Randall Johnson, 28, has a healthy glow and quick smile thatbelies his brutal battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a canceroriginating from white blood cells.
“I really feel good,” he said. “I’m not in shape physically but Ifeel awesome.”
In spring 2010, Johnson, who lives in Lakeside, finished astem-cell bone-marrow transplant at the Billings Cancer CareClinic.
Wings, a local nonprofit that assists cancer patients, providedmoney to help him with expenses such as the transportation, housingand meals he needed while receive the life-saving treatment.
“I had three or four trips back and forth to Billings,” he said.“Between housing and transportation, it gets expensive.”
Johnson didn’t hesitate to add his voice to those of other cancerpatients last January during the Wings annual fund-raisingradiothon.
He plans to participate again this Thursday and Friday as Wings’15th annual radiothon takes flight from the Sportsman and Ski Hausin Kalispell via Bee Broadcasting radio stations.
Like many in the radio audience during the Wings broadcast thisweek, Johnson never expected to find himself or anyone in hisfamily facing cancer. Yet in 2004, his mother Laura Loven wasdiagnosed with breast cancer and, just a month later, he learnedhis swollen lymph node was Hodgkin’s Disease.
At the time, Johnson, a 2001 graduate of Flathead Valley(Stillwater) Christian School, was working at Midway Rental whilealso taking classes at Flathead Valley Community College. Hodgkin’sdeveloped quietly during his busy life at 22.
“I didn’t really notice anything until I had a swollen lymph nodein my neck,” he said. “I went to the doctor and, after a biopsy anda PET scan, they diagnosed me with Hodgkin’s.”
His mother, who died in 2007, had just started radiation therapywhen he got the news. Johnson immediately started chemotherapy inKalispell.
“Chemo was not fun,” he said. “But I tried to stay active as muchas I could. I went on short hikes and I was still working parttime.”
When he finished those treatments, he was optimistic. Hisoncologist said that 90 percent of people diagnosed are stillcancer free after five years.
“My prognosis was great,” he said. “I had a scan in October and itwas clean.”
Life returned to normal as he went back to work and finished up theclasses that his treatments had interrupted. Johnson spent sixmonths with Youth with a Mission in Peru then finished up hispre-nursing associates degree.
Deciding nursing wasn’t for him, Johnson went to work full-time atthe rental business and enjoyed life. He continued to havescreenings for Hodgkin’s for five years with no troublesomeresults.
In October of 2009, Johnson said he starting feeling off.
“I would eat and have nausea and I lacked energy,” he said.
“I knew that was serious — I went straight to my oncologist on Dec.21 and he ordered CAT scans right away,” he said. “By the end ofMonday, they knew my whole insides had growths all over theplace.”
To treat his stage IV (4) Hodgkin’s, his oncologist recommended anautologous stem-cell bone-marrow transplant. the procedure harvestsa patient’s own stem cells, stores them, then transplants them backinto the patient to replace stem cells destroyed by high-dosechemotherapy.
“They don’t do it locally,” he said. “I did a few cycles of (chemo)treatment here to shrink the cancer in the lymph nodes.”
With help from Wings, Johnson traveled to the Billings ClinicCancer Center in the first week of March for tests and got on boardfor the transplant.
“They have a beautiful clinic,” he said. “It’s all brand new andstate of the art.”
Johnson said he was given drugs that made his body releasebone-marrow stem cells into the blood. the harvesting process tookjust one day.
“I had a port in my chest that they hooked up to a centrifuge,” hesaid. “It was kind of weird watching my blood go up that tube intothe centrifuge that takes the stem cells out then the blood goesback in.”
His assistance from Wings helped him return to Billings early inApril and rent an apartment close to the hospital where he went foreven more intense chemotherapy. following his last session on aFriday, Johnson went into the hospital the next Monday to have hisstem cells transplanted back into his blood through an IV.
As expected with this procedure, he experience side effects thatput him back in the hospital.
“I got weak and developed an ulcer,” he said. “I was admitted for11 days when my immune system was at its weakest point.”
Just prior to leaving the hospital in June, a follow up PET scanshowed all the cancer was gone. According to his doctor, 50 percentof patients remain cancer free after undergoing the transplanttreatment.
He came home to the Flathead Valley, had a good summer then workeda short-term job teaching at a Youth with a Mission school.
“I just had a PET scan before Christmas that showed one small areain one of my sinuses that showed activity,” he said. “They don’tthink it’s anything.”
Johnson remains positive about his prognosis for the future. Hesaid sometimes that 50 percent number flashes through his brain butmost of the time, he remains optimistic with support from hisfamily, friends and Wings.
“Over everything, I know God,” he said. “He speaks to me and I havethis peace with life.”
People may tune into the Wings radiothon Thursday and Friday tohear Johnson and other cancer patients describe how donations tothe nonprofit organization helped them deal with their devastatingdiagnosis.
Wings provides grants to help relieve the financial stress onpatients of the many non-medical out-of-pocket expenses such astransportation, meals and lodging. Tax-deductible donations may bepledged by phone at 257-9464 or in person at Sportsman & SkiHaus in Kalispell during the Wings Radiothon.
“They helped me out hugely,” Johnson said.
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail .