Positive attitude, exceptional care help triathlete endure stage IV cancer

Ryan King is an exceptionally positive person. He’s an engaging, energetic man who will put you in a good mood just by talking to him. You would never guess what he is going through.

More than two years ago, Ryan, 50, was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer that had spread to his brain. The five-year relative survival rate of this diagnosis is less than 10 percent. But Ryan has tried to maintain an upbeat attitude despite what he faces.

“From what I see, I think there are a lot of people who get a diagnosis and they go home and wait to die,” he said. “That would not be what I recommend.”

Golf Ball-Size Tumor

Ryan is a lifelong Lincolnite who just celebrated his 20th year at Mapes Industries. Shortly after he quit smoking about 10 years ago, he started running for fun. His hobby ballooned from competing in 5- and 10-kilometer races to becoming a passionate triathlete.

In fall 2021, he was training for two Ironman triathlons and started to experience headaches. He went to his primary care and eye doctors, who couldn’t find anything wrong. He was told to go to the emergency room if it didn’t improve, which he ended up doing in early January 2022 after an episode of blurry vision.

Within minutes of arriving, a CT scan raised alarm bells for the doctors. Once neurosurgeon Steven Gogela, MD, stepped into the room, Ryan knew something must be wrong.

Ryan pedals through the biking section of the
Ironman triathlon he completed in April 2023.

Dr. Gogela told Ryan he had a tumor the size of a golf ball in the back left part of his brain. He quickly had surgery to remove the tumor and that summer began chemotherapy with Dr. Steven Dunder, and radiation with radiation oncologist Dr. Mark Stavas, both of Cancer Partners of Nebraska.

One More Race

While receiving treatment, Ryan was unable to maintain the rigorous training needed to compete in the triathlon circuit. However, once his treatment slowed down, he decided he wanted to run in one more triathlon.

In April 2023, he completed a full Ironman triathlon in Oceanside, California, which consisted of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. His placement didn’t matter to him; all he wanted to do is say that he finished.

Once he returned home from California, he contemplated what to do with his recently earned medal. Dr. Stavas had been his “biggest cheerleader” during his treatment and training, so Ryan decided to give the medal to him as a token of his appreciation.

Ryan and Dr. Stavas embrace at the
April Sampson Cancer Center.

Mutual Support, Mutual Healing

He told one of Dr. Stavas’ nurses his plan, and she told him Dr. Stavas had attempted to secure a spot in the race to run with Ryan. The pair had thought of a way to support and appreciate each other without the other knowing.

“The medal meant a lot to me, but I think it maybe meant as much to him because he’s just a great guy,” Ryan said.  “He’s talked me off a ledge many times the last couple years. “

Dr. Stavas said Ryan embraces the best of what it means to live life with uncertainty.

“He has been a wonderful teacher to me, as I’ve realized that each of us can be as healed as those we are healing,” Dr. Stavas said.

Ryan had been feeling well, keeping tabs with Drs. Stavas and Dunder to prevent any recurrence. In December 2023, he was driving home from work. One second, he was driving normally down I-80. The next, he realized he had veered all the way to the shoulder without realizing it.

“I didn’t get dizzy or anything,” he said. “It was just like I was there, then I wasn’t, and then I came back.”

Another Tumor

He went in for a CT scan the next day. There was a much bigger tumor than before, this time on the back right of his brain.

He had the second tumor removed on January 9. Ryan said his recovery was much harder this time since he was less physically fit than before. He was told it often takes six to eight weeks to feel normal after a craniotomy. While he bounced back only a few weeks after the first surgery, he said it took closer to the higher end of that range the second time. He also got bronchitis and COVID during his recovery.

After other small recurrences, Ryan has undergone two Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgeries in the last six months.  

One Day at a Time

During the last few years, Ryan has struggled with anxiety and depression, especially surrounding his health. Every mundane headache brings fears that his cancer may be back.

Despite this, he strives to be positive and take each day one step at a time. He said his wife, Kim, and his two stepchildren have surrounded him with support. The entire staff at the April Sampson Cancer Center has made him feel comfortable and welcomed.

“When I walk into the cancer center, it’s like everybody gives me a big hug,” he said. “Everybody knows my name. They know what you’re going through because they see it every day, and they’re compassionate.”

Ryan hopes his story helps others with cancer find the positivity in their lives. Despite the difficulties of the last few months, he’s grateful for his home, work and family.

Now, Ryan lives three months at a time, which is the frequency of his brain scans. He knows the length of his life is uncertain, which has altered his perspective. He tries to squeeze as much out of each day as he can.

“I’ll go to the ends of this earth just to get one more day.”

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