Wow, poor guy! Glad it had a positive outcome. It does show you the power of never giving up, but aside from just taking better care of yourself (eg not smoking 2 packs a day, trying to stay fit, etc) not much more you can do to prepare for something like that. It must be agonizing to be so completely trapped but so tantalizing close to many people.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman