Harley Bradley is a retired firefighter who lives with his wife Betty at their home in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. He is also a two time cancer survivor. Earlier this February, about a week after his 65th birthday and shortly after finishing treatment for prostate cancer, Bradley was diagnosed with diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of his left maxillary sinus. He was scheduled to see Dr. Craig Nystrom, an otolaryngologist at St. Francis Regional Medical Center, for a routine hearing test when he happened to mention that sometimes when blowing his nose, blood would come out. Dr. Nystrom took a look and immediately realized that something was wrong. Bradley attributes his success in beating his cancer to the fast work and attention of Dr. Nystrom. Bradley was impressed with how quickly the test results came back and the diagnosis was made. Although initially it was thought that he had Stage I, further diagnostic testing would soon show that he had Stage III lymphoma. Bradley’s diagnosis not only involved his left maxillary sinus, but also an area in his back and in his stomach. Fortunately, his bone marrow was free of disease.
As a firefighter, Bradley was used to seeing death and destruction and was trained to compartmentalize it. He had not been afraid of the prostate cancer, but things were different the second time around when diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This time Bradley was not sure what to expect. He wanted to learn more about his non-Hodgkin lymphoma and turned to the internet for information. Overwhelmed with information and unsure of what information he could trust on-line, he decided to take Dr. Nystrom’s advice and follow up with Dr. Joseph Leach, a medical oncologist and Medical Director of the Cancer Center at St. Francis. He put all of his trust in Dr. Leach’s hands and underwent six cycles of chemotherapy.
The hardest part of treatment for Bradley was not feeling up to visiting with family and friends. Fortunately, Bradley responded to the chemotherapy very well. After his very first treatment he noticed that the lump in his mouth had completely disappeared. Now, almost a year later, Bradley is back to feeling like his old self again. He enjoys chatting with friends on the golf course and spending time with his family.
As Bradley says, “cancer changes the way you look at everything.” After battling with cancer twice, he truly feels that his life is a gift and he is grateful for the support of his wife, family, and friends. You never know what a year will bring, but Bradley has shown that anything is possible when approached with the right attitude. If Bradley could depart one bit of wisdom to those that follow he would urge everyone to get regular check ups; early detection is key.
by Kallan Anastasi