James
James
Name?
James Michael Miloshoff
Age?
26 (27 on July 1 - scary to think I'm almost 30)
Diagnosis?
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
Age at diagnosis?
24
Treatment?
5 surgeries
What did you do right after you were told you had cancer (initial reactions)?
I basically ignored it. At the time, I was fighting through my last pharmacy school year before rotations began. I guess I would say that I was in the denial phase that is commonly discussed in the emotional process of finding out about such a critical event in life.
Did you tell your friends and family? How did they react?
I actually kept it a huge secret from almost everyone for quite a while. It ate at me for a few months, and then I broke down and had to tell a few close friends. Unfortunately, I did not tell my parents until after I had already had the tumor removed. Everyone that I told, I made sure that they did their best to not make a big deal out of it. I am a very independent person, and it would've probably brought me down emotionally if I had people treating me any different because of this. Everyone in my life who knows has been wonderful in how they have helped (and not helped) just enough to make sure that I don't feel helpless.
How did you handle having cancer and going to school at the same time?
It was very rough. With the fact of how rare the cancer is, and the only treatment is either surgery or a drug called Gleevac (which was not covered under my insurance, and costs about $4000/month), I had a hard time finding the right doctor to help me out. Most doctors were very skeptical with performing surgery on me, based on where the tumor was in regards to my liver/pancreas/etc. Finally I found a great doctor who was willing to perform a radical-ish surgery to remove the tumor. I had that surgery a total of 3 times, and then recently had yet another completely different type of surgery just to repair all the damage the tumor caused.
Were you treated differently after telling people you had cancer? If so, did they have any positive or negative affects on you?
As I said, my friends/family/colleagues have been great with trying to treat me as if I was the same wacky dude that they've grown up with. There have been the occasional times where I feel a bit uncomfortable with how I have been treated, but I get over it.
Do you have any advice for people who have just found out a family member or friend has cancer?
As most people will say, BE THERE FOR THEM. The big thing is to make sure that you remember who your friend or family member is, though. What I mean is that they aren't you. They may not react to something the same way you would. With that said, try to gauge the situation the best you can, and be prepared for unintentional anger/lashing out. By no means would they mean to do this in any hurtful way, but as I read more and talk to more people with cancer or other serious health issues, anger plays such a huge role in the grieving process. On the flip-side, like in my situation, I really needed quite a bit of time to myself to reflect and what-not. This, in my opinion is completely healthy. Just make sure that it doesn't go too far in that the person is completely isolated and changing into someone that may do harm to themselves or others. Stay positive no matter what, and everything should work out smoothly.
Occupation?
Well I received my Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. I immediately moved out to Phoenix, AZ to work as a night pharmacist for Walgreens. It was pretty interesting hours (work seven 10/12-hour shifts in a row and then have 7 days off). I thought it would work out well and help me get to all the traveling that I want to do. Instead, I got sick/burnt out pretty quickly. Plus retail pharmacy just isn't for me for a few reasons mainly involving the fact that they don't seem to care too much about the patient (or "customer" as we are supposed to say). With that said, I am actually moving back to Indianapolis to try to pursue either a clinical position where I would be completely patient-oriented and not even touching a drug. i am also going to continue doing research through the Veteran's hospital that I started my last year of pharmacy school. Possibly teach as well.........whew! (that enough???)
Hobbies?
Everyone who knows me knows that I have a passion for a select few things. One is my music. I am a guitarist, semi-drummer, and vocalist working as much as I can to perfect these skills enough to get more use out of my recording "studio". I am also a surfer dude at heart even though I was born and raised in Chicago. Also, anything health and fitness-related is a huge passion of mine. I was a personal trainer throughout college, and until I got sick, I was always training for any of the local bodybuilding competitions.
Favourite music?
I am one of the rare people that can say that I listen to almost everything, and actually MEAN IT! I will give absolutely any music a chance. My collection dates all the way back to the Renaissance period, all the way up through the origins of the blues, up to the modern day blend of rock, hip-hop, pop, jazz, etc.
I know you are a huge music guy. Has having cancer changed the type of music you listen to, write, or play?
Actually it hasn't so much with the music. I do a lot of artwork, though, and I would say cancer did affect what kind of pieces I was creating for a period of time. Mainly sketches, I look back on the past almost 2 years and can see through these sketches when I was having a rough patch.
Favourite tv shows or movies?
As you can probably tell, I don't have much time for either, but as Meghan knows, I am a HUUUUUUGE fan of the movie August Rush. It gets to me everytime haha. Others would be Across the Universe, Boondock Saints, Dark Knight, other guy movies, and possibly some girlie ones too hah! I'll make sure to catch the new episodes of House, Scrubs, and Family Guy when I can, too!
Is there anything you would like to tell someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer?
I would say the big thing is to not make the same mistake that I did. I kept it bottled up inside of me, and it ate away at me to a point that I became so callous to pretty much anything in my life. I have always been a very sincere and compassionate person, but for about a year after I found out about the surgery, I changed into a completely different person. Talking about it REALLY helps. There are plenty of people out there who are willing to talk about anything and everything cancer or non-cancer related to help. And as I said, everyone that I've talked to about this treats me just as normal and sarcastically as they always do haha.
Have you changed in any way at all since your diagnosis?
As mentioned, I did change for the worst for about a year after diagnosis. I have fought through the pain, physical and emotional, and with the help of family, friends, and others, I have been able to climb out of that hole that I put myself in. My close friends are finally starting to tell me that they are noticing that I am becoming my old crazy self again! Of course, everyone is going to change when they find out that kind of news. The main thing, though, is to make sure that with the help of friends and family that you make that change a positive thing. It's very easy to just let the diagnosis beat you down mentally, but fighting through that sure does help. It can be very hard, but it really makes a huge difference in the long run! If you are emotionally strong throughout, it makes it easier to be physically strong, in my opinion.