Jeff Jewell had no symptoms of prostate cancer when he had a PSA test two years ago. But his prostate-specific antigen levels were elevated so he went through additional testing and a biopsy. Results showed he had stage IV prostate cancer — it had metastasized.
At that time, Jeff wasn’t quite sure what a prostate was, but recommendations for treatment came quickly. In May 2024, he started androgen deprivation therapy, which reduces hormones in the body to slow the growth of prostate cancer cells.
“It prevents cancer from spreading but causes a lot of other side effects,” he said. “I think I got every side effect on the list, except one.”
Overwhelmed by his diagnosis and treatment, Jeff says, “I was going downhill mentally.”
Finding hope
Focused on a statistic that 70% of men with advanced prostate cancer die within five years, he joined an online support group for people with that diagnosis. There he met men who had lived 11 and 15 years with the disease. Seeing these men living with prostate cancer had a profound impact on him.
“I had hope for the first time,” he says.
Realizing he needed to find local people to talk to, he attended an event at Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center. Waterford Place provides programs and services for anyone affected by cancer — at no cost. That evening, over a bowl of chili, he connected with other men with cancer. It was encouraging and fun, he remembers, and he bonded with several of the men.
“We joked and made fun of each other as only we (men with cancer) can do,” he says.
The men’s group is a place where he doesn’t stand out for his cancer.
“The elephant is not in the room,” he says. “We can open up about our struggles and successes without lengthy explanations to justify them. It’s a safe place. I have made new friends and opened a new pathway to healing.”
Services that help
At Waterford Place, he’s tried just about all of the services offered — including Reiki, facials, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, guided meditation and acupuncture — and never appreciated how much these could help. His favorite is vibrational sound therapy, a service where Himalayan singing bowls are placed on the body, causing vibrations that produce a state of tranquility.
“I thought it would be hokey,” he says, “but it resonates with me.”
What Jeff appreciates most about Waterford Place is the people. He says staff members and service providers show caring and compassion every time he is there.
“They helped me become human again, instead of being defined by cancer,” he says. “It’s great to be around others who are cheerful and care for you.”
A new attitude
Jeff recognized that he was thinking of himself as a victim, and he doesn’t want to do that anymore.
“I will not be dragged down by my current life circumstances,” he says.
Cancer has taken a lot away from him, he says, including strength, dignity and confidence. But he now focuses on what it has given him.
“In a way, cancer has been good for me,” Jeff says. “I feel more introspective about what’s important. I think more about how I can be a better husband and dad. I’ve gotten closer to my wife, more intentional about spending time with my son — so there are good things that came from cancer.”
Gratitude
He’s grateful for his doctors and nurses and describes Rush as an organization that cares. Jeff originally was treated by several different doctors at multiple hospitals before finding Thomas Westbrook, MD, a medical oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Westbrook continued the treatment plan that Jeff was on but, collaborating with oncology psychiatrist Jonathan Kaplan, MD, eventually changed Jeff’s medications to lessen the side effects. Jeff also sees psychologist Yasmin Asvat, PhD, who is helping him process and navigate the changes in his body and brain chemistry.
Jeff received radiation treatments at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Copley, a department of Rush University Medical Center. The Aurora center is closer to his Oswego home. He received radiation 28 days in a row, seeing Ying Zhang, MD, a radiation oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Copley. He praises all the staff at the cancer center from those at the check-in desk who knew his name to the nurses, dietitian and radiation techs.
Although happy to complete his radiation treatments, he says, “I was a little sad that I wouldn’t be seeing these caregivers on a daily basis anymore.”
Helping others
Now Jeff wants to use his experience to impact others. “I like to make a difference,” he says.
More than simply recommending Waterford Place to others, he invites and brings them to meetings. He also mentions PSA screening to men if they’re 40 or older.
“It’s a blood test. I encourage them to do that, too,” he says. “It could prevent what I’ve been going through.”
