Page 3 - The Wayne Dispatch

Councilman combats cancer during covid

By Carolyn Marnon search. During a recent treatment,
He started feeling bad on March he wrote emails to Senator Dayna
24, the day Michigan implemented Polehanki and Representative Kevin
the stay-at-home order for all resi- Coleman about a bill being consid-
dents due to the coronavirus. It was- ered that would allow a councilper-
n’t until two weeks later that Wayne son to remotely attend an in-person
City Councilman Tom Porter was meeting if they have a critical illness
able to “see” his primary physician and their health would be under-
via a video appointment. He didn’t mined by being there in person. He
have any of the symptoms associated asked them to please consider voting
with COVID-19, the virus that was for it. At other times, he says he has
sweeping the country and the world reclined and dozed off. “Sometimes,
and the reason for the state lock- I just sit there and daydream.”
down. The doctor prescribed antibi- The community has rallied
otics. Not yet returning to health, around Tom in his time of need. “I’m
Porter had another video appoint- a very strange person sometimes. I
ment with his doctor and was re- don’t like people doing things for
ferred to a rheumatologist with me.” He might not like people doing
whom he had yet another video ap- things for him, but people like doing
pointment. That doctor prescribed things for Tom. A friend brought him
him steroids because Tom’s feet apple cider and donuts after a visit
began to swell up. By May 6, about a to a cider mill just because that
month and a half after falling ill, Mayor Pro-Tem Tom Porter was sworn in at his home by City Clerk Tina Stanke. friend thought Tom would enjoy it.
Porter had lost 15 pounds and still The Wayne Police Department sent
had not been examined by a physi- other CT scan (13 days after the first heart was only putting out 32% him a card which all the officers had
cian in person. one). The results came back on May blood volume when the minimum signed. His daughter-in-law does all
Tom says he was lethargic and so 26. “Not good at all,” said Tom. Two that should be pumping through is the grocery shopping for him and his
tired he could barely walk. Because days later he was seeing an oncolo- 55%. Doctors want to see 75%. Med- wife, Bonnie. He was gifted with a
of COVID, doctors weren’t seeing gist who referred him to a surgeon ication is now regulating Tom’s heart 14-day subscription to Mom’s Meals,
people in person. On May 7, Tom who did a biopsy on his neck on until he is done with chemotherapy. fully-prepared refrigerated meals.
went to the Emergency Room to see June 8. It had now been two Cancer eradication is the first prior- His neighbors will stop and talk to
a flesh and blood doctor in person. months, and Tom was still waiting ity. Once it’s in remission, a stent will him if they see him in the yard and
He was advised to go see a different for a diagnosis. be put in to address the heart issue. ask how he is doing. He’s received
rheumatologist. His primary doctor June 17. Two months and 24 A port was installed with a small numerous cards and letters. He’s
sent him on May 8 to get a CT scan days after falling ill, Tom finally had incision in Tom’s chest to start had other offers of rides and meals.
and an x-ray. The scan and x-ray did- a diagnosis, albeit not a good one. He chemotherapy. He says there is a “It’s overwhelming to me. There’s all
n’t indicate any problems. A few had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma large plastic hose that goes into a blood kinds of great people in this city and
days later, May 11, with prescription B cell stage 4, a cancer that origi- vessel. The port will stay in until he everywhere that are offering me al-
in hand to get a COVID test, he was nates in the lymphatic system -- the is done. It gets flushed out every now most anything.”
denied the testing because he didn’t disease-fighting system that spreads and then to keep it clean and clear. What’s in the future for Tom, a
have a fever. On May 12, he was able throughout the body. He had cancer This method is preferred over trying beloved member of the city council
to get tested at another facility; the in his liver and both lungs. to stick needles in him every visit. for his candor, willingness to listen
test was negative. Frustration. It should have taken The first “primary” chemo treat- and to research difficult topics? “I
“It was very emotional for me,” a month at the most, Tom says, to di- ment, he got there at 8:00 a.m. His want everybody to understand I love
Tom recalls. “I didn’t know where I agnose. Certainly not 89 days! The blood was drawn and then it took an this city, and I love the people in it,
was at. I didn’t know what was terrible delay because of COVID had hour for everyone to look at the re- and I want people to understand
wrong with me. How was I going to him depressed. “I thought they sults, get him pre-meds and Tylenol what I am doing and why I am doing
get diagnosed?” He began reading wanted to kill all us old people!” and feed him 4-5 bags of differing it,” Tom says about his recent run
“Dr. Google” like many tend to do Tom credits the infectious disease lengths. By 3:30 p.m. Tom was tired for city council on the November bal-
when trying to figure something out. doctor who made the diagnosis pos- of sitting. lot. He said before the election,
He says his research led him to be- sible. The next “secondary” treatment a “Since I’m unopposed, I’m probably
lieve he had cancer, but no one had A bone marrow biopsy soon fol- week later wasn’t so bad. He was going to be re-elected. I’ll go with the
yet diagnosed him with it. lowed. It was negative. A PET scan asked if he minded getting a shot in- flow.” Tom was re-elected and the
Aggravation was coursing ensued which uses a dye that high- stead of a 2-hour chemo bag. It took council voted to keep him as Mayor
through Tom’s veins. His feet were lights different cancer points in the just six minutes for the chemo to be Pro Tem. Tom admits he can resign
swollen. His lymph glands were body, according to Tom. His ab- pushed into his belly fat with the the position if he needs to, such as if
swollen. The guessing had to stop. “I domen, chest and neck were shot. He has had some fever issues he is not in remission and can’t at-
need someone to diagnose me,” Tom checked to see where the cancer was that, in his opinion, he thinks are tend meetings if they return to in-per-
pleaded. An infectious disease doc- located and how bad it was. There triggered by the chemo. son meetings at City Hall. April 26
tor physically examined him, told were a lot of tests being done. What does Tom do while he un- was the last day he could pull his
him he had nodules and swollen And then another bombshell. A dergoes chemo? He takes his iPad
lymph glands and sent him for an- heart issue was discovered. His and his phone with him. He does re- See Porter, page 12
The Wayne Dispatch · December 2020 · 3