Cancer Survivor Trains for Ironman Competition
Competing in an Ironman marathon is a grueling process – a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. Elite athletes train for months to build the strength and stamina to finish.
Two years ago, Lou Iovoli was on that track and had finished respectably in his first half-Ironman. “I’d spent two years working my way up to complete the half Ironman distance. Completing that first one was a great feeling. I was on a high,” said Iovoli, the father of four boys.
Just 24 hours later, Iovoli was devastated to learn he had a large tumor at the base of his tongue, extending to the palate and larynx. It was Stage IV cancer.
After months of life-saving treatment at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, the Victor resident has been back on the training circuit – swimming across Canandaigua Lake and bicycling and running the winding roads of the Finger Lakes – in preparation for the Ford Ironman Competition in Madison, Wisc., on Sunday, Sept. 13.
He’s using the event to raise funds for the Wilmot Cancer Center and raise awareness of the benefits of exercise for people with cancer. Anyone interested in supporting him can go to: http://www.rochester.edu/giving/lou
“I wouldn’t be here today if the Wilmot doctors and nurses weren’t with me every step of the way,” said Iovoli, vice president of sales and marketing at Hammer Packaging. “Exercise was a huge component of my treatment and recovery. I want to prove to other patients and doctors that exercise during and after cancer treatment can offer tremendous benefits to people. This is my way of giving back and helping other people who are going through cancer.”
Birthday surprise
During months of training for his first half-Ironman, Iovoli had a dull earache that medications weren’t relieving and his physician sent him to an otolaryngologist, whodiscovered a cauliflower-sized tumor at the base of Iovoli’s tongue. It had grown so bulky that it was touching on nerves in his jaw, causing the ear pain.
That was July 23, 2007, his 42nd birthday.
“I went out to my car and just cried for about a half hour. I remember it was such a perfect summer day and all I could do was think of all the miserable things that could happen to me and after a while, I stopped and realized I had to get over it,” he said. His wife and sons were his priority as he faced his own mortality.
He sought the expertise of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, the region’s largest center for cancer care and research. Medical oncologist Kishan Pandya, M.D., and radiation oncologist Yuhchyau Chen, M.D., prescribed an aggressive regimen combining chemotherapy and twice-a-day radiation therapy to destroy the tumor.
“Given the locally advanced nature of his cancer, we recommended a rather intensified regimen…and it takes a lot of preparation and monitoring to get patients through the treatments,” Chen says.
His treatment was difficult. The chemotherapy made him sick and the radiation therapy irritated his throat and mouth. He couldn’t eat and lost 40 pounds, dropping to a slight 128 pounds.
“Lou has always kept a great attitude during his treatment, despite the side effects he experienced,” Chen says. The multidisciplinary approach that Wilmot Cancer Center offers – bringing all of the head and neck cancer specialists together – helped Iovoli during his care and now as a survivor, she says.
Back on track
Iovoli continued to exercise during his treatment. “I believe in balance of the mind body and spirit and exercise is an avenue for that,” he said. “I walked every day, even if it was only half-way around my cul-de-sac.”
Eventually he built enough stamina to walk around department stores and then the malls before returning to light training.
“I remember going to watch the 2007 Rochester Marathon and I sat on the grass with a feeding tube tied to a tree so I could watch my friends run. A year later I ran that marathon,” Iovoli said with a tremor in his throat
While swimming laps at the local YMCA, Iovoli was inspired by the motivational messages on the wall and decided to make his own: “I TRI for life.” TRI, which is short for triathlon, stands for tenacious, responsive and interactive. He vowed to be:
His positive attitude and spirit serves as an inspiration to others and through his online social networks, receives support from people around the world. Iovoli speaks to groups about his experience, encouraging them to be determined to meet any challenges ahead. For him, the immediate challenge is finishing the Ironman on Sept. 13.
He’ll be wearing a one-of-a-kind Wilmot Cancer Center jersey. “When I cross the finish line for the Ironman, I’ll have a fist in the air for my victory and I’ll have two fingers up because it’s my second anniversary of the Wilmot Cancer Center saving my life.”
When he thinks about wearing his new jersey, “I get chills. Sometimes when I’m training I just have to stop because I breakdown. I still can’t believe I’m here. I thank the Wilmot Cancer Center team everyday because I have a chance to enjoy the world.”
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