Poison drummer Rikki Rockett faced a daunting challenge as he battled cancer: the potential loss of his tongue. After chemotherapy and radiation failed to halt the disease, Rockett began recording messages for his young children so they could preserve the memory of his voice. Rockett shared with Fox News Digital that he wanted his kids to hear his advice and understand the essence of who he was.
During treatment, Rockett’s weight dropped to 161 pounds, and the prospect of losing his tongue left him fearing an imminent end. He explained that he would likely have required a feeding tube and doubted his survival. While some people endure such procedures and live for years afterward, Rockett was skeptical about his own chances.
The musician’s memoir, “Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison,” narrates his journey to fame during the extravagant ’80s and his intense health struggles. In 2015, Rockett noticed persistent sore throats in his family and himself. While others recovered with antibiotics, Rockett’s symptoms persisted, leading to a doctor’s discovery of something suspicious in his throat.
Rockett was diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer, affecting the base of his tongue. Prior to diagnosis, he suffered from a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes for over a month. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments were unsuccessful, prompting discussions of tongue removal.
Rockett, terrified of the odds, sought experimental treatment at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, which involved pembrolizumab and epacadostat. Remarkably, Rockett was declared free of throat cancer in July 2016, though the journey remained taxing.
At one point, Rockett’s tongue swelled enough to alarm him. However, subsequent scans showed significant progress. His first PET scan revealed 90% of the cancer was gone, and by the second, it had vanished entirely.
Despite the success, Rockett’s health challenges did not end there. He later developed chronic myeloid leukemia, characterized by a genetic abnormality known as the Philadelphia chromosome. The hematologist assured Rockett of the treatability of this type of cancer, easing his concerns.
Reflecting on the experience, Rockett credits his medical team for saving his life, though he continues to cope with side effects of treatment. Despite these challenges, he has been cancer-free for a decade and focuses on the moments he gets to share with his children.
Rockett remains active and committed to his music. He anticipates that his memoir will inspire readers to persevere through adversity. For him, beating cancer meant gaining precious time, particularly with his children, and he cherishes every moment.