Ep 023: Nolan Thomas: 21, Healthy, and Diagnosed with Cancer, Part 1

At 21 years old, Nolan Thomas was active, healthy, and focused on his future.

Cancer was not even a consideration.

When symptoms started, he did what most people would do and went to the hospital. His age and overall appearance of good health led medical staff to turn him away more than once before he finally received answers. 

Those answers changed everything.

In Part 1, Nolan shares what it looked like to go from a normal life to a life-altering diagnosis almost overnight, along with the physical and mental toll that followed.

In this episode, we talk about:
 • The early symptoms that led him to seek help
 • Being dismissed because he “looked fine”
 • The moment he realized something was seriously wrong
 • Receiving a cancer diagnosis at age 21
 • What treatment actually looked like day to day
 • The mental battle that came with it
 • Reaching a point where he felt completely defeated
 • The mindset shifts that helped him keep going, even in the hardest moments 

This is the kind of story that shifts perspective.

If someone comes to mind while you’re listening, send this episode to them. It might be exactly what they need.

Follow Nolan and support his journey:
Instagram: @kidxnolan

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nolans-heroes-help-him-take-on-the-villain-of-cancer/donations

Podcast: Cancer Boy by Nolan Thomas (Spotify & YouTube)
YouTube: @cancer_boy

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Welcome to Unspoken Lives, the podcast that uncoves the powerful, untold stories of everyday people. The real stories you don't always hear, but ones that deserve to be told. I'm your host, Kelsey Billingsley. In each episode, we'll explore journeys of growth, resilience, and transformation, conversations with guests who have faced challenges, embraced change, and discovered new purpose along the way. Through their stories, you'll find inspiration, hope, and a reminder that every life has a story worth telling. Let's dive into this next Unspoken Life. He recently connected me with Nolan Thomas, who's also from my hometown in Arizona and attends Randy's Church. When I first heard about Nolan's diagnosis and the way he was choosing to speak openly about his experience, I knew we needed to have this conversation. Nolan is currently facing cancer. In the middle of that fight, he has been open about his faith, his perspective, and the reality of navigating something life-altering at a young age. He's using his story to bring awareness and to encourage others who may be facing something similar. This is what Unspoken Lives is all about. Ordinary lives, extraordinary journeys being lived in real time. Nolan, thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Before we talk about the season that you're currently going through, I'd love for listeners to get an idea of who you are outside of that. When you think about your life and how you would describe yourself, what would you say?

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Well, before the diagnosis, I'd say my life was pretty busy. That's the best way I could describe my life. You know, I uh grew up Cura Vista my whole life. I'm a soccer player. My dad owns his own electrical company, so like I know a lot of people around Sierra Vista, and I'm just a community type guy, and I've just never had time to myself until now.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

So it's a lot of time, I'm sure, to think about things. Can you remind me how old you are?

SPEAKER_00 2:12

I'm 21 years old.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

21. Okay. So you went to high school and everything in Sierra Vista, focused on soccer, and then obviously had this diagnosis. Can you explain how that happened? Just how you found out and go through that?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

I graduated high school in 23, played so uh soccer my whole life, and then I started doing uh the City League Adult League on Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

And I started having some pains, and I was working with my dad at uh some government job that we had gotten. While wiring the building, I was just using the restroom a lot and noticed I was bleeding, so went to the hospital and well, I ended up being turned away twice because they were looked at me and I was like young, so they had me kind of just waste my whole day there. Did they you even talk to you or they took my vitals and a urine sample, and that was pretty much it. And then a primary physician recommended me to go to a hospital in Tucson, a banner. Okay, and that's where I ended up getting diagnosed after being in the hospital for two weeks.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Wow. So how long after when you first went to the hospital, did you go to Tucson to this other one?

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Well, originally I just went to like a primary care facility. You know, just a physician. And since I was bleeding, he was like, Oh, go to the ER. I went one day and they sent me home, they didn't look at me. So I went the next day, same thing. It was a total of I'd say four days before I was admitted into the ER to banner.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

And what did they say when you got there?

SPEAKER_00 3:40

They kind of just had me sit down for like about an hour because it was really busy.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Right.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

And when when I got seen, it was like like almost instant, you know, like I was kind of focused on and I'm assuming cancer probably wasn't even running through your mind at that point, was it? I just thought it was my fitness journey because I was going through a bad breakup and I was just focused on on my fitness.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

And I was really lean, really healthy, and I had no idea what was going on because I was like, this I'm 21 years old, you know, I'm supposed to be feeling invincible. Right. What what is this? And originally when they were doing tests, they thought it was Crohn's disease or uh irrital bowel uh syndrome.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

They had no idea it was cancer until probably four days after those hypotheses came.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

So they came in the room and shared that with you?

SPEAKER_00 4:28

They came into the room and they didn't say you have cancer, they just started talking about cancer. So that's when I asked, I was like, Do I have cancer? Right. And they're like, Yeah. They just didn't know what kind until maybe a month after I started uh or after surgery. It was just a wild journey, like really like surprising, just all over the place.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

Yeah. And can you share? I don't think we've mentioned what type of cancer it is.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

It was stage three signet ring cell carcinoma. It's a cancer that's typically found in like older men's like stomach lining. The fact that mine happened colon, it was really like shocking, especially at 21.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Because it's found in older men and ended up being found in a 21-year-old's colon.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

So it's kind of yeah, that would be shocking. And was anyone in the room with you when they first told you? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yeah, my mom was in there. Uh she was crying. I was trying to hold it back.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

But it had to be hard.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Yeah, it was it was really devastating.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

Well, I'm sorry. You're so young, and like you shared your fitness journey. Sounds like you know, you were doing everything right, and then to be faced with something like this, it had to be awful. So, can you share a little bit about what the journey looks like after that treatment, everything you went through?

SPEAKER_00 5:38

So after surgery, I had to like relearn how to walk because it cut through so many muscles. It was it really wasn't like relearning, it was just like more getting the core strength back.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

But I uh I ended up being in recovery for surgery for six months, like like total. Wow. Until it was 100%. But when I started treatment, it was they put me on this chemotherapy oxyplant in Cape Cidavine, a pill and a uh IV drip form. And I didn't have a port at that time, so I was really biny. And I was like, Yeah, my veins are good, you know. I'll just do the IV, and that ended up destroying my veins, so I have like no veins anymore.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

Gosh, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

And the oxyplant, it would uh give me a cold sensitivity, so that it was like made me bedridden for six months. It would be like a three-week process, two weeks on, one week off, and then chemo starts again.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

And were you going up to Tucson for this?

SPEAKER_00 6:27

I was going up to Tucson for the chemo, like the the drip, but when I got the pills, I was able to come home.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

I was on like 20 pills a day. It was it was rough, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

I'm sorry. Can I ask, you know, where's your mindset during these six months? How are you you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 6:43

I was destroyed, like like it c it like killed my head. I wasn't able to do fitness, so I wasn't able to like cope how I used to cope with things.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

I kind of just accepted that this is what life's like, and it was a really depressing like time in my life.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

I kind of like accepted death at that point when I was better than I was 21 and uh or I was 20 at the time. And um, I just thought like, oh, I was handed a bad set of cards, so this is what it is. And I just kinda lay down, watch my phone all day, all night, and then second would repeat the next day.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

To go through that acceptance, and I just can't imagine at 20 years old what you what you went through.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

I don't want to be like, oh, I was kind of exaggerating and I was like seeking attention. I just was tired. I I didn't want to like do anything. People would come see me and I wouldn't want to talk to them. I would just yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

Now I know you mentioned when Randy introduced me to you, he sent me a video that you had posted online. So that's how I kind of learned about your story. And in it you mentioned when you went through this the first time, your faith wasn't really there, like you were almost angry in a way. Is that what was going on?

SPEAKER_00 7:56

So I was getting religious before I got diagnosed. And then when I got diagnosed, I kind of felt like, oh, this can't be like a religion reason, you know, maybe I'm just maybe I'm just angry, whatever. And then I started getting closer to them again during the process. Uh, but when I was told I was cancer free and they did tests, I was getting really close with them and like super dedicated until I was told it came back, you know. It I was only cancer free for like a month, it felt like.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

They were like, Oh, it came back, and now you have another tumor growing too. That's when I like felt resentful towards them, like towards the Lord. Yeah, I I just was not religious anymore after that. I felt so like betrayed.

SPEAKER_02 8:40

What helped you get through that time? Was there anything that helped you?

SPEAKER_00 8:44

I was going to therapy because it was I was told that chemo patients, uh, even after cancer, they end up suicidal. So I would just go in just for like the sake of myself. And it didn't really help, but kind of just going out is what helped. I was able to like go out with friends or yeah, I was able to I didn't wasn't going to church at the time, but looking back at it, that could would have been an excuse to go out. Just anytime I was able to go out, that was what really like helped me out.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Was it hard to get yourself in the mindset though to actually get up and go?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Yeah, I would like lay down and kind of just be like reminiscing on what was going on. And when I was uh but before I was diagnosed during my fitness journey, I told myself, like, oh, you know, I don't feel sorry for yourself, can I get up and go do stuff? And so I kind of just went back into that mindset and just did it again.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Yeah. I know you were in treatment for six months, and then how long after that did they say you were cancer free?

SPEAKER_00 9:39

So I was diagnosed February 27th. I went through chemo till about I think August-ish to October. So that would have been I think six to eight months. Sometime I think it's six.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

I think it was three months. The time's all over the place because like I was wasn't focused on time at the time. Yeah, of course. But it was I'd say I'd say a good two months at least. Okay. And they were like, oh, we see something, we're not sure what it is, and then they started biopsying it, and it ended up being a tumor. And then I went on a hunt and another tumor grew in my back.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Um, which that's when it progressed to stage four.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

So I was cancer free for for like two months and then stepped from stage three to four in like another two months.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

Wow. And so when was that? It was was that the end of last year?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yeah, December 6th, uh which after my birthday, I was uh in the hospital. Yeah. My 21st birthday, I spent in the hospital because of cancer.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

Sorry. Gosh, it just seems like such a roller coaster to go through. Everything you went through, be told you're cancer free for just a few months. Did you feel relief in those few months, or were you still, you know, worried about it? I did.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

I was uh I was a little worried because they did do a test just to make sure I was cancer free. But I felt really good. I signed up for real estate classes, you know, and I was trying to like move on with my life.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Which I ended up finishing the school. I just gotta take tests. But yeah, thank you. But I was just thinking, oh, now I gotta get back to normal life. So that that was the plan.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Yeah, and then you get this heartbreaking news again. And like I said earlier, I saw you post that video. Was it shortly after that that you posted that?

SPEAKER_00 11:13

When I found out I had stage four, it was I think it was in January, because they just told me about the the new tumor that grew, and I was like, Oh, okay, so stage three, they had say I moved out to stage four until I started chemo again. They were like, Yeah, this is now classified as stage four. So it would have been towards the end of December. And I started my podcast, man, the beginning of February.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

Now remind me what your podcast is called in case anyone wants to find out.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

It's called Cancer Boy or Nolan Thomas on Spotify and YouTube.

SPEAKER_02 11:44

Okay, thank you. Now you're going through this again. What is different this time from the first time?

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Well, I'm on a different chemotherapy regimen. Uh I did radiation for the first time. Surgery hasn't happened yet. So the first time I had surgery, then chemo. Now this time I'm doing chemo radiation and then surgery.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

I'm on three IV forms this time for chemo. And I have a port this time. I did three doses of radiation to shrink and to stop bleeding, and I haven't done much since. And the surgery, I actually got a call today saying that the scans that I did uh are looking good, but I'm not sure for when surgery is gonna start until about Monday. I have an appointment, so I'll find out then. But Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

And how are you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 12:31

I'm feeling pretty good actually.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

This chemo regimen I'm on is a lot better than the last one. Okay, which kind of confuses me because I was at stage three and I'm suffering more than when I was, or I was suffering more at stage three than when I am at stage four, which is kind of weird to me. But this chemo, I'm I'm whooping its buttons of it, whooping mine. Good. Yeah. Um, but I'm I'm feeling I'm feeling healthy, like healthier than what I have.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

And what about your mindset this time?

SPEAKER_00 12:57

It's a lot stronger, but that's because I have a lot of faith, and now I'm like, oh, I'm making plans for when I'm done with this. I still want to be a firefighter, so I'm kind of more determined. I'm more like faith-bound and I kind of see a path.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Yeah, and it sounds like you have a good support system too around you.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

My family's the biggest support system, like probably the best. Yeah, I was pretty lucky with that.

SPEAKER_02 13:20

Yeah, that's amazing. How are they doing with all of it?

SPEAKER_00 13:23

They're devastated, probably more than I am, honestly, because I can't imagine what it's like uh having a kid and getting probably the worst news of your life. Yeah. In my eyes, I feel like, oh, my life was wasted because I didn't really get started. But in their eyes, I feel like it's everything they've done led up to this moment, so I feel like it they feel at fault, even though it's not necessarily anyone's fault because that was healthy. You know, I was fed good and it could be in like a number of things, but for them it's it's probably like just as rough as it is for me. Uh I don't ask enough, I probably should. To be honest, I think a lot on your mind. Yeah, they're doing just as good as I am, I think. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

I just want to say you mentioned something about wasted your life. When I saw that video you posted, it just it really spoke to me and it was really powerful. And I look forward to you being a firefighter, but I just want to say up to this point, like you're already impacting people. I'm sure other people have watched that and you've made a difference in other lives. So I hope you know that.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

Yeah, that that was actually my main goal. So I want to start a uh a nonprofit. So I was like, Well, I can't really start a nonprofit at this moment in my life, so I might as well do something that can help towards it. So that's why I started the podcast uh the podcast. Yeah, I've gotten a lot of comments of how the people have decided to go get a colonoscopy and how they've been putting it off, or similar uh situations with their lives. They said I've already helped them, which I'm yeah, like super happy for. I believe that all the support comments and all like them saying what they've been through also like helps me. So I'm I'm really glad I'm seeing all this.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

I could see that. Yeah, and I think when is the standard age people are post supposed to get colonoscopy? Is it 45?

SPEAKER_00 15:04

It's yeah, yeah, it's in their 40s. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

How do you feel about that after what you've been going through?

SPEAKER_00 15:11

For like statistically, I see why it made sense for 45, but I'm starting to because of this cancer being on the like colon cancer being on the rise, and I feel like a lot of it could be processed foods, uh, and that's all Americans eat now. I feel like absurd, but I feel like 18. Since it's on the rise, you know, like mine could have been caught at 18, and they have no idea. They said I it's could have been gr it could have been growing for eight years.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

Yeah, and it doesn't run in your family, you said. So it was just out of the blue.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I think 18 colonoscopy should be at least recommended.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

What else would you say to anyone else that's listening just about what you've been through, you know, and what you would recommend people do?

SPEAKER_00 15:49

I recommend, you know, staying off seed oils because seed oils are really bad for you, but it's in everything, so it's really difficult. But there are multiple like other food places that you can go besides you know that seed oil. Watch what you eat, I would say that's all I can really say because there's sources linking calling tangent from everything, like construction or the food, or military bases, or the water source. It's it could be more like lots of things.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Yeah. Okay, so I was gonna ask you, you mentioned your faith in the beginning. You were a little angry, now it's really strong for you. Were there moments where you felt like your faith was really being tested just going through this all?

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Yeah, I actually think the reason why I'm stage four right now is because I wanted to prove that I was strong enough to do this without God. Even though I was getting religious, I wanted to kind of prove to him. Yeah. Now the way I look at it is this is like the real test part. I don't think he gave me stage four, but I think he is allowing me to fight this again because he wants me to allow him in my life more, like let him kind of fight with me. Yeah. So I think that's like a lesson I'm being taught right now. Okay. So that's kind of why I'm getting more faithful.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

What would you say to someone out there, whether it's cancer or something else, just going through a really low point in their life? What would you say to them to encourage them and help them get through it?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

I say one more day. So when I kind of accepted death, I wasn't kind of like in my own life, but I was kind of like, oh, it could happen at any time. So I'll just go one more day, and then the next day would come and be like one more day. So all I can really suggest is tell yourself one more day. Yeah. And if you went through the hardest part in your life, then tomorrow could be easier. So that's that's all I can really suggest.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Yeah, that's good advice. I know you mentioned you accepted death. Did the people around you, your support group or doctors, did you share that with anyone, or was that something you kept private?

SPEAKER_00 17:53

It was something I kept private. It definitely showed I wouldn't eat or drink, not because I didn't want to, but because I just had no urge for it. And being in that mindset, it kind of just prevented me from even wanting to. So I'd go, I would go like two weeks without a sip of water.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Until like it was like forced down, like they would like sit there and right watch me drink. It was it's because of that cold sensitivity, it would like really hurt.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

So I I didn't really say I accepted it to people until now because now I'm more open about what's been going on with my mental life.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

And that has to be a shock for some people, yeah, to hear it.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

It was because looking at me, you were like, Oh, that's the happiest guy that's ever lived until I got sick, and then it was like, Whoa, he really he's really changed.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

Mm-hmm. So obviously you've changed, gone through something horrible, but is there anything positive do you think that you've changed going through this?

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Yeah, my my perception on life, and of course the faith, uh, my perception on life was more like I was ignorant, like I did not know how bad people's lives could really be. I took stuff for granted. So now I'm able to like look at back at like what I had and what I have now, and I'm like, wow, I'm even at stage four, my life's not in shambles. And I'm still happy. If anything, I'm more patient and I am more determined in my life than ever.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Thank you for listening to part one of this conversation. Next week, we'll continue the story in part two. Here's a preview of what's to come.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

I'm not saying you will get better because not everyone can, but there are ways to cope with the news because of me like you know, like accepting death now. I'm really like keen to looking at like suicide prevention stuff. Just because I knew how I felt. Yeah. So I don't I just walk in and like, oh, there's no per like that's not a permanent lifestyle. There's solutions besides a permanent solution.

SPEAKER_02 19:52

That's it for this episode of Unspoken Lives. If today's story moved you, inspired you, or made you reflect on your own journey, hit that subscribe button so you don't miss the next powerful conversation. I'm always on the lookout for new guests. If you know someone with a story that deserves to be shared, I'd love to hear from you. Check the show notes for contact details, and make sure to follow along on social media at Unspoken Lives Podcast. Until next time, keep listening, keep sharing, and remember, every life has a story worth telling.