In November 2016, ONE LIFE TO LIVE alum Eddie Alderson announced on social media that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was beginning treatment. Here, the actor talks about his cancer battle and how he’s doing now.
Soap Opera Digest: Let’s go back to 2016. What made you take that initial trip to the doctor?
Eddie Alderson: I had been working out and had lost some weight. I figured it was because I had been eating better and going to the gym. I started getting night sweats a lot. It wasn’t every night, but it was pretty often. I started noticing that my heart was racing pretty fast. It would even be when I was just there watching TV. I ended up going to a cardiologist. He wanted me to get a chest X-ray and see what was going on. He [also] wanted me to go to Fox Chase Cancer Center to get a PET scan. That is when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Digest: What were your initial thoughts when you were first diagnosed?
Alderson: It was literally the last thing you ever think is going on. It is not like I was feeling sick or anything like that. I was with my mom, my dad and my sister [when I found out]. [The doctor] showed us the X-ray and said, “That shade right there is cancer.” The second you hear that word, it is hard to describe, kind of like the world just freezes. It is weird, I wasn’t too emotional about it. I just kind of sat there and everything went quiet. My initial thought was, “Okay, let’s just get on it. Let’s just do what we’ve got to do.” I haven’t really been too emotional. I have really tried to keep positive, with the help of my family and my girlfriend, Sylwia, who have just been unbelievable.
Digest: Did seeing your reaction to the news help your family deal with the diagnosis?
Alderson: I think so. My mom is a very emotional person, but seeing the way I have handled it has absolutely helped. She has been incredibly strong. To be honest, I didn’t know how she would be through all of this, just because she is so in love with my sister and me. More so than for myself, I have tried to maintain my strength for them. I don’t want it to affect our lives so much. But they have been so strong. I am sure [my mom] has her moments. We all have our moments. Kristen [Alderson, ex-Starr, OLTL et al] was there for every single treatment with me, making sure I was happy. We’d listen to music and watch FAMILY GUY, and she has been such an amazing sister and my best friend.
Digest: What were your treatment options and how long did it take to start chemo from when you were diagnosed?
Alderson: I was diagnosed on November 14 [2016] and I was admitted to the hospital that day. I didn’t start the chemo immediately but I started on steroids and fluids around the clock. They wanted to do a biopsy and confirm what it was. A couple of weeks after that, I started chemo. I was doing it through Fox Chase Cancer Center. I would get it every other Friday for a couple of hours. I would go in, then have a week off. I reacted really well to it. I wasn’t sick [and] I didn’t lose any of my hair. I did the treatment that they have been doing since the ’80s or ’90s [called] ABVD. I did that for six months. Then they waited 6-8 weeks after that to do another scan. After I did the scan, there was still some residual cancer in my body. This time around, I had to start stronger chemo and I would be staying in the hospital for a few days at a time. It is three days in the hospital: Thursday/Friday/Saturday, check out Sunday, with chemo lasting for four hours.
Digest: Did you ever have thoughts of, “Why me?”
Alderson: It is not necessarily, “Why me?” It is just that you don’t think it is going to be you. You read about it online, you hear about someone having it and going, “Oh, my God that is terrible. That is so tragic.” It doesn’t truly connect with you because it hasn’t touched your life. Until it is yourself or someone you are extremely close with, you don’t really understand the magnitude of it. Probably the thing that is the most insane about all of this is going into the hospital for chemo. You see how many people are affected by it. I have actually changed my major in college to nursing. I want to have a backup plan just in case acting doesn’t work out. In going through this, it has made me want to help people. I am supposed to start that in the fall.
Digest: Have you been in touch with Kassie DePaiva (Eve, DAYS; ex-Blair, OLTL, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in July 2016 and is now in remission) since your diagnosis?
Alderson: Yeah, she has been unbelievable throughout all of this. She calls me and texts me all the time. If I have questions, I text her. She is cancer-free right now and she is doing amazing. What she went through was insane. She is a strong warrior. She texts me encouraging advice and cheers me on.
Digest: You mentioned your girlfriend, Sylwia. When did you meet and how has she helped you on your cancer journey?
Alderson: We met through mutual friends in college. August 5 was our one-year anniversary. We had been friends for almost a year before we became girlfriend and boyfriend. My family has been incredible, but I really think having her by my side has honestly saved me. Three months into our relationship, I was diagnosed. There are a lot of people out there who wouldn’t know how to deal with that or wouldn’t know what to do. There are some people who would shy away from it or even run away. I tell her all of the time that I owe my life to her.
Digest: If the negative thoughts start to creep in, what do you do to keep them out?
Alderson: There are definitely moments. It sounds odd, but during the day, I have been fine. When I was first diagnosed, nighttime was rough. Sometimes when you are in your room alone at night and you are falling asleep, it is hard.
Digest: Have you kept in touch with any of your former co-stars?
Alderson: I talk to Bob [Woods, ex-Bo, who played his father] almost every other day. I actually got up to see him two days after I finished my original [round of] chemo. I went up to his house in upstate New York for a few days. So many cast members have reached out and have been so supportive. It has just been great. We are still great friends with Brittany Underwood [ex-Langston]. She lives out in L.A. now. We lived out there [too] but moved away. Nic Robuck [ex-James] is still out there. We keep in close touch with them. Not everybody gets together all of the time and we may not see each other every day but we keep in touch through Facebook and Twitter. I am hoping for a big reunion someday soon.
Digest: What has the fan support meant to you during this journey and what would you like to say to them?
Alderson: The tweets that I get … it’s truly unbelievable. Everyone has been so supportive sharing their stories with me. It is the most beautiful thing in the world, that they feel comfortable telling me about their journeys. I have gotten pictures of them while they were getting their chemo, or of their kids getting chemo. In a way it is almost a fraternity that you feel you are a part of. Until you have it, you don’t truly understand. That is what keeps me going, honestly. It truly does have an impact and it makes you feel so much better.
Digest: Do you have any plans to act again once you’re able to?
Alderson: I was very close to getting a Netflix series when I was diagnosed. I haven’t been able to audition for many projects, and I can’t really commit to being away for 5-6 months to film. I am not giving it up. Once I am better and doing well, I am still going to go after it and still going to chase it. At this point, I am doing treatments and spending time with family and friends. I have really taken up golf. That is my passion at the moment. It is a sport that I can still play. I play tennis, I hang out on the beach, go out on my uncle’s boat and all of that stuff. It has been really great. I haven’t let [the cancer] affect my life or take over my life. I just haven’t allowed it to take up the space in my mind. I am not going to let it win.
