Jesse Gonzalez
To Learn More About Our Cancer Survivors: Chat with Us | Email Us
That’s what I asked myself when doctors told me I had leukemia. I was in shock. I didn’t even have any symptoms, and no one in my family ever had cancer.
My cancer was diagnosed after I had an accidental fall at work. I hurt my back and went to the chiropractor. He suggested I have an MRI. When the technician did the MRI, he didn’t want to tell me the results. He just said, “You need to go to the doctor right away.” I live in Zion, Illinois, so he made an appointment for me at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern). When I met with the doctors at CTCA the next day, they tested my blood and told me it was leukemia.
The hard part was to come home and tell my wife. I was nervous and really depressed.
The doctor explained I would need TomoTherapy® treatment for the leukemia. Before I began my treatments, I asked my doctor at CTCA, “What are my chances?” He said, “We’re going to make you feel better!” That made me feel hopeful.
While I was at CTCA I met patients from other states who said the first doctor they went to for cancer treatment told them there was no hope. But at CTCA, they don’t kill your hopes. The doctors and nurses are encouraging every step of the way.
The doctor fully explained everything to me step by step. By the time treatment started, I didn’t feel scared. I knew what to expect. The doctors and nurses helped me to really understand this sickness and the procedures I would undergo.
I was more worried about my 7-year-old son. My wife wanted to stay at the hospital with me and I didn’t want my son to be alone. So my son and daughter-in-law came to stay at our house and take care of my younger son, while my wife and I concentrated on my treatment.
After six months of treatments, the doctors said my red cell count was still too low. They discussed with me the idea of having a bone marrow transplant and asked if I had brothers and sisters. Well, I have five brothers and three sisters. I lucked out because the first brother who went in to be tested had blood that matched mine.
After the bone marrow transplant I stayed in the hospital for 45 days. I’ve stayed in different hospitals and this one was the best. At CTCA, I felt they had the best technology to detect the cancer in my body. And, the staff concentrated on me like I was the only one in the hospital.
Before I left Midwestern a nutritionist came to visit me. She counseled me how to eat once I got home. She explained how eating the proper foods would strengthen my immune system. Since then I decided to stop eating red meat and greasy foods and to focus on fish, beans and vegetables.
At Midwestern they also have a good spiritual care program. It’s not something they force on you, but it’s there if you want to take advantage of it. A pastor came to see me each day while I was in the hospital and it was very comforting.
After my surgery, I had outpatient care, first every day, then weekly and monthly. When I'd walk in the door, the nurses and staff would wave and call out, “Here’s our guy Jesse!” It makes me feel really good. It feels like home.
These days, I don’t have the energy to keep up with my son. But I thank God and the doctors at CTCA that I am alive to be here with him.