Joey's Story (June, 2008)

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joey Rippel and I am a 17 year old survivor, and this is my story. At the, relatively speaking, advanced age of 14 I discovered golf! Unlike the other sports I had played, this sport put it all on me – competing with myself, practicing with myself, winning and losing was all about me and what I could do.  Being the competitive kid I was (may still be) I was hooked. That summer, 2005, I decided to play in the Houston Golf Association junior tournaments. I needed to shoot a 55 over 9 holes to qualify and I shot exactly that. My first summer playing competitive golf wasn’t very successful, but I didn’t give up because I knew I wanted to be a great golfer. Over the next year I practiced 24/7. By the end of the next summer, 2006, I was ranked the second best HGA golfer in my age group. I went from shooting in the high 80’s to the mid 70’s. During my freshman and sophomore school years I was named captain and M.V.P. of my high school’s varsity golf team. Over the next year and a half I remained very competitive in golf tournaments- almost always in contention for the win.

September 2007, I had started my junior year of high school and was ready to lead my high school team to state.  As an individual I played one last summer tournament shooting 70/70 for my low score record and of course the win. But by the next week my competitive spirit shifted to a different type of competition. This time I’d be fighting for my life. I had found, ironically enough, a golf ball size mass in the left side of my neck. After a week of tests I got a call from my mom, while I was out on the golf course. She told me the doctor wanted to perform surgery the next day to remove the mass.  Unbeknownst to us, the doctor had confirmed her diagnoses the night before, October 2, 2007. As I was wheeled into surgery, she told my parents I had lymphoma – cancer of the lymph system.

So how to tell me that? Well, being that I wanted friends to be waiting for me when I got home after surgery I had put my mom in a predicament. I’m sure she loves me for this; she had to tell me I had cancer, while she was driving the car, on the way home from surgery. As we pulled out of the parking lot my mom said that the mass in my neck was a cancerous tumor.  I asked if I’d have to have chemotherapy and if I’d lose my hair. She responded that mostly likely I would. I hesitated just for a moment and my exact words in response were “well, I guess it will be an adventure.” Then, forever the golfer, I added “and I’ll have a great story to share when I become a professional golfer.”

With many, many good people’s support I had an appointment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital the very next Monday, October 8th.  My oncologist allowed me to delay the start of treatment so I could go to homecoming and play in a charity golf tournament.  I checked into M.D. Anderson on October 23 for my first round of chemotherapy.  Over the next 4 months I had several rounds of chemo.
I was not able to attend school during treatment, but continued school as a homebound student, meeting all requirements so I could continue to play golf with my team.  I did play in several multi-day tournaments during my treatment period but generally became too sick to play after the first day. Just knowing I was still part of the team kept my hopes up and encouraged me to keep striving.  Up next was radiation. I received treatment every weekday for 15 days straight. Once I finished that I was told the cancer was dead. I was still dealing with a lot of aftereffects of treatment so I was not yet able to go back to school. Regardless, I was anxious to get back out on the course with my team. So, I headed to Beaumont for my first high school golf tournament post-treatment.

The first day had to be some of the harshest conditions of golf I have ever played - sleet and 30mph winds. I recorded a 79 which put me 4 shots off of the lead but possibly in contention going into the last day. That night I was scared that I would again get sick as I did in my tournaments during treatment. I woke up the next morning feeling great. The second day conditions were much better. I knew I had a chance to win this tournament. After recording a not so impressive 40 on the front nine I wouldn’t give up. On the back nine I couldn’t be stopped. I poured in birdie after birdie recording a 3 under 33. As I walked off of the 18th green I looked at my coach with a smile, handed him my card and said “I’m back!” I thought this score would put me in first place but another player behind me brought in the same score. I would go into a playoff for first place. I knew I had an advantage on this player because I would fight through anything and anyone to win – because in my mind I was not winning the tournament I was winning my fight against cancer. After a two-hole playoff I indeed won.

Things have not been all wins and roses since. The physical and mental ability required to win tournaments was short lived. I have found cancer treatment has a prolonged effect that continues well after treatment ends. I live with numbness in my hands and feet, disrupted concentration and diminished physical stamina and neuro responses.  But I’m alive and am fighting back.  I want to find answers on how we can minimize the aftereffects of cancer treatment.  I want those who come after to come back faster and healthier.  I don’t want cancer treatment to mean you have to give up being active and vibrant during or after cancer treatment. 

With that in mind I founded a charitable organization to encourage other teens to not just survive cancer but to live through cancer. My organization is called The Rippel Effect – what I do to make things better and easier for the next teen with cancer will hopefully allow them to do the same for someone else, and so forth creating a true ripple effect.  We begin fundraising with The Rippel Effect Project fundraiser this fall to coincide with my one year diagnosis date. Then we follow that up with a fundraising golf tournament, of course! All this because I am determined that I will have a greater impact on the world than cancer had on me.