Transcript generated from the episode’s audio. Speaker names are identified from the context of the conversation rather than from recorded speaker data, and automatic transcription may misspell names and terminology. Please refer to the video for the authoritative version.

David Raubach: I want to thank you for joining us on today’s episode of The Cancer Project podcast. We’re really privileged to have Karl Peters with us today. He is a recent graduate of the Oklahoma Proton Center and has really been very generous giving back to the staff here. He arranged to have lunch brought in, a delicious barbecue lunch, I’ve got to say, a few weeks ago and fed the entire clinical team here at the Proton Center and has just been a really neat guy to get to know and we’re excited to talk to him about his journey and also talk to him about playing football for the University of Oklahoma back in the 1980s. So, Karl, thank you for joining us.

Karl Peters: A pleasure to be here.

David Raubach: Yeah, have you done a podcast before?

Karl Peters: I have not. Just interviews.

David Raubach: Oh, of course, yeah. Yeah.

Karl Peters: Yeah, just newspaper interviews, basically.

David Raubach: Okay, got it, got it. And so you grew up in Pauls Valley and I asked you this earlier. I said, “Remind me you have four brothers.” And you kind of chuckled and were like, “Yeah, I do, but I have a few more as well.”

Karl Peters: Yes.

David Raubach: So tell me about your family and this reunion that you just had.

Karl Peters: Oh, yes. Well, yeah, there’s a total of. My mom and dad had 14 kids.

David Raubach: Yeah, wow.

Karl Peters: So we and I enjoyed the big family. But to tell you a story though, before I was born, with I’m number 13. So my parents lived next door to my grandparents. But with the eight, 10 kids, they lived in a one-room house.

David Raubach: Oh, wow. Yeah. Wow.

Karl Peters: How they made it, they did.

David Raubach: And you came along, you’re number 13.

Karl Peters: I’m number 13. I came along and they, I guess they decided they better move into a bigger house.

David Raubach: Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Karl Peters: So they moved into a three-bedroom at the three-bedroom, yeah, but still was, that was still pretty small.

David Raubach: Yeah, 13 and then 14 kids, so. So how many were sharing a bedroom with you? Like you, do you remember?

Karl Peters: Kid, as far as I could remember, it was mainly the boys.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: So there was, like say, there’s seven boys, so I had two of them that’s probably already out of the house at the time that I was born cuz like I say there is. So we had a lot of bunk beds, I’ll put it that way.

David Raubach: And you, and so your bro, so you had all older brothers?

Karl Peters: All, yeah. I have no brothers younger than myself.

David Raubach: Okay, yeah. So you have six older brothers. And what did you guys do growing up? What are, what are, like, some of your core memories? What did you get, what kind of trouble did you guys get into?

Karl Peters: We, you know, the main part was that the fondest memory is playing football on the side of the house. Back in the day, you used to think that the place that we played was like a big field or something. And it was probably a old 6 ft wide.

David Raubach: Oh, yeah, right, right, right, right.

Karl Peters: You know, you’re playing tackle football on that, but

David Raubach: With no pads.

Karl Peters: With no pads. Right. And but it was fun. I mean, it was, I guess that’s where we learned the game.

David Raubach: So did you feel like, did you get picked on as the youngest, or were they kind of like looking out for you?

Karl Peters: Actually, you know, back you always had one brother that was, you was his favorite, and then the other brother may have been the other brother’s favorite, but it wasn’t anything that we had to worry about, getting picked on quite a bit. It was mainly just for fun. You know, make fun of us. You know, if you didn’t tie your shoe right or something like that.

David Raubach: Oh, he didn’t even teach you how to tie your shoe? I can teach you that better than that.

Karl Peters: Something like that. Nothing major.

David Raubach: So then you’re playing football and you have older brothers and they’re obviously, they went on and had a lot of success. So talk a little bit about just kind of watching them and

Karl Peters: Yeah, let’s see. I had, well, I have to say my oldest brother played center, I do believe, and he ended up playing professionally for the New York Giants and then ended up playing in Canada. But after that I had the two brothers that I spent most of the time with, the old, or actually it’s three, but the rest of them went to the military. Tony played at OU and Terry played at OU in the ’70s, ’71 through ’74 and then Terry graduated ’76, so he was there in ’72 to ’76. Tony played for Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins. Two Super Bowls. I think they won one and lost the other.

David Raubach: The Browns won a Super Bowl?

Karl Peters: No, he when he got traded to the Washington Redskins and they won with Joe Theismann and John Riggins.

David Raubach: Well, and I guess if they were at OU in the ’70s, they won a national title or

Karl Peters: They won two national titles.

David Raubach: Two national titles, yeah.

Karl Peters: Yeah, 74 and 75.

David Raubach: Okay. And played under coach Switzer. And were they defensive backs?

Karl Peters: They were defensive backs as well. To get the long story short, after they start playing at OU, my mom moved the family to Norman.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: Kind of, she, you know, she wanted to take care of her boys.

David Raubach: Of course, yeah. Yeah.

Karl Peters: But so I grew, went to school in Norman for seventh grade through my sophomore year.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: And went to a lot of OU games and a lot of OU practices. But and that’s where I got acquainted with coach Switzer.

David Raubach: Yes, sir. So you’re watching them play. I mean, what are they, are you thinking, I want to follow in their footsteps and go play at OU?

Karl Peters: Well, you know, at that age your ideal is that, but you’re not understanding at that age the process of getting to that because there’s just not a process of going to place and, oh, I’m going to do this.

David Raubach: Yeah, right.

Karl Peters: You got to put a little dedication into it, but after understanding and looking at what they went through, it did, it motivated me a little bit, work a little bit harder.

David Raubach: So you ended up there in what, 1980?

Karl Peters: 79.

David Raubach: 79, okay.

Karl Peters: And had a blast. I mean, I wouldn’t change it for the world. We all three of us had the same defensive back coach, coach Proctor.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: Only unfortunate thing was my brothers had attitude, as far as wanting to be the best, was a little bit different than mine.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: They were a little bit more aggressive than I was.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: So, coach Proctor would, if I did something that wasn’t really aggressive, he’d be like, “What are you doing?”

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: He said, “And we were all Pete.”

David Raubach: Oh, okay.

Karl Peters: But, they were TP and they said, “TPs, they wouldn’t act that way or they wouldn’t do it that way.” I’m like, “I’m Karl Pete.”

David Raubach: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Karl Peters: But, anyway, now it was good. I wouldn’t change it.

David Raubach: And then, and what was coach Switzer like back then?

Karl Peters: Coach Switzer, one amazing person. He was, he treated you like a son, actually.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: And that was every player. If you had any problems or questions or needed something, you know, he’d do his best to get it for you.

David Raubach: Great memory.

Karl Peters: Yeah. He could tell you some stories way back when and he can probably still do that to this day.

David Raubach: He’s, yeah, he is a storyteller.

Karl Peters: Yeah, it’s unbelievable. Our, one point after I left OU, you know, we have alumni association or gathering. And I take my son when he was, I think he was probably four or five years old. And we are introducing to coach Switzer and the next time he saw coach Switzer, I think he was 15.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: And coach Switzer said, “Kobe, how you doing?” And I was like, “It was amazing.” And I was like, “How did he remember that?” He hadn’t seen him in

David Raubach: His ability to remember and recall names is unmatched. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Karl Peters: And he, amazing. I mean, he is in his 80s now and he’s still, like, he’ll see somebody that he maybe has met two or three times.

David Raubach: No, it’s amazing.

Karl Peters: Yes, it’s

David Raubach: It’s a gift.

Karl Peters: That’s a gift.

David Raubach: That is a gift.

Karl Peters: It is.

David Raubach: Yeah. So, what did you do after college?

Karl Peters: Okay, so after I graduated at OU, I went to a couple, had the opportunity to go to a couple of professional camps, but never made the cut. So, I figured I better get a job and

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: So, I started working. I worked for Albertson’s at the time and did that for a while and finally got married and moved to Tulsa. So.

David Raubach: And been there ever since?

Karl Peters: And been there ever since. Yeah.

David Raubach: So, kind of looking at your cancer journey, had you had, just to kind of set the stage for this, had you had other people in your cancer or in your family go through cancer like

Karl Peters: My mom, she passed away in 2012 of lung cancer.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: And I’ve had two brothers that had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: So, when I would go get my yearly checkup, I would have my, matter of fact, my primary doctor was from Lindsay, Oklahoma.

David Raubach: Okay. Yeah.

Karl Peters: And he had went to school where he was in Lindsay when my brother’s name was in Pauls Valley. So, they kind of knew the name. But anyway, so he would check me, my PSA, regularly to make sure that we were going to catch it early if it was going to happen.

David Raubach: So, you kind of knew, okay, I’ve got to be doing this regular screening and I’ve got this doctor that’s helping me keep up with this. And so, and did your brothers or you, did you ever do any type of genetic testing to see if there was any, you know, and

Karl Peters: And I, we did not, and in here, well, after I was diagnosed I really didn’t start hearing anything about, you know, doing testing genetically about, you know, about the cancer but I was just thankful that, you know, he was willing to test and go through the process.

David Raubach: Right. So you get the, so I guess the first indication that something was wrong is you had an elevated PSA.

Karl Peters: Yes, well, okay, so I drove semi’s at night.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: And so at one point it, the level went up and he’d asked me, he said, are you doing anything different, and I said, well, I get, I started driving my truck at night instead of doing the day. And so he said, well, let’s just, you know, keep track of it and just see what happens and I think a year went by and it went up, I think, up to six and a half.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: Or something like that and he said, well, let’s just go and send you to a urologist and let’s just do some tests. So we did all the MRI and all that stuff to figure out and sure enough they saw a spot but my urologist, man, he was like, let’s take that out, I’ll be open next week. You know, I, there was process that you even had cancer and then he’s wanting to go ahead and do surgery and I was like, wait a minute, just, you know, just

David Raubach: Take a breath.

Karl Peters: Take a breath and. Anyway I started researching just to see, read more about it. I ended up actually getting this book called, “You Could Live With Prostate Cancer,” or how to live, or, you know, there’s ways to do it. So

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: But anyway, it had different treatments in there and I got the reading and I kept reading and I think a year passed cuz the doctor kept saying, “Well, you know, I’ve, I need to get you”

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: So I said, “All right.” So anyway, I looked up in that book it had the proton treatment. So I looked up to see if there was a center close by.

David Raubach: Oh, okay.

Karl Peters: And then that’s when I ran across the proton center.

David Raubach: Okay. Yes, so you just found us online.

Karl Peters: Yeah, I, yes, I just found you all.

David Raubach: Yeah, that’s interesting. So and what treatments had your brothers had? Do you remember?

Karl Peters: They didn’t. That was the whole idea. They were, these were older brothers so at the time doctors weren’t important to them. I thought they were, they thought they were invincible, I think, but

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: But anyway, so they didn’t go through it but, and not to say that they actually died of prostate cancer, but I’m sure that possibly had a

David Raubach: Yeah. Yeah. Something to. So you’re thinking, “Okay, I want to do something about this.” And so you’re doing this research. You read this book. Proton therapy is one of the options that’s presented to you in the book. What stood out to you about proton therapy? I guess what made you think, “Well, that’s, this is what I want to do.”

Karl Peters: Of all these options that I have, mainly the success rate and the, old, just the effects from having radiation or all the other treatments. There were side effects possibly and this, that, and the other. So, I was like, “Well, that sounds more of my,” and then as far as the, well, a surgery, you going to have a time where you going to have to stay sitting down or laid down or

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: Or whatever before to heal.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: And, like I say, I, after researching and reading, this one guy in this book had gone through it and he said he, you know, he didn’t have much side effects and he was able to do his normal routine pretty much after the treatments. And I was like, “Well, that sounds like the kind of treatment I want.”

David Raubach: So, you make that first phone call to the proton center. Was that hard making the first phone call? Was it a little

Karl Peters: No, it wasn’t. Actually, I wish I could remember who I talked to. Maybe Ashlyn or Jenny, or I think it was Jen, but and it was easy. I mean she just said, “Well, let’s get you an appointment.” And so it was pretty easy. I mean, I think the good Lord sent me this way because it’s all been a blessing.

David Raubach: Good.

Karl Peters: Seriously, I mean the people that work here has been more than what I expected.

David Raubach: Yeah. I mean, so, who was kind of helping you along the way in terms of providing support to you, emotional or physical support?

Karl Peters: Yeah, my wife was. She, you know, she, I think it was kind of a shock. I mean, cancer, you hear the word cancer and worse thoughts come to your mind, most of first and foremost. But you know, she said, “Well, you know, you know how your body reacts and, you know, how you want to approach this, so I’m behind you 100%.” So, anyway, but the biggest reason I didn’t get right in is because my insurance kept turning it down.

David Raubach: Oh, okay. Wow.

Karl Peters: So, it was a year from my diagnose that I actually was able to come

David Raubach: Did you switch insurance or did

Karl Peters: No.

David Raubach: What ended up happening with that?

Karl Peters: That’s why I say the Lord works in mysterious ways, not to, but no, I actually, Carrie did all the insurance information for me. I mean, she, we resubmitted the claim, oh, I think three or four times.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: And they kept denying the process. UPS offered a early retirement. I turned 65 and I said, “Whoa, I’m going on Medicare.” And

David Raubach: Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, and so then the Medicare covered the treatment. Okay, yeah.

Karl Peters: Yes. And listening to your podcast, talking to Jennifer, I was like, “Yeah, I see why now.”

David Raubach: Yeah. Yeah, it’s so frustrating. I mean, it, you pay that money into an insurance plan every month, every year, and you think, “Okay, well, I’m going to need it for something at some point.” And certainly cancer’s that one thing at one point. And then to get turned down

Karl Peters: Get turned down. Well, isn’t, wasn’t I putting money into this? Now I’ve got a doctor saying this is a good option. The blessing about that all, UPS always union, so I didn’t have to pay my insurance, but still for them to deny

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: A service that you would think that a person feel more comfortable in and, you know, going through that.

David Raubach: Instead of surgery and your doctor saying it’s a good option.

Karl Peters: Yes, yes, yes. It was

David Raubach: So you are going through treatment. What was the hardest part of going through treatment?

Karl Peters: Driving here.

David Raubach: Yeah, cuz you had a long drive.

Karl Peters: Yeah. Yes. Now seriously, that was, I mean, it was from either Pauls Valley or Broken Arrow depending on the day. Yes, yes, and both of them are hour and 38 minutes.

David Raubach: Wow. So you’re doing that drive every day.

Karl Peters: Every day. And seriously, that was the hardest part.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: Once I got here, you see the smiling faces and the greetings and

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: And all that goes away. So the actual process here was relatively straightforward. Was, yeah, I would ask Dr. Story if it, if process was even working, cuz I didn’t have any, I didn’t get tired. I didn’t have any stiffness, soreness, didn’t feel any pain.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: It really it, I mean I was like

David Raubach: Hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Karl Peters: Worried. He said, “Yeah, it’s been good. It’s working.”

David Raubach: Yeah, it’s working. What, so how did you talk to your kids about the fact that you had cancer?

Karl Peters: Well, you know, my daughter was, she was, said, “Well, if it was me, I’d just go ahead and have surgery and get it taken out, get it over with.” And my son was, he was more, I think he’s kind of like me. You know, you, he’s a mechanical engineer, so he’s going to research and

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: And see what he think is the better, best option and he was with me just, research and see what you think is the best for you.

David Raubach: Yeah, it’s your body.

Karl Peters: But anyway, no, she’s, you know, she’s a physical therapist, so some people have that attitude if, you know, just get it out and

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: And get it done and over. Something bad in my body, I want it cut out.

David Raubach: Yeah. How do I get rid of this?

Karl Peters: Yeah, get rid of it.

David Raubach: Yeah, but there’s side effects that come along with that for

Karl Peters: But there’s exactly, yeah. So, you know, and I, like I said, I didn’t feel like that was the route that I needed to take.

David Raubach: Did you meet some other people while you were going through treatment here?

Karl Peters: I did, and then, well, I ended up finding out that I had a cousin that actually was going through the process. He had started it, I think Paul had started it 2 or 3 weeks before I did.

David Raubach: Yeah. And, yeah, that’s crazy.

Karl Peters: You know, we text each other every day because every morning we’ll text good morning and have a good day or something like that. But you know, we never talked about health issues or anything like that. We met at an OU football game and we got to talking and I said, “Yeah, I’m, I’ve got,” and he said, “I’m going through,” he said, “and”

David Raubach: That is crazy.

Karl Peters: It is crazy.

David Raubach: Wow.

Karl Peters: It is.

David Raubach: So, that coming out of that, I mean, do you think guys should talk about their health issues more, or what’s the

Karl Peters: I think, well, you know, and

David Raubach: Or encourage each other to get your checkups and

Karl Peters: And I’ve been to two alumni things with the some former players and I found out that two of the other guys that I played with there at OU has already gone through it.

David Raubach: Wow.

Karl Peters: One guy went through it 10 years ago.

David Raubach: Okay.

Karl Peters: And he’s doing great. And the other guy I think seven. So

David Raubach: Yeah. Good.

Karl Peters: But yeah, no, and I’ve, everyone that I see that is my age or older and I’m asking them about their health issues, I said check out the proton

David Raubach: Yeah, well now I appreciate that, Karl. I appreciate that. So then tell us about bringing barbecue up to the center cuz that was

Karl Peters: Well, it, that was really fun day

David Raubach: No.

Karl Peters: And that barbecue was really good. Yeah, and I appreciate you guys let me do that because, to me, as being from a big family and close-knit, you know, you always ask your grandmother, when, on your favorite food, what she fixed, what you, what did you put in there and what did you do to it? And she said love. I just put love into it so

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: To me, you know, feed, that’s, that’s, you know, to show you love, you want to feed

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: Feed a person. Food is love.

David Raubach: I agree with that.

Karl Peters: Yeah. And you know, my mom had taught all of her boys to cook. She said if you ever get in a situation where you don’t have a wife or girlfriend or whatever, you know, you got to be able to survive. So

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: So that’s where we learned how to cook and, you know, you just put love into it and I think that’s the best way to show appreciation.

David Raubach: Yeah. And, well, and you talked about family and like that food kind of being this thing that brings family together over a meal. And this really kind of is a family here at the proton center, too.

Karl Peters: You know, I agree with, especially with how much time you spend up here and how vulnerable you have to be going through the process. Yes, and that was one of the reasons that I was wanting to cook for them because I felt that

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: I mean from the first day it is amazing, from the greetings to the receptionists, that, I mean, and all the way through, even the, we did the tour for at the plant and

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: I mean it really was. It made me feel like I was part of the family.

David Raubach: Yeah.

Karl Peters: Yeah.

David Raubach: So what’s your message of encouragement to somebody else who’s just getting diagnosed with cancer? Like if somebody comes to you and is like, man, Karl, I’m scared. I don’t know what to do. Like how do I navigate this? How did you get through this? What do you tell that person?

Karl Peters: I keep the faith. I mean the people make you feel like there’s no failure. I’ll put it that way. Just by the way they treat you and, you know, interact with you, that, you know, the process is going to be successful. I just, I’ll just tell them, just keep the faith and have a positive attitude.

David Raubach: Yeah. That’s a good, no, that, I like that approach. And also for you, and if somebody does have this, then, you know, lean on your family, lean on your support system. If you don’t have that then reach out. I mean I know you’re willing to talk to people and help kind of shepherd somebody through a process if they’re trying to get through the proton center and proton therapy or whatever it is. So you know it’s like find that core group that you know you can rely on day to day. That give you the support. Yeah. And if you have a tough day you can be like, hey, I’m just, I’m exhausted. I’m emotionally exhausted. I need to talk to somebody. You have that person. So

Karl Peters: Well, and I just think that, like I say, with the, I don’t know, the Proton Pals, they

David Raubach: Right. Yeah.

Karl Peters: You know, Jeff, from down by my hometown, and yeah. I remember going through the luncheon.

David Raubach: Right.

Karl Peters: And so I had mentioned my name and he said, “Oh, he’s Peters, Pauls Valley.” So I was like, yeah. He’s been reffing high school football. So that’s

David Raubach: That’s Jeff Murray, the executive director of the Proton Pals Foundation. He’s been reffing high school football now in Oklahoma, I think for about 30 years.

Karl Peters: Wow.

David Raubach: So he has met, or maybe even longer than that. So he has met and seen a lot of people. All over the state. He does big time like 5A, 6A schools.

Karl Peters: So yeah, he’s definitely seen a lot of people come through for sure.

David Raubach: That is good.

Karl Peters: But yeah, no, I think, like I say, the support system is important, yeah.

David Raubach: As well.

Karl Peters: Yeah.

David Raubach: Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about your story, Karl.

Karl Peters: Well, it was my pleasure.

David Raubach: Yes, sir.

Karl Peters: I enjoyed it.

David Raubach: Yeah, and we’ll have to stay in touch and I know you’re a few months out of treatment and there’s still this whole follow-up process, but we’ll definitely be rooting for you and hoping for the best over the next few months and years.

Karl Peters: Yeah, well I appreciate it. And I’m sure we’ll have a lunching or a barbecue coming along sometime.

David Raubach: An annual. I will officially make that an annual right now. That is an annual event here at the Proton Center. So

Karl Peters: Yeah.

David Raubach: Well, thank you again for your time, Karl.

Karl Peters: My pleasure. Yes, sir.

David Raubach: The Cancer Project podcast is made possible by the Oklahoma Proton Center. A state-of-the-art cancer center where precision in treatment meets real compassion and care. We’re grateful for their support and for you for spending this time with us. If you’d like to learn more about the Oklahoma Proton Center, you can visit their website at the link below. And if something you heard today resonated, we’d love for you to stick with us. You can subscribe to the podcast and follow along on our socials link below for more conversations like this.

David Raubach: Honest stories, thoughtful perspectives, and the kind of support people don’t always know where to find but do truly need. At the end of the day, this podcast isn’t just about cancer. It’s about what it means to be human inside of it and how we keep living, connecting, and moving forward together. We hope you leave each episode feeling a little bit more informed, a little bit more supported, and a lot less alone.