"I have no doubt that I'm being cared for by the best"
About a year ago, I had taken a flight down to see my family in Florida. After arriving at my sister's house, I took off my shirt and noticed a mole was bleeding … obviously that was a sign that there was a problem. When I got home, I made an appointment with my care provider, which led to a referral to the dermatologist. At the dermatologist, the mole was biopsied. When the results came back, it was indeed cancer - malignant Melanoma, to be exact.
Within two weeks of diagnosis, I went into surgery. Surgery was an outpatient procedure on a Friday. The next day, Saturday at 8:30 a.m., my surgeon, Dr. McCahill, called me. That was the last person I expected to hear from on a Saturday morning, and I could not have been more grateful. Right before he called, I received a notification in MyChart with the nuclear medicine report. Reading the report was scary, but Dr. McCahill put me right at ease, asking ‘how are you feeling?’ I told him I had read the nuclear medicine report and was concerned and had questions. He reassured me that things went well. I will never forget Dr. McCahill taking time out of his weekend to check in. That’s the professionalism and extra care I’ve felt the entire time at Bronson.
Because of my original diagnosis, surgery included the removal of two lymph nodes. Once biopsied, one of the lymph nodes came back positive for cancer. I immediately met with Dr. Bivins, my medical oncologist at the Bronson Cancer Center in Kalamazoo. He suggested I undergo immunotherapy. Though not 100% necessary, it is the current “best practice” and my best chance at ensuring the cancer does not come back. When Dr. Bivins said to me, ‘This is what I would do if I was in your shoes,’ you better believe that that's what I did!
Throughout this whole journey, I’ve always listened to Dr. Bivins and my nurses. I purposely didn’t go online to do my own research. I trusted them completely and knew that whatever they said to do, I was going to do. Staying offline and trusting my care team has helped keep me at ease throughout the process. There is so much information out there, but I trust that these providers really know their stuff.
Currently, I am in the middle of my immunotherapy – the full treatment will go for 12 months. Immunotherapy is similar to what you’d think of when you hear chemotherapy – it is a series of infusion treatments. The day before treatment, I go in for blood work, typically at the Bronson Diagnostics office in Oshtemo, but can also conveniently be done right at the Cancer Center. Then, when I arrive on treatment day, I meet with Dr. Bivins for about 30 minutes. He looks through my blood work to see if that immunotherapy is having any adverse effects that they want to monitor. Assuming everything looks good, I then go ahead and start my immunotherapy. From start to finish, it’s a quick appointment, allowing me to go about my day pretty much as normal. The infusion process is quite simple. I'm in a comfortable chair, I have a warm blanket and I get a complimentary can of Coke and cookies. Honestly, it feels like life is good!
I truly believe that I am receiving the best care possible at Bronson. From diagnosis to surgery to my ongoing infusion treatments, everyone I have encountered has been amazing. In one word, I would describe this experience as ‘professional.’
Dr. Bivins really is awesome. I’m confident that he knows everything necessary to get me better. I trust him 110%. I appreciate his calming demeanor. I feel like when we're having a conversation, I can easily ask him any questions and I get the answers that I need.
Just like Dr. Bivins, the nurses are on top of everything. For example, there are several redundancy checks before my infusions start. They need to make sure they are giving the right medicines to the right person. I know it sounds crazy, but for me, it’s reassuring that everybody is careful, paying close attention to detail, and know exactly what they're doing.
As a cancer patient, it can be really stressful. It’s comforting to be in the presence of a team that is not only professional, but also kind. Every person at the Cancer Center has a smile and a pleasant attitude. That really goes a long way to help ease my fears.
I’m halfway through my treatment. I know I'm not totally in the clear, but I’m feeling hopeful. With ongoing scans and monitoring, I hope I continue to get good results, and if something does come up, it will be caught early. If I do need treatment again in the future, Bronson will absolutely be where I come. My experience at the Bronson Cancer Center has been very positive –not just because the diagnosis was good – but because I know I have truly received expert care every step of the way.
Meet Keith's Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bivins is a medical oncologist at Bronson. He specializes in the treatment of solid tumors, like brain cancer, lung cancer and GI cancers. However, as a medical oncologist and hematologist, he works with patients with all types of cancers and blood disorders. Learn more about Dr. Bivins and his approach to treating cancer.
