Page 6 July 16, 2020
Seniors
(BPT) - James Whelan is a performer. As
a lifelong musician, he has spent most of
his life writing music in his studio or out
performing for a crowd. But a life devoted to
art came to a screeching halt with a startling
and sudden diagnosis: a skin cancer called
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).
A skin cancer he’d never even thought to
look for, or even heard of.
The second most common form of cancer
in the U.S., CSCC is nearly five times more
prevalent than melanoma. Yet, according to
a survey from The Skin Cancer Foundation,
nearly 3 out of 4 Americans are not familiar
with it.
CSCC doesn’t always look scary. It can
present in many different forms, including
a rough or scaly red patch, an open sore, or
even thickened or raised skin.
And James’ diagnosis with advanced CSCC
doesn’t sound like your average skin cancer
story. He didn’t have a history of having
suspicious spots removed from his skin or
visiting the dermatologist for skin checks.
“I was actually in the emergency room
being treated for a persistent fever,” James
remembers. “There was this spot on my
shoulder that started out looking like an
infected pimple, and by the time I reached the
hospital it had split open. Since it had been
there for a while, I thought it had something
to do with my fever.”
But when doctors examined it, the presumed
split open “infected pimple” turned out to be
much more. It was skin cancer, they said, and
it had spread into his shoulder and through his
chest wall. Before he even left the hospital,
James was diagnosed with advanced CSCC,
and underwent surgery to remove it.
Although often cured when caught at an
early stage, CSCC can progress and become
dangerous when advanced. In the U.S.,
approximately 40,000 cases each year will
progress to advanced stages, but, according
to The Skin Cancer Foundation survey, less
than 30% of Americans know that CSCC can
be life-threatening when advanced.
James’ surgery was extensive and required
the removal of part of his abdominal muscle,
but doctors still couldn’t get the entire tumor
without damaging the nerves that controlled
his fingers and arm. He underwent multiple
rounds of radiation to eradicate what was
left of the cancer in his shoulder, and he
had to stop playing guitar until he was able
to regain his strength, adjust to the loss of
stomach muscle, and teach himself how to
play again.
“It was torture,” he recalls.
While the surgery and radiation worked
for a period of time, the cancer started to
return after several treatments, and at the
urging of his doctor, James finally had to
seek support from a whole team of different
kinds of doctors that could help him with a
treatment plan.
“Immediately I felt like this was a whole
different ball game,” James remembers. “The
breadth of treatments, the depth of specialists
- it’s what you need.”
The first one of those treatments discussed
was a radical surgery. But it wasn’t an option
for James.
“I overheard doctors mention removing my
arm, and I’m a guitar player. So the idea of
losing an arm was crazy,” he says. “All of a
sudden your mind runs away, and I’m sitting
there thinking, ‘Well, would I just give away
or sell off all my guitars? Would I be able to
play piano right-handed?’ I couldn’t do it.”
He worked with his team of doctors to
find a treatment plan that worked for him.
Today, James has returned to his music,
including the guitar, and is grateful for
that. He knows how important it is to have
a team of doctors by your side, exploring
all possible treatment options when CSCC
becomes advanced.
This summer, learn about CSCC, including
how it can advance and when you should
talk to your doctor. Visit The Skin Cancer
Foundation’s website to learn more. •
Eliana Gonzalez from front page
roommates Nai’a Rose Richeson-Yandall,
Olivia Pederson and Madeleine Nolan made
the experience even better.
Ellie’s counselor, Mrs. Burns, helped her
focus on what’s important to her and what
goals, “I want to achieve in life.” John Peterson
was her basketball coach, and he made
a huge impact on her life. “He taught us all
Eliana is flanked by her parents LeAnn and Adrian on Senior Night honoring choir seniors.
to work hard and to set high standards for
ourselves. I greatly appreciate how much he
believed in all of us.”
Basketball was an important part of Ellie’s
four years of high school since it is her favorite
sport. “All my teammates have been so
amazing and talented, and they, along with all
my coaches, have brought me so much joy.”
One of her favorite moments wasn’t scoring
but starting at center on Senior Night. “It was
so nice to see all my family in the stands and
play with all my senior teammates.” Another
favorite moment was winning their first-round
CIF playoff against La Serna. “The energy
in the gym was incredible, and it was so
wonderful to see the smiles on everyone’s
faces after the win.”
With a hectic schedule, Ellie says her faith
is vital to her, and she is highly involved in
her church.”My involvement in the church
encouraged me to volunteer and serve others
in my community. I especially loved altarserving
with my younger sister because I
was able to teach her everything I knew.”
In the Fall, Ellie will attend Boston University
as a student in their Pardee School of
Global Studies. She will study International
Relations and is excited because she will be
able to choose both a region and a function!
“I love the city and cannot wait to meet so
many new students from all around the world.”
At Boston University, she says she would
like to participate in internships throughout
the city, study abroad programs, and be involved
with various clubs. She isn’t entirely
sure about
Grad school because she is still weighing
her options because she still unsure of a
career she wants to pursue. “I am interested
in working for a non-profit organization
for international development. I’m also
considering applying for the Peace Corps.”
Remembering her senior year won’t be a
problem at her ten-year reunion. She says it
flew by just like the other three years. She,
along with her friends, will remember the
painstaking process of applying to colleges.
‘I’ll remember Senior Nights for choir and
basketball and the wonderful trip to the Bay
area with my basketball team. I’ll remember
my engineering group and our capstone
project.” She says what she and her friends
will remember most is how the world paused
and stay-at-home orders began and how the
class of 2020 celebrated their graduation
much more differently than usual and how a
new human rights movement began to make
lasting changes throughout the world.
Ellie says there were a lot of people who
played a part in her overall development. Her
closest friends were essential. Her teachers
challenged her, and her counselor, Mrs.
Burns, guided her. She says the support of
her family was the most important element
of her successes that helped her get to this
point in her life. “My sisters Mari, Gracie
and Isabella were always there, and we’re all
very close,” Ellie says. Her parents LeAnn
and Adrian made plenty of sacrifices for
her, mentored her and were her biggest fan
whatever activity she was involved in.
As Eliana turns the page on this chapter
in her life, she’s ready to make the world a
better place with her zest for living. •
Ellie was a key player for the Eagles this past season where she helped her team win 20 games.
An Unexpected Diagnosis of
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
James Whelan
“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force.
Something that people who differ on everything
and anything else can have in common.”
– Sarah Dessen
Huber’s Hiccups from page 3
Stupid
I really feel stupid this week because I
can’t think of anything stupid to write about.
Next week my brain won’t be so brain dead.
I would like to apologize to all 31 of my loyal
readers who depend on me to enrich their lives
with some ridiculous attempt at outright dumb
stuff that absolutely means nothing but just
takes up valuable copy space in this blurb of
a column. Move on, get tough, smile even
when it hurts, life stinks sometimes, hold your
nose, we are all in this together, sometimes.
– Tell me I stink: norbhuber@gmail.com •