Willis Deuser

A 23 percent chance. That’s what the doctors told me when I was diagnosed with colon cancer in June 2000. The oncologist I saw didn’t speak English very well, but I understood him when he told me chemotherapy only had a 23 percent chance of killing my cancer cells.

I had just been laid off my job with “early retirement” when a check up and colonoscopy showed I had a polyp on my colon. Further tests showed I had a two-inch ring of cancer in my colon.

I had my first surgery in Iowa in September 2000 and the surgeons found the cancer was outside the walls of my colon. They said the cancer was in two of seven lymph nodes. The doctors suggested treating me with chemotherapy. But that’s when this oncologist said chemotherapy only had a 23 percent chance of working. He also said I would be sick all the time for six months.

That was such a low point. I thought, “Why go through this if it’s such a low chance of killing it? It wouldn’t be worth it.” Plus, after the surgery I had a colostomy on me for 10 months and that wasn’t good.

My wife and I were attending church services when a friend told us she was going to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Zion, Illinois for her cancer treatment. She had cancer in her blood. She told us she first went to see doctors in Iowa City. They told her there was nothing they could do for her and she should get her affairs in order. At CTCA, she was still getting treatment months later.

My wife and I called Cancer Treatment Centers of America and the staff there made the travel arrangements to fly us to Chicago from Iowa. From there we made the trip to CTCA’s Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) in Zion, Illinois. We saw Dr. Sanchez who evaluated me. Dr. Sanchez told us, “We have a good chance—a 90 percent chance or better—of killing the cancer.” Ninety percent! Not 23 percent.

The doctor said I would be sick, but then I’d feel a little better. They explained everything to us so nicely and treated us very well. The doctors always told me the treatment was my decision. There was no pressure or force to do anything. That made me feel more in control of what was happening to me.

I was 59 years old with five children and 12 grandchildren. My wife and I prayed about it and decided to go ahead with the chemotherapy treatment at CTCA.

While undergoing treatment we stayed with a wonderful woman who owned a local motel where some CTCA patients stayed during their treatment. She was exceptional and made us feel comfortable. We even had days when we joked and teased about me watching too much television.

Each day I went to the hospital for my chemotherapy treatments . Some days I felt really sick. But the friendliness of the staff was so helpful, especially how they explained everything. Throughout my treatment, the staff kept a very careful record of my blood work. The doctors and nurses always knew what was going with me. I felt like I had my own personal care plan.

During my treatment my wife attended church services in the hospital with Reverend Percy McCray and that was a big help. Reverend Percy always kept track of when I was coming back for my treatments. He made a point of coming to the room to pray with us a couple of times a week. My wife and I are Christians and we appreciated that effort. To this day when we go back to Midwestern Regional Center for check-ups, Reverend Percy remembers us by name.

I also got visits from a staff person who talked to me about nutrition and taking vitamins and supplements. The nutritionist explained the different vitamins to help my system, and put me on a large dose of melatonin to help me sleep. She explained that the melatonin also helps clean the colon.

I learned a lot from her about how your diet can help your cancer treatment. There were just things me and my wife didn’t know. For example, we didn’t know how many preservatives there are in lunch meat or hot dogs. We never thought about it or how it could have an effect on your health. Now, we try to watch what we eat. We grill or bake foods instead of frying them.

The other good thing about being treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America is the feeling that other people are really concerned about you. There’s a real personal touch there. We developed friendships with the other patients who were being treated and their families. Today we send Christmas cards and updates on how we’re doing.

I returned to Midwestern regularly for my follow-up check ups. In June 2005 I was able to participate in Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Celebrate Life ceremony for patients who have survived cancer for five years. It puts a lump in your throat to know you lived five years after being through that ordeal. At the Celebration of Life everyone gets a chance to give their testimony. When it was my turn I said, “Thank you Lord for letting me live another five years.”

Now, I see the doctors at CTCA once a year for follow-up visits. My quality of life is good now, even though I get tired if I do too much strenuous work.

I have given the number for Cancer Treatment Centers of America to several people when they ask me my experience. I tell them it’s better than most places. They have better research and treatment methods.

Colorectal Cancer