“It was the hardest battle I’ve ever fought in my life.”
Cancer is a dangerous thing, often sneaking up on you, and requiring everything you have to fight it. In the summer leading up to the 2024-2025 school year, Coach Woods started experiencing concerning symptoms in his neck area. At his physical for the upcoming football season, he told his doctor that his neck was really stiff and that it was swollen. His doctor told him it was nothing, telling him that he probably just slept on it funny. Later that year during Community Days, he caught Covid.
“Covid might’ve saved my life.”
Reporting the same symptoms in his neck, along with the new Covid symptoms, the doctor also became concerned. One of the hard parts of cancer, is finding doctors that are specialized and available to help. The cancer was located in his neck, and he had to find nose, throat, and ear doctors. Luckily, he found a doctor from Baylor Scott & White who was available to treat him.
The first steps of treating cancer are a series of scans and surgeries. First, he had to undergo an exploratory surgery then another biopsy to identify the cancer. The doctors discovered the cancer was Schorma Cell Carcinoma or P16 for short. After the exploratory scan, the patient undergoes a PET Scan in order to identify exactly where the cancer was located. These scans are often some of the most dreadful experiences because if they if light up everywhere, there is nothing that can be done. Thankfully his scan came back revealing that the cancer was only in his neck.
The next stage is the actual treatment. He found an Oncologist (Chemo Doctor) that explained that the cancer had to be treated with ten rounds of chemo, and not surgery. There are many different types of radiation that doctors use to treat cancer. Coach Woods was extremely lucky as he managed to get Proton Radiation, the best type of radiation. When a patient receives chemo, they receive a ball of chemo that they carry around with them as the chemo gets pumped into their body, on top of receiving chemo at the doctor’s office. Coach had to do this ten times lasting between five to seven days, following the chemo he would then receive radiation.
For many cancer patients the treatment often feels more taxing than the actual cancer. The Khemo and the radiation causes the patients to lose weight, hair, the desire to eat, and for Coach, it created sores in his mouth and throat. He had to endure this treatment for seven weeks, Monday through Friday.
“Felt like a sunburn on the back of my throat.”
When a patient receives radiation, they have to wear a mask and be strapped down. The more the patient moves the longer it takes. The funny thing about the radiation according to Woods, is that the radiation is not what hurts, its all of the side effects that come with it. The treatment has some lasting effects. For example, Coach Woods still to this day cannot taste anything.
Cancer is a tough battle. It takes everything you have to fight it. After the treatment, Coach Woods fully recovered. With the support of his family, friends, and Jesuit, he returned to coach football and still continue doing what he loves. Feeling like “God had his hand on him,” he has been cancer free for months now, and is willing to tell his story to educate anyone who wants to learn more about cancer and its treatment.
Featured Image: Credit to Jesuit Athletics
