{"id":26889,"date":"2019-10-08T13:15:07","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T19:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=26889"},"modified":"2022-09-08T13:10:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T19:10:36","slug":"saddling-up-after-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/saddling-up-after-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Saddling up after a rare blood cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack during a recent cattle drive at his parents’ ranch near Gillette, Wyoming. Photos by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Support ‘Light the Night’<\/a><\/h2>\n

What:<\/strong> The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society\u2019s ‘Light the Night’ event<\/a> raises funds for cancer research and cures and honors those touched by blood cancers.<\/p>\n

When:<\/strong> Thursday, September 22, 7:15 p.m.<\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Washington Park, 910 S Franklin St., Denver.<\/p>\n

How you can help:<\/strong> Join the UCHealth team<\/a> and register today to donate funds, join the celebration and partparticipate in the one-mile ‘Light the Night’ walk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The sun has just risen at the Kissack ranch in Wyoming and Nathan, 31, is drinking coffee out of a big John Wayne mug.<\/p>\n

As he takes a few sips, a famous John Wayne saying appears a little below the rim on the inside of the mug: \u201cCourage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quote perfectly sums up the last year of Nathan\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Last July, blood cancer hit the young man out of the blue, just when he was back home working with his parents on their cattle ranch. There was no history of the disease in his family. And, Nathan had been in the best shape of his life as he trained to climb the highest peak in South America, Aconcagua.<\/p>\n

Then, he was pretty sure he was dying.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Rancher Nathan Kissack has always loved John Wayne. Since being diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma last summer, Nathan has drawn inspiration from the John Wayne quote in his mug: “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nathan had to gather up his courage and saddle up day after day: first at the hospital in Gillette near his home when one of his lungs collapsed, then as he endured dozens of chemotherapy treatments over 100 days at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a>, where he was transferred. The hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a> is one of only a handful of places in the Rocky Mountain region where Nathan could get treatments for his rare type<\/a> of blood cancer: T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.<\/p>\n

There were dark times. One week, the brutal cocktail of medications he needed was especially bad and he suffered torturous headaches. All Nathan could do was darken the blinds in his room, ignore his phone and listen to ESPN in the background, in hopes of finding a little distraction.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan with his dog Nightlinger before he lost all his hair due to chemotherapy for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Photo courtesy of Nathan Kissack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were wonderful moments too. Someone dropped off an unsigned card at the Kissacks\u2019 house in Wyoming. It had 10 $100 bills tucked inside of a note thanking the family for always having been so kind to others. Friends and family rushed to Nathan\u2019s side. They made posters and sent photos and cards that he hung on the walls of his room. Nathan long had had a crush on one friend named Julia Popish.<\/p>\n

Julia was finishing up her rotations for a demanding veterinary degree in Fort Collins at Colorado State University. Still, she found time again and again to visit her friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat first night, she crawled into the hospital bed with me, which was way nice. You\u2019re just so scared and pretty alone at night with your own thoughts,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cShe was crazy busy, but she came and saw me more than 10 times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack with his friend, Julia Popish in April of 2019. His hair and eyebrows still had not grown back after dozens of rounds of chemotherapy to treat T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Photo courtesy of Nathan Kissack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To keep himself going during the worst times, Nathan thought about getting back home to the ranch and climbing mountains again.<\/p>\n

He also looked forward to every visit from Julia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had liked her for such a long time, but timing was never our thing. She had a boyfriend and I had a girlfriend when we first met,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, if you\u2019re going to get cancer, you might as well use it as a wingman,\u201d Nathan says with a big grin.<\/p>\n

Home on the ranch after battling T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What a difference a year makes.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack is cancer free and back home in Wyoming, working with his folks on their cattle ranch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On a warm fall afternoon, Nathan is literally saddling up. He and his folks, Bart and Kathy Kissack, need to move over 100 head of cattle to a pasture with fresh grass. It\u2019s been a remarkable summer, complete with unprecedented rains. The pond on this part of the ranch is brimming with water, creating a haven for birds. The cows are good and fat. Some would be just as happy staying right where they are, thank you very much. But it\u2019s time to move them to a new pasture.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack keeps calves moving as he and his folks move cattle from one pasture to another.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You city slickers no doubt have heard the line from the old cowboy song, \u201cGit along little dogies.\u201d That\u2019s Nathan\u2019s job on this cattle drive: to keep the little calves, born in the spring, moving along with their mamas and the others.<\/p>\n

Nathan looks perfectly at home back in the saddle and back home in Wyoming. He\u2019s riding a gentle, 18-year-old quarter horse named Dixie, while his mom and dad, each riding four-wheelers, speed ahead to open gates and work the sides, keeping the cattle together and moving.<\/p>\n

Waist-high prairie grass waves in the breeze. Tall trees are rare here. They stand sentinel over ranch houses and otherwise, this is the land of wide-open vistas with far more antelope than people. Nearby, perfectly pointy buttes rise up every so often. They look like a preschooler\u2019s drawing of mountains, evenly spaced and not too tall.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan helps his parents drive cattle to a new pasture. His job is to keep the stragglers moving with the others.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nathan is in his element.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to work with my dad every day,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Later, his dad\u2019s eyes tear up as he gazes at his son proudly.<\/p>\n

Nathan enjoys driving cattle, mending fences and \u201cdoctoring\u201d cattle when they\u2019re sick. In particular, he loves calving season from February through April, even though it means tending to pregnant cows in temperatures that can plunge to 30 below. Night after night, he loses sleep, but gets to witness quiet miracles.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack poses at sunrise with his dad and mom, Bart and Kathy Kissack, at their ranch near Gillette, Wyoming. The entire community rallied to support the Kissacks when Nathan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma out of the blue last summer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI love bringing a new life into the world,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cThe heifers, the first-time mamas, are the toughest. They\u2019ll get confused sometimes and can kill their own calves.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the cows are close to delivering, Nathan and his folks bring them into the barn overnight. An untended newborn calf could die in minutes in the harsh Wyoming weather.<\/p>\n

If a cow is having trouble birthing her calf, Nathan sometimes pulls the little one out and puts the calf in a warmer. And, if a cow isn\u2019t letting her calf suckle right away, Nathan uses a tube feeder to put milk straight into the hungry calf\u2019s belly.<\/p>\n

A rancher\u2019s grit<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nathan enjoys nursing animals. Needing to be nursed himself was a whole different matter.<\/p>\n

He had been haying with his dad last summer when he decided to see a chiropractor buddy about pain in his back. He figured he had just strained it while doing the manual labor that is part of every day life on the ranch.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack tends cattle. Rising up behind him are the buttes near his parents’ ranch in Wyoming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The news was bad. An X-ray showed a large tumor right in the middle of Nathan\u2019s chest. The friend sent him straight to the ER. Doctors in Gillette knew Nathan had cancer, but weren\u2019t sure at first which kind.<\/p>\n

Within days, Nathan\u2019s lung had collapsed and he had clots in his lungs and left arm. His body swelled with fluid. The quick decline was scary and shocking. Nathan\u2019s doctors consulted with experts at UCHealth and transferred him to University of Colorado Hospital.<\/p>\n

\"An
Antelope outnumber people in Wyoming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s when Nathan learned he had a relatively rare type of blood cancer that often strikes children and young adults. Doctors don\u2019t know exactly what causes T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. And, while experts have made dramatic gains in treating some types of blood cancer, they don\u2019t have any new treatment options for Nathan\u2019s type: just heavy doses of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

Even so, Nathan\u2019s age, fitness and fierce determination proved powerful.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince he\u2019s young and physically fit, we could use the toughest chemotherapy regimen for him,\u201d said Dr. Bradley Haverkos<\/a>, Nathan\u2019s cancer specialist and an assistant professor<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. \u201cWhen older people get this cancer, the prospects are much worse because they can\u2019t get the same chemotherapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Dr. Bradley Haverkos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nathan initially tolerated the intense regimen well. It got harder later, which Haverkos said is typical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cumulative effects of the chemotherapy can build up and wear you down,\u201d Haverkos said.<\/p>\n

Midway through Nathan\u2019s hospital stay, doctors were able to give him the great news that his cancer already had disappeared. There had only been a 50\/50 chance of trouncing it so fast, but Nathan got the best possible results.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no signs of cancer anywhere,\u201d said Haverkos, adding that long-term remission is a good possibility.<\/p>\n

Danielle McAvoy was one of Nathan\u2019s nurses. She met him the day he arrived in Aurora. His dark brown hair hung well below his shoulders. In the winter, along with long hair, he wore a full, thick beard to stay warmer on the ranch. But Nathan knew the chemotherapy he needed was going to rob him of all his hair. So, he asked McAvoy for shears and enlisted his mom to cut off all his hair and donate it to a nonprofit called Wigs for Kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nathan said he\u2019s a \u201crip the Band-aid off \u201c kind of person. During his treatment, he had to endure 10 spinal taps. Instead of delaying them, he had the nurses get them over with as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Danielle McAvoy was one of the nurses who cared for Nathan Kissack during his 100-day hospital stay last year. She saw him through tough times and now he’s strong enough to lift her up. The two reconnected last month at Light the Night in Denver’s Washington Park. The event celebrates cancer survivors and supports the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Photo by Krystyna Biassou for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cYeah, that grit comes from ranching,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

McAvoy supported Nathan through the worst of times. Despite the hardships and humiliations \u2013 like having company in the bathroom when he was at risk of falling \u2013 McAvoy said Nathan kept everyone on his hospital floor entertained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had the best attitude of anyone I\u2019ve ever seen and it made such a difference,\u201d she said. \u201cHe had a really great support system, which is crucial for all of our patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan deliberately avoided reading online about T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma so he wouldn\u2019t spook himself. Instead, he focused on the future and chatted his nurses\u2019 ears off about Julia.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was absolutely smitten and it was adorable,\u201d McAvoy said.<\/p>\n

Lessons in perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Along with crushing on Julia, Nathan frequently thought about escaping his hospital room and getting back outside.<\/p>\n

On the ranch, he\u2019s out in the elements all the time. Some of the work isn\u2019t any fun. Haying, in particular, gets monotonous. But, he loves being outside on quiet mornings. In good weather, the meadowlarks are singing. Or, Nathan tunes in to podcasts or some of his favorite music. Years ago, he was in a hardcore band. But, he also loves country music.<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack’s dog, Nightlinger, accompanies him on the ranch and on mountain climbing trips.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On rare days off, Nathan has been getting more and more into mountain climbing.<\/p>\n

In June of 2018, weeks before his cancer diagnosis, Nathan and a buddy had climbed Cloud Peak. It\u2019s a rigorous, 12-mile one-way journey to the summit of Wyoming\u2019s fourth tallest peak.<\/p>\n

And, that\u2019s if you do it the easy way. Nathan and his friend, Clark Van Hosier, inadvertently did it the hard way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were lost and cold and frustrated. We had no snowshoes and were post-holing into snow up to our thighs. It hailed on us three times,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

Still, they made it. With detours, Nathan figures they did about 30 miles altogether. The view from the summit down to ice blue, glacier-fed lakes was incredible.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack loves John Wayne and has a tattoo of the famous actor on his left foot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trip also gave Nathan one of the great lessons he has learned over the past year: perspective.<\/p>\n

As he told Clark, \u201cNo matter what happens, I don\u2019t think anything is ever going to be that hard again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, think again. He had no idea that cancer was lurking around the corner and that the treatments would be brutal at times. Still, on his worst days, Nathan thought about going back to Cloud Peak and perhaps someday climbing the world\u2019s tallest peaks like Aconcagua in Argentina and Kilimanjaro in Africa.<\/p>\n

Reaching the summit again<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nathan finally got to leave the hospital at the end of October, exactly 100 days after he arrived. McAvoy and other providers on the blood cancer unit gave Nathan a special sendoff, linking their hands high in the air and creating a tunnel for him to triumphantly pass through \u2013 just like parents do for little kids at soccer games.<\/p>\n

While Nathan\u2019s prognosis is excellent, he still needed intensive chemotherapy through April. He could do that in Gillette for five days every three weeks. Over the long term, he\u2019ll need easier rounds of chemo once a month for at least two more years.<\/p>\n

Even with all those chemo treatments, Nathan was feeling well enough by summer to set his sights on Cloud Peak again. He planned the trip for mid-July, on the anniversary of his cancer diagnosis. His friend, Clark, came along again as did another friend, Whitney Gunderson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, we were going to do it right,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cWe had more food. It was way warmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the morning when they planned to hike to the summit, Nathan and his friends put on headlamps and headed out from their camp at 4 a.m. They wanted to make it to the top by 10 a.m., before the thunderstorms rolled in. Nathan\u2019s friends put him in the lead so he could set the pace. His dog, Nightlinger, who is named after a character in a John Wayne movie, walked by Nathan\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

Just before Nathan reached the summit, Whitney looked up and saw her friend on a beautiful rocky outcropping with the sun rising behind him and Nightlinger at his side. She snapped a photo that encapsulated Nathan\u2019s joy in being able to climb again so soon after his cancer struggles.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack climbed Cloud Peak, one of Wyoming’s tallest mountains, a year after his T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma diagnosis. Photo courtesy of Whitney Gunderson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt felt so good. It was really rewarding. Then, we went back to Buffalo (Wyo.) and had three cheeseburgers and a beer,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

Back when he had been in the hospital, Nathan\u2019s mom remembered doctors and nurses telling her son that he would soon be climbing mountains again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was going through all these complications, and in the back of my mind, I was thinking, \u2018don\u2019t give him false hopes,\u2019\u201d Kathy Kissack said.<\/p>\n

But sure enough, Nathan\u2019s team had been right.<\/p>\n

His mom watched proudly as her son battled back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really admired his grit and determination,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Nathan impressed his doctors too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s so ambitious and he\u2019s out there living life,\u201d Haverkos said. \u201cThat\u2019s part of the reason he\u2019s done as well as he has. Not everyone gets through all the chemo and climbs mountains. He\u2019s gotten back to his life pretty quickly. He\u2019s definitely a model.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018As long as I felt I was needed, I settled in\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gradually, as Nathan recovered, he started to feel like himself again. He had made it back to Wyoming. He had climbed Cloud Peak.<\/p>\n

He and Julia remained friends and kept getting closer during marathon Facetime sessions.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack in Wyoming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of Nathan\u2019s goals was to get fit, both so he could feel healthy again, and so he could impress Julia the next time he saw her.<\/p>\n

Months in bed had robbed him of his muscle tone, then steroids had sent his weight ricocheting all over the place, up to about 189 at one point from his regular 155.<\/p>\n

Every morning, when he felt well enough, Nathan got up at 4:30 and met buddies in Gillette when the gym doors opened at 5 a.m. so he could work out before working on the ranch.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Kissack was determined to get fit after T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma forced into in the hospital for 100 days and his body swelled from steroids. Photo courtesy of Nathan Kissack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When his his immune system was down due to courses of chemo, he wore a mask and still worked out hard. One day, he pushed himself too much and passed out. Another time, he dropped a barbell on his face. Neither incident stopped him. Nathan just assigned friends to keep an eye on him in case he got woozy and fainted again.<\/p>\n

Julia, meanwhile, had graduated from vet school and was considering job offers far from Wyoming. She\u2019s originally from Casper and had met Nathan when she was tending bar at a restaurant in Laramie. Each was dating someone else at the time, but they kept in touch and a strong friendship developed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was just this hilarious character with long hair and zero filter. We had a similar sense of humor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

They hadn\u2019t talked for a couple of months when Nathan called Julia last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey doc, why don\u2019t you give me a call,\u201d he said on a message, using one of his favorite nicknames for her.<\/p>\n

Cancer scares some people. Julia didn\u2019t flinch. She\u2019s the daughter and granddaughter of veterinarians. Medical challenges for furry patients had been part of her life every day.\u00a0 She was used to being a rock for friends. And, coincidentally, when Nathan was going through his health ordeal, Julia happened to be doing oncology rounds. \u00a0It turns out that there are similarities between cancer in dogs and cancer in people. What\u2019s more, empathy seems to come naturally to medical pros who care for animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur patients can\u2019t tell us what\u2019s going on with them,\u201d Julia said. \u201cAnd my education had exposed me to emotionally taxing situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visiting Nathan in the hospital helped Julia get away from the hard work at school. She showed up, crawled into his hospital bed and brought lighthearted banter with her.<\/p>\n

While Nathan was crushing hard on her, Julia was still in friend mode. She gave him a break from talking about cancer, while privately researching his illness and encouraging him to ask important questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as I felt needed, I settled in,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect us to become more than good friends. It was all silly and goofy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Summer brought rain and tall grass to Wyoming as Nathan Kissack’s friend, Julia Popish was getting used to a new job in California.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then the summer rolled around. Back when Nathan was in the hospital, he leaned on Julia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a human connection in its purest form,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n

Then, after graduation, Julia moved to San Diego to start her first job in early July. Suddenly, the tables had turned and Julia found herself leaning more on Nathan. She was in a new city, with a new job and knew almost no one in California.<\/p>\n

Nathan wanted to be one of her first Wyoming friends to visit.<\/p>\n

\u2018Maybe cancer\u2019s been good for you\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nathan\u2019s hair was starting to grow back. He was getting eyebrows and facial hair again. And he was posting photos of his buff body on Instagram.<\/p>\n

Julia, meanwhile, was starting to think of her friend in a new light.<\/p>\n

\u201cI finally took a step back from the relationship and looked at what I would want in a partner: someone you could go through the ups and downs of life with and still manage to have a sense of humor,\u201d she said. \u201cThe dude broke me down with all these compliments over three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
Nathan Kissack and Julia Popish. Photo courtesy of Nathan Kissack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maybe their timing was about to be perfect for a change.<\/p>\n

Nathan has two younger brothers, Jake and Levi. After the worst of the cancer ordeal, Levi said something funny, but true: \u201cMaybe cancer\u2019s been good for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan immediately agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty flippant with things before. It took me a long time to grow up. I always had to learn the hard way,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Nathan and Julia started discussing a change in their relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore cancer, Nathan had a crush,\u201d Julia said. \u201cCancer basically erased that relationship and a new, raw authentic connection developed, from which something more could grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Nathan was ready to travel several hundred miles and speak his mind. Julia, in turn, was ready to give their romance a shot.<\/p>\n

He flew to San Diego in August to celebrate Julia\u2019s 27th<\/sup> birthday with her in person. The year before, he\u2019d had to make due with a call from the hospital.<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s flight landed around 5:30 p.m. He thought Julia would be working and that he\u2019d meet her later at her apartment. But, things were looking up when she met him at the airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe picked me up. She fooled me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nathan didn\u2019t arrive with any grand gestures. He just spoke from the heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told her that she\u2019s really cool and I wanted to take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julia agreed. And they went on to have a wonderful official first date, enjoying tacos, then live music at a punk club. Julia wore one of Nathan\u2019s tee shirts from a favorite band: As I Lay Dying. The gesture was sweet. And there was a bonus. Nathan wasn\u2019t laying in a hospital feeling like he was dying anymore.<\/p>\n

The next day over coffee, Julia and Nathan reveled in the normalcy of their relationship. Yes, in a way, everything had changed. But, in reality nothing had. They were still very good friends, who could laugh and talk and be 100% real with one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, you\u2019re the dating version of yourself,\u201d said Julia. \u201cI\u2019d rather have a best friend, then move into a relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of her friends wondered if she was afraid to date someone who had coped with cancer.<\/p>\n

Nah, she told them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe already went through the worst parts,\u201d she said. \u201cIf anything else ever happens, we\u2019ll just be that much more prepared to handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adds Nathan: \u201cI don\u2019t have a lot of fear with anything now. My biggest fear now is regret.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rancher
A friendship blossomed into a romance. Nathan Kissack and Julia Popish went on their official first date when they celebrated Julia’s 27th birthday in San Diego, where she’s a veterinarian. Photo courtesy of Nathan Kissack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And so, with Julia\u2019s help, Nathan got a new tattoo to go with his many others, including one of John Wayne on his left foot.<\/p>\n

Julia designed the new one. It\u2019s an image of a mountain with the simple, powerful message: victors not victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always working toward beating this and not being a victim,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cEverything gets exponentially easier after cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plus, he and Julia are planning a future together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super weird,\u201d he says with huge grin. \u201cI\u2019m like a dog who caught my tail.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The sun has just risen at the Kissack ranch in Wyoming and Nathan, 31, is drinking coffee out of a big John Wayne mug. As he takes a few sips, a famous John Wayne saying appears a little below the rim on the inside of the mug: \u201cCourage is being scared to death, but saddling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":26900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1024,28,1497],"class_list":["post-26889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-blood-disorders-disease-care-hematology","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSaddling up after battling T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wyoming rancher Nathan Kissack battled T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2021. 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