Don't Ever Give Up the Fight

by Steve Cox

Pennsylvania

September 2024

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Steve was diagnosed with cancer of the appendix in the fall of 2012. Through the challenges, and the pain, he fought! Here, he shares his story of just how worth it(!) it really is to fight for the ones you love.

Full Transcript (edited):

I'm a patient of Dr. Sardi because of my appendiceal cancer and I'm 12 years out. And, I just want to give this testimony.

I know the anxiety that you have as a new patient and wondering whether you wanna bother going through the operations. Because it's really a horrendous type of operation. But the outcome, and what you have to live for is, is the testimony that going through it for sure. And since my operation, my four children--triplet daughters, and a son that's two years older-- I've seen three of them get married. I got to walk two of my daughters down the aisle, and my son's wife just gave birth to our first grandchild four months ago. So, for myself, I would sit through and think "Boy, I don't know if I can do this or not". But if there's any type of question whether you wanna move forward, and go through the surgery - It's a challenge, it's painful, but it's, it's worthwhile.

As a patient going to Mercy Medical Center and Dr. Sardi's group, you feel like you're family. You truly feel like the entire staff loves you. It doesn't matter who, and what level that the staff members are, they all care about you deeply. They feel like you're a part of their family. And you just wanna disseminate the information because it seems like there's so many people...my GP doctor (general practitioner) didn't have a clue as far as what I had. The head oncologist in the town I lived in didn't have a clue what I had and how to treat it. And so it's misdiagnosed or not diagnosed properly by so many.

It's a one in a million type of patient. It's our role to get that information out to our communities wherever we live.

Coming to an event like this, I get the chance to meet other patients that have gone through what I've gone through. No patient's operation and recovery is the same, for sure. And so you get to meet wonderful physicians and the roles that they're doing, the gentleman I'm golfing with today, he has a fundraiser foundation and he does mission work in Ecuador. So there's just phenomenal people that come here. And it's just, what we can do we just gotta get the word out and keep supporting them as best we can.

Don't give up hope. My journey, the hand of God, and several steps redirected me and the path that I got to Dr. Sardi. Keep the faith, continue to love one another. We don't know how long we have in this world. Jesus Christ is our savior, so there's yet salvation you know where you're going. The hope that we all have in Jesus is the most important thing. But staying here and giving out love to family that you have, and community that you're with, is well worthwhile and it's a continued fight.

Don't ever give up the fight.

If you have been diagnosed with appendix cancer, please review our resource alliance.pfccap.org/resources. If you'd like to connect with our Patient and Caregiver Network, please email networkcoordinator@pfccap.org.