I read with great interest [Mickey Maurer’s April 15] column about his prostate cancer experiences.
In January 2006, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer—not something you want to get. My first inclination was that I would be treated locally, because we have a good hospital system in Indianapolis. Further investigation revealed that was not the case in my situation.
I was told that my treatment would be immediate surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy. That plan was altered a few days later when I was told that the radiation and chemo would come first, followed by surgery. I became suspicious that not all the members of the choir were singing from the same sheet music.
I learned that the University of Michigan had pioneered a procedure that involved a 3-inch to 4-inch incision in the throat and a 6-inch to 7-inch incision in the abdomen. This was preceded by several weeks of chemo and twice-per-day radiation and a few weeks of rest to prepare for the operation.
I have been cancer-free for almost seven years.
Most hospitals are good at treating most things, some are great at treating some things, but few are great at treating everything.
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Dick Maurer, Carmel
(no relation to Mickey Maurer)
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