Patient StoryJun | 28 | 2023
As an airline and military pilot with eight overseas deployments, Rick was used to planning in his life, which revolved around his deployments and sticking to a schedule. A colon cancer diagnosis posed a new challenge for Rick and his wife Sally. With a history of taking care of himself, having regular doctors' appointments, and keeping in good health, nothing could have prepared him for a cancer diagnosis. After a few weeks of persistent symptoms, Rick made an appointment with his PCP who ruled out a few things and got him in for a colonoscopy.
Rick’s wife Sally, who has been by his side throughout his career, remained a steadfast support during treatment and beyond.
When asked about hearing the news of his diagnosis, Rick says, "I was alone and received a phone call with the results [from my colonoscopy]. It was like time stood still, I just processed for a minute or two by myself, just holding it together. And then I called Sally and as soon as I heard her voice, I just lost it, you know? It was a pretty difficult phone call, but she was home 10 minutes later, and we talked about the way forward.”
After speaking with a close friend who had treatment for Crohn’s disease at Massachusetts General Hospital, Sally called Richard Hodin, MD's clinic and got Rick an appointment for a CT scan two days later, a week before Christmas. After meeting with his oncologists Jeffrey Clark, MD and Ted Hong, MD over Zoom and less than three weeks after the initial phone call, Rick had a port put in and was undergoing 28 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
After being diagnosed with colon cancer, Rick had to learn to live his life with less control. “I leaned on Sally; she is the rock. She takes care of the kids and the house when I'm away in the Middle East or a foreign country for months at a time. She's the one. In this case I'm home and I'm needing help, I didn’t feel in control when I was at home. I was lost and my mind was very much scattered.”
Sally says, “I learned how to do things I never thought I would be able to do, like taking care of him and having to help with his colostomy bag when he had his surgery. And I became a Licensed Nursing Assistant just recently, I work in a hospice house taking care of patients. I’ve made so many connections with patients and feel like I am better equipped to help people because of this experience.”
As parents, Rick and Sally wanted to maintain some sense of normalcy for their children throughout treatment, not allowing chemo appointments and scans to get in the way of enjoying quality family time. “I remember on a Friday I drove my daughter down here; she waited while I had my radiation and we jumped on the MBTA and went to a Red Sox game. And yeah, I was tired, but I’m not going to let this prevent me from still living and spending quality time with my kids.”
The connections with Rick’s care team at Mass General Cancer Center went far beyond the clinic setting. “I saw Dr. Hong every week. He spent time going through the numbers and just genuinely cared about how I was feeling, asking me ‘do you want to talk to anybody? How are you holding up emotionally?’ That meant the world to me. That doesn't happen everywhere.”
Sally recalls one time Rick asked the question: ‘why is this happening to me?’ “I said I don't know. He was a squadron commander and was still going in every time he had to go in and leading his troops. [His squadron] all knew that he had cancer. I think he was a good role model. And as much as it sucked to go through all the treatment, chemo, radiation, and surgery, now he can help others going through this.”
Rick leaned on his Air Force family for support, taking the time to speak with other enlisted members and their families who were going through similar situations. The support system that Rick had in his military family made all the difference in his treatment, Sally and Rick believe. Having a bigger purpose and spending time in Connecticut as part of the Air National Guard gave Rick the boost that he needed. “Even though I was not feeling good or nauseous walking in the halls, the people that knew the situation respected it and provided support, asking how I was doing and how the kids were. The military did provide more than you would think, it was a unique type of family.”
Since undergoing treatment, Rick has learned not to take his body for granted when it comes to exercise and nutrition, as well as mental health. “Staying physically fit, but also mentally fit; talking to friends, family, and having spiritual conversations has all helped.”
Looking towards the future, Rick and Sally have a trip to Italy planned for fall of 2023, just after Rick and Sally celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and Rick’s 25 years in the military. “We’re doing a lot of celebrating,” says Rick. “We are not taking any day for granted.”
Learn more about Rick in this video featured on WCVB news.
Rick MastalerzI saw Dr. Hong every week. He spent time going through the numbers and just genuinely cared about how I was feeling, asking me ‘do you want to talk to anybody? How are you holding up emotionally?’ That meant the world to me. That doesn’t happen everywhere.
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