Sarah’s Story | Episode Three

Hirschfeld Oncology: Fighting Cancer Series (Stage 4 Colon Cancer)

This is an interview about a woman named Sarah, with her husband, all about a battle against recurring colon cancer told in a series of segments. This is Episode Three.

If you would like to start at the beginning of the story click here for Episode One.

You get that feeling of hope with Dr. Hirschfeld. So, you know, we’re fighting and we’re aware that our adversary, cancer, is a really horrible, devastating disease. It just wants to constantly rear its head.

As I said, he’s a doctor and a professional and a brilliant physician, but he’s also such a warm heart individual. His patients are like his children, or his parents. He was starting to try to tell us, but we saw he got choked up. He took him a few seconds to compose himself, and then he told us the amazing news that there was a real recession of the spread. And it was in a lot less areas. It was still there, and it was still a fight to fight, but we were making progress. And certainly, had we stayed in that top hospital. God knows where Sarah would be by now with them trying to make her comfortable. And here we were really living with hope.

Months Go By

Now it’s about three months ago or so since that CT scan. Cancer’s a horrible disease. It just doesn’t like taking no for an answer. And if you knock it down and it can’t come in through the door, it’ll climb in through the windows sometimes. And so, we’re seeing some higher markers again. We know one thing: we’re in God’s hands. But this top doctor, Dr. Hirschfeld, has tricks. Another amazing thing about Dr. Hirschfeld, by the way, he is not only brilliant in his compassion, but he’s as cool as a cucumber. I would not want to play poker with this man. He’s so calm about things.

When we first saw, about a month and a half ago, the markers getting really high, we were so stressed out. It was such a setback.

This is unfortunately extremely typical for cancer. We were just so scared and stressed. We met with Dr. Hirschfeld.  He’s just so relaxed, and he’s calm, and he’s so confident, and he told us we’re going to now use some new high-powered, crazy, powerful drug. And even if that doesn’t work, he has one other thing that recently came out. Just so calm and relaxed. We left there feeling so much better. The numbers were higher, but we knew there was hope. You get that feeling of hope with Dr. Hirschfeld. So, you know, we’re fighting and we’re aware that our adversary, cancer, is a really horrible, devastating disease. It just wants to constantly rear its head.

Cancer Wins Sometimes

There have been a lot of extremely difficult cases that I don’t think any other oncologist would touch. But Dr. Hirschfeld takes these patients. And unfortunately, there are certain patients who we’ve met over the many months there who have passed on. But of everyone that we’ve spoken to, I think that there was an unanimous feeling that whatever can be done will be done. I’ve spoken to other spouses some of whom told me they called Dr. Hirschfeld during crazy hours and he was there for them. He’s just there for his patients. It really is amazing. Dr. Hirschfeld combines this unbelievable combination of brilliance, caring, thinking outside the box, and a comforting, relaxing, confident demeanor. Just when someone’s has their back against the wall, and there really is nowhere to turn, you feel like a breath of fresh air shows up with Dr. Hirschfeld.

I’m sure if you interview 20 people, they’ll have 20 different stories because each cancer is so different, even within the umbrellas of colon or breast cancer. Even then everything has its own unique individual twist. So, you go in with hope. You try. But certainly, in my opinion, a person should never reach a stage where they’re told by a top hospital or top doctor, or even a mid-level doctor that “everything that’s been tried has been tried. There’s really nothing more that can be done. We will make you comfortable and pain free.”

This is Episode Three of Recurring Colon Cancer, Sarah’s Challenge. Click here to continue the story: Sarah Episode Four.

Names have been changed for those in this testimonial.