Last week’s news that Boston Red Sox Manager John Farrell would miss the remainder of the season to undergo treatment for stage 1 lymphoma came as a shock to everyone.
It was a shock to Farrell, too. Farrell’s doctor discovered a cancerous mass during surgery to repair a hernia the manager suffered on the trip. Just like that, Farrell’s life changed.
I can relate.
Back in April I had a mass removed that tested positive for lymphoma. The call came on April 10, just a few hours before the Red Sox and Yankees played a 19-inning game that took more than seven hours to compete.
It was the longest night of my life.
In the weeks that followed I would learn a lot about my form of cancer, marginal zone B-cell lymphoma. It is a slow-growing form of cancer that hadn’t spread to any part of my body. The mass was removed, I’m fine, and any recurrence should be easily treatable.
Farrell has a different path to follow in the weeks ahead. He begins a nine-week course of chemotherapy on Tuesday, and his recovery will most likely take him into the new year. He won’t manage the team again this season.
He will find out how many people support him during the toughest fight of his life.
Farrell won’t be alone when he goes for his first treatment session. Terry Francona, his friend who is in town to manage the Indians during a three-game series at Fenway, will accompany Farrell during that first round. On Wednesday, Francona will join us during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.
It’ll be my 13th year hosting the telethon. For a dozen years I’ve listened to people tell stories about their fight against cancer. I’ve spoken with doctors and family members and heard how people react to the news no one ever wants to hear.
Fortunately, the brief glimpse into the frightening world of cancer was just that – brief. I didn’t have to undergo any painful therapy or treatment. I did go through rounds of testing and weeks of waiting to see if the cancer had spread. I went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the testing, and immediately drew confidence from the fact that my treatment was being handled by the best cancer doctors on earth.
This year, the radio telethon will be a lot more personal for me. It will be for Farrell. It will be for anyone who has ever heard the dreaded words, “You’ve tested positive for lymphoma.”
The Red Sox, through a connection with the Jimmy Fund that dates back to Ted Williams, have long been part of the fight against cancer. The news of Farrell’s diagnosis brought that fight closer to home for all of us.
He won’t fight it alone. We might not be at the hospital with him as his treatment begins this week, but with thoughts, prayers, and donations we’ll be with him every step of the way.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
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