SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Carlsbad resident Jim Plotkin first picked up a set of golf clubs when he was 13 years old.
"I got into golf, and one thing led to another: I got better and played high school, college, professional, back to amateur and it's been a lifelong sport," Plotkin said.
Plotkin definitely has game as he is still a scratch golfer, but in 2018, his life would change forever when he was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
"You have CLL, and that was definitely a shocker as I was young and didn't know CLL was, and I had no clue as to how long I was going to live," he said.
His cancer was so advanced he had to go on medication immediately.
"The first year was really rough, and I went to the doctor all the time, more than ever in my life. The medicine and the sickness caused a lot of fatigue, and I remember even walking uphill was hard," Plotkin said.
Then, in 2019, he was introduced to a new medication that turned out to be a life changer.
"I went on Venclexta, which you only take for a year every day, and that cured me, and it's been over four years now," he said.
Plotkin continued to play golf throughout his treatment. In fact, he says his leukemia helped his game.
"I think it helped because 'Beware of the sick golfer' is a famous saying. My sickness took the pressure off. I was no longer worried about hitting a bad shot," he said. "I had won a few tournaments, and I told my doctor, 'You should tell your other patients that there is hope and you can do well and live a normal life and succeed at your hobby or whatever it is.'"
