Cottage Grove has a new published author!
Wayne Schlicht, who received a stage four metastatic cancer diagnosis last year after previously going into remission, has published a book.
“Still Here: How Faith, Food, and Family Beat Stage Four Cancer” went live on Amazon as of April 21.
Independently published and based on Schlicht’s personal experience, “Still Here” is available in paperback and Amazon Kindle for $29.95 and shares the story of Schlicht’s diagnosis and the battle that followed, including the emotional journey and family support.
At the time of his diagnosis last year Schlicht had already survived two prior cancer diagnoses, endured radiation and chemotherapy, and had a five-hour radical neck dissection surgery that left him on SSDI disability with permanent neck, shoulder, and voice damage.
“I was told I had months to live,” Schlicht says of his diagnosis last summer. “Stage four. Metastatic. Spreading. I was offered more chemotherapy that might extend my life, but at the cost of losing more of my body. So I made a different decision. I built a plan, stacked every advantage I could find, and refused to accept that this was the end. Six months later, two tumors were gone.”
Schlicht encourages individual consultation with a licensed medical professional or healthcare provider while sharing his own story of hope, charting a path that included combining Keytruda immunotherapy, an aggressive integrative protocol, strict carnivore diet, high-dose IV vitamin C, repurposed medications, optimized nutrition, and daily sunshine and prayer to survive the prognosis and be “still here” ten months later. A Go Fund Me account helped with the treatment costs for high-dose vitamin C infusions.
As for Still Here, the memoir currently has one review from a verified purchaser on Amazon so far, the reviewer giving the book five stars.
“I know so many people with cancer that need to read this book!” the review by SE says. “What an eye opener. Thank you for sharing your journey and knowledge Wayne!”
Schlicht shared his own thoughts in a message announcing the book’s release:
To my family and friends,
For more than four years, I have been fighting for my life. Today, I am sharing that fight in a different way. My memoir, Still Here, is now published and available on Amazon.
This book was written during some of the hardest stretches I have ever faced. Many of you were part of that journey, whether through support, prayers, messages, or simply being there. That mattered more than you know.
This is not just a story about battling cancer. It is about what you do when the battle becomes harder than you ever expected.
What this book is
Still Here is a direct and unfiltered account of my cancer journey. It includes the moments most people do not see, the fear, the uncertainty, the late nights when the future felt unclear, and the conversations that followed.
It also documents the fight itself. Over the last four years, I survived my oncologist’s recommended cancer treatments. This included 70 radiation treatments, more than 20 chemotherapy infusions, and a five-hour radical neck dissection performed by three surgeons. When the cancer returned for a third time in June 2025, I reached a point where I needed to go beyond standard cancer treatment alone.
I began researching, studying, and building an integrative approach that combined conventional oncology with additional strategies, including immunotherapy, high-dose IV vitamin C, the carnivore diet, nutrition changes, and a complete shift in how I supported my body and immune system.
This book does not prescribe or instruct. It documents. It shows what I tried, what failed, what I adjusted, and what ultimately helped me continue forward.
“Who this book is for
If you or someone you care about is facing cancer, this book will feel familiar. The decisions, the uncertainty, the search for hope, and the need for something to hold onto are all part of that experience.
This is not a book of promises. It is a real account of one path through stage four cancer and what it took to keep going.
Today, what matters most is simple. Time with my family. Being present. Waking up and having another day. Help people battling cancer or provide information to families and caregivers of loved ones with cancer. That is what winning looks like to me.

Readers can read blog posts about Schlicht’s journey and find a link to purchase the book at https://waynescancerjourney.com/home/.