C-G grad Raebel faces battle vs. cancer

As a two-time all-American linebacker at Wisconsin-Whitewater, AJ Raebel was very familiar with the chatter on NCAA Division III football message boards.

"They're debating all year long," said Raebel, a Cary-Grove graduate who helped the Warhawks win their first national title as a senior in 2007. "They're always debating about which team is better or which team is overrated."

In the past few weeks, the message boards still have been a busy place, but for a much different reason.

Raebel, who now lives in Janesville, Wis., with his girlfriend, Lissa Robinson, has been the subject of dozens of messages from across the country as he battles testicular cancer.

On Monday, the 24-year-old Raebel will start nine weeks of chemotherapy at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview.

"The D-III community is such a tight family," he said. "For everybody to look at my situation (and come together), it's been really wonderful. It's been nothing short of amazing."

As word of Raebel's condition has spread, support has blossomed online. A Facebook group called "Cure 33" started by his former college teammate, Justin Beaver, has zipped to more than 400 members since it began Jan. 9. 

"Everybody wants to help," Beaver said. "And I know AJ would step forward if any of us needed help."

Dozens of messages also have been posted on a Web page Raebel has started on CaringBridge.org.

"There are a lot of people out there showing their care and concern," Raebel said. "I really appreciate it. When things do get hard, it'll be nice to go back and read those messages again and know who has my back."

First Signs

In March, Raebel said he noticed a lump on his left testicle. As time passed, it got larger.

Raebel said that in August, he noticed a pain that rose up into his stomach. 

He saw a doctor, who prescribed antibiotics, but his condition went unchanged.

Conversations with his brother, Travis, an orthopedic physician's assistant at Glenbrook Hospital, led Raebel to believe it was something serious.

"(Travis) had the knowledge to know what it probably was," Raebel said.

When he went in for an ultrasound on Nov. 11, Raebel could tell the news wasn't good.

"I asked the nurse if she noticed anything," Raebel said. But the nurse urged Raebel to discuss the results with his doctor later in the day. After receiving a cancer diagnosis from his doctor, Raebel had his left testicle surgically removed that evening.

Doctors since have told Raebel he has a particularly aggressive form of cancer and that he has a tumor on the lymph nodes located behind his intestines.

Instead of removing his lymph nodes -- a surgery that Raebel said would require an incision "from sternum to pelvis" -- doctors decided to begin chemotherapy, then see if the cancer has spread. Raebel said there is a chance the disease may already have spread to his liver, lungs or brain.

"This last week has been a little bit sobering," Raebel said. "It's the big buildup (to chemotherapy). When it finally starts, I think it'll be kind of a relief."

After three three-week rounds of chemotherapy, Raebel said body scans and blood tests will determine how successful the treatments were.

"Hopefully, this will kill it," Raebel said.

Common Thread

Paul Plinske became UW-Whitewater's athletic director in 2004.

For parts of 2002 and 2003, he endured chemotherapy treatments. 

After he heard about Raebel's condition, Plinske told many people around Whitewater what few knew -- he is a testicular cancer survivor.

"When I got here, I didn't really think it mattered," said Plinske, who has teamed up with Beaver and the Cure 33 group. "I don't wish this (disease) on anyone. But I had always hoped that my experience could be used to help somone. When I heard AJ was going through this, I just felt so compelled to reach out to him."

The more he learned about Raebel's health, the more Plinske saw the similarities with his own situation.

"It's amazing," Plinske said. "I realized all the stuff I had gone through -- from the surgery to the type of chemotherapy and even to the type of chemotherapy drug they're going to be prescribing -- it was the same stuff I did."

The two are in regular contact by phone and text message, and Plinske's experiences have helped Raebel understand the process better.

"He's been an incredible resource," Raebel said.

The support Raebel has received already is something Plinske doesn't expect to diminish.

"People want to ride this with him and see it through to the end," he said. 

The Road Ahead

For four years, Beaver saw plenty of Raebel, the school's all-time leading tackler, every day in practice.

"Me being a running back and him playing linebacker, we went up against each other a lot in one-one drills," said Beaver, who finished his career as Whitewater's all-time leading rusher. "One thing that stands out about AJ is how much of a fighter he is."

Beaver said the same traits he saw from his teammate in college will be helpful during his recovery.

"He's accomplished a lot, and I think this is going to be another thing that he can check off of his list of things he's conquered," Beaver said.

As he has spent most of the past week responding to online messages, Raebel has been encouraged by the overwhelming support while also being hopeful about his future.

"I think everybody around me is treating this almost like a farewell and, 'We'll see you in a few months,' " Raebel said. "I don't want anybody to treat me differently."

Much like the thick head of red hair and full beard he sported in college, Raebel's sense of humor has been a constant throughout the past few months, from sharing jokes with friends and family members to posting funny videos on his Facebook page.

"I take everything seriously, but nothing too seriously," Raebel said. "I have literally shed one tear. That was when I was waiting that three hours to see the doctor (on Nov. 11). I can't say I'm worried about it. I don't think I'm going to die."

How To Help

Here are some ways to help Cary-Grove grad AJ Raebel during his fight with testicular cancer:

Donate: A fund has been set up in support of Raebel at Commercial Bank in Whitewater, Wis. Checks can be made payable to AJ Raebel/Cure 33 and sent to Commercial Bank-Whitewater, c/o AJ Raebel/Cure 33, 200 S. Fremont St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Suggested donation amounts are $33, $133, $233, etc., in honor of Raebel, who wore No. 33 in college.

Volunteer: Raebel's friends and many former college teammates are accepting ideas and seeking volunteers for future fundraisers through the Facebook group "Cure 33."

Lend Your Voice: Join the Facebook group "Cure 33" and post a comment, or leave a message of support on the Caring Bridge Web site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/ajraebel.

Barry Bottino writes a column and a blog on local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.