Liver Cancer Patient Stories

My wife Leslie and I are very proactive about our health, which is how I discovered I had bile duct cancer. About a decade ago, my older brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer and later developed issues with his bladder as well. My prostate-specific antigen levels have always been low, but when my brother got cancer, it made me nervous because I knew it could be genetic and run in the family.

When COVID-19 hit, I decided it was time to retire from a lifetime of teaching art and do more traveling with my partner Joe. We purchased a tiny trailer and spent a year and a half visiting family and scenic vistas. Our travels were put on hold, however, when I was diagnosed with not one but two cancers.

I was a patient at Fox Chase Cancer Center and ended up spending almost 20 days in the hospital. But thankfully, it turned out that I did not have cancer, that the growth that my doctors detected was benign.

It all started in October of 2021. I was having stomach problems—diarrhea that went on for about a week. I hadn’t eaten in days, and I’d lost about 10 pounds. I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t like going to the doctor, but finally my wife and my adult son told me, “You’re going to the ER.”