A Papillion firefighter recovering from cancer said a tiny sliver of metal he accidentally swallowed at work saved his life.
Papillion Fire Capt. Jeff Jones has eight children, so when he finished lunch at the fire station on Dec. 27 and felt a sharp pain in his right side, he knew he better have his health checked out.
"They found what they thought was a piece of metal in my intestine, which obviously, I was kind of shocked," Jones said.
Doctors told Jones it looked like a bristle off a grill brush. Surgery was scheduled to remove the metal from his intestine. Once doctors opened Jones up, they found something else: cancer.
"Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma," Jones said, recalling his diagnosis.
Jones said it's an aggressive but treatable form of cancer and he believes they caught it early.
His wife, Sally, said the news was overwhelming to the family.
"He's made of steel. He's solid muscle, and he just never gets sick, so it was just really, really shocking," she said.
Jones has just finished his second chemotherapy session. He has a few sessions to go.
Jones said he believes a sliver of metal may have saved his life and changed his outlook.
"I'm just more appreciative of the people around me, more appreciative of just getting up in the morning," he said.
Jones other family has helped out as well. Papillion firefighters have helped drive his children to school and brought the family food.
On March 2, a group of Jones' colleagues plan to shave their heads in front of the firehouse as a fundraiser to help the Joneses pay medical bills. Donations can be made to the "Jeff Jones Fund" at any First National Bank.
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