Just got a note from the Discovery Health Channel folks with a reminder about the new SURVIVORS WEEK Series. This will be the first-ever week of programming dedicated to the inspiring stories of real-life heroes and the human medical triumphs that have enabled them to thrive and survive in the face of adversity. In addition to giving Discovery Health Channel free advertising, I’m also programming my PVR right now...

SURVIVORS WEEK kicks off Sunday, October 9 at 8 pm (ET/PT) with the world premiere of LANCE ARMSTRONG: STORIES OF SURVIVAL and continues throughout the week with updated encore presentations of some of Discovery Health Channel's top survivor stories each night at 8 pm (ET/PT).

Here’s the line-up for each night that they sent. Some of these are repeats, but with new footage:

INSPIRED BY LANCE
Encore Presentation with All-new Footage: Monday, October 10
This one-hour special tells the stories of four cancer survivors transformed by their battles with the disease, including the story of seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong. INSPIRED BY LANCE chronicles the epic battles against cancer waged by these four heroes and their actions today that inspire others. Through the phenomenal story of Lance’s cancer battle and his ultimate triumph, this special unveils how he has remains an inspiration to millions of cancer victims with his unparalleled physical recovery and his dedication to cancer awareness.

MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS: SURVIVORS
World Premiere: Tuesday, October 11
Every year, millions of Americans fall prey to real-life medical mysteries – ailments that remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. Their lives are thrown into turmoil, and sometimes their sanity is called into question as medical professionals struggle to understand their baffling conditions. This special explores the stories of three amazing survivors who lived through years of unexplained medical diagnoses and relates those afflictions changed their lives forever.

BIG JOHN: ONE YEAR LATER
Encore Presentation with All-new Footage: Wednesday, October 12
At 5'6" and 400 pounds, 17-year-old John Edgar puts his health in serious jeopardy. John has tried, without success, to lose weight through diet and exercise. He is now faced with the decision to continue to live with morbid obesity or undergo a risky gastrointestinal bypass operation that could save his life. John opts for the surgery, which is seldom performed on teenagers, and he emerges from it with a reduced stomach, re-routed intestines and a whole new relationship with food. Nine months later, John has shed more than 150 pounds and looks and feels like a different person. But, no one knows the long-term effects this kind of operation produces on patients as young as John; only time will tell.

CONJOINED TWINS: SEPARATE STEPS
Encore Presentation with All-new Footage: Thursday, October 13
Thirty-year-old Emily Stark of Denver, Colorado, always dreamed of having twins. When she became pregnant in 2000, her dream came true. However, an ultrasound revealed the twins were conjoined, and doctors recommended a risky separation procedure to help save the twins lives. In this special, follow Emily and her husband, Jim, through the entire surgical and post-surgical process that, at one point, would involve nearly 60 doctors and surgeons and state-of-the-art medical technology.

About Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel takes viewers inside the fascinating and informative world of health and medicine to experience firsthand, compelling, real-life stories of medical breakthroughs and human triumphs. Currently in 59 million homes, Discovery Health Channel is the only 24-hour network and Web site -- discoveryhealth.com -- devoted to what matters most -- health.