"I am not one to go to the doctor," Rick admits, in his slightly raspy voice. He did not have a primary care doctor, so after struggling for months with a cough and what he thought was bronchitis, he went to a local walk-in clinic. Then he found his way to H.Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.
"You can't dwell on the diagnosis. You can't change it." Sure, he admits it shook him up for a few days, but as a merchant seaman he wouldn't let it get him down for too long.
Rick, 57, was excited to learn about the clinical trials options at the cancer center. He knew nothing about them when he first arrived at Moffitt; now he is an advocate.It was an option he was offered right away, but he did not qualify for any of the clinical trials being offered at that time. He has now been part of two trials. "I feel really good about being a part of it," he says. "I am comfortable." He has no concerns; he feels being a part of research will not only benefit him but many more people down the road.
He has been unable to work for months, but he says he is getting used to it. He actually has plans to work a few more years and then retire, travel, fish, hunt and enjoy the great outdoors.
Every patient is given a sheet of information to explain the side effects of chemotherapy. Rick hangs his on his refrigerator, but he has yet to refer to it. He is tired, but overall feels better each day. He believes the study he is enrolled in has had positive results.
Rick appreciates his entire medical team and even brings them cheesecake. He knows they are trained to take care of him but that doesn't change his admiration. "They are all angels, they are my best friends."
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