Peabody resident Michael McFarland understands a thing or two about challenges. In 1968, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Vietnam almost immediately. During his year overseas, he was exposed to Agent Orange, a powerful defoliant believed to have harmed the health of many U.S. soldiers and Vietnamese citizens. Shortly after his discharge from the Army in the early 1970s, McFarland became a father for the first time, only to be thrust into the world of single parenthood three weeks after his son's birth. But none of these experiences could prepare him for one of the biggest challenges of his life—a diagnosis of throat cancer.

McFarland was no stranger to cancer when NSMC's Dr. Raymond Waitekus, an Internal Medicine physician, and NSMC otolaryngologist Dr. James Demetroulakos, told him he had throat cancer in September 2004. Thirteen years earlier, he had been successfully treated for large cell lymphoma at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. But for McFarland, throat cancer proved to be much more of a challenge.

After receiving 30 consecutive days of radiation treatment at the NSMC Cancer Center in Peabody, McFarland had to contend with a variety of side effects that are all-too-typical for throat cancer patients. He could hardly open his mouth, until a physical therapist at NSMC Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital helped him re-learn how to move his jaw. Working with a dietary therapist and dietitian, he learned to eat and drink again. Still, some side effects of his treatment remain. He has little to no saliva, which means that for every small bite of food he takes, he has to take a drink of milk or water. McFarland has also yet to regain his sense of taste.

In discussing his decision to seek treatment at NSMC’s Cancer Center in Peabody, McFarland cited its longstanding collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and affiliation with Dana-Farber as key factors. He also rattles off a string of superlatives when talking about his cancer team, particularly NSMC radiation oncologist Dr. Derek Chism (“He’s got a great bedside manner. He’s a straight shooter. He’s talented and gifted.”) and NSMC Cancer Center nurse clinician Cheryl Hemsey, RN, OCN (“She's absolutely wonderful. The number one sweetheart nurse of the year.”). “Every single person I dealt with [at the Cancer Center] was absolutely phenomenal,” he added.