After battling a severe form of cancer for 18 months and undergoing various surgeries and procedures, retired Planète Mazda Dealer Principal Sylvain Loiselle felt grateful to be able to participate again in an annual cycling event for charity last week in Montreal.
Sylvain Loiselle rebounded after a severe bout of cancer to ride over 500 kilometres in an annual cycling event for charity in early June.
After battling a severe form of cancer for 18 months and undergoing various surgeries and procedures, retired Planète Mazda Dealer Principal Sylvain Loiselle felt grateful to be able to participate again in an annual cycling event for charity last week in Montreal.
It was his seventh time in the 1,000-kilometre event, but he didn’t know until about three months ago whether he would be physically capable of doing it because of his health.
He captained his team, and in front of family and friends rode 500 kilometres.
“It meant a lot, it was symbolic,” said Loiselle. “Our first stage was kind of a tough one. It was eight degrees and pouring rain for the whole 100 kilometres and I told my friend that was riding with me, ‘this is awful, but I’m so happy to be here.’
“The event was similar to the other ones, but for me this one had a whole special meaning,” said Loiselle. “Six months ago, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it again.”
He captained his team, and in front of family and friends rode 500 kilometres.
Loiselle, who is 50, said he had lived a clean and healthy life, often cycling, skiing and playing hockey, but in October, 2020 he noticed some blood in his stools. His spouse, Sandra, suggested he see a friend of hers who is a gastroenterologist. He underwent a colonoscopy a few days later and the procedure revealed a tumour. He was told it was cancerous and advanced, and the next morning visited a cancer specialist to undergo various tests. He was diagnosed with advanced Stage 3 colorectal cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of about 50 per cent. Had it been Stage 4, the five-year survival rate is less than 20 per cent.
He called an emergency morning with key staff the next morning to announce he had cancer and would be out of the office indefinitely.
He began chemotherapy, but after the first cycle inflammation was discovered in the colon and intestine. His body was no longer absorbing any nutrients and he spent 12 days in hospital.
“At that point I was kind of worried, ‘am I going to make it?’” said Loiselle. “I lost so much weight.”
He said it was particularly hard on Sandra and their two children—two-year-old Roxanne and nine-year-old Kloé, who was born with a serious and rare disease which required immediate surgery to reconnect her esophagus to her stomach. She had to undergo several surgeries and procedures, but is doing well now.
Because of the issue with the colon and intestine, the chemo was put on pause for about a month. He then had a small surgery to insert a portacath through which the chemo would go through the main artery to the heart. In all, he went through 17 weeks of “harsh and gruesome” chemo. He also had some radiation therapy, which he said felt like he was burning from the inside.
In May 2021 he underwent a nine-hour surgery to remove the tumour, but the doctors found the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes and began a second round of chemo about two months later. He subsequently had to have surgery to remove some lymph nodes.
He spent a total of 190 days in hospital in 2021, counting blood tests, chemotherapy, two surgeries and radiation therapy. For 12 days in November, he was not allowed visitors because of COVID. Two months later, he was back in hospital for seven days.
His hair, which he lost because of chemo, has grown back and he’s regaining weight after losing 35 pounds.
“I always kept a good attitude, well, good for cancer,” said Loiselle. “I couldn’t tell you I was joyful. Whenever I had some strength and energy I’d so some walking, running and bit of indoor cycling.”
In September, 2018, AutoCanada bought 90 per cent of the dealership he and his father, Yvon, owned. Yvon died in a tragic motorcycle accident in Florida in December. His ex-wife lost a brief battle with breast cancer early in the new year.
“I’ve had it pretty hard the last 10 years,” said Loiselle, who was appointed Dealer Principal following the sale.
“I always kept a good attitude, well, good for cancer,” said Loiselle. “I couldn’t tell you I was joyful. Whenever I had some strength and energy I’d so some walking, running and bit of indoor cycling.”
Ironically, he had been thinking of retiring before the cancer diagnosis. He has not returned to work since then and along the way decided to retire and told executives from both Mazda and AutoCanada.
“Being sick changes your outlook on life,” said Loiselle. “I decided to take whatever’s left and enjoy it. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, how long the future is going to be. Hopefully the cancer does not come back. It’s still a big possibility.”
He is going for checkups every month. Though he has not been informed he is cancer free, he said he feels great.
“If I could sign a contract just to stay like this for a couple of decades it would be good,” said Loiselle.
