Lymphoma SurvivorLight the Night Executive Leadership Committee MemberBrad Souder
My name is Brad Souder, also known to my family as “Zio,” which means uncle in Italian, and I’m a survivor of follicular lymphoma. On October 21, 2016 I started having lower back pain that came around to my stomach. I thought I had pulled a muscle in my lower back. I went to my physical therapist to get his opinion and he thought it might be my appendix. I visited my GP and he told me that it was not my appendix, take two Tylenol and if the pain persisted to go to the hospital. Two hours past and I said to my wife Maria let’s go to the hospital. After being admitted they did an MRI and it showed what looked like a tumor in my lower back. The radiologist tried to get a biopsy but was unsuccessful. Our GP referred us to an oncologist here in Las Vegas and he ordered a PET scan. The results were my lymph nodes lit up like a Christmas tree and the oncologist recommended an oncologist surgeon here in Las Vegas. His idea was to make an incision from my lower stomach up my chest and take a biopsy near my aorta. And that didn’t sound too good to me; I decided to get a second opinion and made an appointment with the head oncologist surgeon at UCLA. He told me that his radiologist would be able to get a biopsy with no problem and I didn’t require major surgery, which was big relief! After I had the biopsy I found out that I had follicular lymphoma. My reaction was probably different from most people that have been diagnosed with cancer. I was not scared; I was shocked that I have cancer. However, after discussing my treatment with my oncologist, I knew I could beat it. January 2017 I had an appointment with the rock star oncologist at UCLA. He set up a treatment plan for me that my local oncologist here in Las Vegas agreed to help me carry out. That way I would have a doctor close in case I had a reaction. My oncologist at UCLA told me that with this treatment there is one bad side effect with this type chemo. You will not lose your hair and so it will not grow back thicker. You will remain bald. Darn it! After only two treatments here in Las Vegas, I had my PET scan done. And I got great news! I was in remission! I couldn’t believe I was in remission after only two treatments--what a relief!
I continued these treatments every month for two years, and I finished my last treatment in August 2019. I have my blood work done every six months now, and I’m happy to say that I’m still in remission. I cannot thank all my family and friends enough for the support over the past eight years. I am very blessed to have so much support during my treatments. LLS is a wonderful organization and the staff here Las Vegas is extraordinary.
The support you receive from LLS means so much for an individual and their family that has either has Leukemia or Lymphoma. The staff and volunteers do so much to help patients and families through cancer treatments with support and compassion. It’s also allowed me to meet and help others along the cancer journey too. Ever since that first walk in 2017 when I stepped into the circle of survivors, I knew that this was an honor that I was in remission, and I look forward to stepping into the circle of survivors every year.
We have walked as Team Zio almost every year and our team continues to grow. It has become a yearly event and everyone on the team knows they will get the call to participate the first weekend in November, except now we get to celebrate my remission. It has become almost like a holiday every year that we celebrate. I am a Rolling Stones’ fan, so you’ll see my team wearing the Rolling Stone’s logo, and it’s on our team flag. If you see us, feel free to stick your tongue out in support. Like the Rolling Stones song says, you can’t always get what you want but if you try, sometimes you just might find you get what you need. None of us want cancer, but thank you to LLS for helping us get what we need in our treatment journey.