybe just made me have a bad memory and be like kind of

15:01

slower, but it has made me stronger and if I wouldn't have gone through what I went

15:18

through, I wouldn't be the man I am today and the father I am today.

15:23

So it's was worth going through the pain to see the game, you know.

15:55

Yeah, it's not truth at all.

15:56

This is the the testing ground and how much can you handle.

16:01

That's what it is.

16:02

Make it through with a positive attitude, you make it through.

16:06

But if you don't, then you won't, you know?

16:10

That's my opinion.

16:23

I would say my kids.

16:26

I've m motivation my kids.

16:29

Just helping them do better than I did.

16:34

Be more prepared than I am.

16:36

You know?

16:37

It's what I was I went through poop to tell them how to avoid it.

16:43

You know, that's w they need to I'm here to help them realize they're strong, then things

16:43

are terrible and don't

16:53

Dwell on things but devote yourself to being the best you can, you know?

16:59

You have a choice.

17:00

You choose to do the best you can or you choose easy.

17:04

Easy come, easy go.

17:06

There's no easy way, bruh.

17:28

Yeah, brother.

17:29

So you know exactly what I'm talking about.

17:31

That's great.

17:40

Cool.

17:42

Imagine, yeah.

17:44

Wow.

17:47

Yeah.

17:48

So beyond your survivor a survivor of eleven major brain surgeries, a stroke and the mass

17:48

on your brain.

17:52

So who who else is what's who else is there?

17:53

Like he's is what do you enjoy like in life?

17:54

Like what what do you what does Scott do when he's not telling the survivor story or body?

18:00

Well, I love to hang with my kids.

18:05

I love to eat food that I shouldn't eat it.

18:11

Yeah, yeah.

18:12

I like to hang up with animals and listen music and be normal, you know, like I'm I'm an

18:12

everyday person.

18:23

I just didn't give up, didn't give in to all the horrible stuff that happened to me.

18:30

I'm not special, I'm not important, I'm just me, you know?

18:35

Like all of us.

18:58

Rather every victory, even going to washroom by myself, because when I first got out of

18:58

treatment I had the catheter and I was just horrible.

19:09

So everything was a victory for me.

19:12

And then when I started going back to the gym just riding the bike, I felt like a billion

19:12

dollars.

19:18

And then when I started weight training and then I d when start the best thing for me, my

19:18

opinion is when I way training

19:27

And I get to tell some of my story and inspire them to go harder, you know.

19:34

I I don't have any hard times or bad tim I don't wanna complain.

19:39

I can't complain.

19:40

I'm the luckiest guy on the planet, you know?

19:47

Yeah.

19:48

That that's I I really do.

19:50

I've said this a million times, I know, but I love I love your attitude.

19:55

Do you remember a time though, was there Was there ever a time where you Yeah, go ahead.

20:01

I didn't mean to cut you off.

20:03

No, it's just saying thank you.

20:04

I I that's who I am, is that's who we all are, man.

20:09

We all can be this if we choose it, you know.

20:12

We are all stronger than the things are terrible.

20:15

We just don't believe in ourselves.

20:17

It all comes down to us our belief in God.

20:20

It's a belief in ourselves, believe that we can make it.

20:24

And then faith is just doing things we gotta do to make it happen.

20:28

I get up on time every day.

20:31

I need spinach and whole wheat grains and lots of protein to accomplish what I would have

20:31

done.

20:38

So that's why I did it.

20:41

Because I did what I had to do.

20:43

You know, was it easy?

20:44

No.

20:45

Was it challenging?

20:47

Yes.

20:48

But I did it, you know?

20:50

So we can all do it.

20:51

I just want to be inspiration to people that they can realize that they're strong and

20:51

think it terrible.

20:58

That's all I

21:28

I don't wanna say no, but I don't recall think that way.

21:33

I just recall thinking of how it can be better, you know, like how it can jump past a

21:33

turtle.

21:41

I don't remember everything was me.

21:45

I don't

21:50

That's a good attitude to have.

21:51

I I need to I need to follow your your footsteps there.

21:58

But think

21:59

This I am an example.

22:01

You don't have to.

22:03

I'm just an example, you know.

22:20

That we did for ourselves.

22:27

So I can knew.

22:35

Hello?

22:39

Okay.

22:44

Okay.

22:44

What was the question?

22:47

Did you my answer?

22:54

Yes.

23:00

Yeah, we did it to ourselves.

23:02

There were that somehow it was our fault that it happened.

23:07

You know, were the two inch drinkers or drugs or whatever you want to say that it happened

23:07

because of that.

23:13

It's just a genetic thing that was a whoops and it was a bad all the things that built up

23:13

to it was promoting it, you know, and then uh boom it happened.

23:48

Yeah.

24:08

I would say just doing it.

24:12

Just keep like just make it happen and overcoming the the negative doubts in your mind.

24:21

You know the the the devil telling you you're not good enough or you can't make it or you

24:21

can't overcome and just push it out and believe in yourself.

24:32

You know, yes I can overcome, yes I have the ability, yes have the skills.

24:38

Mm.

24:42

just it's about following Yeah, it's about following the faith to make it happen.

24:47

So I had to get up on time every day.

24:50

I had to eat the foods I need every day.

24:53

I had to go to the gym and train hard every day.

24:56

That's what I had to do and I did it.

24:59

And then now look where I am, you know?

25:21

My kids.

25:26

'Cause I was told I wouldn't have kids.

25:29

And I got myself back up and got myself in shape enough and was able to give my

25:29

testosterone going again and had kids, man, so it proved everything wrong, you know.

25:42

Proved the doctors wrong, it proved everyone wrong.

25:45

Not that I'm better, but that we can overcome anything, man.

25:49

That's what it's about, you know.

26:14

Never give up.

26:16

Like I said, what you give is what you get, so don't give up.

26:20

Give it your all and learn how to overcome.

26:24

That's all you can do is learn.

26:26

You just listen and learn and try to find examples of what you want to accomplish.

26:36

You know, like find people that survived it, find people that beat it, go to meetings, go

26:36

to different places and

26:43

And figure out that, whoa, people have done this.

26:47

I can do it too, you know?

27:06

Uh I would say the longest to learn would be my speech back.

27:13

I like yeah, used to struggle a lot with finding w the proper words to say and now I feel

27:13

like it's a flowing a lot better.

27:24

So I would say that's the hardest thing that's come back.

27:31

Yeah, I could see that being a challenge.

27:33

It's I I've had seizures since two thousand nine.

27:40

So it's like I I there's times after a seizure where it's like I can't think of the right

27:40

word to say and I'm just super confused.

27:49

And that's always really hard to like

28:03

You wouldn't please.

28:07

Well we all relate to each other, you know, we just have to want to relate to each other.

28:15

So yeah.

28:19

Like said, man, we're stronger than things are terrible.

28:22

You know that.

28:23

You're doing a whole podcast about it, you know?

28:27

Like you interview people all the time that have overcome craziness.

28:31

So if you've interviewed lots of people, that's the way it is.

28:36

We can all be that way.

28:38

It's not just the PB interview, they're special.

28:41

We're all special.

28:42

We gotta realize that we're all stronger than things are terrible, like you say, you know?

28:48

That's what it is.

29:05

Honestly, I don't want to even say at the a low point because I don't even remember a low

29:05

point, brother.

29:12

I just remember overcoming obstacles, overcoming obstacles and stepping forward all the

29:12

time, being hit back and punched back and overcoming again, overcoming and dissolved.

29:25

That's uh what life is all about is overcoming, you know?

29:30

That's my opinion.

29:33

like I said, I I once again I remo admire your your willpower just to keep pushing through

29:33

everything.

29:42

Yeah 'cause I dur during some of my hard times I was not like that at all.

30:08

No problem.

30:10

No problem.

30:26

It didn't really change my perspective, it submitted my perspective, you know, like it

30:26

made me totally realize that it's the truth.

30:39

And if just go that path, I can accomplish anything, you know.

30:44

But like I said, we're all so strong, we just don't believe we are.

30:50

I overcame crazy obstacles.

30:53

And still was able to give and become my dreams.

30:58

So we all can.

30:59

We just don't we just can't believe in pain, believe in failure, believe in excuses.

31:06

We gotta not give excuses, not like I said, believe in pain, not give up when it gets

31:06

hard, you know?

31:23

I say But it gives what gets so don't give up, don't give in 'cause you never you can't

31:23

predict the future.

31:32

You can make the future, but you can't predict it.

31:35

So just don't tell yourself I'm not gonna be able to make it.

31:40

Try.

31:40

That's that's my opinion.

31:56

But taught me to be tough.

31:58

You taught me to be disciplined.

32:00

Taught me everything.

32:01

Like get ready for a show.

32:04

You have to be so disciplined with your food and when you get up and when you train and

32:04

how you train and everything.

32:12

So it's it's like bodybuilding and training and everything prepared me to be able to

32:12

overcome what I had to go through because it gave me discipline.

32:24

It taught me

32:25

all the things it need to know to be able to respond like it did and like to overcome all

32:25

the obstacles that I've had to overcome, you know?

32:35

The we were the best it's crazy that I got into it because I got into it and the and

32:35

advised, like I told you, 'cause the arms and and it was saving my life, man.

32:46

Give me a family and like you know, like against the odds, you know.

33:03

Sure.

33:04

I'm the luckiest man on the planet, dude.

33:07

That's why I give so much, because I'm so lucky that I I got what I have, you know.

33:36

Well I think people misunderstand 'cause well for myself is I look this way that I do that

33:36

they don't believe that I have obstacles still with bounce and speech and all the things

33:52

that I still have challenges with.

33:55

They would blame other things like my when I think I remember when I used to go to the bar

33:55

when I was younger.

34:05

I would get kicked out or they wouldn't let me in because I said I was drunk.

34:09

I just don't be I couldn't walk very well because of my brain tumor, you know?

34:13

But they wouldn't let me in because it would be that's what would they say and it was just

34:13

a brain tumor, so I guess that's a negative for sure.

34:36

Um I'm not.

34:40

I'm uh just trying to get into social media.

34:44

I that's what we want to do is be a mode, based on a speaker and talk to people, and

34:44

encourage people to not give up when things get terrible and to believe in the strength.

34:56

That that's all I don't know where to go or how to

35:03

platform myself to it, I've no nothing.

35:06

I'm certain off at the very basic bottom.

35:09

Uh you were one of the first pr people that responded to me.

35:13

I said un plus I did I don't know if you just watched the RX Muscle interview you did with

35:13

Dave Palumbo.

35:20

The he responded me too so I did an interview with him.

35:25

But you're the only other guy this responded me so that's amazing.

35:29

I thank you for giving me this opportunity.

35:32

Allow me to explain and hopefully help people.

35:57

No no.

35:58

I just want to remind people that like I said they are stronger than things are terrible

35:58

and that when poop hits a fan or when they trip on the sidewalk of life, look back and

36:14

don't focus on the crack that tripped you.

36:17

Focus on the daisy growing out of the crack that tripped you.

36:21

That's all I can say.

36:49

Thank you, Travis.

36:50

I'm just a human being like everyone else, you know.

36:55

I just believe that's the only difference.

36:58

You know I'm talking about with not being up and not giving in.

37:03

It's all it is, you know.

37:09

And thank you to all the listeners out there.

37:12

Please follow us or give us a review.

37:15

It would help us out a lot.

37:16

Thanks again.

37:17

Until next time.