Matt’s Cancer Journey

What would you do if you only had three months to live? What would you do if you only had one month to live? What would you do if you spent the last three years preparing to die, and then realized, it’s been three years and you’re still not dead? If you haven’t noticed, I’m still alive. […]

Two years ago, this month, I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic thyroid cancer. Without effective treatment, I was given about two months to live. Fortunately, I’ve never been very good at doing what I’m told. My days are hard and I’m always clinging to that edge, but for the moment, I’m still alive. And that’s something. […]

I did something today that I didn’t think was possible. I made it to 40 years old. And, in two days I get to see my daughter turn 12. 🙂 I know I haven’t written a blog post in quite a few months. But I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family. When I’m not […]

I mentioned in one of my last posts that I may have some good news to share. I’ve been feeling pretty good this past month and had a suspicion that this latest med change (Vandetanib) is working as an effective treatment. But, I needed to get my latest labs and scans before I could confirm anything. Well, […]

I want to let everyone know about a couple awesome things that are happening this week. It feels very uncomfortable to promote a fundraiser for myself (it just feels icky), but I also want to honor all of the work and effort that people are doing to help me. Even though I have my own emotional baggage […]

Whoa! Dramatic title… but true. Keeping everyone updated on my current health is becoming less and less of a priority. I don’t have the focus, energy, and where-with-all to summarize my decline. Not just an entertaining blog post like this one, but oftentimes sending a text or making a phone call to inform a family member of […]

Back in December (that was like 5 years ago, right?) I mentioned in one of my blog posts that I didn’t feel like I was fighting cancer. It felt more like cancer was dragging me wherever the hell it wanted. Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I no longer […]

Hi! I’m still alive. I’d like to thank my cousin for reminding me that many of you don’t know what’s going on in my world unless I post now and then. Not too much has changed for me. I’ve been on Lenvima for about a month now and it’s still a little too early to know if […]

Want to see my face? Well, you’re in luck. There is a 93% chance I’ll be doing a Zoom interview with Michael Miclon tonight as part of the Richard3 viewing party! 7pm Eastern (6pm Texas). If you don’t know what Richard3 is then just go here and find out. https://www.johnsonhall.org/event/richard3-viewing-party/ On with the news I’m still alive. […]

Ah Cometriq I’m going to miss you (no I won’t). Our time together has been full of fun and romance (fatigue and nausea). I’ll always remember the time we had (in the bathroom). I got labs a few weeks ago and the results were not so good. I got labs again last week to further confirm the […]

I’ve had a few friends and family reach out to me recently and ask how I’m doing. So I guess it’s time to post an update? My resistance to post more often is for a few different reasons. Some I’ve mentioned before. I have very low energy. It takes a lot for me to do anything besides […]

In this video, I answer all of your burning questions about living with cancer. And, more importantly, the great and powerful Anubis makes an appearance!

The new plan is the old plan This is a quick update to let y’all know how my doctor’s appointment went, yesterday. My doctor confirmed everything we already knew from the preliminary lab results. I’m stable-ish and still making some small positive progress. Which doesn’t sound that bad, but it’s really not great. As I’ve mentioned a […]

Good news. I was wrong. I thought for sure my cancer was getting worse and the Cometriq stopped working. Turns out, I was wrong. Mostly. This week I finally went in to get my labs and scans. I have to be honest, I was VERY nervous and felt all kinds of anxiety about going “out”. I usually […]

In this video, I talk about our new “shelter in place” order and what that means to someone like me, who can’t just put life on hold.

BTW! – Check out my brother’s cool video streams on Facebook and Youtube! (Forgot to mention that in my video! :P)

Hey, y’all. What’s new? I’ve had a few people check on me to make sure I’m OK in the wake of the Candelabra Virus. Yep. Still here. With my lowered immune system I’m one of those “at risk” people. Me and the old people (no offense old people). But actually, not much has changed for me. I’ve […]

Just a quick update to share an article that a friend of mine wrote for the Bangor Daily News. If you’ve ever had questions about how I got started in this crazy life of performing and cancer, he’s got all the answers. 🙂 Thank you, Troy! My favorite quotes from the article. “When they asked me, I […]

As I mentioned in my last post, the side effects of the Cometriq were getting pretty bad. My doctor had me stop for a few days and then resumed the Cometriq but at a lower dose. The hope was that the medication would still be effective (keeping me alive) but the side-effects less severe. Well, we were […]

Hey, feet. I haven’t thought about you in a while. Over the last couple of weeks, I started feeling some strange pain in my feet. I actually thought it was because of my new-ish shoes or maybe my socks were rubbing in a weird way. It almost felt like blisters, but I couldn’t see any redness. I […]

Spidey sense activated I have a tingle that the cancer is coming back. In late December I had a strong “feeling” that the Cometriq was working, and then about two weeks later we learned that, yes indeed, it was working. Well, I hope I’m wrong this time because I have a “feeling” that the cancer is growing […]

Hi, how are you? I’m doing ok. I feel like crap, but I’m not dying. I had an appointment with my doctor people today. The cancer is still retreating. Which is good. But my day to day still sucks. I’m fatigued, dizzy, and nauseated almost all the time. And, unless I’m on a constant dose of Oxy, […]

Honestly, I just haven’t been feeling like writing a lot lately. I still want to keep everyone updated, but I may be posting a little less until I’m feeling more inspired. Thank you all for reading and your love vibes. We met with my doctors yesterday and went over all of the next steps in my treatment […]

The Cometriq is working. The cancer is receding. When I shared the news with friends and family, everyone was so excited and happy. I was happy, too. Or maybe, I wanted to be happy? Part of the reason my last post was so short is that I didn’t want to stand in the way of some good […]

I have some astonishing news for you! The Cometriq is working! The results of the latest CT Scans are in, and things look promising! There has been a decrease in the size of some of the affected lymph nodes and my thyroid. Also, spots in the lungs are looking less suspicious. Overall, lots of positive indicators that […]

**UPDATE – CT Scan was rescheduled for tomorrow (Jan 10th)** I wanted to give a quick update on how my appointment went yesterday. This was my first appointment since I started Cometriq. Unfortunately, it’s still too early to tell if it is working, so not much to report on that end. I thought that maybe some of […]

I just got home from a week-long trip to Maine. I grew up in Maine and love so many things about it, and so many of the people that live there. Although, for some reason, Maine has never really felt like home. I’m very happy to be back in Austin, Texas. Which has felt like home since […]

Not much to report, but I thought I’d give a quick update now that I am one week into taking the Cometriq. So far it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I’m definitely feeling more tired, a lot achier and a little dizzier, but nothing extreme. I kept imagining myself taking the medicine and […]

I finally got my results back from the RET mutation test. This test determines if my cancer has a common mutation that would qualify me to get into a clinical trial and access to the most-bestest meds. Once again, my cancer decides to follow its own path and go against the odds. I do not have the […]

Just a quick update with some much-needed positive news. I got my genetic test results back to find out if my Medullary Thyroid Cancer originated genetically. The good news – my cancer is NOT genetic! My cancer formed spontaneously. Basically, some jerk pulled my name from a hat and said, “and thyroid cancer goes to… Matt Tardy!” […]

Needless to say, my last post was a bit heavy. One of the biggest reasons I write this blog is that I can organize my own thoughts and process everything that is happening. I’ve gone back and reread my last post about 10 times, because it just doesn’t seem real… again, a character in a movie. But […]

I often reflect on my newly upended life as if I’m watching a movie and the main character has cancer… “Oh, this is the part where we find out he has cancer!” … “Then we find out it’s some super rare cancer and he can’t pay his bills” … “Now he’s reconnecting with long lost friends and […]

Just a quick update with some positive news. There are a number of possible reasons why I’ve been experiencing chronic pain in my upper body for years, and how it might relate to my thyroid cancer. One of my biggest fears was that cancer had formed lesions in my bones. Well folks, after some recent tests I […]

I’m writing a post on Thanksgiving morning and it feels more than a little cheesy. Am I that blogger that uses every holiday or current event to dramatically illustrate a point and tug at your heartstrings? Please, no. And yet, here I am. And believe it or not, it was not Thanksgiving that inspired me at all. […]

I’ve been told many times that you can do anything you set your mind to. Mind over matter. What you think becomes your reality. Cabbage is cupcakes as long as you truly believe it in your heart… I think there is truth in all of those things…yes, all of them! And I also believe in something else: […]

Today I’m feeling surprisingly optimistic. If you read my post yesterday, then you know how frustrated I’ve been feeling about getting the specialized care I need at a price I can afford (stupid medicare commercials have infiltrated my brain). I’m happy to say that through a miracle of opportunities, and the relentless digging by some very dear […]

This is a post I’ve been avoiding but also seems necessary because it has been such a huge part of this process. This is also a post that I am REALLY GLAD that nobody can comment on because opinions run hot, and I don’t feel like having to back-up any of my opinions with facts. ;P My […]

First an update on how I’m feeling. My spirits have been pretty good. And my health seems to waiver every day. I’ll wake up feeling great and then an hour later feel like garbage. Sometimes the reverse. Chronic pain in my neck, shoulders, chest. Feeling nauseated, and almost like I have the flu. The lightheadedness is still […]

MRI of brain w/wo contrast.Results: Normal-ish Trying to track down the source of ongoing dizziness and lightheadedness. It started a few months back and I attributed it to weening off psych meds. In the last few weeks it has gotten increasingly worse. Some days I can’t drive or perform normal activity. It could be a lot of […]

One of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my life is telling my family that I have cancer. Calling my Mom and Dad. Talking with my kids. I had an overwhelming urge to protect everyone from my diagnosis. Because it does affect everyone. Cancer has a way of sending ripples of anxiety, sadness, fear, […]

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! ENT called with pathology results from the larger lymph node removed from my neck. Diagnosis: Medullary Thyroid Cancer. MTC for the cool kids in the know. A rare form of thyroid cancer. It can be aggressive and difficult to treat. My ENT recommended that I see a specialist because […]

Pretty straight-forward. Just day surgery, but the first “real” surgery of my life. I was excited. Fasted, got up early, and went in to surgery around 10am-ish. Josephine was with me every step of the way. She was, however, disappointed they didn’t let her eat junior mints and observe the surgery. ;D One of my favorite moments […]

I went in for a PET scan early in the morning. I felt pretty sure I had cancer but didn’t know where it was coming from. I even told a few close friends and family. Which is completely surreal. I was really hoping I would have to call them back and say, “Hey, just kidding. It wasn’t […]

After meeting with my PCP I was able to get an appointment with ENT for the very next day about the lump (lymph node) in my neck. After just a few moments the ENT said, “I don’t like this”. My ENT tells it straight. And for some that might not be what you want from a doctor, […]

I started feeling little lumps around my neck. If you feel your “normal” neck right now, you’ll probably feel all kinds of little bumps, veins, gribbly bits. So at first, I didn’t think much of it. But after a few weeks, I noticed that one of the bumps was turning into a lump. A lump is a […]

In yet another effort to track down the source of my chronic pain, I decided it might be time to ween myself off of some of the meds I had been taking. A few doctors recommended I give this a try. I was on a nice cocktail of things including Paxil, Seroquel, and Lamictal. Paxil for almost […]

For the past 3 years, I’ve been struggling with chronic pain in my body. Mostly emanating from the area around my right shoulder blade, but also a pain in collar bone area, spine, shoulders. And then random bits of pain in my knees, wrists, hands, feet. I’ve had many doctors’ appointments and tests. Including MRI, Xray, blood […]

So, apparently, I have cancer. On Thursday, November 7th, 2019 I was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called Medullary Thyroid Cancer. As my doctor said, “This is a very interesting case, and this is a time when being interesting is not a good thing”. For my sanity, this blog is a one-way flow of […]