By Henri Schmidt, CEO and Founder of Vbtec/Visionbody, Muscle Expert, and Cancer Survivor
Everything changed for me just before Christmas 2023, when I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
Like anyone who receives that kind of news, I was shocked, scared, and desperate to know what would happen next. I trusted my medical team and began the treatment they recommended. What followed were three months of chemotherapy and forty rounds of radiation to my face and neck.
The treatment was incredibly difficult. The radiation severely affected my mouth and throat. Eating became painful. Drinking became difficult. Even swallowing was a challenge.
Over the next few months, I lost 65 kilograms, and along with that weight, much of my strength.
I was alive, but barely.
The First Victory, and the Next Challenge
After weeks of fear and exhaustion, I finally received some encouraging news. My scans showed no signs of the head and neck cancer that had started this journey.
For the first time, I let myself feel hopeful.
That hope was short-lived.
A few months later, in June 2024, new scans revealed four tumors in my lungs. I remember staring at the images, struggling to process what I was hearing. Just as I thought I could start rebuilding my life, another chapter of my journey was beginning.
Cancer has a way of making you feel like the ground beneath your feet is disappearing. I had to learn how to keep moving forward even when I no longer knew what the future would hold.
Regaining a Sense of Control
Throughout my treatment, I looked for ways to maintain as much strength and a sense of normalcy as possible alongside the medical care I was receiving.
As someone who has spent most of his life studying muscle science and human performance, it was only natural for me to pay close attention to my nutrition, physical activity, and recovery. I experimented with different eating approaches, adjusted my routines many times, and continued to look for practical ways to stay active, even when my energy was limited.
These were deeply personal decisions shaped by my own experience, my background, and conversations with my healthcare team. They should not be interpreted as recommendations for anyone else living with cancer.
For me, maintaining some kind of routine became just as important as maintaining my physical strength.
Disclaimer: I am sharing my personal experience, not medical advice. My story should not be interpreted as evidence that nutrition, fasting, EMS, supplements, or other lifestyle practices can treat or cure cancer. Anyone living with cancer should make decisions about treatment, nutrition, and exercise in consultation with their oncologist and healthcare team.
The Battle Against Bone Metastases
As my treatment continued, there were moments that gave me hope.
After one round of scans, I received encouraging news about my lungs. It was an emotional moment—one I will never forget. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I could breathe a little easier, both physically and emotionally.
But cancer has a way of reminding you that the journey is rarely straightforward.
Not long after that, I learned that the disease had spread to my bones. My care team found four tumors along my spine. Hearing that news was devastating. After everything I had already been through, it felt as though I was being asked to start the fight all over again.
The fear was still there. The physical toll of the treatment was impossible to ignore. But something inside me had changed. I no longer wanted to waste my energy focusing only on what I couldn't control. Instead, I focused on the things I still could.
I continued to follow the treatment plan recommended by my medical team. I also continued the personal routines that helped me stay active and maintain my physical strength whenever I felt up to it, including using my Visionbody EMS system for gentle workouts.
There were encouraging moments, followed by new setbacks. Some scans brought relief, while others reminded me that my cancer journey was still unfolding. That uncertainty became one of the hardest parts of living with the disease.
What changed wasn't the uncertainty. It was my mindset.
I stopped measuring each day solely by my scan results and started measuring it by whether I had found the strength to keep moving forward. That shift gave me a sense of purpose, even when the future remained uncertain.
Learning to Live With Uncertainty
My journey did not follow a straight path.
There were moments when scans brought encouraging news, followed by times when new challenges arose. Every appointment brought hope, uncertainty, and the realization that cancer rarely follows the course we would like it to.
What I learned was that I couldn't control every medical outcome.
What I could control was how I approached each day.
I could continue to take care of myself.
I was able to keep moving when I could.
I could continue to adopt habits that helped me feel physically and mentally stronger, while continuing to follow the treatment plan recommended by my medical team.
That mindset became incredibly important to me.
The People Who Helped Me Move Forward
No one fights cancer alone.
If there is one person who has supported me throughout this journey, it is my wife and partner, Krisztina.
She stood by me through every treatment, every difficult night, every moment of fear, and every setback. When I felt exhausted, she gave me strength. When I doubted myself, she reminded me why I had to keep going.
Her love and support became my anchor throughout this experience.
Looking back, I honestly can't imagine walking this path without her.
What Strength Means to Me Today
Cancer completely changed the way I think about strength.
Years ago, strength meant performance.
Today, strength means resilience.
It means getting out of bed on tough mornings.
It means continuing to take care of yourself when fear tells you to give up.
It means maintaining your independence, your mobility, and your quality of life for as long as possible.
For me, maintaining muscle became part of that mindset. Not because I believed muscle could cure disease, but because staying as physically capable as I could helped me face each day with greater confidence and hope.
Why I Keep Building Visionbody
When I founded Visionbody in 2014, my goal was to create a new generation of wireless EMS technology that would help people stay active more easily.
Years later, I found myself using that same technology during the most difficult period of my own life.
That experience gave my work an entirely different meaning.
Today, my mission is not to tell people that I have found answers to cancer.
My mission is to help more people understand the importance of maintaining strength, staying active whenever possible, and making movement a part of a healthier life.
Whether someone is getting back on their feet after an illness, recovering from a setback, growing older, or simply trying to stay strong, I believe movement matters.
That belief has only grown stronger throughout my own journey.
The Fight Continues
I am still living with uncertainty.
Cancer has taught me that progress is rarely a straight line, and that every day is something to be grateful for.
It has also reminded me that hope is built through small decisions made over time.
For me, those decisions include staying active, taking care of my body as best I can, continuing to build Visionbody, and spending time with the people I love.
If my story offers any insight to someone else facing a difficult diagnosis, I hope it is this:
You're stronger than you think.
Lean on the people who love you.
Work closely with your medical team.
Keep hope alive.
And never underestimate the value of conserving your strength, one day at a time.
Henri Schmidt
Disclaimer: I wrote this article to share my personal experience as a former athlete, fitness specialist, EMS innovator, and person living with cancer. My experiences should not be interpreted as medical advice or as evidence that nutrition, fasting, EMS, supplements, or other lifestyle practices can treat or cure cancer. If you have cancer or another medical condition, always consult your oncologist and other qualified healthcare professionals before making decisions about your treatment, diet, exercise, or health routine.
