Dallas County Living Well Magazine Fall 2014 | Page 32
What does a radiation oncologist do when
he is suddenly diagnosed with cancer?
By Tina Withdrow
was tiredness.”
Dr. Gilbert works at Verity Radiation in Plano and
Northpoint Cancer Center in Dallas. Verity Radiation and
Northpoint Cancer Center strive to bring their patients
an extremely convenient, patient-centered experience.
They provide a significant step forward for patients in all
areas of treatment who require radiation therapy or radiosurgery treatment including 3-D conformal treatment planning, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image
guided radiation therapy (IGRT),
and rapid arc and stereotactic
radiosurgery (SRS).
Says Dr. Gilbert, “I am proud
of the work we do each day at
Verity. Now when I meet with my
patients, I truly understand the
shock, the fear, and the extreme
vulnerability of cancer.”
“The instant you can relate
one-on-one, survivor-to-survivor,
and you know that someone will
finally listen…you know you are
on common ground with someone
who has been there. It really can
make a difference!”
Dr. Ed Gilbert shares his insight on life before, during,
and after cancer treatment.
ancer is never on your to-do-list each day.
Yet, it is all around us. We all know of someone who has been impacted by cancer.
“I certainly never expected it to come
knocking on my door,” says Dr. Ed Gilbert.
“I received a routine physical and
my PSA (prostate specific antigen)
was elevated at 3.9. I ignored it. I
was just too busy and quite frankly
too scared to check it out. I refused to do anything about it. My
nurse was always prodding me to
do something. I would always find
a way to put it off. I finally had it
re-checked after two years and
my PSA was 6.5! I had to do something.”
Dr. Gilbert continues, “I believe,
and most of us know, that chronic
stress and unresolved issues in our
life are a major cause of disease
and illness in this country. I lived
in the bubble of stress and was
aware of the dangers of it.”
“When I received my biopsy
Ed Gilbert, MD
results, I simply couldn’t move. I
was suddenly frightened, vulnerable, scared. After what seemed
like an eternity, I did what most
cancer survivors do. I called in
the troops! This included anyone and everyone. Colleagues,
friends, survivors, and anyone
willing to talk to me and who
would listen to my concerns. I
asked questions that I, as a physician, already knew the answer
to. I just needed reassurance in
the answers.”
“For a man with prostate cancer, there are lots of treatment
options and most of them will
give you the same results. You
try to pick what works best for
you and your lifestyle. I picked
IMRT external beam radiation
because I believe in what I do every day. I had treatment for eight
and a half weeks and the biggest
side effect that I experienced
C
You may reach Dr. Ed Gilbert
at Verity Radiation Therapy
by calling 972-820-1400. They
are located at 6957 W. Plano
Parkway, Suite 1300, Plano,
TX, 75093. He is also available
through Northpoint Cancer
Center by calling 469-364-7880.
Northpoint is located at 12606
Greenville Avenue, Suite 160,
Dallas, TX, 75243.
Author Tina Withrow is a certified cancer navigator and director of client service at HealthSync. You can reach Tina at
214-546-2215 or by visiting www.
health-sync.net.
Let Health-Sync help you with:
• Medical Crisis Management
and Advocacy
• Cancer Navigation
• Confidential second opinion
• Late stage cancer treatment
options
• Cancer Concierge Services