Baltimore native Mark Jeter has been sharing his battle with stomach cancer through this blog.

This week he talks about shrinking tumors and his improving condition.

Read his previous posts here.

First, let me thank all of my friends and those who have been following me on this blog.

Sorry for my absence, but things have been happening so fast and, to my surprise, good for me.

I have had my third treatment of chemo since I last posted, so now I am on my 5th chemo treatment and a lot has happen between now and then. After my 4th treatment I went to get a pet scan and had it looked at by two doctors. To there surprise, one of the cancer tumors has completely disappeared and the other one has shrunk in size. That means no surgery for me at this point.

I went through the 4th chemo treatment with no side effects and no problems at all. I did indeed find a little magic trick that helps with the sickness. It's now my 5th chemo treatment and I have some side effects from this one, but with the help of my little trick it makes life easier to deal day by day.

Now, the doctors are saying that after my 6th treatment I will go into surgery to remove anything they can find, so that I will have a fighting chance.

The funniest thing is that while going through this chemo treatment I have gained 10 pounds. They kept thinking I was retaining fluid so they tried to give me meds to remove the fluid. But to there surprise it was all that good eating of the people who kept me fed with love. I started out at 207 pounds and now I am 218 pounds.

Thank you all for the love, comments, ideas and just taking the time to read my blog posts.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

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.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

Mark Jeter has been blogging his journey being treated for stomach cancer. Here he talks about how his body just couldn't take a chemo session he underwent last month.

Read all of Mark's blog posts here. 

And here is his latest entry. 

I know that is has been a while since I last updated my blog but I had to go through a storm.

 My last treatment last week was to be Monday through Friday but it did not turn out that way. I had to say an extra three days because I did not take to well to the chemo this time. I truly have to say that if it was not for my wife, family and friends I am not sure how I would have made that one. It was so nice to get beautiful text messages that keep you spirits lifted.

I got home on Monday and started to eat like a pig, since I had not eaten anything in seven days. I lost so much weight during that time I dropped two pants sizes. I was not going to buy new clothes because I knew that I was going to gain it back. I went to the doctors on Monday and I gained all my weight back.

While going through the storm I realize that God will send people around you or in your space that will help you get through, I was truly amazed when the nursing staff was checking on me to see if I need anything and these nurses were not my nurses. They just remembered me from before and wanted to show me love.

It took me a while to start feeling like myself after I got out and it seems like once I start feeling like myself, it time to go right back in to start it all over again.

Keep me in prayer because I go back in on Monday and pray that everything will be alright.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

Mark Jeter continues to share with us his experience being treated for stomach cancer.

The Baltimore native recently finished his first week of chemotherapy and has been at home recovering.

He said the chemotherapy wore him out more than he expected. Typing a simple e-mail quickly tired him out. He can't use an electric shaver while getting treatment so looks like a "bear." But Jeter said he doesn't mind too much because the chemo will probably eventually result in him losing his hair. The pain fom chemo was also more than he could take one night.

Here he describes it in his own words:

Today I went for a shot and I feel better. Keep in mind I don't like any pain at all. Call it what you want but I'm just keeping it real: NO PAIN FOR ME.

The shot was to help me get my white blood cell count back up. The pain I have because the blood count is down either makes my bones ache or just fatigues me beyond what you can image.

Let me try to tell how I felt the first day and second day after getting out of the hospital. Day one you feel verrrrrry tired and your body is spinning from head to toe. You are taking so much medicine to fix one thing after the other. You want to eat but can only eat a little bit of this or two bites of that. Sometimes you will have a metal taste in your mouth but I have only had that once.

On day two you start feeling a lot better, but what I have noticed is since getting the shot to increase my white blood cell count is there is a lot of pain. I struggle to do simple things like hold my head up long enough to write this message to you. Feeling much better, just tired.

 I also would like to say something to all the many people that prayed for me and offered to help in so many ways. I also appreciate the people who made the phone calls even though most of the time I am too tired to talk. Feeling the support is beyond words.  Thank you all for helping me get through this time. I know that GOD is making this happen for a reason. Thank you GOD for all that you have done and are about to do.

Read more about Mark Jeter's cancer treatment here.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

This is the latest in a series of blog posts by Mark Jeter, who is getting treated for stomach cancer.

He is chronicling his experience for The Sun in an effort to bring attention to the disease and tell people his story. He recently finished his first week of chemotherapy.

Here his wife Carla fills us in on some of the symptoms of treatment. She also talks about how her husband, who is always joking with people, has developed a bond with one of the technicians at the hospital:

Today was a great day for Mark!

He had a little indigestion this morning, got some meds, then felt great!

He is sleeping a lot more, but that's normal because the chemo makes you fatigued. He's lost a little of his appetite, which is also normal.

We went for a walk early this evening, and now we're chilling watching American Idol.

We will be discharged tomorrow morning.

Mark has met his match in his night technician Shenita, aka Smiley! She is hilarious and can go toe to toe with him! Lol. He tried to give her a hard way to go, but she came right back every time!

Read more about Mark's journey with cancer.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cancer, Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

Baltimore native Mark Jeter has agreed to chronicle his battle with stomach cancer on this blog.

I told you earlier this week how he discovered a 14 centimeter round cell sarcoma in his stomach last year.

He had it removed and this week began chemotherapy at Greater Baltimore Medical Center to kill any other traces of the disease.

His wife Carla has been by his side at the hospital.

Here, he writes about his first day of chemotherapy:

Arrived at the GBMC at 7:30 a.m. to get a double port put in my chest. This will allow them to run two different drugs that go into my main artery at the same time. They don't put you to sleep for the double port, they numb the area and you can feel alot of pressure, some blood running and some pain.

I waited seven hours to get to a room to start chemo. Completed the first round of chemo and they put five different drugs in me. I thought they were going to put me to sleep but they kept my butt up and I felt everything - it was a little painful. The chemo started last night at 8 p.m. and won't stop until Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

I am one day into treatment and all it is IV's running day and night. I got sick today, nothing serious but I started sweating, felt flush and the nurse came in with some medicine and I felt so much better.

Now it's 7 p.m. and I am waiting on some food from Ruby Tuesday.

A brother has got to eat good.

Read more about Mark's battle with cancer.

(Photo courtesy of Mark Glaze. Mark Jeter and wife Carla.)

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cancer, Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey
        

Mark Jeter's life changed last year when he was hit with excruciating stomach pains and became gravely ill.

The 47-year-old, who at the time was enjoying being a newlywed with wife Carla, found out he had cancer.

Doctors in Baltimore removed a round cell sarcoma, that had grown to 14 centimeters, from his stomach. It's a rare form of cancer and doctors had to send the tumor to a specialist at Emory University to figure out exactly what it was and how to treat it.

Jeter, who grew up in Baltimore, is now undergoing that treatment and has agreed to share his story with readers of The Sun on this blog. He and wife Carla hope it will be cathartic to share their experience with others and may also help others dealing with a similar illness.

Jeter is determined to beat the disease and has an extremely optimistic attitude. He looks to two daughters (from a previous relationship), a granddaughter and of course wife, Carla, for inspiration and support. He also has a large family that likes to get together for big feasts on weekends that have also helped to keep him upbeat.

Jeter is also a friend of mine.

He will share his experiences when he feels up to it. At times, he may convey his feelings to Carla who will put them on paper. The amateur photographer will also share pictures with us from the hospital.

Here is the first post on how he is grappling with cancer.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Cancer, Mark Jeter's Cancer Journey