Patient Stories
Sutter Cancer Centers
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Slawek - Least Invasive Treatment Possible
Slawek and his primary care physician Craig Ruggles, M.D., were actively monitoring his PSA levels ever since one of his tests showed high numbers for someone in their early 50’s. When the numbers started to spike, Dr. Ruggles referred Slawek to Jonathan Eandi, M.D., medical director of Robotic Surgery at Sutter Medical Group.
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Jimmy - Vallejo Man Hopes His Story Saves Lives
The warning from the surgeon general on the side of each pack went unheeded. Even the commercial showing a cancer victim who had to speak from a hole in her neck didn’t move Jimmy Slover to quit. He’d been a smoker since he was 16; it was his one vice and he truly enjoyed it.
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Jim Naylor - Jim Naylor - One in Six: Prostate Cancer
KFBK 1530 AM reporter Jim Naylor was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 2011. He decided to chronicle his cancer journey and package it as a series of stories that began airing September 201.
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Pat - The Power of Positive Thinking
Pat McKnight, 78, is a cancer survivor…three times over. Twelve years ago, she was diagnosed with and treated for bladder cancer, but the c-word was the last thing on her mind when she started experiencing some swelling in her right foot in December 2009.
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Prakashni - Blood and Marrow Transplant
For months, Prakashni Shandil of West Sacramento had suffered one bad sore throat after another—and antibiotics were not much help. Her lymph glands were so swollen, doctors suspected she had tonsillitis. And so Prakashni, who works as a lab assistant for Sutter Medical Foundation, was scheduled to get her tonsils removed.
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Charles - Prostate cancer won’t keep him down
Charles Jones, a 62-year-old Vacaville resident, had no idea that treatment for prostate cancer would lead to a new and exciting path in life. He’s turned his personal struggle with cancer into a national ministry that helps others going through adversity.
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George - Prostate Cancer and Robotic Surgery
George went in for what he thought would be a routine physical with his internist. However, this time around, the results for his blood work showed a spike in his PSA levels. Another test confirmed that his PSA levels were higher than last year’s results.
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Donna - Robotic GYN Surgery
In the past year Donna started to become more and more familiar with cancer. She started off the year modeling for the Cancer Resource Center and ended it with a champagne celebration for her good friend who had overcome kidney cancer. The day after the party she discovered an unusual spotting of blood in her panties.
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Tommye - The Value of Preventive Care
Tommye Isom considers herself blessed. She retired from the post office in 2000 after a 38-year career. She and her husband of 52 years have two sons and three grandchildren. Tommye’s health has always been good…until she was diagnosed with cancer. Miraculously, she still feels blessed, because the team at Sutter discovered her tumor early and the care she received exceeded her expectations.
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Gerri - Robotic Partial Nephrectomy
Gerri had a large tumor in her kidney was faced with the possibility of having to have her entire kidney removed. Then she met Dr. David S. Yee, robotically-trained urologist with Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
Watch Gerri's Story
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Ahmeer - Bone and Marrow Transplant
Ahmeer Rivac has a competitive will. He’s a big fan of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts. His spirited attitude has been known to be on display during his workouts at Capital City Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The 33-year-old has also harnessed that energy in his battle against Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
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Arlene - A Successful Fight Again and Again
Every day might as well be Christmas for Arlene. The great-grandmother has come to take each day as a present that she can’t wait to unwrap. As a three-time cancer survivor, she no longer takes her time for granted.
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Hazel - A Higher Level of Service
For Hazel, a breast cancer diagnosis was like having her worst fear realized. “It was very frightening,” she recalls. “I felt out of control.” Fortunately, the oncology team at Sutter Solano Cancer Center met with her promptly, answered her questions, discussed her options with her and provided encouragement. “Everyone at Sutter just took care of me—and I felt very safe,” she says.
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Debbie - Smiling Through Adversity
Breast cancer did not stand a chance against Debbie. The 51-year-old teacher emerged from two surgeries and six weeks of radiation treatment with her unique sense of humor intact.
Debbie even shared her humor with the staff at Sutter Solano Cancer Center during her radiation sessions. “I had those people in stitches,” she says. “It is what it is, so I decided to make it fun.” The outstanding support she received from the staff at Sutter as well as her students fueled her determination to beat cancer. “I wouldn’t have made it without them,” she says.
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William - A Life-Saving Surgery for Terminal Cancer
In 2001, William went to his doctor for what he thought would be a routine colonoscopy; however, the screening showed cancerous cells. He was referred to Sutter Roseville Medical Center surgeon Laura Machado, M.D., to have a section of his colon removed. During surgery, Dr. Machado also discovered an abnormal amount large amount of fluid in his midsection.
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Sharon - Cancer Won't Stop Me from Riding
After receiving yearly mammograms and having doctors express concern about something they saw on the film on more than one occasion, Sharon brushed off this appointment as another false alarm. Unfortunately, this time wasn’t a false alarm. Doctors were able to locate two masses – a cancer tumor and a cluster of atypical cells.
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Marie - Shares BMT Experience with other Patients
For the past 30 years Marie has provided friendly customer-service to all those she encounters in her job at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento – especially patients. She is particularly empathetic to those undergoing bone marrow transplants since she went through two last year.
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Todd - Robotic Surgery for Kidney Tumor
When Todd was in engineering school in the 1980s, his robotic control software professor told him that some day robots would assist in complex surgery. Fast forward to present time and that type of surgery is a reality – and personally came to Todd’s aid.
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Robert - "I have cancer, but it doesn’t have me"
Robert has always been a competitor. In his youth he raced bikes. As a young adult he raced jet skis. He races motorcycles today, but his main competitor is cancer. For the last three years Robert has been fighting for his life although you wouldn’t know it if you saw him at the gym, out duck hunting or playing with his two young daughters.
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Paul - "This is my comeback year"
A PSA test confirmed that Paul had prostate cancer, and it was aggressive. After researching his options, Paul knew that he didn’t want the traditional treatment of an open prostatectomy. He started researching da Vinci Robotic Surgery and found Brian Naftulin, M.D., medical director of Robotic Surgery at Sutter Cancer Center.
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Lisa - 18-year-old Marrow Donor Saves a Life
As her 43rd birthday approached, Lisa went in to see her OB-GYN and while there she asked to get her annual blood work done. Lisa was feeling healthy, but wanted to stay on top of her cholesterol. Soon after her blood draw, she got a call that her blood tests showed low white blood and platelet counts and that she should follow up with her primary care physician, Raymond Turnure, III, M.D.
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Jim - “I had prostate cancer, but I didn’t have to deal with cancer”
Health is close to Jim’s heart. During the past 20 years, he has been specializing in health care as a partner at a law firm in Sacramento. In his personal life, he is an avid cyclist and stays focused on keeping healthy. In a routine physical and colorectal exam, Jim’s Sutter West Medical Group primary care provider, Carol Grench, M.D., felt a lump in his prostate and referred Jim for further testing.
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Linda - "This is all about you…"
The request came as a bit of surprise. Linda Orrante never imagined her mother would have any interest in joining her when she went to Sutter Solano Cancer Center for radiation treatment.
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Norma - Second Opinion Saved Her Life
Norma (Jean) was in her Golden Years, but had no signs of slowing down. She worked for the State of California and also cared for her ranch and livestock in Wilton. Norma was one of the thousands of people who were affected when CalPers decided to discontinue access to the Sutter Health Network and was faced with discontinuing her long-term relationship with her Sutter primary care physician.
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Pat - Two Types of Cancer, One Great Partnership
Growing up, Pat spent much of her free time outside enjoying the life of a cowgirl in Colorado. Her days were filled with horses, the outdoors and rodeos…but what she didn’t pay much attention to (nor did many people growing up in the 70s) is sun protection.
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Victor - Marrow Transplant Saves a Life
Less than one year ago Victor Chavez was living a normal, healthy life in Vallejo with his wife of 38 years and four children. But then his health started ailing. Victor was more tired than usual and his appetite waned to the point where he rapidly lost 60 pounds.
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Cecil - Never Give Up
When the going gets tough, never give up. That’s Cecil’s advice. And he has the life experience to prove it. Cecil, a father of three, was working as a bartender in Auburn when he started experiencing severe pain.
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Paul - A Qualified Caring Team
Paul Hammond was frightened after learning he had prostate cancer, but his fears subsided after meeting the highly qualified and caring team at Sutter Solano Cancer Center.
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Paul - Diagnosed with Advanced Lung Cancer, and Living to Share the Story
At age 79 Paul considered himself pretty healthy. He was known as the “active guy” on his block, making frequent walking trips to his local grocery store. A few months ago he noticed that it took him longer to catch is breath after activity.
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Nancy - Taking Charge and Beating Lung Cancer
As a former hospital administrator, Nancy knows a thing or two about health care. She also is a woman in tune to her own health. When she noticed she was losing weight on her naturally thin build, she grew concerned and scheduled an appointment with her doctor.
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Tom - BMT Transplant Team of Angels
An avid cyclist, Tom would sometimes ride more than 200 miles per week with his buddies. In tune with his health, he noticed he was tired more often and having trouble walking, breathing and was experiencing chest pains. He went into his doctor’s office to make an appointment and was immediately seen by a physician.
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Kristen - Beating Breast Cancer with Her Team of Specialists
Kristen thought her battle with breast cancer was over. After her initial diagnosis, she had a lumpectomy and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. When an MRI scan showed another tumor in her other breast a few years later, Kristen decided this time to fight harder and stronger.
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Cecil - Flying High
As with all good helicopter pilots, Cecil is not easily thrown. In his job as an air ambulance pilot, he is used to staying calm despite making split-second decisions in life and death situations. When he found out he had prostate cancer, his first reaction was to figure out the best way to handle it. “I didn't panic,” he says.
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Kimberly - Positive Attitude Goes a Long Way in Breast Cancer Treatment
As soon as she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, 46-year-old Kimberly was determined to beat the disease and return to a normal, healthy life. Kimberly had breast cancer and a double mastectomy. After surgery, chemo and reconstructive breast surgery, she is back teaching.
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Rita - Family, Friends and Local Support Make it Possible
It wasn’t until her cancer diagnosis that Rita found out how much support she had. From her children and grandchildren, to her coworkers and Auburn’s local health providers; everyone pitched in to make life easier for her.
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Judith - Fighting Cancer: Mind over Matter
After her diagnosis of ovarian cancer and a subsequent hysterectomy, Judith hoped the worst was behind her. At that time, she was not aware that the next step in her treatment, a unique chemotherapy, would test the limits of her will to survive.
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Della - Treatment Even Better Close to Home
In the seven years since beginning work at the California Cancer Registry, Della has tracked the rates of cancer diagnoses throughout the state – but the idea of having cancer herself was very much removed.“You never really think it could happen to you,” says Della. “I am now in my own database.”
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Mark - Gold-Medal Heart
At age 14, sports defined Mark’s life. He started swimming with his older brothers’ swim team at age four, added soccer and baseball in grade school, and continued all three sports into high school. Mark’s dad noticed his son limping and was immediately alarmed when Mark told him he felt a lump on his bone.
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Monique - Back to School
One doctor called her “Princess.” Another nicknamed her “Sleeping Beauty,” because she was always asleep when he came into her hospital room. Her mom refers to her as “Mija” (pronounced Mee-ha), short for “Mi hija,” or “my daughter” in Spanish. Monique would probably call herself lucky and grateful.
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Marsha - Growth Through Hardship; Growing from Hardship
Given the opportunity to change one thing about their lives, most cancer patients would choose to do without the cancer. But not 32-year-old therapist, Marsha . “I wouldn’t take it away. I’m a totally different person because of my cancer and I’m thankful for the growth,” said Marsha.
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Roberta - Beating the Odds
Roberta was ready for battle. She had run marathons. She had started a business in 1968 that still thrives today. She had played her violin before hundreds of concert goers. She could handle this; this scary diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Or, at least, she decided she would never give in.
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Edwin - Lung Cancer Hasn't Slowed Him Down
In the 12 years since he was diagnosed with lung cancer, 75-year-old Edwin is amazed at how many fellow cancer survivors he's met. Meeting that many survivors is unusual enough, but he's also surprised at how many share the same Sutter doctor.
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