Local man credits Phillies' dollar dog night for helping to uncover cancer diagnosis

PHILADELPHIA - A Delaware County man is crediting his overindulgence at a Philadelphia Phillies dollar dog night promotion with saving his life. 

Bill Finn said he went to the fan-favorite promotion at Citizen's Bank Park last September with a goal to pack in as many hot dogs as he could. 

"I was going for my record, like eight," Bill told FOX 29's Chris O'Connell. 

The next morning Bill woke up with a wicked stomach ache that he attributed to a hot dog hangover, but his symptoms persisted for more than a week. 

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"A week or two he still is not feeling better, and I’m like are you have to go to the doctor but a typical male he didn’t want to listen to me," Bill's wife Heather said.

One doctor's visit lead to several over the next few days, and a month later he was diagnosed with stage-4 Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, otherwise known as blood cancer.

Bill started his chemotherapy treatment days before he and Heather welcomed their firstborn son, Ryker. Over the next seven months, he received aggressive radiation and chemotherapy. 

About a year after what Bill calls a life-saving dollar dog night, the Phillies invited him back to Citizen's Bank Park where he got to go on the field and meet Phillies' legend Charlie Manuel.

"I went back to work. I still play softball, I’m watching my son grow, so it’s just a blessing," Bill said.

The couple are now encouraging others not to ignore seemingly normal health symptoms, because a simple doctor's visit could change someone's life. 

"Don’t take your time going to the doctor if something's wrong, even if you eat too many hot dogs, go to the doctor right away," Heather said.