When Jerome Axton was diagnosed in April with osteosarcoma – a bone cancer commonly associated with teenagers and rapid growth – he decided early that he would do more than just stare the disease down. The 22-year-old decided he was going to listen to and do everything his doctors told him to do.

 

When they told him that he’d have to have to begin chemotherapy relatively early after his diagnosis, he settled in. When they told him about surgery that would be painful, he was up to it. And when they told him post-surgery would likely mean more chemo and months of rehab, he let his medical team know that he would do whatever was needed.

 

“Whatever they said, I listened and either did it, agreed to do it or accepted it,” said Axton.

 

There was, however, one exception to everything above. And it came on a day when one of Axton’s doctor’s gave him news that he simply wouldn’t accept.

 

“I should tell you that I really like my doctor and he wasn’t trying to be negative, but they have to tell you every possible scenario and he was telling, to me, what were the worst scenarios,” said Axton. “He knew I loved playing basketball and he said there was a very real possibility that I might never play again. I just told him that wasn’t an option. It’s been a huge motivator for me and it’s been something I’ve focused on before my first chemo treatment and long before surgery.”

 

Since that early April diagnosis, Jerome Axton began what could have been as many as 12 chemotherapy treatments to fight the tumor in his leg. Eventually, he ended up needing only seven.

 

“The tumor, they said, shrunk extremely well from the chemotherapy,” said Axton. “I won’t have to do any radiation or anything, but even after my surgery I’ve got to do more chemotherapy. They don’t want to chance anything.”

The chemotherapy shrunk the tumor enough to allow for surgery to remove it to be safe. And this surgery was by no means outpatient surgery. For seven hours, medical staff worked on him to remove the cancerous tumor and try to make his leg whole again.

 

When surgery was over, Axton had 16 inches of bone removed from his femur and a rod in its place. He had nearly eight inches of his tibia removed and another rod in its place. To cap things he had a total knee replacement and needed 60 staples to close the area where doctors needed to go in.

 

“It was the most extensive surgery I could ever imagine. The pain was unbelievable. I’ve never felt anything like that. There are no pain pills that can erase that pain,” said Axton. “I just kept thinking that to get through it that it’s going to get a little better each day; a little less painful. The easing of the pain has been gradual and that means I’m a lot closer to being back out on the court and to being back to myself.”

 

Of course, wanting to be on the court is different from the reality of it. Getting there meant getting positive post-surgery news and almost immediately after surgery, Axton said there were positive signs.

 

“They had me move my toes and the circulation through my toes is good. I’ve got good blood flow ever since surgery and that was a big concern,” he said. “Before surgery, they let me know the tumor had grown on top of a main artery and they thought they would have to take that artery out. They didn’t. From that standpoint, everything was as good as could be hoped for. It was some good news.”

 

But, it wasn’t the best news.

 

“They think I’m going to be able to play ball again,” said Axton. “They told me that, but I already know I’m going to.”

 

The former Bridgeport High School standout knows getting back on the court to play competitively with friends and others will be a slow and tedious process. Part of that process was earlier this week as Axton has his first official post-surgery appointment. His doctor said the incision on his leg is healing and they were able to remove 55 staples. Still,  he’ll have to keep his leg straight and virtually immobile in a heavy and admittedly uncomfortable brace. The brace will remain on for roughly the next four weeks. After that, Axton said physical therapy will begin and they’ll slowly start bending the knee to make everything normal again.

 

While that was positive, the doctor also shared results of what they found from the tumor that was removed. The results lifted Axton’s spirits. Axton said more than 95 percent of the tumor, when it was removed, was basically dead.

 

“(The doctor) said it was actually hard to find a live cell in the tumor which is great news,” said Axton.

 

In a little more than a week, Axton starts chemotherapy again. Six months from now – by the start of the new year – Axton wants to be up and walking as normally as possible

 

“I’m realistic about January 1. I know I won’t be playing basketball, but I plan on being out of the brace, walking pretty much close to normal and I’d like to be able to run a little bit,” said Axton. “That will get me back to the thing I love, which is basketball.”

 

Axton, though, knows that his love of basketball has been rivaled and surpassed by that of his friends and families. From his April diagnosis through today, he said the support he’s received has been unbelievable.

 

“I don’t know how to adequately thank my family; my friends. I guess I can just keep telling them how much I appreciate it. You know, there were some dark days and there may be more, but you get that card, a Facebook message a text message and you can’t help but smile and be positive,” said Axton. “Those messages pulled me out of a ditch more times than anyone will ever know.”

 

There was, however, one hand that was always there to pull Jerome Axton up. It’s the one hand, he said, that’s always been there.

 

“My mother (Anne) never left my side. She’s stayed with me every single day. She was there through the chemotherapy, through the surgery and every step of this,” said Axton. “She continues to stay with me. She lets me know I’m going to beat this. She’s kept me positive. I don’t know what I would do without her.”

 

He may not have played basketball again. And he may not have had as much fight. Even worse, he may not have been the young man who decided months ago that he was going to kick cancer squarely in the groin if for no other reason than to play a game he loves.

 

“When people tell you can’t do things that you love to do, my advice is if it’s something you believe you can do is that you just don’t listen,” said Axton. “Rely on friends and family and it will make your entire body stronger. When your body is stronger, you’re the one that knows what it’s capable of.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Jerome Axton with his younger sister Brynn. Middle photo is of Jerome's leg showing the massive staples, while an post-op x-ray photo is also shown. Bottom photo is of Jerome, left, with his father Robert and brother Zo sporting the smooth look.