“I don’t stress about the small stuff as much as I used to.”
The changes 35-year-old Caleb Jenkins are experiencing one-year post-chemo are a lot more than his hair growing back darker and curlier. He has also developed a deeper understanding of what it means to live his life to the fullest.
Caleb was diagnosed with testicular cancer that metastasized to lymph nodes in his lower back in March 2024. After a whirlwind of appointments, tests, surgery and treatments, Caleb rang the bell at the Infusion Center at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at Hillcrest, marking the end of his chemotherapy last June. Caleb’s wife, Hayley, says the toughest part of the battle after chemo has been coming to terms with the trauma she and her husband endured.
“One thing I never hear anybody talk about is the emotional strain and the mental chaos post-chemo,” she said. “When it finally hit him, and all the emotions were able to hit, it was just a really, really rough time, you know?”
She and Caleb stressed the important role mental health has played in his recovery. He is one year into a five-year waiting period that includes scans and lab tests every three months to make sure his cancer has not returned. In 2029, he will find out if his cancer is gone for good.
“It’s still a little nerve-wracking, not knowing what you’re going to hear from three months to three months,” said Caleb. “But I feel a lot more alive for sure.”
OU Health's Stephenson Cancer Center is collaborating with Hillcrest to bring the highest level of research-driven care to Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma. To learn more, click here. To schedule an appointment, call 918-579-3850.