He has made a living fighting with Tampa Bay sports fans. Now he is in the fight of his life.
For Steve Duemig, the longtime afternoon drive host at WDAE 620-AM and the dean of sports-talk radio in Tampa Bay, this isn't about some caller in St. Pete or Brandon, arguing about what's wrong with the Rays or how many games the Bucs are going to win.
This is the most formidable opponent of all.
"It's something you don't want to hear: cancer," Duemig said. "It gets pretty scary. But you put your faith in the doctors and the oncologists and the radiologists and you just go from there. But how scary is it? Very. It's very scary."
In his first interview since the diagnosis, Duemig talked about the night he nearly died, the stunning diagnosis and his arduous road to recovery.
It started on Feb. 4 at his Clearwater home. He was getting ready to watch the third period of the Lightning-Ducks game. The next thing he remembers is waking up three days later in intensive care and he couldn't move the right side of his body.
He soon learned why. He had a brain tumor.
Duemig, 62, was diagnosed with an astro cytoplasmic tumor. The original prognosis was grim, but Duemig says his outlook is encouraging. He just completed six weeks of intense radiation and chemotherapy treatment designed by Duke University. On May 22, Duemig will return to Duke to see how effective the treatment has been.
"I've got many years left," Duemig said. "It's the kind of cancer that's contained. If they shrink it, it gives you years. This isn't the worst kind. It's a Stage 2 cancer. I guess you could it's not a bad kind of cancer."
Duemig laughs as he says that.
"It's not like there's a good kind of cancer," Duemig said. "But this could have been worse."
What's so odd to Duemig is that, for the most part, he feels okay. He has regained full motion in his body. He has lost 33 pounds, but the side effects of the treatment haven't been too bad. No nausea. No hair loss. Just fatigue.
As far as going back on the air someday?
"Absolutely," Duemig said. "That's my plan."
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