symptoms of cancer of the throat

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Thursday, 27 March 2014

From Desperation to Hope— One Man's Mission to Give Back

Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
“Dr. Weinstein is a wonderfully confident surgeon, but he is also a tremendously caring person. During our first meeting he put his hand on my shoulder and said he would make things better—and he certainly did.”- John Mills
John Mills with Dr. Weinstein

John Mills was raised to believe that life is an adventure, and that as long as he was dedicated to his goals, he could do anything. Little did he know, one day he would need to apply these life lessons towards beating cancer.

In February 2013, Mr. Mills was diagnosed with a malignancy under his right jaw bone. He was told it was advanced and very serious—and that he needed to consider getting his affairs in order.

But a glimmer of hope arose when his diagnosing Ear, Nose, and Throat physician, as well as several close friends, recommended he see Gregory S. Weinstein, MD, FASC, Co-Director of the Center for Head and Neck Cancer at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC).

“Those first few months after I was diagnosed, and before I found Penn, were incredibly difficult,” Mr. Mills said. “But my walk out of Dr. Weinstein’s office, where he told me the chances of my cancer returning after surgery was 18 percent was one of the best moments of my life. With every step, I went from desperation to hope.”

The promise of a pioneering surgery

The source of Mr. Mills’ reversal of fortune? TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS), the revolutionary minimally invasive surgery utilizing the Da Vinci® robotic surgical system that was developed by Dr. Weinstein and Dr. Bert O’Malley at Penn Medicine.

The TORS surgical approach uses a robotic device to remove previously un-reachable tumors of the mouth, voice box, tonsil, tongue, and other parts of the throat – which for many years was only performed by radical surgery that left patients with serious long-term problems – difficulty swallowing, talking and eating. The surgery reduces healing time, and significantly improves patients’ quality of life.

Now, almost a decade after the program was established at Penn, the vast majority of surgeons who have established TORS programs in the United States were trained by Drs. O'Malley and Weinstein.

“Drs. Weinstein and O’Malley aren’t just surgical mavericks, they are wonderfully kind human beings,” Mr. Mills stressed. “Their dedication and skill are matched only by their humanity and personability.”

Almost a year after his surgery, Mr. Mills’ prognosis for his cancer returning is at almost zero percent.

“If we all helped each other, the world would be a better place.”

Before his diagnosis, Mr. Mills had never been to Penn, and found the ACC to be a place filled with dedicated people, very deserving of any help he could give.

“Something magical is happening at the Abramson Cancer Center,” Mr. Mills reflects. “From the gentlemen who park your car to the nurses and social workers who guide you through your journey to the surgeons who operate on you, the positivity and collegiality that lives here is powerful medicine.”

Recognizing that his revolutionary surgery would not have been possible without the generosity of people before him, Mr. Mills believes that a monetary donation would be the best way to show his appreciation.

His generous gift will allow his medical team to give patients the same treatment, and hope, he benefited from.

“There were no better words than hearing 'no cancer.' But my road to recovery was a long one that I found both physically and mentally challenging. It takes a lot of work to get well and I want to make it easier for someone else. By giving back, I hope I can make a small difference.”

For more information on how to support TORS or the Center for Head and Neck Cancer please contact Caitlin Crowe at ccrowe@upenn.edu or (215) 746-2167.

Make a gift to the Abramson Cancer Center here.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in e-connects, TORS | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Radiating Love
    When Neha Vapiwala, MD , and John P. Plastaras, MD, PhD , met during the Perelman School of Medicine’s residency program in radiation oncolo...
  • Megan's Story: From Sarcoma to Survivor
    "When I came to the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) with stage 2 synovial sarcoma, I needed hope and I needed help. Dr. Kristy Weber treat...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Anytime Crunch
    The orange zest found in this "Anytime Crunch" provides an instant mood lifter as well as flavor elevator for your yogurt, cottage...
  • Positivity and Hope at the Abramson Cancer Center #CSD14
    Cancer Survivor’s Day is a day to celebrate life with and after cancer. Every person diagnosed with cancer is considered a survivor, and tod...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Springtime Vegetable Slaw
    Warmer weather is a perfect time to eat light, and take advantage of vegetables that pack a healthy punch. This recipe for vegetable slaw...
  • Learn About Skin Cancer Prevention at Penn
    Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center invites you and your loved ones to attend CANPrevent Skin Cancer, a free educational conference for anyone i...
  • A Toast to Hope and Progress at the 10th Annual Focus on Melanoma Conference
    Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2013- Focus Melanoma and CAN Prevent Skin Cancer...
  • The Benefits of Whole Grains
    Whole grains provide many cancer-fighting benefits and help with bowel regularity, decrease spikes in blood sugar and make you feel fuller l...
  • The Saracini Family’s Own Miracle on 34th Street
    After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the world became a very different place. For Ellen Saracini and her daughters, the event...
  • Julia’s Story: How a Pair of Genes Changed My Life
    My story began in June 2009 when I found out that the word “genes” can mean more than something you wear on the weekends. The symptoms that ...

Categories

  • Abramson-Cancer-Center
  • acupuncture for cancer symptoms
  • alcohol
  • American Cancer Society
  • amyloidosis
  • amyloidosis clinic
  • Angelina Jolie
  • ASCO
  • Basser
  • Basser-PR
  • Basser-Research-Center
  • bone marrow transplant
  • bone-marrow-donation
  • brain cancer
  • brain tumor
  • brain-cancer
  • BRCA
  • BRCA1
  • BRCA2
  • breast-cancer
  • breastfeeding
  • cancer
  • cancer-prevention
  • cancer-risk
  • Cancer-survivorship
  • cancer-treatment
  • caregivers
  • Carlette
  • CART 19
  • Center-for-personalized-diagnostics
  • cervical-cancer
  • check-your-skin
  • chemoprevention; breast-cancer
  • chemotherapy
  • childhood-cancer
  • children
  • chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia
  • colon-cancer
  • colonoscopy
  • colorectal-cancer
  • colposcopy
  • complementary-therapies
  • conferences
  • Cure Is Within
  • CVS
  • cysts
  • dcis
  • diagnosis
  • e-cigarettes
  • e-connects
  • Emily Ko
  • endometrial-cancer
  • esophageal-cancer
  • events
  • exercise
  • eye
  • Father's Day
  • fertility
  • focus on conference
  • food
  • FORCE
  • gastroenterology
  • gastrointestinal-cancer
  • gene-mutation
  • genetic-counseling
  • genitourinary-cancer
  • geriatric-oncology
  • guest-blog
  • gynecologic
  • hair loss
  • head and neck cancer
  • head-and-neck-cancer
  • HEADSTRONG Foundation
  • Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • holidays
  • Hope for Young Widows
  • HPV
  • immunotherapy
  • integrative-medicine
  • Jane the Writer
  • joan-karnell-cancer-center
  • John Kosteva
  • kale
  • Kamp-Kesem
  • kidney-cancer
  • leukemia
  • liver-cancer
  • livestrong
  • lung cancer
  • lung-cancer
  • lung-cancer-awareness-month
  • lymphedema
  • male-breast-cancer
  • mammograms
  • manicure
  • MDS
  • melanie-gaffney
  • melanoma
  • men's-health
  • mesothelioma
  • mindfulness-program
  • mint
  • Mothers-Day
  • Muir-Torre Syndrome
  • multiple-myeloma
  • myeloma
  • National Lung Screening Trial
  • NETs
  • neuroendocrine-tumor
  • nicotine-addiction
  • non-Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • nursing
  • nutrition
  • obesity
  • Office of Diversity
  • OncoLink
  • oncology careers
  • oral-cancer
  • oral-health
  • ovarian-cancer
  • pain management for cancer
  • pancreatic-cancer
  • patient
  • patient-story
  • pdt
  • peas
  • Penn Medicine Valley Forge
  • Penn proton therapy
  • pet-cancer
  • philanthropy
  • photodynamic-therapy
  • potatoes
  • prevention
  • previvor
  • prostate-cancer
  • proton-therapy
  • PSA-test
  • quality
  • QVC
  • radiation-therapy
  • raloxifene
  • recipes
  • rectal-cancer
  • Reiki
  • relationships
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer
  • risk
  • RTCC
  • Sarcoma
  • screening
  • skin-cancer
  • smoking
  • smoking-cessation
  • Stand-Up-2-Cancer
  • stomach-cancer
  • sunscreens
  • supplements
  • support groups
  • surgery
  • survivor
  • survivorship
  • tamoxifen
  • testicular-cancer
  • thyroid-cancer
  • tobacco
  • tonsil-cancer
  • TORS
  • Twitter
  • uterine-cancer
  • Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipe
  • Valentines Day
  • vitamins
  • Vivian Stringer
  • weight-loss
  • wish-upon-a-wedding
  • women's health
  • world cancer day
  • yoga
  • Young-Friends-of-ACC

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2014 (84)
    • ►  July (7)
    • ►  June (15)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ▼  March (23)
      • The Basser Center’s Homologous Hope in Times Square
      • Find Your Strength from Within at the 5th Focus On...
      • 5 GI Symptoms No Woman Should Ignore
      • From Desperation to Hope— One Man's Mission to Giv...
      • "I am here today thanks to research and breakthrou...
      • Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Community Ev...
      • Emily Ko, MD, Discusses Treatment for Endometrial ...
      • Are E-Cigarettes Safe?
      • AP Quotes Basser Center Director Susan Domchek on ...
      • Helping Your Children Memorialize Their Parent
      • New Art Installation Illustrates DNA Repair and Ce...
      • Should Drug Stores Stop Selling Tobacco?
      • Trailblazer in Women's Sports Becomes Inspiration ...
      • Lower Your Risk Of Endometrial Cancer
      • #ColonCancerACC Twitter Chat 3/20
      • Would You Shield Your Future Child From Cancer?
      • “If I can save one person from being where I was, ...
      • Live Online Video Colorectal Cancer Chat with Penn...
      • Equal Time
      • Surgery for Colorectal Cancer
      • Show Us Your Blue!
      • How a Pair of Genes Changed a Life
      • Julia’s Story: How a Pair of Genes Changed My Life
    • ►  February (10)
    • ►  January (9)
  • ►  2013 (230)
    • ►  December (16)
    • ►  November (19)
    • ►  October (24)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (27)
    • ►  March (26)
    • ►  February (22)
    • ►  January (18)
  • ►  2012 (186)
    • ►  December (22)
    • ►  November (21)
    • ►  October (20)
    • ►  September (17)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (16)
    • ►  June (19)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (19)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile