Cody

In the spring of 2023, Cody began getting night sweats. Then swallowing felt weird. When he had trouble urinating, the 22-year-old visited his primary care doctor. “Because I had noticed a tick on me when I was turkey hunting, I was prescribed antibiotics,” Cody said. “I started feeling better, but then suddenly lost 30 pounds in two weeks.”

During that timeframe, Cody also developed vertigo. His physician ran more bloodwork and ordered a CT scan of Cody’s head. Nothing was found, and Cody’s vertigo went away.

But the bloodwork told a different story. Cody’s physician ordered another CT scan, this time of his chest. Over 25 lymph nodes lit up. Cody was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September of 2023. “I was trout fishing at Rush River when I found out,” Cody said. “I cried all the way home. I talked with my doctor on the phone. He told me this was the best cancer to get, and that he would refer me to the best oncologist. Because my doctor is also a family friend, I knew I could trust him. He sent me to the Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin in Hudson.”

Cancer care and a family touch

Cody’s mom works at the Hudson hospital pharmacy, so he already knew a lot of people there. “The team at Hudson is unbelievable,” Cody said. “The nurses are like family.”

Every other week, Cody had chemo treatments. The following day, he often felt terrible. “But getting treatment at Hudson Hospital was a lifesaver,” Cody said. “It was so nice being close to home.”

The longest, uphill climb

In the spring of 2024, Cody felt he was in good health. He went in for a routine PET scan and three more lymph nodes lit up. Cody saw the radiologist’s note in the medical portal: Afraid of disease progression.

Cody’s care team at Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin (CCWW) coordinated a biopsy and confirmed that it was Hodgkin lymphoma again. The results of the scan and biopsy were devastating to Cody. “I was not prepared for that news,” he said. “I had been feeling really positive.”

The CCWW team coordinated a more aggressive treatment for Cody. He ultimately had to do two rounds of the treatment to clear the cancer from his body, followed by a stem cell transplant in the Twin Cities. “It was very painful,” Cody said.

Fishing for hope and healing

Following the stem cell transplant, Cody was cleared to return to work. To keep the cancer at bay, his care team prescribed preventative immunotherapy. “I do the immunotherapy in Hudson,” Cody said. “It’s a 30-minute IV every three weeks. It doesn’t make me sick, just tired.”

“The quality of care is so much better out here!” he continued. “The cleanliness of the hospital in Hudson and the friendliness of the nurses and staff is superior. Plus, I’m 15 minutes from home!”

Cody’s most recent CT scan looked good and he’s feeling hopeful again. “My family and girlfriend have fought so hard for me,” he said. “I just want everyone to be able to go back to their normal lives.”

“This is a mental game,” he added. “I remind myself to take one day at a time. Things in medicine are always changing. There are new cures every day.”