Cancer is Iraq War Veteran's Hardest Battle
For Army Veteran Cornel Sims Jr., fighting in the Iraq War didn’t prepare him for cancer, the toughest battle of his life.
He got very sick and lost 26 pounds, dropping his weight to just 139 pounds. He also struggled with constant fatigue along with fever and night sweats.
Seeking answers, the 40-year-old visited several private hospitals but received no diagnosis.
“I know my body,” said Sims, who regularly exercises and maintains a healthy lifestyle. “I am healthy and don’t usually get sick.”
When his health continued to deteriorate, he visited the Houston VA emergency room and doctors quickly scheduled him for a biopsy in oncology.
Unfortunately, VA found three tumors and diagnosed him with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system that develops abnormal blood cells.
One tumor was located in his neck while the second was in his stomach and the size of a cantaloupe. The third was in his lower back and was half the size of a loaf of bread.
Fear ran rampant through his mind as he had previously lost a friend and fellow soldier to cancer.
“Oh my goodness,” he thought. “I’m going to be the next to die.”
His previous dreams of owning a home and becoming a father seemed out of reach. Because cancer also affects a patient’s mental health, Sims Jr. struggled with the will to live.
Throughout his treatment at Houston VA, his family and Houston VA Cancer Center staff stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him and ensured he didn’t face his fight alone.
Sharrika Porter, a registered nurse in the Cancer Center, often gave him words of encouragement.
“I remember him coming in small and frail,” she said. “I could tell he had been sick for a while. I told him, you are young and can beat this. Be positive.”
Day after day, his attitude noticeably shifted from sour to filled with determination, kindness, hope and gratitude.
“I know how fight, shoot, run, duck, dodge and jump,” he said. “I could not control my cancer, which made it the hardest battle I ever had to fight.”
On Aug. 24, 2024, he rang the bell at the Houston VA Cancer Center signaling he was now cancer free.
“The VA saved my life,” said Sims. “I got to live to see another birthday and was able to purchase my first home. I was able to tell my mother I love her. The VA made that happen for me.”