For most skaters, the NorthShore Inline Marathon is a challenge. But for Andy, it’s something much bigger. He is not racing for his personal best. Instead, he is skating to prove something to himself, raise awareness, and fight against the disease that has already taken so much from him: pancreatic cancer.
Just 10 months after receiving his diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Andy will head to Two Harbors, Minnesota, and skate 26.2 miles along the NorthShore of Lake Superior to the finish line in Duluth, Minnesota.
“This is an opportunity to make some noise and hopefully make a big difference,” Andy said. “Even if it brings some hope to somebody who’s got cancer.”
Life Turned Upside Down
Before his diagnosis, Andy would describe himself as a regular, average family guy, working a full-time job at the paper mill. He would regularly try to spend time with his family doing outdoor activities like mountain biking. As long as he was spending time with his family, he was happy.
Andy had no reason to believe he was sick. So when he began experiencing digestive issues, he assumed they were caused by something in his diet. He tried cutting out dairy, gluten, and other foods he thought might be upsetting his stomach, but that didn’t seem to work.
His breaking point was when he felt sick at work. He woke up that morning feeling unwell, and by the time he got to work, it had gotten worse. What started as digestive discomfort quickly turned into feeling weak, dizzy, and sick. It got to a point where Andy was feeling so poorly that he had to go home, which he rarely ever did.
The next morning, he headed to urgent care, where they did bloodwork, not showing anything to be concerned about. He was then referred to his primary care physician, who also didn’t find an obvious cause for his symptoms. Still, his doctor was not comfortable sending him home without looking further. To be safe, he ordered an ultrasound.
His ultrasound quickly led to a CT scan, then oncology appointments and biopsies, all happening so fast. Within days, the results came back confirming his diagnosis: stage 4 neuroendocrine carcinoma- pancreatic cancer. He got the news just one day after his birthday.
“It was pretty crazy,” Andy said. His first thought was that he knew what this meant. “I’m not ready to die, this can’t be happening.”
Andy’s first call was to his sister, who was an oncology nurse, asking her what to do. She was able to comfort him and make him feel better. That’s when he decided he was going to fight this.
“I’m going to do everything I can. I am not going to be a statistic,” Andy said. “Or if I am going to be a statistic, it’s going to be on the positive side.”
Finding Support Through Treatment and Patient Financial Aid
Chemotherapy was nothing short of difficult for Andy. Once he got the diagnosis, treatment began almost immediately. His port was placed on December 2nd, and by December 3rd, he had started chemo. Due to his overall physical health at the time, his doctors recommended the most aggressive treatment plan: FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy.
The first four rounds of chemo took a significant toll on Andy’s body. He lost over 50 pounds and a considerable amount of muscle mass. Eventually, it became clear that something needed to happen.
“I can’t keep going this route,” Andy said. “I was getting scared.”
His doctor agreed and cut back by 20% overall, allowing Andy to regain his quality of life.
“I went from maybe having maybe a day and a half of feeling good before the cycle would continue.” Andy shared. “After they dialed back my treatment, I was having 4 or 5 days of feeling really good.”
During his time at Essentia Hospital, Andy’s social worker got him in touch with Project Purple and set up a handful of resources for him. Through Project Purple’s patient financial aid program, Andy received financial assistance through a grant, which helped support his family while he was unable to work.
“It’s helped tremendously,” Andy said. “Just to have the feeling of having people behind me, people who are concerned and want to help and want to provide something for you, whatever it is that they can offer.”
As Andy’s journey with cancer has continued, it’s given him a purpose, a way to be of use to other people going through a similar experience. Andy has built many connections with other patients through support pages and has been able to offer encouraging words.
“Every one of us has our own story, and we shouldn’t feel like just because a certain person passed away within a month or 6 weeks means it’s going to happen to us.”
Rolling Over Cancer
Two months into his treatment, Andy participated in a fundraiser walk for pancreatic cancer in St. Paul. “Seeing that group and being a part of something like that just made me feel like I’ve got to do more,” Andy said. On his drive home, he passed a highway sign for the NorthShore Inline Marathon and considered it a goal worth pursuing.
20 years ago, Andy did the Inline Marathon for the first time with his mom. At the time, he thought it was fun and figured maybe he’d do it again. That never ended up happening, until now.
As Andy’s treatment reduced and he slowly started to feel more like himself, he was eager to get moving again. He started by playing a little hockey, and each time he got back on the ice, his confidence grew, and he found himself thinking about the Inline Marathon. That’s when he started asking around about turning his participation into a fundraiser to raise awareness and support pancreatic cancer.
The first time Andy completed the Inline Marathon, he did very little training. But he knew if he eventually wanted to do it again, he had to prepare differently.
Now, Andy skates whenever he feels up to it, listening to his body and putting his health first.
“If I don’t have the energy to do something, I back off and try not to push myself too hard,” Andy said.
He’s even been able to get back into occasionally playing hockey with his friends, finding not only enjoyment in the game but also support from the people around him.
During one recent training skate, Andy set out planning to cover just a few miles. But, as he got into it, a wave of emotion flooded him, and the adrenaline carried him farther than he expected. He finished sixteen miles that day, walking away feeling strong. There were no lingering pains, and he wasn’t sick afterward.
“I thought, if I can do sixteen, I can do twenty-six.”
That was when he officially decided to sign up for the Inline Marathon.
Andy doesn’t have a set training regime because the most important thing to him is feeling good. Treatment can bring unpredictable days, and there’s no use comparing one workout to the next. Instead, he focuses on staying positive, taking it one day at a time.
As he prepares for the marathon, he shares every step of his journey on his Facebook page, Andy Rolls Over Cancer. His goal is to make the fundraiser as impactful as possible while giving supporters and those fighting cancer an honest look at what life with this disease is really like. He shows the good and bad, making a point not to hide anything.
“I want people to see this is real, not just a show,” Andy said. “Cancer is not just one thing. Mine is definitely showing me that. There is a lot to it”
Race Day
When race day approaches, Andy has no intention of racing the clock. His goal is simply to finish and finish strong. With thousands of skaters taking part in the NorthShore Inline Marathon, Andy expects to find himself near the back of the pack to avoid injury and skate at his own pace. While he’d like to cross the finish line in three hours, he knows there are no guarantees. Just like his cancer journey, all he can do is take it one mile at a time.
Along the course, Andy will be greeted by plenty of familiar faces cheering him on. His care team has been a great source of support, standing beside him through his cancer journey alongside his family and friends. He even hopes to make a few additions to his team and skate with some of his buddies, making the experience even more meaningful.
“I’m doing this one way or another,” Andy shared. “I don’t want to force anyone to follow, but would love to make this big and make a real difference.”
Crossing the finish line is going to be a huge relief for Andy. After living through such a difficult experience, and looking back at where he has been mentally, emotionally, and physically the past few months, Andy predicts that it will be very emotional for him.
“I’m hoping for it to be the beginning of something bigger,” Andy said.
Reflecting on the psychological, internal, and bodily hurdles of the previous eight months, reaching this milestone is truly profound.
When Andy was diagnosed, he was told that without treatment, he would have 6 months to live. By the time the Marathon rolls around, he will be approaching a year.
“Not only am I still here, but I can do things I wouldn’t have done two years ago,” Andy said. “Because it has pushed me to do more.”
A Fight for Something Bigger
Cancer has already taken so much from Andy, and he initially felt like he had lost himself. Being unable to work and provide for his family made it very hard to plan anything and look ahead in his life. He knew the reality of pancreatic cancer, and he didn’t know how far ahead he could even look.
What keeps him going is his why. This project, skating, and getting involved to raise awareness and funding for research, brings back the purpose and meaning of why he’s here and what he is going to leave behind. He wants to be a role model and someone his friends and family can look up to.
“The people who have supported me can look at me and say this is why we supported you,” Andy said. “That means more to me than anything else right now.”
Andy knows the statistics surrounding pancreatic cancer are daunting, but he refuses to believe they have to define the future of the disease. He has hope for growth in pancreatic cancer research and advancements in medicine that give patients more time, better treatment options, and meaningful lives back.
While he doesn’t know if those advances will come in time for him, he hopes his efforts to raise awareness and support research will help move the fight forward. For Andy, every mile he skates is about creating hope. Not just for himself, but for everyone who will hear the words “you have pancreatic cancer” after him.
“My story is I’m a stage four cancer patient who’s not willing to let this beat me without a major fight,” Andy said. “I’m here. I’ve got air in my lungs. I’ve got blood in my veins. I’ve got as much health as I can ask for at the moment. I want to make a difference. I want to make people believe that this can be beaten. Jump on my shirt tails and follow me, let’s find a way.”
If you’d like to participate in an event of your own for Project Purple, visit our events page.
