Dementia, Cancer, Depression, and an Unlikely Savior – Tennis
This memoir reveals how one man’s harrowing personal journey may hold promise for others suffering from dementia or other neurological disorders
Anthony Caruk in his newly released memoir Callous Road chronicles the many physical and mental challenges he endured as a child growing up on a farm and later in life when confronted with the unexpected diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Having cancer was bad enough, but the social pressures and side effects from this kind of cancer turned his life into a living hell.
They say that sometimes innovation is born out of desperation. Desperation stepped in when Caruk’s doctors gave up on him and his whole world slowly came crashing down. Seeing no way out, the thought of suicide filled his every waking hour. The temptation to commit suicide and the struggle to survive oscillated in his head to the same rhythm as his depression, which deepened and then subsided throughout the day.
Staring down that ominous, inescapable dead-end road of life with no obvious way out, Caruk knew his time was also running out. The question of what he would like to do before he die played out in his head. With his health out of his control, the desire to control something set in, and the pursuit of an unfulfilled childhood dream became his last wish. Tennis would become that pursuit, but it would also be the beginning of a miraculous journey from the brink of death to a celebrated recovery.
Caruk explains, “I wrote this book because my story was something I wanted to document before my time expired.” He also notes that because of what transpired over the course of his illness, he believes the therapeutic method he used to recover from dementia warrants further researched. The therapeutic method he states is “logical”.
“Callous Road is an uplifting book about overcoming tremendous physical and mental challenges in middle age. At a time when most people are starting to relax a bit and enjoy some rest and recreation, Tony was crushed by a diagnosis of cancer, specifically chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Complications from this included memory loss and depression. Medical specialists, including neurologists and psychiatrists, launched him on the treadmill of endless referrals and tests with no discernable health improvement, yet harrowing financial liability…Through five diligent years of trial and error, he developed a physical and mental regimen, including participating in tennis and chess, as well as natural substance ingestion, that has led to a ‘celebrated recovery’… There are lessons for us in Tony's journey…” -- Review by David Kimoroff
Author: Anthony Caruk grew up on a farm, where he experienced many hardships and difficult life lessons, before embarking on a career in engineering. Today, he lives and plays tennis several times a week in Plymouth, Michigan.