Stan Barta was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 13, fifty years ago. Five years of surgery, Cobalt radiation, and MOPP chemotherapy lead him to complete remission, just in time for high school graduation.
This was followed by 30 years of good health, travel adventures, sailing, and boat-building. When Stan and his wife Cathi adopted two toddler boys from Thailand, they moved the whole family to their tug/trawler, where Stan became the “at home parent,” home-schooling his sons aboard ship. The family had numerous maritime escapades in the coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia.
Stan began to experience late effects about ten years ago. He credits Dr. Michael Stubblefiled’s vigilance with preventing him from having a fatal heart attack. Stan was diagnosed with “advanced radiation-induced coronoary artery disease” (CAD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and cardiac cachexia.
Stan used to lament the things he can no longer do, due to fatigue and shortness of breath. With the help of a palliative care therapist, he has turned to exploring what he CAN be, and what his true values are.
Many will remember Stan’s wonderful talk on Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, presented via Zoom last year. If you missed it, you can watch it here via our Hodgkin’s International YouTube channel.