Q & A with Cornells Adam Frey
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by Elizabeth Wiley
NCAA qualifier Adam Frey finished the 2007-08 wrestling season at Cornell University only to find himself facing a much different foe than he was used to, cancer. TheMat.com caught up with Frey to find out the details of the battle he is facing.
TheMat.com: You recently learned you have cancer. How did you find out about it?
AF: I found out about it by mistake actually. I was in a severe car accident and during a procedural CT scan, they found three tumors.
TheMat.com: What was your diagnosis?
AF: My diagnosis is Stage III of III germ cell testicular cancer. The largest tumor is estimated at 12 lbs. It had spread to my kidney area, liver and lung.
TheMat.com: What's happening now in terms of treatment?
AF: The treatment is four, three-week cycles of chemotherapy and then possibly a surgery to remove the leftover tissue. All three weeks, I get a round of Bleomycen on Tuesday and bloodwork. The first week I get two drugs called Etoposide and Cystoplatin every day for five days. The treatments are between 6-8 hours long from time in to time out.
TheMat.com: What does the timeline for treatment look like?
AF: The timeline is 12 weeks of chemo, then a surgery that has about a six-month recovery time. I hope to be able to start going to school in the spring of 2009 and I hope to be cleared to wrestle for the fall of 2009.
TheMat.com: What kind of costs are you facing?
AF: I am facing medical costs that could, with surgery, be about $100,000. That is out of pocket, after insurance.
TheMat.com: How can people help you?
AF: They can send donations to:
Adam Frey Fund
C/o Carla Sayles
Teagle Hall
Campus Road
Ithaca, NY 14853
Or, they can check out my website and buy a T-shirt.
TheMat.com: What is the website and why did you start it?
AF: We started a blog to raise awareness and share my story. It is also to help with raising funds. To find out more visit www.adamfrey.us.
TheMat.com: What is a "normal" day in the life of Adam Frey?
AF: A normal "chemo" day starts at about 6:30 a.m. I get up, eat breakfast and hydrate myself so that the IV needle goes in easier. At about 8 a.m., I am at the Hillman Center in Pittsburgh checking in and getting my vital signs and weight taken. I then get taken back to a room and have the nurse start my IV. Some days I have to get it put in, sometimes they leave it in overnight. Next, I get an hour of IV fluids, my medicine, meet with my doctor, get my chemo for the day, get another hour of fluids, and head home. I usually go right to bed upon getting home for a little while before going to lift. Then, I eat and go back to sleep.
A normal day that doesn't involve chemo is spent sleeping, lifting, working on my blog, and sometimes, if I feel up to it, going out with my friends. If you want to know more details, my life is typed up on my website daily.
TheMat.com: You recently learned you have cancer. How did you find out about it?
AF: I found out about it by mistake actually. I was in a severe car accident and during a procedural CT scan, they found three tumors.
TheMat.com: What was your diagnosis?
AF: My diagnosis is Stage III of III germ cell testicular cancer. The largest tumor is estimated at 12 lbs. It had spread to my kidney area, liver and lung.
TheMat.com: What's happening now in terms of treatment?
AF: The treatment is four, three-week cycles of chemotherapy and then possibly a surgery to remove the leftover tissue. All three weeks, I get a round of Bleomycen on Tuesday and bloodwork. The first week I get two drugs called Etoposide and Cystoplatin every day for five days. The treatments are between 6-8 hours long from time in to time out.
TheMat.com: What does the timeline for treatment look like?
AF: The timeline is 12 weeks of chemo, then a surgery that has about a six-month recovery time. I hope to be able to start going to school in the spring of 2009 and I hope to be cleared to wrestle for the fall of 2009.
TheMat.com: What kind of costs are you facing?
AF: I am facing medical costs that could, with surgery, be about $100,000. That is out of pocket, after insurance.
TheMat.com: How can people help you?
AF: They can send donations to:
Adam Frey Fund
C/o Carla Sayles
Teagle Hall
Campus Road
Ithaca, NY 14853
Or, they can check out my website and buy a T-shirt.
TheMat.com: What is the website and why did you start it?
AF: We started a blog to raise awareness and share my story. It is also to help with raising funds. To find out more visit www.adamfrey.us.
TheMat.com: What is a "normal" day in the life of Adam Frey?
AF: A normal "chemo" day starts at about 6:30 a.m. I get up, eat breakfast and hydrate myself so that the IV needle goes in easier. At about 8 a.m., I am at the Hillman Center in Pittsburgh checking in and getting my vital signs and weight taken. I then get taken back to a room and have the nurse start my IV. Some days I have to get it put in, sometimes they leave it in overnight. Next, I get an hour of IV fluids, my medicine, meet with my doctor, get my chemo for the day, get another hour of fluids, and head home. I usually go right to bed upon getting home for a little while before going to lift. Then, I eat and go back to sleep.
A normal day that doesn't involve chemo is spent sleeping, lifting, working on my blog, and sometimes, if I feel up to it, going out with my friends. If you want to know more details, my life is typed up on my website daily.
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