John – Grateful Patient of Dr. Doug Girod

Cancer: Head and Neck Surgery

I remember when I heard the three most dreaded words in any language: you have cancer.  At first I was numb, as though I were an observer rather than a participant. "This can't be me. My God I'm going to die. I'm scared to death." In a word, panic consumed me.

My wife went to the computer, looked up squamous cell cancer and base of tongue.  She spent days on-line attempting to learn everything about this disease she could. I remember her saying, "If it is first stage that's great but we can live with a stage three." A day or so later we were told I was in stage four. At that news I had no hope. I began to get my affairs in order so that my wife and kids would have no decisions to make.

What to do now? We called people we knew to ask if they knew anything about this kind of cancer.  I told my family doctor I could go anywhere in the United States for treatment. He told me there was no reason to leave Kansas City because KU Med had one of the best experts in this field his name was Dr. Doug Girod. So after three different sources recommend KU and Dr. Girod as one of the best experts in this field we transferred my care from the Veterans Administration Medical center to the University of Kansas Medical Center.

I remember entering KU a scared and hopeless person. However after meeting Dr. Girod I became less hopeless. Something about this man changed my attitude and mood.  He is such a compassionate, empathetic, and caring person, with an air of confidence and a great smile, no one can help but be affected by his presence. You know you're in the presence of a gifted doctor and leader and those things mean a great deal to me.

After the MRI's and x-rays Dr. Girod explained to me what WE were up against and gave me his recommendation. His patience in explaining and answering my questions was a type of healing all by itself. This quality of care has been the same for the last three years.

Head and Neck cancer usually involves an Otolaryngologist, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Oncologist, and a Dentist.  KU Med has the best men and women in these fields. They are as good as any in the United States. This is not just in my opinion but also the opinion of various medical authorities and organizations.

I would like to thank Dr. Reddy in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Dr. Williamson in the Department of Hematology/ Oncology for their excellent care and treatment. They too have great qualities of humaneness as well as expertise in their respective fields. Everyone in the Department of Otolaryngology and  at KU Med (and I literally mean everyone) has great empathy and respect for their cancer patients. The kindness and caring was good for me. They helped abate the fears and gave me hope that I could live through this.

The Head and Neck Cancer Survivor Group, led by Mary Moody and Dorothy Austin, was created shortly after I went through treatment so that newly diagnosed people with cancer, involving the neck up, will have hope and support from those of us who have survived this condition. I've been cancer free for three years now and am an active member of this group. This group is an excellent reference for new patients to get tips on how to cope as well as how to learn different strategies dealing with the after effects of treatment. We do not leave out the caregivers to whom we each owe so much. Our group is made up with about half caregivers and half survivors.

KU Med, to my knowledge, is the first hospital in the Metroplex to offer such a group to head and neck cancer patients.  (Maybe the only one). This is yet another example of how cancer patients and their families are regarded by the men and women of KU Med Center.

Cancer is a very serious illness that requires invasive treatment with life lasting after effects, therefore I recommend to my fellow cancer patient to give serious thought to whom you choose for treatment.

There is life after cancer and it's good to be alive!