On this episode of the Cancer Interviews podcast, we will hear from Chad Andrus, who survived non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  His cancer journey began with a dry cough.  When the cough persisted, he went in for a chest x-ray.  It revealed a large mass in his chest called a Bulky Stage One.  Next up were some blood tests and a painful bone marrow biopsy.  That led to his diagnosis and his being told he would have to undergo a chemotherapy regimen.

 

Chad Andrus of Denver, Colorado was enjoying a healthy lifestyle in Jult 2008 when he got married.  He and his wife were on their honeymoon in the Mediterranean when he began to experience a dry cough.  Chad thought it might have something to do with his vacation, but after returning to the States, the cough was still around weeks later.  He was put on antibiotics, which did nothing to help.  Then his primary care physician called for a chest x-ray.

 

The chest x-ray showed a large mass in his chest, known as a Bulky Stage One.  Days later, in October, Chad Andrus was told he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  His doctor said Chad would have to go on a chemotherapy regimen of eight sessions.  After that, there would be radiation treatment to make sure the chemo was working. 

 

With support from his wife, Kristi, Chad was determined to lead as normal of a life as possibly.  Broadcasting basketball on the radio is tough enough, but Chad soldiered on, doing the mentally-challenging preparation and the play-by-play while undergoing chemo.  He did this while experiencing the usual side effects from chemotherapy, including loss of appetite, loss of hair, nausea and fatigue. 

 

When Chad finished chemo, he couldn’t raw meat or raw fish, but he had lots of pizza and milkshakes, anything with calories to help him gain back the 25 pounds he lost. 

 

PET scans showed the chemotherapy was shrinking the mass after which he went on radiation treatment for three months.  At this point, Chad felt like he was on the road to recovery. 

Eventually, the radiation treatment ended, and Chad was declared to be in remission.  He and Kristi loved to travel the world, and once in remission, Chad was again cleared to travel.  He swam with stingrays in the Cayman Islands and jumped off a cliff into a river in Belize. 

 

By way of advice, Chad Andrus tells those diagnosed with cancer that they are not alone.  He also says it is very important to find a doctor, a care team that they trust, and to remember while the cancer journey to some degree is permanent, the difficult treatment phase is temporary.