In August 1996, one year into marriage and fresh off the “life is finally starting” feeling, Rich got a phone call that split his life in two. A doctor told him his white count was dangerously high. Rich did the math instantly: leukemia.
He was in the middle of caring for a patient and couldn’t just walk away. So he finished the job, held it together, then drove himself to the ER where the initial outlook was grim. What changed everything was the existence of one option that could save him: an allogeneic donor stem cell transplant. Nearly three decades later, Rich is still here. And that hard-won survival shaped the rest of his life: how he sees suffering, how he treats patients, and why he believes cancer care needs something most people never get clear, simple guidance.
Episode highlights
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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What Rich wishes every patient knew about resilience, fear, and “the unknown” after treatment ends
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The behind-the-scenes reality of survivorship: fertility loss, financial devastation, and relationship strain and what helped them stay together
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Prostate cancer side effects people avoid talking about (urinary issues, bowel changes, sexual function) and how patients can advocate for support
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Why “quality of life” needs to be treated as seriously as “quantity of life”
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The big idea Rich keeps coming back to: patients need a personalized roadmap what to expect, when to worry, and what to do next
About the guest
Rich is a leukemia survivor, nurse practitioner, and longtime cancer-care clinician who turned his own diagnosis into a mission. After surviving a stem cell transplant, he returned to school, earned his NP, and went on to work inside the same world-class cancer system that treated him including Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s.
Over time, Rich became known for being both clinically sharp and emotionally honest with patients especially when survivorship gets complicated. He also helped pioneer a virtual prostate cancer clinic model designed to triage and manage patients remotely, improving access and reducing unnecessary in-person follow-ups while increasing capacity for new patient consults.
Pull quote
“You’ll come out on the other side a better person, a stronger person and that’ll be one more piece of armor you can wear.”
Resources mentioned
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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (care experience referenced)
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Brigham and Women’s Hospital (care experience referenced)
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Medications discussed for prostate cancer survivorship support (mentioned conversationally):
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Tamsulosin (urinary symptoms)
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Cialis / Viagra (erectile function support)
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GoodRx / pharmacy coupon programs (as an access + affordability example)
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Sexual health support at Dana-Farber (psychologist specializing in sexual health referenced in conversation)
