Inspirational Stories

I am a four-time cancer "survivor" (not totally comfortable with the term), just grateful to be alive. I was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1997. I had surgery to remove a testicle and radiation as a follow-up. 

I then had squamous cell carcinoma on my tongue in 2014, first spotted by my dentist.  I followed up with a local oral surgeon and then an ENT for surgery. A skin graft (from my hip) was needed. At my one-year follow-up, the ENT informed me that we would need to repeat the surgery as the impacted area seemingly spread. I immediately went to Memorial Sloan Kettering and have been under their care since. MSKCC performed the second surgery and applied a synthetic graft to the surgically repaired area. Doctors considered it cured in 2017.

In late 2020, I started to experience rib and back pain. This led me to an orthopedic physician, and PT was prescribed. As the pain intensified, I also started experiencing vertigo (unrelated). Severe bouts of vertigo led me to the local ER where bloodwork revealed anemia. Thus, with the back and rib pain and now anemia, I returned to MSKCC where after further testing (scan, MRI, and bone marrow biopsy), I was diagnosed with stage II/III multiple myeloma (MM). I immediately entered therapy (dexamethasone/carfilzomib/Revlimid), 18 treatments over six months. No further surgery and/or transfusions were needed, and I have been in remission since. Consistent exercise including weight lifting significantly contributed to my recovery as did a positive mindset and my attempt to consume a healthier diet.

In September of last year, I had a routine colonoscopy. It had been 11 years since my last procedure. Adenocarcinoma was detected, and on November 30, 2023, I had bowel resection surgery at MSKCC in Manhattan. Chemotherapy with oxaliplatin commenced in January along with dexamethasone and capecitabine (oral chemo). The side effects were rough and still persist (to a much lesser degree today).

Cancers #3 and #4 may be the result of radiation exposure from the testicular cancer treatments. Treatment at the time included a radiation field that covered the entire torso.

I retired in 2019 and have not worked since. I do however volunteer with several organizations. Most notably I am a patient-to-patient volunteer at MSK and engage with patients weekly at the Baskin Ridge, New Jersey, facility. I am also a First Connection volunteer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).