HOUSTON – Congressman Ted Poe started feeling bad at a 2016 Fourth of July parade in Houston. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with leukemia.
He quickly began chemotherapy treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center. His treatment there lasted through the fall before he transferred to Washington, D.C., and picked up treatment at Georgetown University Medical Center.
Poe is currently in remission, but still takes oral chemotherapy pills daily. His prognosis is very good. He had no major side effects from his treatment, but his stamina has dropped a little since his diagnosis.
Poe said his leukemia is a condition he will have to continue to monitor closely for the rest of his life.
He has maintained a positive outlook through this ordeal, and credits family, friends and strangers from around the globe for helping with that.
Poe believes his optimism and religious faith have had as much of an impact on his prognosis as medical technology.