Urology Care Foundation - Survivor Stories

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Survivor Stories

Henry Butler is a prostate cancer survivor from the United Kingdom. He shares his prostate cancer journey to help other patients and caregivers learn more. He has a passion for encouraging others to talk about their health and get checked out on a regular basis.

Until January 2020, Margo always felt she had an unspoken deal with cancer. She made healthy choices, and it would leave her alone. She never expected that at age 57, she would receive a shocking bladder cancer diagnosis after some blood showed up in her urine.

Moe’s journey began in 2012 when his doctor raised concerns about his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels. He saw a local urologist who ordered a biopsy. Moe and his wife met with a urologist to review the results, which confirmed he had prostate cancer.

Patti, the mother of a child living with Spina Bifida, shares her family's story of caregiving for a child with Spina Bifida, the transition from pediatric to adult urology and her work in the Spina Bifida community.

Shane is a 61-year-old artist who lives in Summerville, South Carolina. Shane spent many years going to his doctor for urinary tract infections that he kept getting. After a while, there was no infection found, but he still had a lot of vaginal pain and still had to pass urine often. Shane is also female to male transgender.

Colby talks about his life journey as a spinal cord injury survivor. He details how he overcame the intense struggles of becoming injured in high school, managing the new urologic conditions that came with recovery and how he ultimately found his life purpose.

Michael Campbell, pheochromocytoma survivor, shares a powerful story of how he learned about his diagnosis and the journey he then had to take to fight for his life. He is then reunited with Dr. Ben Ristau, a urologic oncologist who was one of the doctors who ultimately helped to save Michalel's life.

Nicole and Josh were eager to have a second child when their first was just over one year old. They were in their mid-30s, living in a small, rural town outside of Nashville, TN. When she was 14 weeks pregnant, Nicole went to a urology office as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Since she was curious about the baby’s sex, Nicole gladly accepted the nurse’s invitation to get an ultrasound right then and there.

Being a cancer survivor comes with a powerful journey. It also allows you to have a personal connection with cancer, to know what to expect and to know how to manage life moving forward. Strength comes from the support and love from people around you. For breast cancer survivor, Lillie Shockney, she knows how a patient’s quality of life can change life for better or worse.

When I was 55 years old, I had a slightly elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of a little over 5. I went ahead and had a biopsy. The biopsy came back negative. I assumed I was fine; I felt fine.

In 2018, Chesapeake Urology’s main event to raise funds was renamed the Dr. Sanford J. Siegel Prostate Cancer Run/Walk to honor its founder who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and fighting the very disease he set out to beat. Finding a cure and reaching out to more men with free screenings for early detection became very personal for Dr. Siegel.

Tammy* is a 38-year-old woman. She has suffered for many years with pain in her lower abdomen. As a child she was told she had “lots of bladder infections” and was given antibiotics. But, the medications still didn’t help.

Craig was on his way to lunch when he received the call from his doctor saying, "Craig, we found cancer." At the age of 67, Craig was healthy, active and enjoying his retirement. When he began feeling the need to use the restroom more often, he decided to visit a urologist.

Kim, a 75 year-old retired university professor, has lived with stones for over 25 years. In 1989, Kim had his first stone surgery, shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). This was an old way to treat stones.

In August of 2018, Kristine woke up in the middle of the night with bladder pain and an urgency to go to the bathroom. She went to the doctor and was told she had a urinary tract infection (UTI) and was prescribed an antibiotic to take for three days.

Jonathan Little, a penile cancer survivor from the UK, opens up about the journey he has gone through from when he first started noticing symptoms to now being in remission. His humor, positive attitude and "one step at a time" mindset are just a few things that make his story so interesting.

In late 2016, 24-year-old Steven from Virginia Beach, Virginia noticed that his left testicle seemed to be growing. It was tender and hurt when he touched it, but being young, he never thought it was anything serious.

Annika was 16 and working late on a school assignment. When she got up the next day to hand it in, she felt pain in her bladder and the sudden urge to urinate over and over. She went to the doctor to get tested to see if she had a urinary tract infection (UTI). It came back negative.

Howard Wolinsky, a Chicago-based freelance medical journalist, was the Chicago Sun-Times health writer for nearly 30 years. He has spent his career asking questions and investigating. So, in 2010 when he was told he had prostate cancer, followed days later with a recommendation to have surgery, he was stunned and needed to know more.

Happily married and living a full life, Marguerite had her first urinary tract infection (UTI), at the age of 35, but it wasn’t her last.

This is Teri. I’m a urology patient and this is my story. Right out of college and after a move from upstate New York to Virginia I began my new life. I was living in a small apartment, working temporary jobs to pay the bills, but I was young, healthy and happy. After a year, I landed a full-time job at a publishing company and finally felt like I was getting settled. That is when my health started to become an issue in my day to day life.

Teri shares her journey living with IC and Dr. Suzette E. Sutherland, MD, MS, FPMRS answers some questions to help listeners better understand this condition.

Ritchie is a vibrant nurse and mother of two sons. At the age of 36, her son Chris, who was athletic, healthy and living a happy life, started feeling pain in his back so he went to see a chiropractor, but the pain didn’t let up. He continued to live with the pain for years.

Matt Ode, a testicular cancer survivor, shares his story from diagnosis to treatment to recovery and gives his advice on how patients and caregivers can find hope in the obstacles they face through their journey. His mindset of “winning the day” helped him overcome some of the mental struggles he experienced.

Megan, a healthy 34 year old, was looking to to start a family but, after going through some fertility issues, one of the many tests indicated she had a mass on her kidney. During the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment became difficult, but she remained resilient through it all.

Salima was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer and through her journey found that practicing gratitude helped her to focus on the small things in life.

Joey was a happy child. At age 10, he was a laid back, popular Boy Scout and violin player who loved school and playing soccer with his friends. During a regular physical, his pediatrician found something hard near his stomach. When he went for further testing, results came back that Joey had a rare form of kidney cancer, stage 4 translocation renal cell carcinoma.

Bruce maintained a healthy lifestyle, but after he received an ultrasound and CT he was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. He shares his tips with those recently diagnosed with kidney cancer.

This podcast is from the view of a husband and wife who are going through the prostate cancer journey. Euvon Jones is a 69-year-old, metastatic prostate cancer survivor and Janet is his wife and considers herself to be a part of his caregiving team.

Addison Parks was just 15 months old when she had her first urinary tract infection (UTI). Her doctor prescribed antibiotics. But two months later, Addison got a second UTI. That’s when her doctor suggested her parents take her to a pediatric urologist. This doctor specializes in diseases of a child’s urinary tract.

Major League Baseball's, Cal Ripken Jr., sits down with his personal physician, Dr. Ronald Tutrone, to discuss Cal's prostate cancer journey. They share what men and their loved ones can learn from his story.

He decided to make an appointment with a urologist nearby to learn what was going on. The doctor said that his prostate had enlarged, but felt that they could wait and see before starting treatment. Jerry was told to return in one year.

Chuck shares his story about Erectile Dysfunction (ED) that resulted from the radical prostatectomy surgery he had for prostate cancer more than a decade ago. He gives patients hope and shares his advice to patients based on his experiences.

In 2005, Mike was 33 years old and living in South Florida when he felt a lump on his left testicle. He knew right away that something wasn't right. After his diagnosis and treatment he now hopes to see more men taking an active role to reach their goal of being cancer-free.

Jay G. Baitler is a prostate cancer survivor with a message to all men. According to Jay, men just don't talk enough. Jay's powerful story talks about his experience and his attitude towards facing cancer.

In this Urology Care Foundation patient education video series, prostate cancer caregivers talk about their experiences with coping.

Education can help take away from the fears that come with cancer. It can be the turning point between despair and hope. Your support funds knowledge, research and hope.

Mike Haynes, Pro Football Hall of Famer, has a message for all men and their loved ones when it comes to Prostate Cancer. This NFL legend's prostate cancer journey is detailed in this special podcast interview.

Keith Harring, a longtime volunteer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was driving to referee a game at Bowling Green St. University when he received the phone call that said he had prostate cancer.

Listen to the voices of prostate cancer. Survivors talk about their journey with prostate cancer.


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