Humor and therapy, help pharmacist overcome cancer

At the age of 60 and a veteran of the Vietnam War, Sam Duncan may have believed that his fight was over, but what he did not realize was that the real battle was about to begin.

It started in January of 2005, when Duncan discovered a slight bump on the right side of his neck. Concerned that he may have an illness, Duncan went to his doctor for a consult.

“The doctor said that it was a swollen lymph node,” Duncan said about the initial observation of the lump. “He said, ‘It’s winter time, you probably just have cold.’”

But when the bump did not go away, Duncan consulted another doctor who performed a CAT scan and an MRI, but did not find anything. Duncan found himself disheartened and unsure about the inconclusive tests, and the doctor decided to perform a biopsy on his right tonsil. The biopsy results came in and Duncan heard the three words he had hoped never to hear: you have cancer.

“I decided the whole world was going to hell in a hand basket,” Duncan admitted. “I went home and cried.”

The diagnosis came 10 years after Duncan’s wife, Debbie, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After witnessing and experiencing the battle his wife went through, Duncan did not hesitate to find treatment.

He pressured the doctor’s to remove the lump as soon as possible, and eventually became annoyed with hearing the phrase “you need to get it out right away.” For as many times as he heard the phrase, nobody seemed interested in speeding up the process.

But Duncan decided to embrace the situation with as much positivity and humor as he could muster. Constantly telling jokes and making other people smile in turn helped lessen his personal struggle.

“I asked if I could sue my mom for not getting my tonsils out when I was young,” Duncan joked.

In August or September of that year, Duncan began treatment, starting with a surgery to remove the lymph nodes in his neck. Three days after the procedure, he had another surgery to remove both tonsils.

But again, the worst was yet to come, as Duncan had to undergo radiation treatment. For patients with throat and neck cancer, a mask has to be made each time the patient has to have a scan.

Duncan explained to make the mask, his head had to be physically bolted to the table in order to keep him still and accurately record his face shape. For Duncan, the first experience of the mask was not as bad as the attendee that was working with him.

“The guy there said ‘I hope I never get throat or neck cancer, people never live through it,’” recalled Duncan.

The negativity did not scare Duncan, if anything, it made his determination to beat cancer even stronger. He prepared himself for six weeks of radiation treatment, but the outcome was something nobody could ever fully be ready for.

“I looked like Santa Clause,” Duncan chuckled as he felt his stomach. “In the course of six weeks, I lost 125 pounds.”

But for Duncan, the drastic physical transformation was not the most severe change in his life. Because of the radiation treatment, Duncan discovered the majority of his salivary glands had been destroyed and he had lost his appetite.

Something unusual to Duncan’s case is what may have been a factor in why he was diagnosed with cancer: Agent Orange. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ website, Agent Orange was a predominate herbicide being used in Vietnam to remove foliage that may have provided cover for the enemy.

Though it has not been proven that Agent Orange can specifically cause throat and neck cancer, it can lead to diabetes, which Duncan had also been diagnosed with.

Duncan has many reminders about his cancer treatment, the main one’s being the three small tattoos on his neck that mark where his radiation treatment was administered. But even his experience and battle with cancer could not stop his optimism and his desire to help encourage others through their struggles.

He accepted one challenge after another, and after he was done with radiation, he became the owner of Ritzville Drug Company. Though he was drained of energy, he spent his time in a chair behind the counter talking with his new customers.

Working as a pharmacist in a small town, Duncan has a lot of interactions with cancer patients and survivors. Even though he sees people affected by cancer every day at his job, what first opened his eyes to how widespread cancer is was when his wife had been diagnosed.

“What made me aware of cancer is when Debbie had breast cancer and we were struggling with what to do,” said Duncan. “I worked in a grocery store at the time and found out that 15 women had it or had dealt with it.”

At that moment, Duncan realized just how many people are directly affected by cancer. He uses his position as a pharmacist as an opportunity to encourage healthy living and positivity for any customer who visits.

“I know three other guys here that have had throat and neck cancer,” Duncan said as he helped a customer. “I talk to them about what to avoid and not to eat your favorite foods right away because of taste aversions.”

For Duncan, the upcoming Grateful to be Alive Block Party is what the title says: a chance to celebrate being alive and being healthy. Duncan agreed to donate the funds raised to Relay For Life partially because of his personal struggle with cancer and also due to the research it helps finance.

“I want to let them know were here, we understand. No matter how strong you are, keep fighting. Most people just want to talk,” said Duncan about his work.

The Block Party on Friday provides Duncan with an additional chance to talk with more community members than his regular customers about cancer awareness and treatment. It allows him to discuss something that directly affected him and to help others who may currently be going through what he dealt with.

“You can have sickness and still be healthy,” Duncan explained about his thoughts during recovery. “Part of the survival is keeping a good nature and humor.”