Page 12 - The Wayne Dispatch

Porter, Continued from page 3 scans and the nodules in both lungs
had reduced in size considerably. He
name from the ballot. He wasn’t di- said at that time, “The whole thing
agnosed until over a month later at for me is to get through the chemo,
which time, he couldn’t take his get 100% remission and then get the
name off the ballot. stent and get the heart fixed and then
Tom has been open about his can- monitor the cancer to make sure it
cer on city council. At one of the doesn’t come back.”
council meetings, a number of City And then last month, Tom got
Council members donned Team sick after completing three chemo
Porter t-shirts. The t-shirts were de- treatments. He was diagnosed with a
signed by Tom’s granddaughter-in- rare form of pneumonia and a viral
law. She went to the local t-shirt infection. He spent 16 days in the
shop near her home in Pennsylvania hospital.
and had shirts with Team Porter and On November 22, Tom said it
a ribbon imprinted made for the was like somebody had flipped the
family. Extended family members switch. The fever, aches and pains,
soon wanted the shirts. Friends and had all fallen away. He started gain-
neighbors bought them too. “It just ing weight back. Everyone was
went crazy,” Tom says with amaze- happy with the progress he is now
ment. making.
Talking to people face-to-face is Tom is waiting on insurance ap-
important to Tom. He wants to see proval for another PET scan which
people and hear their viewpoints. he hopes to have December 16. If
His primary chemo treatments cancer is found, he will get a reduced
lasted about four hours and the sec- Mayor Pro-Tem Porter with his wife Bonnie. amount of chemo three more times.
ondary treatments a week later are that bother him, but “I’m working been looking forward to December If it shows no trace of cancer, he will
less. my way through them.” 17 when his 6th and final chemo have no more chemo treatments. He
Chemo doesn’t bother him. He re- Tom and Bonnie stay home most treatment would be done. His oncol- will just be monitored to make sure
ports no nausea. He has had some of the time. “Any cold or infection ogist had been impressed that noth- the cancer doesn’t reappear.
fever issues and other side effects could kill me quite easily.” He had ing was showing up on Tom’s liver Tom is staying positive.

12 · December 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch