Faces of Hope

Marcy Jameson-Plautz

Colorectal Cancer Survivor

"I choose to be strong each and every day," insists Marcy Jameson-Plautz, "and I will never, never, never give up." Marcy, an exercise physiologist, was a 35-year-old newlywed, married two months on the day of her cancer diagnosis.

When told her stage 4 colorectal cancer had metastasized to a golf ball size tumor in her liver, Marcy said, "I didn’t want long pity parties. I wanted to get my team together."

Marcy’s Methodist care team, which she said "quickly became like family," included surgical oncologist George Dittrick, MD; infectious disease specialist Robert Penn, MD; oncologist-hematologist Yungpo Su, MD; counselor Kevin Keeley, LCSW; oncology dietitian Chandy Lockman Hoke, MS, RD,CSO, LMNT; and the nurses on 6 South, her "home away from home" for many weeks.

Marcy underwent three major surgeries, a month of radiation therapy, 12 months of chemotherapy, eight months of IV-only nutrition and the retraining of her digestive system to accept and process real food. With her beloved husband, Eric; parents, Bill and Barb; and other family members and friends by her side, Marcy gave her customary 110% to the fight and came out a winner. "I hit the jackpot," Marcy explains. "Prayers were answered, and I’m living life to the fullest!"