Jeffrey Rowe
Knoxville, Tennessee
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Imagine a cross between Mr. Clean and Homer Simpson. Wow, I just scared myself but it sadly enough it is a true visual representation of me, currently.
I am happily married to the women of my dreams, Lucie, a Central European brunette with a great mind and even greater heart. This fall we will celebrate our five year anniversary and the birth of our daughter, Aneshka.
I am Vice-president of Safe Tech, Inc which manufactures firearm safety devices for military and law enforcement. This is the job that pays the bills but more importantly I have started a new foundation to bring about that always needed sense of fulfillment. Power2Live was created to support cancer survivor programs through the development and sales of products that inspire the celebration of life and share the knowledge that to be a survivor and no longer a victim we must focus on The Power to Live! Our first products to raise money for these amazing groups is a line of Anniversary Coins for cancer survivors and a challenge coin for those battling the c. Programs were not readily available at the time of my battle but they are here today to better the lives of all. I want to give back to the cancer community and make sure these programs thrive.
Cycling has been a big part of my life since I was 12. Growing up in Indiana under the mystique of "Breaking Away" and enjoying the Little 500 every spring was great. I rode my bike everywhere as a teenager. That is what I need to do now as an adult. I enjoy kayaking, cycling, watching anything about cycling on OLN (Go Lance and Tyler!), and spending time with my wife!
Cancer Overview:
General Cancer Type: Brain
Specific Cancer Type: Diffuse Fibrillary Astrocytoma
Treatment Summary:
I experienced my first grand mal seizure during spring break of my junior year in high school. The family doctor passed it off as hyperventilation. This was all and well until a few months later when I went for my summer physical. The sports medicine group would not approve me to participate in any events until the true cause of the seizure was determined. After several tests and a lot of poking and proding an MRI revealed a tumor the size of a large egg located 3" deep in the left temporal lobe. The biopsy determined the mass to be a diffuse fibrillary astrocytoma. The doctors in Indianapolis wanted to take a wait (90 days) and see approach.
One week after the biopsy, my fathers job transferred him out of state to Onalaska, Wisconsin. One week before the start of my senior year in high school we moved. Previously we had discussed the possibility of me staying to finish the final year of prep in our home town but with the recent tumor diagnoses the decision was easy enough; stay with the family! One week after arriving in our new town I experienced my second grand mal seizure, during football practice.
I was referred to the medical mecca known as the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (2-3 hour drive). The doctors decided that the grade II and III tumor needed to be dealt with immediately. Radiation was chosen over surgery. I underwent 33 radiation treatments. It was a horrible time and I a can still vividly remember each of those 33 morning trips (21 with my Dad, 2 with my brother, and 9 with my Mom). My family was scared and, like most, did not know how to handle it (OK, as if I knew how to handle it!) All in all, they were wonderful and supportive. As were the doctors at Mayo Clinic.
On a positive note, the final treatment occured on October 31 which brings a great deal of joy and celebration for me each year on Halloween!
During the last fifteen years I have dealt with the after effects of the brain tumor: memory problems, depression, vision distortion, seizures and other red flags that bring about the fear of re-occurance. By the way, does getting fat count as one of those after effects? It was worth a shot. While all of these difficulties have, at times, set me back into the roll of victim I am always aware and ever so proud to be a cancer survivor! The Power to Live is definitely inside, I sometimes may forget where it is but it is definitely there!
Stories:
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