FDIC Education Director David Rhodes and Fire Department of New York Lieutenant Michael Ciampo appeared together during Thursday’s Opening Ceremony.
David Rhodes: The mask! It’s our lifeline. It allows us to go places that no other person can go. If you condition yourself correctly and train adequately, this mask becomes a part of you. You are comfortable in it to the point that you don’t even think about having it on.
We are told to “wear your mask” on pretty much everything–vehicle fires, structure fires, unknown odors, gas leaks. Some are even recommending that the members pumping the rigs wear them.
Last April during this show, I noticed a small red bump on my cheek between my jaw and chin, right where the seal of my face piece fits. It was significant enough to avoid cutting it off shaving, but I didn’t think much of it. Over the next couple of months, it was noticeable one week and not so noticeable the next. Even if it wasn’t red, it felt like a small half of a BB under the skin. It had to be an ingrown facial hair. I had a few of those over the years.
Over the summer, I noticed a couple of larger dark spots on my arms and a couple on my face. I thought they were probably just big freckles, but I am always looking for these dark spots and watching them like I have been told to do. My annual dermatologist visit was already on the books for September 1st. During the exam, I pointed out all the darker spots that I had noticed and the doctor quickly dismissed each of them. That’s nothing, nope that’s nothing, nothing to worry about with those. What are they then? Some call them age spots. Great! I’m old now.
As the exam was wrapping up, the doc had already looked me over. Seeing nothing suspicious, she asked one last time: “Are there any other spots or anything that you are concerned about?”
“Oh yeah, I have this ingrown hair right here. Is there anything I can do to get this thing out? It won’t go away.”
“Let me look. How long has it been there?”
“Since March or April.”
“I need to biopsy that.”
“Biopsy? It’s red!”
“Yeah, I don’t like it,” she said.
The next morning, the world got the news that Jimmy Buffett had passed away. By the time the sun set, we had learned that he had died from skin cancer. Great, I thought!
10 days later while in California, I got the call: “Mr. Rhodes, your biopsy came back positive for SKWAY-MUS SEL Carcinoma, and we need to get you scheduled for surgery. Can you come in tomorrow? If not, it will be November before we can get you in.:
I couldn’t make it back that quickly, so I took the November date and asked to be put on a waiting list for cancellations.
Not really knowing anything about the types and seriousness of any of the skin cancers, my mind raced. I couldn’t remember exactly what she said on the phone, but I googled Jimmy Buffett and saw the term Myrkle Cell. No, I didn’t think that was it. I told the group I was with that night and, to my surprise, out of the 10 of us, more than half had had similar and few had had much worse types of skin cancer removed–some multiple times. “Ok, I’m going to survive,” I thought.
I got it removed in October thanks to a cancellation. I know now it’s very common and rarely fatal and in the grand scheme of what is out there, it’s barely worthy of any attention. But what if I hadn’t gone to the dermatologist? Is it coincidence that it formed where my face piece seal fits? Is it related to firefighting? I don’t know. The doctors don’t know. The fact is, no one knows.
Last year, I signed up for the National Fire Registry on this stage, not knowing I had skin cancer. Post diagnosis and surgery, my case information was automatically grabbed through the public health reporting system. I didn’t have to do anything. In fact, since I know Kenny so well, I called him and asked him if he wanted my files. Nope, we will get it, he said.
I may not even be around when the questions are answered about why I had skin cancer in that particular spot. But being part of the system may help answer that question and lead to changes for someone who has not even started recruit school yet. Don’t hide behind any kind of mask. Don’t put off or be afraid to get checked. Trust me, you do want to know and you want to know as early as possible.
Michael Ciampo: Hello, I’m Mike Ciampo, a lieutenant in the FDNY. The mask! It’s my lifeline. It allowed me to go places that no firefighter should have had to go. If you condition yourself correctly, train adequately, and wear the other mask, you probably won’t need this one. You won’t be comfortable in it while you are strapped to the table, and you will never get used to it.
I have 38 years on the job, and I was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. I was having severe issues with smoke and irritants at fires, and afterward it gave me chronic laryngitis. I was nervous because it hurt and lasted for days afterward. I didn’t want to pretend it would just go away, so I sought medical attention. Having a throat scope, sonogram, and then multiple needle biopsies revealed the cancer. I was prescribed a regiment of 33 days of radiation and 6 weeks of chemotherapy.
When I went for my first chemo treatment, the nurse said to me, “I’m going to start a line.” When I first heard these words, my mind drifted. How many times throughout my career had I heard “Start a line” (pause) and here I was sitting in a hospital, about to get an IV line to put harsh chemicals in my body, (pause) certainly not the line I was used to.
This simple moment caused me to think back at my career and think about what I would do differently if I could do it all over again. One of the things I certainly would do is wear my mask more. I don’t have to tell you how important this is. If you’re on this job, you see it and hear it every day. The number of firefighters who are getting sick and dying from cancer is unbelievable. (pause)
As much as you hear about others getting sick, how much do you do to protect yourself? Do you keep just doing things the way you always have and think it won’t happen to you? Or are you constantly trying to do more to protect yourself? Everyone thinks it won’t be them. But I can tell you, when the doctor looks you straight in the eye and tells you that you have cancer, it hits you right in the gut, your mind will be racing in all sorts of directions, and you will without a doubt think about your long career and what you could have done differently.
Wash up quickly after a job and wear your mask. It may save your life and prevent you from joining another brother and sisterhood–one you certainly don’t want to: the cancer society.
For those registered for the network, I applaud you. For those who haven’t registered, please do. We are the generation that can provide valuable information and documentation for those firefighters who will follow us in this great profession.
Rhodes: We are both standing up to support cancer research and the National Firefighter Registry
Ciampo: If you have been diagnosed or know a firefighter diagnosed or lost to cancer, please stand up to remember, reflect and support them. (pause) Remember, no one fights alone!
