'It's scary': Veteran CBC broadcaster Tom Roberts talks about battle with cancer
It's been a tough year for Tom Roberts.
In February, the veteran CBC Saskatchewan radio host started feeling pain in his abdomen. He went into the doctor in La Ronge, and after several tests, was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
"It was scary, because I didn't know anything about cancer," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen to me, and to try and figure those things out; what to do, what kind of cancer, how bad is the cancer."
Eventually, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his prostate. That led to months of chemotherapy and travelling to Saskatoon and Prince Albert for treatment.
"At times, it's frustrating," he said. "(I thought) why am I doing this? I keep going back and forth. I'm tired. I've had enough of this. But I kept persistent."
Two weeks ago, surgeons removed two tumors and believe the prognosis is good.
"It was a long surgery," he said. "I feel good, I feel fine...But I wonder, what if I didn't do all that stuff? What if I just quit? My friend, I don't think I'd be here."
Spreading the word
Now, Roberts wants to make sure more people in northern Saskatchewan get treated for cancer. He says many people in the north are hesitant to travel to Prince Albert and Saskatoon for treatment.
"What my people have to understand is cancer can be beaten," he said. "If you get tested, if they detect cancer, get treatment. Don't run away. You can't run away from cancer."
Roberts said many people in the north, especially elderly people, believe cancer is automatically fatal.
"The cancer word, to a lot of my people, it's a death sentence," he said. "Cancer--oh, I'm going to die. No, you're not going to die. There is treatment available.'
Having lived through months of cancer treatment, he admits it can be intimidating. However, he said he's living proof that's just not true.
"It is intimidating," he said. "But the nurses and doctors here are the finest."
Tom Roberts spent 27 years as an announcer and host for CBC radio in La Ronge, and was the host for Keewatin Country for many years.
