Jim and Mary Jo Self have been on many journeys together during their 24-year marriage. They never imagined they’d be faced with a rare cancer diagnosis, but in February of 2023, they found themselves in unfamiliar territory.
“I was just calling to investigate what I knew not to be normal for my husband who I’ve been married to for a very long time,” Mary Jo said. “That’s where our journey began.”
Jim has been a patient at Stillwater Medical Center for nearly 25 years. Though he wasn’t due for a colonoscopy for another two years, Dr. Terry Brown and Dr. Thomas Swafford agreed that was the best next step given his symptoms. He went in for the colonoscopy on a Monday and by Thursday was diagnosed with signet ring cell carcinoma, an aggressive cancer that starts in the glandular cells lining organs.
“Dr. Swafford was extremely compassionate and kind. He literally cried with us as we cried about facing the future and what we had ahead,” Mary Jo said.
That road led them to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for Jim’s surgery, at the recommendation of Dr. Cara Pence and the Stillwater Medical team, given the rarity of his cancer. After the surgery, the couple was able to return home to continue the healing process, which included chemotherapy at Stillwater Cancer Center. This was accomplished under the supervision of Dr. Chris Puckett and his staff, who worked seamlessly with other members of Jim’s care team.
Having care close to home was important to the couple, because it allowed them to be surrounded by the support system of family and friends who provided great comfort during Jim’s treatment. Balancing his health post-surgery was complicated because of its impact to his bladder function. The Selfs worked with a team of health providers from the cancer center, urology, wound care, emergency, and more to manage his treatment and combat infection.
“It’s amazing to me looking around at all of the professionals we have here in Stillwater,” Jim said. “Other than my major surgery, there hasn’t been anything that we needed that we couldn’t get here in Stillwater.”
After six months of chemotherapy, Jim’s cancer was undetectable and remains so today. He refers to the team at Stillwater Cancer Center as family. The Selfs credit much of the healing process to the coordinated care they received from health professionals in their community, several of whom were personal friends before his diagnosis.
“It’s been an emotional process. I know both of us have felt completely supported by the staff – all of the staff: doctors, nurses, techs, medical aides – that we have come in contact with. We felt supported on a trip we didn’t want to take,” Mary Jo said.
The Selfs now look forward to more years building memories together. They expressed gratitude for all the support they received from their church family, Stillwater Medical, and the thousands of prayers uttered on their behalf. Yet, they’re quick to remember their story could have ended much differently had they not reached out for medical help when they needed it.
“Don’t put off tests you need to have done,” Mary Jo said. “Our non-medical advice is to listen to your body and notice the symptoms you’re having.”
