Jordie Poncy was excited to start a new counseling job at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. The licensed psychologist’s father had received treatment there for bladder cancer, and Poncy wanted to give back to the place where his family found support.
But as his start date approached a few years ago, Poncy had a stomachache that just wouldn’t go away. It got so bad he ended up in the emergency room.
“I got the shocking news that they found cancer, which ended up being Stage 4 rare neuroendocrine carcinoma. Don’t Google it; it will stress you out,” he said.
Poncy had developed tumors in some of his neuroendocrine cells, which are similar to nerve cells but they also make hormones. They’re tiny but play a crucial role in the body.
At the time, Poncy was only 39 years old.
“My reaction when I first heard it was kind of that sense of disbelief and all the atmosphere leaving the room,” he said.
“... You're hit with a barrage of information just trying to make sense of everything in your life immediately shifting and changing. From what you do every day on a daily basis, to these existential fears that are now, like, permanently lodged in your brain.”
So Poncy started treatment at Moffitt instead of starting work. His bosses kept his job open while he spent six months in intensive chemotherapy. It was a grueling time, physically and emotionally.
“You can just find yourself in a pretty dark hole where it's hard to think about how to just put your two feet on the floor with the weight of uncertainty that you wake up with each morning,” said Poncy.
Family and doctors helped Poncy push through. He’s spent the past two years or so working part time at Moffit. Poncy continues to get chemo every other weekend.
His cancer hasn't gone away – he said it's considered incurable. But he's able to manage it. That lets him help other people get through the mental health challenges that come with cancer.
“When I sit down with patients and I tell them, ‘I'm not only a psychologist here, but I'm also a patient, I do chemo, I go to the clinics,’ I often see just these reactions of relief, you know, like someone gets it,” he said.
How can cancer affect your mental health?
Poncy can relate with patients about the fear, grief and other emotions people grapple with, whether they have recently been diagnosed or had the disease under control for awhile. And he knows how stressful it can be to deal with that while trying to treat the actual cancer.
“Needing to stay on top of things like insurance, and making appointments and getting other specialists involved. And, so you're both, like, rocked, and you're also trying to be responsible,” he said.
Poncy had help, but said it’s even harder for those who don’t.
“I see people across the spectrum,” he said. “There are people with some of the most amazing, inspirational support systems that you just want to give the whole family a hug as they're leaving, and then you see people all the way on the other side of the spectrum where they're navigating it alone. Sometimes these people are older, sometimes there are folks with strong financial need and they are finding ways to drive hours to get to Moffitt for the treatment.”
That's why he said mental health and social work support is so important for patients.
Research shows about a third of cancer patients are diagnosed with a mental health condition during various stages of the disease. These include anxiety and depression. Other studies indicate incorporating mental health care into treatment plans increases patients' chances of survival.
As a psychologist, Poncy helps people adapt to life with cancer. He guides them through emotional ups and downs and offers support as patients work to keep building their lives amid great uncertainty.
“It can be really helpful to stay in the present as much as possible,” he said. “ 'Am I OK? Am I doing well this week, this month? What are my plans and what do I have to look forward to in the near future?' ”
Poncy also helps them cope when their bodies are exhausted or in pain.
“Sometimes when people are limited physically or with the side effects of chemo, they feel like they can't participate in the activities that give them a lot of meaning in their lives,” he said. “And so what I try and do is think about how are there creative ways that we can still engage with the things that matter to you, but ways that are modified so that they fit your abilities and your level of energy.”
And while Poncy continues his own cancer treatment, he finds his meaning working at Moffitt.
“It really feels like a calling, and so during the scary times, I do feel like where I’m supposed to be,” he said.
Resources to take care of your mental health with cancer
The American Cancer Society offers psychosocial options for people living with cancer, along with other advice about how to cope and live well during treatment.
Moffitt Cancer Center can connect you with support groups and one-on-one assistance.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
