State Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County.After spending most of last week in Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon undergoing testing and treatment for cancer, Sen. Mike Folmer is back to work.
The 56-year-old Lebanon County Republican shared the news last week that he had been diagnosed with a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma by posting a news release about his health on his website.
Sitting in his Capitol office with staff standing around, Folmer, R-Lebanon County, said he didn't issue the news release to get attention, but felt he owed it to his constituents to let them know he had a problem but was still able to do the job they elected him to do.
He also said he wanted to put to rest any rumors that might circulate about him stepping down. "That's the farthest thing. I know I'll be able to do my job," he said. "It's going to be the same old Mike Folmer, maybe hairless. Who knows? Maybe not either."
The type of
that Folmer has is called follicular grade I, which is one of the more common and treatable types of the disease, said Dr. Joseph Drabick, professor of medicine in the hematology and oncology division of the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute.
He explained lymphomas, in general, are tumors of the lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection. With low-grade follicular
, Drabick said, "Frequently, patients don't even have symptoms, and it's found by accident. You could have
for years and years and years, and sometimes it doesn't even need treatment for a while."
When treatment is required, though, it often is effective in putting the cancer into remission.
Folmer already has taken the first of six chemotherapy treatments, which will be done three weeks apart. Aside from possible hair loss and some nausea, he doesn't expect the treatments to cause him to miss a beat.
In fact, he said working is "good for me. This is therapy for Mike Folmer. I like to stay busy."
Folmer said a swelling in his neck and facial area, along with difficulty breathing from liquid accumulating in his lungs and around his heart, prompted him to visit his doctor for a checkup a couple weeks ago.
"My neck sizes went up. I just thought I was getting a fat head ... I wasn't gaining weight in anywhere else," he said.
A chest X-ray and CAT scans revealed a lump in his chest where he said the lymphoma is concentrated. He said he is relying on his doctor, family and faith to get him through this, along with a positive attitude.
His press secretary Beth Williams said his close-knit staff sensed something wasn't right with their boss and became very concerned.
"When he did tell us it was lymphoma, I guess our first thought was if anybody can beat this, he probably will," Williams said. "He's really just an inspiration with his faith and optimism."
Folmer is in the middle of his second four-year term in the state Senate.