“Nobody will take care of you like you can.”
— Troy Clark, Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department
Troy Clark has been an engineer with the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department (FWFD) for 22 years, starting in 1997. In 2017, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Troy’s father, Lynn Clark, a captain with FWFD, had cancer three times during his career and died on the job in 2000 at the age of 51.
What has your cancer journey looked like so far from diagnosis to treatment?
I was a little scared at diagnosis. Surgery was supposed to fix me...until it didn’t. Then, doctors wanted to radiate me once a day for 39 days. I got a little more scared. I fired up the infamous Google to stumble upon “alternative, natural cancer treatment.” A couple of other firefighters had unbelievable personal stories relating to this type of treatment. Shockingly, that is what I chose. I have always known about the three standard American cancer treatments: surgery, radiation and chemo. I now know there is a fourth! Holistic treatment. For almost a year now, my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been so low that it is considered undetectable. That makes me ecstatic and I feel great! I never had any signs or symptoms of cancer until a random PSA screening and my PSA was 26, when it is supposed to be less than one. Prostate cancer is one of the top three cancers related to firefighting. Men, get your PSA checked every year...no matter your age. Women, you have susceptible areas to check as well.
When you were first diagnosed, did you immediately link it to your time in the fire service?
Multiple doctors thought I had prostatitis...until I didn’t. My prostate cancer at age 41 was surprisingly super aggressive and required immediate surgery. My oncologist believes I might have had it for two years prior to diagnosis. I immediately thought that since my father had cancer, it meant that I would get it, too. My father was a FWFD firefighter for 30 years. He had cancer three times during his career and died on the job at age 51. I genetically tested negative, meaning I have no cancer genes. I knew then that it was from firefighting and I was mad. First, I was mad at our sub-par annual fire department physicals that included no cancer screening for me. Mistakenly, I relied only on my fire department annual physicals for more than 20 years. I was always “super healthy and super in-shape.” Ultimately, I got mad at myself. I should have taken better care of myself.
What do you want current and future generations of firefighters to know about the risks they face on the job?
Whether it is your annual physical, physical fitness, mental wellness, lifestyle, diet, alcohol, tobacco, bunker gear cleanliness, SCBA use, etc....nobody will take care of you like you can. My dad was a well-respected fire captain. To most everyone he was a good friend and mentor—he would have a beer with you. He died in 2000, which seemed to be an era before the term “cancer related to firefighting.” I know he could have taken better care of himself. I know I could have taken better care of myself. Along with many others, my dad didn’t know what we know about today. I like when “old guys” say they work smarter, not harder. Well, it’s time we all work smarter in the fire service! My attitude had to change reactively. I hope you can change yours proactively. As a firefighter, you have to work hard on your overall wellness. If you don’t, our profession will work hard on you!
Watch Troy’s video interview at tinyurl.com/cancer-awareness-2019. Thank you to Glen Ellman for his help with the video interview.
