Retired businessman Bob Dickinson credits his primary care physician and a renowned cancer surgeon at Miami Cancer Institute for saving his life, after a lesion was discovered on his pancreas.
See how Mr. Dickinson's strong faith and positive attitude played a major role in his cancer journey.
[Transcript]
(gentle music)
[Bob Dickinson, pancreatic cancer survivor]
[Mr. Dickinson] I went to a primary care physician, Dr. Felipe Del Valle, and he said, you don't look quite right. If you have a few more minutes, let me run another blood test or two, and I said sure. And he said, sure enough, all probability, you have a lesion on your pancreas. I said, what is it? He said, well, unfortunately, that's cancer.
[Horacio J. Asbun, M.D., chief of hepatobiliary & pancreas surgery, Miami Cancer Institute]
[Dr. Asbun] The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is not an easy one in the early stages. And his case was discovered early because he had a primary care physician that was extremely astute.
[Mr. Dickinson] Miami Cancer Institute apparently have been putting together this dream team of surgeons, and he's the best in the country, and Felipe said, this is the guy. We don't have to look any further. How are you?
[Dr. Asbun] Hey Bob, how are you doing?
[Mr. Dickinson] Good to see you.
[Dr. Asbun] Good to see you.
[Dr. Asbun] The majority of patients with pancreatic cancers have now new options that weren't there before. There is hope. When you receive that diagnosis, put the energy on the things you can control.
[Mr. Dickinson] So when I learned that the lesion is just a euphemism for cancer, I was very mellow with it. I'm old enough to understand what's important in life. I have a very good relationship with God. I'm blessed with a beautiful wife, Andrea, four wonderful children, 10 grandchildren, and stress to me is this very powerful, very negative energy. I'm gonna go through the journey. I can do this. Others have done this. I'm gonna approach this positively, and let's figure out what God wants for me in my life.
[Dr. Asbun] There's no question that surgery is the best option for a patient with pancreatic cancer. It is, even today, the only known way to cure pancreatic cancer.
[Mr. Dickinson] He wanted me to really understand what's the risks of this Whipple procedure is. It's six hours and 45 minutes under the knife.
[Dr. Asbun] The Whipple procedure is a very complex procedure. It's probably one of the most complex, if not the most complex procedure in the abdomen that is done routinely. We have been able to master what we call the minimal access approach to the pancreas. Which is, rather than doing a big incision, you put a small, you do small incisions, put a canula. The minimal access approach allows you much better visualization, because of the magnification of the areas and structures. Many times, the pancreatic duct is one millimeter. That is extremely small size.
[Mr. Dickinson] They cut 40% of the pancreas, eliminated that. I started the chemotherapy that went for six months. So now, it'll be totally disease free for three years, come next March 1st. Never was any anguish or depression or anything like that. It was a journey, just like every other journey of my life. And it has challenges and opportunities. And you make lemonade out of lemons.
[Dr. Asbun] Well, that's the part that is not emphasized enough. Attitude, support group, and faith. Mr. Dickinson has tremendous faith. I don't necessarily think that has to be a particular religion. Just find something to have real faith.
[Mr. Dickinson] We had a little ceremony and I rang the gong. It was quite a lot of fun. And Dr. Asbun was there and Dr. Del Valle, and these two doctors saved my life. Dr. Del Valle by identifying it, then of course, Dr. Asbun and his team, very caring, very intelligent, very in tune. I would recommend him to absolutely anybody with the least qualm.
(gentle music)
[Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida]