Olympian to discuss his comeback from cancer

Eric Shanteau does not have multiple sclerosis, but that doesn?t matter. He has the chance to speak Saturday morning at a workshop at the Newton Marriott about how to deal with degenerative diseases, and cancer can be as degenerative as they come.And that he can speak to firsthand.Shanteau, whose 4 x 100 relay swim team won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London, has traveled that road. And just for that reason alone, he feels he has something to offer at the conference Saturday.His message is simple.?We?ve all sat in that doctor?s office where you get a diagnosis that feels like your life has been ripped out of your hands,” he says. “But it?s important, once you do, to know what your plan is … and to ask questions.?Don?t be afraid to ask questions,” he said. “Know exactly what is happening to you, and what needs to be done to get better.”Shanteau says people who have had the ton of bricks fall onto them “often go blindly forward. They don?t want to question the doctor. They don?t get second opinions, and they don?t understand the treatment or why they?re getting it.?But,” he says, “it?s up to patients to empower themselves … and to make sure they make their doctors understand how they want to continue to live. And don?t be afraid to ask for another opinion.”In Shanteau?s case, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer two weeks before the 2008 Olympic trials. He?d been swimming since he was five years old. Being an Olympian was going to be the culmination of a life?s dream. When he was diagnosed, he didn?t know where to turn or what to do.?After all kinds of consulting and research, I decided to delay any further treatment until I finished the trials,” he said.Then, when he made the team, “I chose to delay treatment until after I came back (from Beijing).”But once he did, he had to face the music.?Six days after swimming, I had surgery,” he said. “After that, I was given the option of chemo or surveillance. The type of cancer I had didn?t require radiation. What I chose to do was strictly up to me.”Again, he says, doing your research and being your own advocate is important.?I did the research and figured out my position,” he said. “I was aware of the effects of chemo on the body because my dad had lung cancer, so I opted for surveillance. It was a gamble, because in my case, there were 30-40 percent odds of recurrence. That seems like a lot, but each year it didn?t come back, the odds were less and less.”For Shanteau, the rehab following the surgery was the toughest stretch for him.?It took a while to come back,” he said. “They cut into my abdomen, and for swimmers, we rely on those core muscles. I?d say from a physical standpoint it took six or seven months to get to the point that I could really push it. In the beginning, I felt horrible pushing off.”Shanteau?s specialty is the breaststroke, which is the second leg of the medley relay. Last year, the relay team was heavily favored, and the Auburn alumnus, who counts Michael Phelps among his close friends, returned from London with the gold.His lesson to people diagnosed with degenerative conditions is that, like the famous Jim Valvano speech at the ESPN Espy Awards, those affected should never give up. They should arm themselves with as much information as they can, and — most important — they should be their own advocates.Shanteau is speaking at One Day for Every Day ? a free national event series for people with relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and their care partners. The event is Saturday from 10:00 a.m. ? 1:00 p.m. at the Marriott Newton. To register or to learn more about the free event, visit www.1Day4EveryDay.com or call 1-866-703-6293.