After months of unexplained symptoms, Jim Sindon was diagnosed with throat cancer. Thanks to compassionate, coordinated care at Texas Oncology and the support of his wife, he is now in complete remission.
When Jim Sindon retired from his law practice on January 1, 2024, he and his wife, Betty, looked forward to enjoying the next chapter of their life together. After decades of hard work and raising two successful sons, retirement offered more time with family, including their two granddaughters, and the opportunity to enjoy the life they had built in Pearsall, Texas.
What neither Jim nor Betty anticipated was that retirement would soon bring a series of unexpected health challenges — and ultimately, a cancer diagnosis that would test their faith, resilience, and determination.
Around Thanksgiving 2024, Jim began experiencing a sore throat that simply would not go away.
“At first I just thought it was a cold,” Jim recalled.
Despite multiple visits to his primary care physician and treatment with antibiotics, the discomfort persisted. At the same time, Jim faced a series of unrelated health issues, including gallbladder surgery, a skin cancer removal, and a kidney stone. With so much happening, the lingering throat pain took a back seat.
By June 2025, however, it had become impossible to ignore. When Jim’s primary care physician examined his throat, he immediately referred him to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. On June 19, 2025, Jim received shocking news.
“The doctor took one look at my throat and said, ‘Mr. Sindon, you have throat cancer,’” Jim said. “That was the first time I had ever heard anything like that. Nobody in my family had ever had cancer.”
The diagnosis came after months of uncertainty and a year already filled with medical setbacks.
“My whole world felt like it was falling apart,” he said. “Every time I turned around, something different was happening.”
Soon after his diagnosis, Jim was referred to Texas Oncology-San Antonio Medical Center and met head and neck surgical oncologist Nayel Khan, M.D. Although the San Antonio office was a considerable drive from Pearsall, Jim and Betty agreed to attend the consultation before making any decisions. Within minutes of meeting Dr. Khan, their concerns began to ease.
“From the very beginning, he assured us that he thought the cancer was curable,” Jim said.
What stood out most was Dr. Khan’s urgency and compassion. During that first visit, he coordinated blood work, biopsies, and an expedited treatment plan, eliminating unnecessary delays and easing the couple’s anxiety.
“So much happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to sit around and worry,” Jim said. “Dr. Khan took care of me right then.”
When they left the office that day, Jim and Betty felt certain they were in the right place.
“We knew that we didn’t care where Dr. Khan’s office was,” Jim said. “We both felt that God had sent us to the best doctor for my cancer. He answered all our questions, gave us assurance, and made us hopeful.”
Dr. Khan and the Texas Oncology team quickly coordinated a comprehensive care plan that included chemotherapy under Sridhar Beeram, M.D., radiation therapy with Bryan C. Lin, M.D., speech therapy, imaging appointments, and supportive services.
“I didn’t have to set anything up,” Jim said. “Dr. Khan had already arranged everything.”
Over the following weeks, Jim met with members of his care team, underwent placement of a feeding tube and port, and prepared for six chemotherapy treatments and approximately 35 radiation treatments. Because of his lengthy commute, the team worked to schedule appointments at times that were more convenient for him and Betty.
“They thought about everything,” Jim said.
Throughout treatment, he was equally impressed by every member of the Texas Oncology staff.
“Every doctor, nurse, scheduler, technician, and employee I dealt with was professional, kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and patient,” he said. “They knew I didn’t know anything about cancer, and they took the time to explain everything.”
Even routine visits left a lasting impression. From the friendly staff at the front desk to the radiation therapists who helped him through the treatments, Jim said every interaction reflected genuine compassion. “They made you feel like they were going to help you no matter what,” he said.
For Jim and Betty, even the small gestures mattered. One staff member routinely helped the couple navigate the digital check-in process and made sure they never felt lost or overwhelmed.
“She was cheerful every single time,” Betty said. “Little things like that meant so much. Everyone there was so kind to us.”
Throughout treatment, Jim relied heavily on two sources of strength: his faith and his wife.
“I have strong faith,” he said. “I believe if I was supposed to live, I was going to live because God had more things He wanted me to do and more people He wanted me to affect.”
Betty attended nearly every appointment, treatment, and consultation by his side.
“She went with me every single time,” Jim said. “I saw so many people having to face cancer by themselves, and I was so grateful that I had somebody to walk every step with me.”
Their partnership helped transform a frightening experience into one marked by gratitude and perseverance.
One of the most meaningful moments in Jim’s journey came after his cancer treatment ended. Follow-up imaging ordered by Dr. Khan confirmed that Jim’s cancer treatment had been successful. However, the scans revealed something unexpected: a longstanding aortic aneurysm had grown and was now at significant risk of rupture. The discovery led Jim to seek immediate cardiac care and undergo treatment before the condition became life-threatening.
“This wouldn’t have come about if Dr. Khan hadn’t scheduled those follow-up tests,” Jim shared. “They could have cured my cancer, and I might have died from the aneurysm.”
For Jim, the experience highlighted something special about his care team.
“They treated me as a whole person, not just as a cancer patient,” he said.
Today, Jim is in complete remission and back to enjoying retirement. He spends his days tending his acre-and-a-half property, working in his garden, and staying active outdoors.
“I feel really good,” he said. “I’m doing stuff every day. I’m not sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself.”
His experience also changed how he views cancer.
“Cancer is not a death sentence,” Jim said. “But you have to take care of it. Get it treated immediately.”
During treatment, he often sat alongside patients who were much younger, raising families, managing careers, and facing significant challenges of their own. Those encounters gave him a new appreciation for his circumstances and deepened his gratitude.
“Even though I got cancer, I was lucky,” he said. “I got it at a stage in life where my children were grown, I was retired, and I had incredible people helping me.”
Looking back, Jim remains grateful for the care he received and the relationships he built along the way.
“We got nothing but excellent care,” he said. “I hope we don’t ever have cancer again, but if we do, we know where to go.”
The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.
