DOUG WILKEY, NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA SURVIVOR

If good health is its own reward, then what might cancer be? Some may argue that cancer is an intruder that should be attacked, beaten and forgotten. But Doug Wilkey sees it differently. “There is no way I could have ever seen how cancer could — and would — help me rediscover the purpose for my life,“ says Doug. In February 2002, after weeks of severe stomach pains, a diagnosis of an aggressive lymphoma — non-Hodgkin’s large b-cell diffuse — set Doug on a path of self-discovery he continues to travel today.

Once diagnosed, Doug’s chemo began immediately. It yielded a “partial response,” the cancer stopped growing in one area. It showed up in his sternum and lungs. A more intensive chemo regimen was required. He plummeted into depression and isolation. “I trusted no one,” says Doug, fighting back the tears. “I reached my lowest point when I considered suicide.”

Doug came across The Wellness Community’s literature. “The words ‘support’ and ‘hope’ jumped out at me. I thought I better call and check this out.” Doug attended a newcomers orientation. He then began attending a Tuesday participant group. It became his anchor for 18 months. “It was the first time I met others in various stages of cancer, including remission. I felt comforted and validated. It felt as if the clouds had lifted, the fog had cleared and a cancer fighting survivor was emerging.”

A year after treatment, Doug’s oncologist predicted a “nondurable” remission and strongly recommended a stem-cell transplant. “My doctor felt that without the transplant, I would not survive. I was devastated and unsure of how to proceed. While others insisted on a transplant, my Tuesday group asked me to think about what I wanted. Paradoxically, it was this “permission” to make my own choice that led to my undergoing an autologous stem-cell transplant in February 2004.”



“The irony of it all is that by nearly dying of cancer I am able to live, really live, my life. I know there are no guarantees. Yet, I feel no anxiety or fear. No matter what happens, my cancer journey has been, and will continue to be, its own reward.”

In fall 2009, Doug achieved an important goal and graduated from ASU in the Master of Arts program in Criminology and Criminal Justice with his focus on becoming a justice policy analyst.