Steve Hudson was familiar with cancer. After all, both his father and grandfather had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, so in the back of his mind he knew that someday he may face the same illness. But in July 2001, a relatively minor incident resulted in a very unexpected diagnosis.
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Editor’s Note: As the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event nears, the Republican-Times is presenting a series of feature stories focusing on area residents who have survived the challenges of cancer.
by Ronda Lickteig
R-T Staff Writer
Steve Hudson was familiar with cancer. After all, both his father and grandfather had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, so in the back of his mind he knew that someday he may face the same illness. But in July 2001, a relatively minor incident resulted in a very unexpected diagnosis.
“My son, Tanner, and I were in the grocery store, in the Spaghettios aisle,” he recalled. “It seems like he wanted some Spaghettios with meatballs and at that time, when he was young, he would kind of like nudge you when he wanted your attention. So that’s what he did and he hit me in the groin. It wasn’t intentional, but I felt immediate discomfort, mostly I think just from being hit there. I didn’t think anything about it at that time except that it hurt,” he said.
A few days later, Hudson said, he noticed an odd feeling in his groin and when things still didn’t seem right a few days later, he decided to visit Dr. David Ryan, his family physician. Dr. Ryan sent Hudson to Wright Memorial Hospital for an ultrasound, after which he was told to return to Dr. Ryan’s office.
“When I got back to Dr. Ryan’s office, he said the ultrasound confirmed that there was a tumor on my left testicle and that I needed to see a urologist,” he said, noting that it was kind of a shock that everything had happened so quickly. “All of this hits you out of the blue. You wake up in the morning and everything’s fine and the next thing you know they’re telling you that you have cancer.”
Hudson’s wife, Lora, was out of town, but other family members accompanied him to St. Joseph, where he was able to see the urologist who had treated his father. On the way there, he made a very important phone call, one that provided him with a lot of hope and support. Hudson called former Kansas City Chiefs punter Louie Aguiar, a friend with whom he has worked at several kicking camps. Aguiar had experienced the same type of cancer.
“I don’t know if it was God working or a coincidence or what, but Louie had had exactly the same type of cancer on the same side, the same size and he found out almost the same way. He was building a new house in Reno and was working on the landscaping. Because of the terrain, he was using a pick and accidentally hit himself in the groin with the handle. That’s how he ended up finding out he had it. It was weird. The only difference was he was in Reno and I was in St. Joseph. We talked almost all the way to St. Joe. It was very helpful, because he knew exactly what I was going to go through.”
Another ultrasound was conducted in St. Joseph to confirm the original diagnosis and on July 16, 2001, Hudson underwent surgery to remove the testicle. Surprisingly, the surgery was an outpatient procedure done in the urologist’s office. He even walked out under his own strength.
“They said they could bring a wheelchair in, but I said ‘I walked in here and I’m walking out of here.’ Of course, I was on pain medication then. A few days later it was really hurting,” he said, explaining that the incision was in his lower abdomen and any movement, coughing or sneezing was very painful.
Fortunately, an MRI showed that the cancer was fully contained in the testicle and was not found in any lymph nodes. He did, however, undergo four weeks of radiation treatments, which the doctors said would lower his chances of reoccurrence to about 3 percent. He has since had chest x-rays and other tests periodically to ensure that the cancer has not reoccurred.
Hudson said he was “scared to death” in the beginning, but remembered what he had told his dad during his battle with cancer.
“When you find out you have cancer you’re mostly just wondering what is going to happen. You want to know if it’s life-threatening. You know you have to fight it. I remember always telling my dad when he had cancer that you have to fight it – the alternative is unacceptable. I had to tell myself that, too.”
While many men are reluctant to seek medical advice until a problem is unmanageable, Hudson said he thinks his quick response to the problem might have come from knowing that there is a history of cancer in the family and that he was likely at risk. He said he would advise those who are diagnosed to educate themselves about their illness.
“I’d follow the doctors’ orders and get as much information as I can and not be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand what’s going on. Listen to the doctor’s suggestions and if at any point in your treatment you are not sure about something or you’re asked to make a decision that you’re not sure about, you need to get as much information on your options as you possibly can.”
Hudson, who said he was somewhat reluctant to share his story due to the personal nature of his illness, said he has tried to be lighthearted about it, which is one way he has dealt with it. In the end, he agreed to be interviewed because he knows his story could save a life.
“The only reason I agreed to do this story is that maybe if I tell about it, then someone, somewhere will read this and if they have something that sounds like this or something that isn’t right, they may get it checked. That’s why I did it. Maybe that person will go to the doctor and get it stopped before it’s too late.”