BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Local teenager Houston Lucas, who began his battle with large-cell lymphoma on April 27, has recently had his cancer declared in remission by his doctors, he said.
"I am relieved, very relieved," Lucas said.
Lucas had a total of six chemotherapy treatments, the last one on Aug. 20. He said that physically he feels fine and his hair is starting to grow back.
Lucas, who wore his hair shoulder-length before the chemo treatments, may decide to let his hair grow long again, depending on what job he is able to get. He is looking for a local job until he is cleared by his doctors next July to go into the U.S. Air Force, he said.
Lucas said going through chemotherapy was not pleasant, but it was not as bad as he heard from other people that it would be. He said his doctors worked wonders at keeping some of the nasty side effects at bay.
"It definitely wasn't a pleasant experience but it was tolerable," he said.
Lucas said he was amazed by the community support he and his family received while he was battling the cancer. Many people around the community pitched in.
A bingo fundraiser was held May 15 and Battle Mountain High School English and drama teacher Jacqueline Lindsey shaved her head in June in a salute to Lucas' battle.
"(It was) just overwhelming and (I am) thankful for everyone that has put in and for everyone's prayers," said Lucas.
"It's a miracle," said his mom, Kim (Gandolfo) Lucas. "Everybody's prayers, it was just unbelievable all the people who stepped forward. His doctor (Dr. Sowjanya Reganti, of Alpine Hematology-Oncology, in Reno) was fantastic."
Lucas's father is Jim Lucas. His sister is TedDee Lucas and his nephew is Jayzen Lucas. Lucas was born in Elko and raised in Battle Mountain. He is a 2011 graduate of Battle Mountain High School.
His hobbies are skateboarding, playing drums, computer programming, reading math and physics literature and solving Rubik's cubes and other puzzles, he said.
Just prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Lucas had passed his physical to go into the U.S. Air Force, which he is still planning to do as soon as he gets the go-ahead from his doctors. His long-term goals are to retire from the U.S. Air Force with a doctorate in physics and/or math and become a teacher or college professor, he said.
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