In December of 1992 I was diagnosed with cancer... renal cellular carcinoma and the doctor's removed my left kidney. They told me there was a high risk of it recurring in the bladder and that it did. From 1993 to 2004 I had 19 bladder cancer surgeries. From the beginning I had insurance, great insurance that paid everything. It was though a local city Chamber of Commerce. Then, in 1999 they decided to do away with that benefit for members. I was left out in the cold. I took cobra for one year... for my wife and me it was over $900.00 a month. The year ran out and I had to search the open market for health insurance. I could not find anything for less than $3500.00 a month... that covered existing illnesses.
At the end of 2000 I lost my business. I had no work and no insurance. Finally, I found a consulting job in Hungary . The pay was very small but the promise of possible ownership might make it worth my time. I spent one year there and ended up with nothing. The owner closed the Hungarian operation and I was out in the cold.
I came home and started selling area rugs, roadside. I loved what I was doing but the income still was not even close to being able to make house payments, car payments, utilities and such. We sold most everything we had in order to pay doctors and hospitals and necessary bills. Our doctor and hospital bills at this time were in the six figures. My wife and I moved in with my daughter and her husband. Six months later my wife went to take care of her mother six hours south of Dallas . I couldn'tt stand being away from her and although everyone told me I would never stay out in this small town, I packed up what I had left and moved to a very small country town in South Central Texas population maybe 100. I still was selling rugs.
It was once again time for me to have another cysto. It was time for a urologist to look in my bladder and see if more tumors were there. Those of us who have bladder cancer call it a P & P (poke and peak). I knew no one and quite frankly couldn'tt ask my previous doctor for a recommendation, as I still owed him money. My sister-in-law said she knew a urologist in a town not too far from where I lived. I made an appointment and was scared to death as I had very little money and knew a cysto would cost hundreds of dollars.
MY DOCTOR When I first met My Doctor" I told him immediately that I had no insurance. He didn't react, just said. Tell me whats going on". I talked. He listened. Imagine that, a doctor who actually listened. Not that the others hadn't, but they were always so busy and in a hurry. They were nice. They were good doctors, but when they were listening I always thought their mind was on something else. After the exam he had me sit down in a chair and he pulled over a stool on rollers and sat right in front of me, crossed his legs, looked me directly in the eye and said, Im your doctor. I am asking you to come to see me or to call me at any time. Do not ever let money or not having insurance cause you to not contact me for any reason. I am your doctor and I will help you in every way I can".
Then he gave me the news. I did have another tumor. It looked like it was malignant but the only way to be sure was to do a biopsy. This required at minimum day surgery and I knew I could not afford this or the hospital expense. He said not to worry about him. He said I could pay him when I could and what I could. He said he would talk to the hospital and see if we could get a discount due to my financial circumstances. I asked him if he had ever done a biopsy without anesthesia. He said no. I asked if it was possible and he said yes but it could be very painful. They would have to scope me through the penis and pinch off the tumor in the bladder. I told him to go for it".
Two days later he and one of his partners did the biopsy in his office. Every time they moved the scope they asked, Does that hurt"? It hurt, but I kept thinking it didn'tt hurt as much as a $6000.00 bill from the hospital. When they got to the tumor and told me it was time to remove it and that it would hurt I said, Go for it". They did and I came up two feet off the table. As soon as it was over, it was over. The only real pain came when they pinched off the tumor. It lasted only a few seconds.
The tumor was malignant, would have to be removed and the area cauterized. This would definitely require a hospital stay.
My Doctor" wrote a letter to the local hospital telling them he was doing the surgery as a charity case and asked if they could do the same or at least allow for a huge discount. The hospital had me fill out a few financial forms and sure enough, they also allowed me as a charity patient.
The surgery went well. Now my doctor thought it was time for another round of BCG treatments. My Doctor thought this was the best way to go. Id had this treatment twice before and once it worked for almost three years. The last one however, could not be completed as I became so sick the doctor did not want to do the final treatment.
I started the treatments. Every time I went to My Doctors" office he had me sit in the chair and he pulled up his stool, crossed his legs, looked me directly in the eyes and said, Tell me whats going on". Every week for six consecutive weeks I did this and every week he or his associate did the same. I thought I was his only patient. He was My Doctor".
After six weeks the BCG treatments were completed. I was to return in three months for another bladder exam. Every month I sent some money to My Doctor". It was not even close to what the actual charges should have been, but he never once mentioned money to me.
On one of my visits we discussed the future and what could possibly be in store for me. My Doctor" was warm but told it like it was. I had so many tumors that part of the bladder wall had become thin from the removal of the tumors and he was concerned that the tumors might become invasive. Once these tumors were invasive it would be a much more serious situation. He told me that if I had more tumors that the best course would be a Radical Cystectomy. He briefly discussed what this would entail and that he just wanted me to be prepared in the event of more tumors. .
On April 5, 2005 I had my three months exam. Once again I had a tumor. The BCG treatments had not worked. The tumor was in an area close to where other tumors had been removed. My Doctor" pulled up his stool, crossed his legs and began to tell my wife and me he thought the best thing for me was to have a radical cystectomy. This is a urinary diversion surgery where they remove the bladder, prostate, urethra and lymph nodes. They would take 12 to 15 inches of my colon and make me a new bladder and attach it to my remaining kidney. They would remove my appendix and attach it to the new bladder on one end and to my naval on the other. I would void by inserting a catheter into my naval, pushing it through the new tube (my former appendix) into the new bladder (my former colon) to drain the urine. It was serious surgery and he wasnt even sure he could save the nerves that might allow me be able to continue to make love to my wife. Most probable, he said was that my sex life could be over. He gave me some hope and suggested possible medical and mechanical methods, but I could hardly listen to that. I just wanted to be alive and be with my wife, children, grand children and family. I told him wed worry about that after all the recovery from the surgery.
The surgery was to be 6 to 7 hours. I would be in the hospital anywhere from 7 to 10 days and total recovery would be a minimum of 90 days.
All I could think about was how much all this was going to cost. He saw this in my face and once again, pulled up the stool, crossed his legs and told me not to worry. He told me he could not do this surgery as charity, but I could pay him what I could when I could and he would send me bills at a much-reduced rate. He never told me what that rate would be. I asked him and he said just dont worry about it.
He wrote another letter to the hospital and I met with their financial aid people. Once again God answered prayers and I was given charity status. All of this was happening because of two reasons. First, prayer was answered and second, the answered prayer was My Doctor".
To this day I dont know what the normal hospital charges would have been. The surgery took a little over five hours and I was in the hospital for ten days. I was in ICU for 2 days. I had X-Rays, CAT, and PET and every kind of scan you can think of and EKGs Just imagine what the cost would be! I am sure it would have been well over $60,000.00 if I had insurance. This doesnt count what the doctors normal charges would have been.
My Doctor" and his associate, who assisted in surgery, came to see me every single day, twice a day for the entire ten days I was there. They never seemed to be in a hurry, always asking me what was going on" and then seemingly listening to every word I had to say. My wife was extremely impressed. She had never had a man listen to her so much (she constantly reminds me of this).
Please remember, My Doctor" knew he was not going to be paid very much for this surgery, for the advice, the time he spent with my wife and me yet he was there for me at a moments notice. I was his patient and he was My Doctor". My Hospital" gave me first class service, even a private room and took care of me as if I were the most important person in their hospital.
The surgery went well. They sent off everything and all the pathology reports came back NO CANCER HAD INVADED THE BLADDER WALL! I was cancer free for the first time in 14 years.
There have been some minor complications due to the surgery. On average, Ive been to see My Doctor" three times per month for the last 14 months. In April 2006 I had another surgery. This was for reconstruction of the valve. Again, My doctor" and My Hospital" were there for me. This time I was in the hospital three days and the surgery took about two hours.
On Feb. 13, 2008 I had another surgery. This time I was able to use Medicare and AARP Supplement to pay for the surgery... hernia repair and another attempt to fix a faulty valve. The hernia surgery was successful, but still have a small leaking problem. People ask me why did I not go to another doctor. Why should I? This doctor stood by me through the tough times and I plan to stay with him and hopefully be able to repay some of all he has done for me.
My Doctor" always says to me, Hello my friend". Then pulls up his stool, crosses his legs and looks me directly in the eye and says, Tell me whats going on". He always asked about my wife. He always has time for me.
I know two other patients of this doctor and they both tell me he is Their Doctor". They think they are the only patients he has. I tell them that is not true as I am the only one. We all laugh and thank our maker for My Doctor".
In this world we live in today we only hear about the mal-practice suits, the doctors that treat people badly, and the doctors that are in it for the money only I am certain there are many doctors like My Doctor". We just dont hear about them. For my wife and me, we love My Doctor" dearly and will never be able to thank or repay him for all he has done for my me and my family.
I have purposely not mentioned my doctors name or the name of the hospital. Im sure everyone one in Texas with or without insurance, would be coming to them. Im selfish, because after all, he is My Doctor".
My wife and I give the glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died for us and whom we believe sent us to meet My Doctor".
