having stomach cancer was further thing
in my mind it was of course devastating
I just thought to the nightmare but then
you know I have to deal with the reality
my husband my kids my friends they're
all so wonderful being able to love my
grandkids and enjoy them and have so
much love that I wanna give them this is
the part that scared me the most
my name is Helen Benz and I received my
medical care at MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital
I'm extremely healthy individual I mean
I'm 63 years old and I've never had any
medical problem and I had this acid
reflux and I wanted just to know what's
going on I thought maybe there was an
ulcer ulcer or something else and when I
had my own dose copic done they realized
and they saw there is a growth in my
stomach very close to the intestine and
after three days I found out it is an
aggressive cancer stomach cancer he said
I want you to take your file and go to
Georgetown
when I went to see dr. Arif I I have to
say he was so kind and compassionate I
just wanted to make us all feel
comfortable and treated me like I'm his
only patient cancer is so scary but
being in good hands give you a lot of
confort explaining everything in detail
and he did tell me that he's going to
remove 60% of my stomach and I went wow
I'm going to lose weight and I met him
laughs how many pounds I'm going to lose
is that about perhaps 10 percent of your
weight and oh that's good I can use then
I'll be looking like when I was in
college and I just felt that I can trust
him and that is very comforting
especially at the time I'm so devastated
that's what you really want so on July
17th
it was associate that took I think five
hours it was extremely successful he was
able to get the whole mass out and he
took 36 lymph nodes around the stomach
to make sure that he got everything
that's possible and he said he send them
to the lab they came back negative
except for one meaning the possibility
that the cancer can go somewhere else
of course he suggested chemo pills so
the pills are less invasive and I would
not lose my hair and I would not feel as
tired and I can function what to work
every day also my surgery was so
extremely successful that my recovery
was also very fast I came home after a
week being in the hospital and I really
recovered pretty fast and I think that's
due to a good surgery you know a dr.
Rafa was just brilliant as well as the
nurses and their assistants just in case
it is a very special place seriously a
group of people that care about you as
an individual not as a number not as
just as a patient but you know give you
this personal attention and care and the
warmth and the compassion this is a
blessing that's what Georgetown Hospital
was like you know you know from the
doctors to the nurses it's just a
wonderful place to be
you