My Experience with Cancer - Part 1

With Movember and Hockey Fights Cancer month upon us, I thought I would write a more personal column and talk about my own experiences with cancer.

As somebody that has personally fought this battle (twice,) I know how important a cause like Movember is. Yes, some may find growing mustaches is silly; however, it’s meant to bring awareness to the cause, just like wearing pink for breast cancer. 

My story began in 2010 when I started to have a lot of pain in my right thigh. The pain eventually got to the point where I couldn’t bear any weight on my leg. The pain kept getting worse until I was at the point that no amount of prescribed painkillers could even put a dent in the pain. Even when laying in bed, the pain was so intense that I literally wanted to die. 

I went to the doctor for nine months and he sent me to specialist after specialist, assuring me that this was not a problem with my leg, but a problem with my back and a pinched nerve. I told him again and again that I was sure the problem was with my leg, but he refused to even run any tests. After months of being ignored, another doctor finally listened to me and immediately knew something was wrong just by looking at my leg, so he ordered an x-ray.

I remember sitting alone in the exam room, waiting anxiously for the results of the test. I still didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong with me--maybe I was just in denial. In the back of my head, I think I had known for some time that it was something serious. I remember the doctor walking in and saying those dreaded words, “I’m sorry, but there’s a problem.” The x-ray revealed a giant tumor that had almost grown all the way through the femur. Even though the tumor would normally not show up on an x-ray, due to its massive size, it was immediately identified.