After a Difficult Start to Treatment, George M. Keeps Moving Forward
At 85, George M. learned he had pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. Doctors classified it as stage 3, and George tells us the diagnosis came as a shock.
He says he didn’t notice any major symptoms before receiving his diagnosis. He felt a little pain in his side and had some trouble sleeping, so he mentioned it to his doctor. That conversation set off a chain of tests that eventually uncovered what was causing his symptoms.
His doctor ordered a CT scan of his lower body first. When that scan found something unusual near his upper body, doctors ordered a second CT scan for a clearer picture. A specialist then attempted a biopsy, but it took 3 tries before the team collected enough tissue to confirm his mesothelioma diagnosis.
A Frightening Reaction to Chemotherapy
His doctors started him on chemotherapy soon after George’s diagnosis, but he tells us his body reacted in a way that wasn’t expected. During his first and only round of treatment, his heart rate spiked so high that doctors needed 4 injections to bring it back down. He also developed severe breathing trouble and doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia in the emergency room that same day.
George says the chemo caused his white blood cell count to drop to dangerously low levels. “We almost lost him,” Trina, George’s daughter, tells us. George spent 6 nights in the hospital while doctors worked to stabilize him.
This experience made it clear that another round of chemo wasn’t an option. George and his family turned to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.
At their first appointment, doctors recommended a wait-and-see approach, with a CT scan scheduled for September 2026, to check whether the tumor has grown. If it shows signs of growth, doctors may recommend immunotherapy, possibly paired with a smaller dose of chemo.
Getting Back on His Feet
Coming home from the hospital brought its own challenges, especially maintaining a nutrient-rich diet. “I kept looking at the food, and it looked so bad to me. I couldn’t even navigate it,” George explains. “I had to really force myself.”
His appetite slowly returned, switching from 3 big meals a day to 5 small ones. “I am eating fairly well now,” he shares.
George stayed committed to staying active and exercising since returning home from the hospital. “I get up and walk a lot. I don’t sit 8 hours or 5 hours at the TV or anything like that,” he says. “I’m always on.”
Today, George says he feels good overall. He walks to his mailbox and manages daily tasks, though he says he gets winded if he walks too fast or tries to lift something heavy. He also helps his son-in-law with car repairs in the garage. George tells us that he has had no trouble with the summer heat, which can be difficult for some people during cancer treatment.
Family, Hobbies and Staying Positive
George says he owes much of his recovery to his daughter and son-in-law. He lives on their property and they’ve helped him through his mesothelioma treatment. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t know what I would be doing,” George says. “They’re my backbone.”
Beyond his family, George found extra support through Weitz & Luxenberg, who helped him navigate his benefits. He describes the mix of people helping him, including his Patient Advocate team at The Mesothelioma Center, as “kind of like a collaboration of everybody.”
George shares that he makes time for a handful of longtime hobbies that keep his mind sharp. He collects bottles, coins and paper currency. Those small collections give him something to look forward to outside of appointments and treatment planning. He says these routines meant a lot to him long before his diagnosis and holding onto them now helps him feel like himself.
George’s advice to other mesothelioma survivors comes from his own family. His brother, Gary, a Vietnam veteran with 3 Purple Hearts, went through 4 rounds of cancer-related chemo treatments and is now in remission. Gary’s advice stuck with George: Stay positive, stay calm and keep going. George now passes that same message along to other survivors facing their own diagnosis.
For now, George’s goals are simple. He wants to keep living and spend as much time as possible with his daughter and son-in-law. “Just keep on living,” he says.
