My name is Jerry Stofko. I live in Castle Dale. I am 51 years of age. My wife’s name is Lois and I have two daughters, Jeanie and Jamie. On Jan. 23, 2004 I went to Castleview Hospital and they diagnosed me with having two massive malignant brain tumors. They were the size of golf balls. They were called anaplastic oligodendrogliomas.
Then I was taken to the University of Utah by ambulance, and that is where I had brain surgery. I underwent eight hours of surgery to try to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Unfortunately they were unable to get all of the tumor. Shortly after surgery I had two strokes which caused my left side to become paralyzed. I spent five and a half weeks in the hospital, recovering from the strokes and the surgery. I had to relearn lots of stuff, so I had to go to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy were every day I worked on things, like how to sit up straight, walk, and the use of my left side again.
After returning home, I was then treated with chemotherapy for 10 months. The last six weeks of chemotherapy, I went up to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for radiation. I got radiation for an hour every day for five days a week for six weeks. I am slowly recovering at home with follow up MRIs every three months. I have survived cancer now for a year and a half.
I would like to thank all my family members and friends for their support and friendship while helping me pull through this hard time in my life. And a special thanks to all of you for coming to the fund-raiser and supporting my family and I.
Cancer survivor-Jerry Stofko
