Patient Profile: Step by Step with James Pierson
James Pierson has spent much of his adult life working as a missionary, following his faith and working in places like Israel, as a volunteer in security; Romania, at an orphanage; and managing a group home for people with disabilities in Louisville, Kentucky. His is a life of service. “My faith is the driving force,” says James.
That faith has come in handy for James since being diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer in December 2021. He was living in Kentucky at the time and experiencing symptoms of weakness and constipation. After getting a colonoscopy, James heard the news that he had inoperable colon cancer that had spread to his liver. The hospital surgeon told James the outlook was not good, and he would need to begin chemotherapy immediately.
“The doctor seemed uncaring and disinterested,” recalls James, “I did not feel cared for. I prayed about it because God controls all things for me.” James got the sense that Kentucky was not the place for him. He cancelled all of his medical arrangements after the diagnosis and moved to the Chicago area to be with his sister. Once settled in, James went to the local ER and learned that his colon was now emptying into his bladder.
While that sounds like even worse circumstances, the local surgeon told James that there was a “perfect path” to removing the cancer within James’ colon surgically, which was spreading quickly. “That was the start of my uphill battle,” James remembers, “but things shifted quickly.” The surgery was successful, though James lost both a third of his colon and a third of his bladder.
He met a few doctors during his recovery to determine what came next. One of them was Dr. Srilata Gundala, founder and owner of Hope & Healing Cancer Services in Hinsdale, Illinois. Dr. Gundala asked about James’ background and story and was impressed with his missionary work, “You’ve spent 25 years taking care of other people,” she told James, “And now I’m going to take care of you.”
James felt very comfortable with Dr. Gundala, but he had worked as a caregiver and had seen how harsh chemotherapy could be, “I sat with many people through their chemo and watched them rot. I did not want to go through that and, as a result, didn’t really want to talk to Dr. G.” James’ sister convinced him to give himself a couple of weeks to heal then see the doctor ‘with an open mind.’
James did just that. The meeting with Dr. Gundala went well, “She told me about the advacements with chemotherapy and other treatment delivery methods and set my mind at ease. More importantly, I saw her love and concern.” James went home and prayed on it and felt confident to move forward for treatment with Dr. Gundala.
Almost a year later, James has sailed through his chemotherapy regimen and is getting ready to wrap up his three-month maintenance program. He feels confident that the treatment is working, as the lesions on his liver are shrinking, “I do not claim it was all chemo. There is my faith and my prayer life and the love, care, and confidence of my doctor.”
James has had time to reflect on his life of faith and service during his cancer treatment, “With the life I’ve had, you realize your own problems are small. I want to spend the rest of my life in absolute surrender to God, but you do that step by step, like cancer care. I know step by step. Don’t look at anything all at one glance. When you finish anything, any small step, it is a victory. Focus on God who loves you deeply and have faith in the darkest moments.”
For James, his darkest moment came after surgery when he was throwing up dark bile. “I hit close to the bottom,” James said, but his sister encouraged him in those challenging times to not give up his faith. “Step by step,” thought James, “He brought me to very gifted doctors. It was my responsibility to listen and choose treatment.”
Now that that treatment is nearing its end, James is focusing on his future again, “My plan is to keep giving back, keep encouraging people. You know it is worth it when you are there for other people. There is no power in a stale life and my life has been used to touch a lot of other lives.”
Step by step, James will keep doing that, with help from his faith and the doctors who were there when he needed them. James is grateful for them, “I would advise anyone with cancer to see Dr. Gundala. You get five star treatment from everyone at Hope & Healing and you don’t have to go through this journey alone.”
Written By: Sheila Quirke, MSW
Reviewed By: Srilata Gundala, MD
