MADISON, Wis. -- The national push for cancer awareness is just days away, as major television networks, including CBS, "Stand Up To Cancer" with coverage beginning Friday night.

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As WISC-TV and Channel 3000 track the local impact of the disease, a Madison man who started his battle with cancer just a month ago shares his story.

As a nurse asks Kevin Carrigan how he's feeling, he answers, "Generally, good."

But Carrigan's "good" days are ones most would call awful.

"This was all out of the blue," said Carrigan.

After learning about his anemia just weeks ago, more serious symptoms followed as well.

"The biggest thing is real significant weight loss without really trying too hard, that's usually not a good sign," said Carrigan.

Doctors diagnosed Carrigan with hairy cell leukemia, a rare cancer affecting his bone marrow.

"You always worry in the back of your mind, that it might be something like that," said Carrigan, "But you're hoping that it's not. When you hear it, it is kind of a surprise."

Carrigan's chemotherapy attacks cancer cells but lowers his healthy blood cells.

"By the end of the week, you got the feeling it was doing what it was supposed to," said Carrigan, "It was taking out some of the cancerous cells, but it was taking out some of the good cells too. It was just feeling more anemic, feeling more run down."

"The treatment, the chemotherapy, makes things a little bit worse," said Dr. Linh Khuu, Oncology and Hematology doctor with Dean Health System, "So his count got really, really low, and that's why he was in the hospital. He came in with a fever and his count really dropped."

"So usually normal count is about 5,000 -- mine 's about 300," said Carrigan.

The low count means very limited contact with others, wearing masks when in the presence of many people.

"The day to day is kind of quiet, as far as just napping and resting. That's really about it," said Carrigan.

But instead of feeling isolated, Carrigan said the support from loved ones is what keeps him going.

"It's almost like you're brought into the fold, as far as it's not you fighting this alone."

Doctors said because of Carrigan's youth, good health, and early detection, remission is expected. Carrigan hopes to be back to work in a few more weeks.