Jim Owen Jim's T cell Journey

Part 1: On May 30th, 2017 while still in Vietnam, Jim signed up for the Dallas marathon, to be run in December. But on June 1st a cycle of sickness began with a fever, rash and muscle twitches. Jim, April, and Daniel returned to Texas on June 14th so Daniel could prepare to attend the University of Texas at Arlington in the fall. But 4 days later, Jim was struck with a rare autoimmune disease called Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), which left his legs partially paralyzed and weakened his hands. Jim received treatment for GBS and was told it could take six months to a year for him to fully gain his strength back. So, he started a weekly regiment of Physical Therapy.

Part 2: Eight weeks after the onset of GBS, Jim saw the 1st small sign of improvement in his legs, but during that same week he came down with pneumonia. Or at least that is what the doctors first thought it was. Since the beginning of August all of Jim’s lymph glands have been swollen which has caused fluid retention all over his body. Internally, there has been fluid in and around his lungs, so breathing has been very labored. After about 5 weeks of x-rays, EKGs, MRIs, CT scans, a spinal tap, a lymph node biopsy, and a bone marrow biopsy, Jim was finally diagnosed with Angioimmunoblastic  T-cell Lymphoma.

The shock of this diagnosis is mixed with the relief of finally knowing what his body is dealing with. Jim is currently receiving cancer treatment at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in Dallas. Jim and April believe that life is a journey, and Jesus is walking with them during this challenging time to give strength, peace, and healing. Thank you for walking with us too!