“It didn’t become the absolute central focus,” she said. “When we celebrate together, we are able to have some really good moments.”
Calihan, 72, was in Letcher County, Kentucky with his brothers on July 1, 2023 when he spat up blood. He said he “didn’t expect a lot of it,” but the next day it got worse, so he drove the four-plus hours home to see his doctor. At first, they thought it could be some type of respiratory issue, but as they were doing tests, they found a mass in his left lung. He never smoked, he said.
After more tests, they found it to be sizable, about eight centimeters by three centimeters. But before they could start treatments, doctors needed more information. After a few unsuccessful attempts at a biopsy of the mass at Kettering Health, Calihan went to the Cleveland Clinic, which had to send samples to California to figure out exactly what was going on.
It took three months before Calihan could start treatments, and by that time, he said they weren’t sure how much was tumor and how much was inflammation. His first treatment of immunotherapy through a port in his chest came in November 2023.
By March 2024, the tumor decreased by about half, and it doesn’t take much coaxing for Calihan to find a reason to celebrate. It was a milestone accomplishment, and he and his family and friends had a few drinks at the American Legion.
“It was a good reason to celebrate,” he said.
As the family sits this Thanksgiving holiday weekend to give thanks for another year for the man known as Clay, Dad and Poppy, they continue to celebrate as the tumor is still shrinking, though it may not completely go away.
They can do surgery, but that requires the removal of the entire left lung.
“Basically the doctor, Dr. (Arun) Sendilnathan, he’s my oncologist, the last thing he said to me is that you’ll probably do this the rest of your life, unless it completely goes away,” Calihan said.
True to his “calm demeanor,” Calihan said while he doesn’t want his lung removed, “if I have to, I will.”
Calihan is thankful for his support group, a battalion of family members blended between his direct relations and the family of his life partner, Stephanie Lentz. They’ve been together 32 years, and she calls him “my wingman.”
Those first treatments, she recalled, “hit him hard” and “knocked the wind out of his sail.”
Calihan spoke with the Journal-News at Kettering Health Hamilton, and his family showed up to support him.
“This is who I give thanks for every day,” he said, motioning to his family and mentioning kids who are in various corners of the world, like New York, Illinois, Amsterdam and The Netherlands.
Abby Bianchini, 18, is one of his platoon of grandchildren, and she described it as “a shot to the heart because he’s our grandpa and he’s just the light of every room that you walk into.”
“You walk into his house, you’re going to be greeted with a hug and a kiss, and just know that no matter how rough life gets you’re safe down at Poppy’s house,” she said.
It was hard to watch as a grandchild because “you’re watching your parents franticly trying to figure out everything and make sure they’re doing the best for him,” she said.
Derek Calihan said his dad “is a cherished member of the family, and we’re blessed to have him.” The treatments aren’t just working on reducing the size of the mass, they’re working on him, Derek said.
“I think he’s a little more optimistic,” he said, comparing this weekend to last Thanksgiving. “You definitely can tell there’s a renewed spirit regarding it. To be honest, I think he resigned himself to a certain fate at some point, and now he’s seeing it from a different perspective.”
Those early months were hard on the family, said daughter Shawna Lindsey.
“He’s been one of my biggest supporters, and I feel if I didn’t have him around, I don’t think I’d be able where I am,” she said.
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