Cancer-Free Olczyk Gearing Up for Busy Spring

Former National Hockey League player and horse racing broadcaster Eddie Olczyk is celebrating a huge victory in his life having won his battle with colon cancer.

The 51-year-old learned a few days ago via a scan that the cancer is gone, ending a health scare that began last July when he was diagnosed with the disease. Although the scan was supposed to take place in early April, it had to be done ahead of time because Olczyk had to undergo hernia surgery. He had been told it was not uncommon to develop a hernia because of the surgery, which was five hours long.

“It was quite the battle through the whole process of the surgery with the tumor and then I developed a blood clot in treatment three [of 12] and then I get done with the treatments and then I have the hernia surgery,” he said from Florida, where he is taking a “celebration holiday” with his wife, Diana. “It's been a lot going on, but it's over, it's in the rear-view mirror. I'm just very lucky. I feel relieved. I'm pretty much [beginning] the rest of my life. That's the way I'm looking at it. After everything was done [with the surgery], they felt very confident they got it all, but they didn't know if there was anything in the birthing stage that they couldn't see. They just recommended with the size of the tumor and the seven lymph nodes that were tainted that the right method to treat it would be to take the six months of hell and trade that in for 50 more years.

“I had every belief after the surgery in July that they felt like they got it all, but they weren't sure so that's why we went through [the treatments]. When my wife and I met with Dr. Mary Mulcahy, the lead oncologist at Northwestern, for the first time we sat with her for 45-50 minutes going over the chemo and the schedule and what's going to take place. I probably only heard two or three sentences what she said because you're thinking about everything other than what's going on in the current moment, but she kind of got my attention saying, 'Eddie, I'm here to cure you, not treat you.' Out of that meeting, that was the only thing I remembered.”

He is scheduled to have a final meeting with Dr. Mulcahy sometime in April and then he will undergo a checkup every three months for two years.

Olczyk laughed when asked if the last seven months were like a blur.

“I've got to laugh now because I think I just cried myself, worried myself, questioned myself and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “You go through such an emotional roller coaster, and not only the patient but the caretaker, family and friends. Honestly, it seemed like it was forever. I can remember just laying in the basement sometimes and looking at the clock and saying, 'Man, it's the middle of November. How am I going to get to the middle of February?' What seemed like days were 48 hours, but I'm lucky. I'm lucky for the support. I'm lucky I had the team of doctors that I did.

“I'd like to think I was a pretty good patient. I'm going to put this as far away from the rearview mirror and continue to fight the fight for other people that are going through it or will go through it and just share my message. I don't want to be overbearing. This is always going to be with me the rest of my life, and that's okay because my goal has always been to help one person either fight it or stay away from it; prevent them having to go through what I did.

“My oncologist said 'If you had had a colonoscopy when you were 45, we probably would have kept you away from going through chemo treatment.' If I can help one person stay away from it absolutely 110% I want to do it because it's hell on you and everybody in your circle. I'm going to continue to spread the word and make sure people are looking after themselves. That's kind of been my mission and will continue to be.

“I've had hundreds and hundreds of people tell me they've gone in to see a doctor about having a colonoscopy or they are convincing their father or their mother, and that makes you feel good and I hope that continues.”

He will slowly get back into his NBC broadcasting duties, which are about to rump up with the upcoming National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoffs and coverage of the races leading up to the Triple Crown. He plans to be in attendance in California for the Santa Anita Derby.

“I'm slowly getting back into my schedule, but once it comes playoff time, it's full steam ahead,” he said. “I've been very lucky with my bosses. John McDonough, the President of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Sam Flood of NBC Sports told me to make my own work schedule. You feel like you are letting everybody down. I take pride in working and doing what I do and what I love to do, so I'm very thankful that they would be so accommodating in checking up on me all the time. When you work for people like that–the Wirtz family in Chicago and NBC– I'm lucky in a lot of ways.”

He is looking forward to the Santa Anita Derby and the likelihood of a match race between Bolt D'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and McKinzie (Street Sense).

“The rematch will be interesting,” he said. “Oldtime hockey fans would have appreciated the San Felipe race because there was a lot of clutching and grabbing, bumping and grinding. I did not agree with the disqualification of McKinzie and not because I was on McKinzie. I just thought there were multiple infractions on both sides. That will be for my opinion on the broadcast. I hope we have a field of 10 or 11, but that's highly unlikely.”

He is reserving picking a Derby winner at this point or even offering an opinion.

“Right now I could make a case for six or seven, but it seems like Justify (Scat Daddy) has all the makings,” he said. “Whether he's ready for the Derby or not, this is a horse that you're going to be looking at in July and August for the Travers and the Breeders' Cup. He's a very, very young horse and going against the grain and the numbers say what it is and we understand he never raced as a 2-year-old. If anybody could [get this type of horse to the Derby], certainly a guy like Bob Baffert can. Time will tell, but that is the one horse that kind of sits out there. Chad Brown's Good Magic (Curlin), he probably needed the [GII Fountain Of Youth S.] race off of the [GI] Breeders' Cup Juvenile. We know that he can run a large race like he did last year in the big race.”

Olczyk is picking a Stanley Cup final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators, which he had publicly predicted at the start of the season.

“As far as picking who's going to win, I stopped doing that a long time ago,” he said. “The sleeper team is Winnipeg, which is really on the come. They are right there and have had a great year. Boston has emerged as a real dangerous team with all the moves and the young players they have. But I'll stay with Nashville and Tampa.

“I'll go to Oldsmar for some simulcasting if Tampa is in the finals. I can drive over to Kentucky Downs when I'm in Nashville if that ends up being the case. Everything is built around if there is live horse racing whatever city I'm in.”