Justin’s story: finding cancer support in Medicine Hat

Living with cancer at age 40, Justin Schmierer was immensely happy when he arrived back home to Medicine Hat after weeks of treatment in Calgary, just in time to attend the first in-person Wellspring program being offered in his hometown.

“I had been taking Wellspring programs online, and while this kind of support is convenient and helpful, I am an extrovert, and an extremely social person. In-person groups help my mental health much more. Having Cancer Connect in my hometown was something I had been waiting for,” said Justin.

Life Interrupted

Justin’s cancer journey began in early 2024 when he was diagnosed with Stage 3, non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“I had lost a bunch of weight – around 60 pounds in six months, and I was feeling really tired, but I have diabetes, so I thought it was related to that. Plus, I had started a new job as a baker for Save On Foods, and my shifts started at 5 am every day, so that was throwing me off in lots of ways,” said Justin.

After receiving his cancer diagnosis, Justin was taken by air ambulance from Medicine Hat to Calgary, where he would undergo biopsies, tests, and scans. When results indicated that his type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Justin was told it is aggressive but treatable.

“I was surprisingly not overly emotional when they told me it was cancer – I was like ‘Okay, what do we need to do to get rid of it!’” said Justin. “But it started to sink in when I was by myself in the Peter Lougheed hospital for 16 days. Most of my family and all of my friends live in Medicine Hat. I felt totally alone and very isolated.”

Justin’s father had passed away due to complications from diabetes four years earlier, and his mother has health issues and finds driving difficult. He is not overly close with his brother, and his friends all work. While his roommate made the trip to visit him once, the six-hour return trip proved to be a lot for an hour-long visit. To cope, Justin found himself walking dozens of laps in the hospital halls, sometimes over 10 kilometres, and connecting with people by phone.

“I was so lonely; I can’t even tell you. I was calling all my friends and family all the time. What I didn’t realize is that my very old cell phone had a very old plan attached to it that didn’t include long distance, so I came home to a $2,000 cell phone bill,” said Justin, adding that after a long emotional appeal to his phone company, he managed to get it reduced to $300.

The Treatment Tunnel

The months that followed were difficult for Justin, especially since his cancer proved to be resistant to the six rounds of chemo that were mostly administered at the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre in Medicine Hat.

While the next consideration was a stem cell transplant, doctors chose instead to try a more innovative approach to Justin’s type of blood cancer; an immunotherapy called CAR T-cell therapy. In the fall of that year, Justin returned to Calgary for treatment, but this time his closest friend joined him for the two-week stay in the hospital, and a second two-week stay in a hotel close to the Foothills Medical Centre.

“It was a lot better having my best friend Devon there with me. I’ve known him for 15 years and there is no one I trust more. Devon has been there for all the biggest hardships in my life. He’s a rock,” said Justin.

After spending roughly five weeks in Calgary for his CAR T-cell treatment and observation, Justin found it difficult to adjust from being surrounded by people 24/7 (nurses, doctors, or his caregiver/best friend), to being alone most days and still dealing with all of the side effects.

“Every day I suffer with unbelievable fatigue, and often many other things too; sometimes it’s constipation, sometimes it’s diarrhea, sometimes it’s a neuropathy flare-up. Cancer really isolates you from others,” said Justin.

Hope Ahead

In February 2025, Justin’s best friend Devon moved in with him, to help support him and be close by as needed. Around that time, Justin received scan results indicating that CAR T-cell therapy was not getting positive results – some of his cancer was still growing. This line of treatment was then discontinued, and Justin was offered what the doctors felt was their last resort.

Justin’s doctors told him they had one more treatment to try. “They said if this doesn’t work, they basically have nothing else, and I could have weeks or months if that’s the case,” said Justin.

Three months into this new treatment, as he prepared for the scan that would determine the outcome of his life, Justin adopted a brave and hopeful attitude.

“My main strategy is to hope for the best, but also prepare for the worst. I try not to dwell on the negative and spiral. Instead, I want to fill my life with meaningful things, like spending time with people I care about, and doing things I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

Less than a week later, his scan showed positive results.

“It’s good news. My current treatment is working!” he said in April. “I will be receiving this treatment for at least a year, but it has now changed to every other week rather than every week, and in September it will go to once a month.”

Backward and Forward

When Justin was first diagnosed, he was referred to a mental health coordinator in his doctor’s office, who suggested he look into joining Wellspring Alberta. Immediately he accessed the Peer Support program, as well as Supportive Conversations, Men’s Group, and eventually Cancer Connect – Wellspring’s in-person program offered in his hometown of Medicine Hat.

“Between the depression, the anxiety, the frustration, and a feeling of isolation, I was not doing well mentally before Wellspring. Talking to others who know what I’m going through has vastly improved my mental health,” he said, adding, “I only wish these programs were offered more often and that I could attend more of them in person.”

Now, with treatment keeping cancer at bay, Justin shares his desire to move forward with optimism, and his appreciation for the network of care that continues to sustain him.

“I’ve been blessed with a phenomenal medical team – locally in Medicine Hat, in Lethbridge, and in Calgary. The doctors, nurses, oncologists, hematologist … Everyone I’ve worked with has been wonderful, especially my family doctor.

“If there is a silver lining to having cancer – it’s all the amazing medical staff and people I’ve met at Wellspring and other support networks … so many lovely and wonderful people. I only wish I had met them all under better circumstances,” he adds with a laugh.