December 1, 2005

My 30th anniversary as a cancer survivor

It is December 1st, 2005 here in cold, low 20s, Austin, TX and the sun is about to rise in the morning sky. I might not be able to see the sun for the cloud cover but I know that it will rise today. 30 years ago today, I wasn't sure if I would see this day but who ever knows. Sunrise is one of my favorite times of the day because it means a new day, a new start, and another day to accomplish some of those goals. 30 years ago I went to a urologist's office to see a doctor that I had never met before but came recommended. Over the years, I got to know Dr Rotner fairly well but that day was a hard start. He first told me that I was the reason that Fran wasn't getting pregnant but here is a cup to give him a specimen to prove what he was sure of. And then it got worst, he told me I had CANCER. Testicular cancer was the location and in about 48 hours hence I would have surgery to remove it. Oh, and by the way I should go get a second opinion quickly. Back in 1975, cancer wasn't talked about by many people, it was the Big C, and it was bad according to common knowledge. I seem to remember being giving a 80% chance of surviving which sounded pretty good.

But from that bad day came a lot of great news with a few bumps in the road of life in the process. It lead to adopting both Allen and Jennica, 26 and 20 years old, who were and still are the joy of my life. That bad time lead to strengthening my marriage to Fran, my wife of 34 years. That kick in the you know where got me to go back to graduate school and do what I wanted to do as an undergraduate, get my PhD in Biochemistry at the age of 37.

30 years later, we talk about surviving cancer openly, we call ourselves survivors, we talk and interact across the world about cancer with people that we have never met, and we call it little c or get out my life cancer. Sadly we don't all survive cancer but I am just one of more than 10 million cancer survivors here in the USA. I might have chronic conditions most likely caused by the life saving radiation treatment that I got but I can live with them with due diligence, proactive behavior and medical attention. What I won't let happen is to allow these current chronic conditions to control my life anymore than I would allow the cancer to. It is a new day with goals and aspirations on my list and it is time to go work on them.

LiveStrong, Ride to Live, and one marathon at a time,
Fred Drewe

A son, a husband, a father, and always a cancer survivor