Mark Jeter has been chronicling his journey with stomach cancer on this blog.
It was a tough road for Mark for awhile. He was tiring of the side effects of chemotherapy. The lost weight. The nausea. Feeling bad for days then getting better just in time for another chemotherapy session.
Everything tasted like metal. Orange juice was the only thing that seemed to taste normal.
Some days it was hard to be positive.
But below he talks about getting good news from the doctor. He will also hear soon about a surgery he must undergo to hit the tumor directly with radiation.
Click here to read other posts from Mark.
On April the 4th the doctor had me go back to get another scan to see which way this thing is moving, is it getting smaller from the treatment or is it still growing?
I had to go back to the doctor's on the 8th of April to get the results. I am sitting in the waiting room waiting for my name to be called to go in the back to see Dr. Katz. To my surprise she comes out with the biggest smile and grabs me by the arm and takes me in the back.
While back there she tells Carla (my wife) and I that they looked at the scan and I am responding to the chemo very, very well. Thank you GOD. Smile and joy took over the room.
Now ,I had to get ready for another round of chemo on Monday. That good news keeps me from my original plan of trying to ask for a week off because I was tired of getting chemo, then being sick for a week and half, finally feeling good for four days and the same thing happening all over again.
God has a way of working everything out.
On Monday the 11th of April I go back in for my chemo and it was like I was a STAR getting the royal treatment. They finally gave me a HUGE room with a view. The nursing staff treated me as if I was the President of the United States. They treated me so well I thought I was on vacation with all the kindness, cards, balloons and love they gave me.
This chemo treatment was better than any other time because they figured out what I can handle and corrected the amount of meds to fit my body. I am glad to say that everything went well.
My doctors set it up for me to get the surgery at John Hopkins to remove whatever is left. On April 20, I will meet with my other doctor from Hopkins to find out what their plan is for me.
I have been home for three day and I feel GREAT. It's funny when you go into the hospital they weigh you and I weighed 204 pounds. When I left the hospital I weighed 207 to my surprise since I had been losing so much weight.
My family keeps me fed well.