The other day some of our group members interviewed Cody Schuler,
a fellow Rockhurst student who was recently diagnosed with renal cell
carcinoma, aka kidney cancer that had metastasized to his bones and liver. This
was a difficult interview to conduct because we know him on a personal level
and had known what he had gone through. Cody made it very easy for us however,
and was very open about his whole experience.
Cody was unsure exactly what grid computing was, but after
explaining how the Help Conquer Cancer grid links multiple different computers
together via the internet to improve the results of protein X-ray
chromatography, and how that would improve their understanding of cancer
initiation, progression, and treatment, Cody replied, “That’s definitely a good
way for the average Joe to get involved.” Cody emphasized that sometimes people
who donate money do not know exactly what it’s going for or what the process
is. They are uncomfortable donating money because they can’t see a direct
correlation between their donation and impact.
This is why he thinks that grid computing could be a great way for
people to get involved that would be of little or no inconvenience.
Cody was diagnosed back in August 2011, and when asked what
he felt when he was first diagnosed, he said, “It was shocking. It’s so far
away now it feels like… when I think about what that felt like, it feels like
it was like a different lifetime.” Cody did not go back to school that
semester, but said that the diagnosis really brought his family together.
As for treatment, Cody has undergone hypofractionated
radiation therapy, where a lot of radiation is given in a short amount of time.
Supposedly this worked faster, but had more risk of damaging good tissue and
lead to Cody’s hair quickly falling out everywhere they administered the
treatment, to which he responded, “Small price to pay.” Cody has also received
some mild chemo and antiangiogenic drugs, which prevent new blood vessel
growth, thereby cutting off tumor vasculature to prevent their growth and
spread. Cody had been on no other medications up until last week, when pain and
intense headaches sent him to the E.R. K.U. Cancer Center gave him some
steroids and painkillers, which have been keeping inflammation and pain away
with only some minor sore leftover.
Cody has also undergone several surgical procedures. One was
an angiogram embolization, which involved using tubes to cut off the blood
supply of the tumor. This took two days, seven hours each day, and on the third
day they were able to remove the tumor. The next procedure was a few weeks
later when he had a skull plate put in. The most recent procedure was the
removal of one of his kidneys. When asked what he was thinking when going into
surgery he stated, “… I didn’t really have time to think about it because by
that time you’re so dazed and confused, you just go and do whatever they tell
you to do.”
For Cody, one part of the treatment process that really
stuck in his mind occurred during his first stay at the hospital for his first
few surgical procedures. He had been under anesthesia for a combined 24 hours
in a three day period. “[When you get that kind of general anesthesia and
you’re, like, knocked out for that long, when you wake up it’s hard to sleep.
And when you do sleep you have nightmares. So I was having nightmares and, on
top of that, I was in a lot of pain.” This combined with an environment of
constant poking and prodding from medical personnel was the toughest part of
the process for Cody.
Cody’s advice to others around his age that get diagnosed
with cancer is to first not panic. “It’s not what it used to be. Cancer still
has the same connotation, but there are a lot more treatment options now and a
lot more people - a huge number of more people - surviving it.” Second, he
tells them that a lot of this situation is in your control. “It’s how you make
it out to be, so you need to stay positive first of all.” Finally, if you
seriously want to survive, to make the most of treatments, and to avoid as many
side effects as possible, Cody says you have to change your diet. Cody himself
went to see a nutritionist who took into account several factors such as his
blood type, genealogy, age, etc to create a specialized diet for him. Cody
stressed that this is an important consideration for anyone dealing with a
serious illness.
Overall, Cody feels that his experience with cancer so far
probably hasn’t changed him enough since he still gets stressed out over things
like school. But, he does admit that now he doesn’t care as much about what
people think anymore. “I’m going to be myself and I’m going stick up for what’s
right […] No point in stressing myself out and compromising my values to fit
in.”
Even though Cody is busy with school and treatment, he still
took time out of his day to speak with us. He was very hospitable and open. We
greatly appreciate his time and wish him the best.
