In December of 2004 Don started to notice that his right leg was beginning to swell. The swelling was not going down, so at the insistence of some of his friends he stopped by the Athletic Training office at Lindenwood University to see what could possibly be the cause. A trainer took a look at his leg and told him to get his parents and immediately go to the Emergency Room for more tests. The doctors at the Emergency Room gave him blood thinners and sent him home with the name of a doctor to call for a compression sock and a follow up appointment. That appointment led to several others throughout the month of January. In late January, Don was admitted to DePaul Hospital in an attempt to decrease the swelling, and perform additional tests.
In February 2005, Dr. Steven Zenisek diagnosed Don with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in his front and rear pelvic lymph nodes. At that time a biopsy of the lymph nodes was scheduled. After complications from the biopsy placed Don back in the Emergency Room for internal bleeding, he was transported to the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis and placed under the care of Dr. Nancy Bartlett. Don began his chemotherapy treatments on March 9, 2005 at the Siteman Cancer Center. Over the next four months, Don endured a total of eight treatments. Following the chemotherapy he had radiation treatments at SSM St. Joeseph’s Cancer Care. The radiation treatments were finished at the end of August 2005, and Don was declared cancer free.
Don is still under the care of Dr. Bartlett and her staff, and continues to have regular check ups at the Siteman Cancer Center.
