Until Tom Fieweger was diagnosed with a bladder stone in 2018, he had never had a medical relationship with a urologist. Little did he know that his regular visits to urologist Delbert J. Kwan, MD, would eventually help save his life.
Because of his medical history, Dr. Kwan’s care included testing Tom’s prostate-specific antigen levels every six months. Eventually, his PSA scores began to elevate, and he was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. Even with medication to help reduce the size of his prostate, but his levels continued to rise over the next few years.
Tom’s first biopsy at Beebe was in July 2022.
“I could not believe this was happening. I experienced absolutely no symptoms prior to the procedure,” Tom said. That was when he realized every man must be diligent about knowing his PSA levels. His results confirmed that three of the 12 samples were suspicious, and Tom had a follow-up biopsy set four to five months later. The second biopsy determined that he did indeed have prostate cancer.
During his follow-up appointment, Tom said, Dr. Kwan was extremely knowledgeable and informative, and Tom left the office with two scheduled visits. One was with medical oncologist Nisarg Desai, MD, and the other with radiation oncologist Samuel Swisher McClure, MD.
Following a round of hormone therapy to reduce Tom’s prostate, Tom and his wife Laura decided to steal away to Florida for seven days. “It was a lovely respite, the calm before the storm,” said Tom.
Back in Lewes, Tom began treatment at Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center. He received 28 rounds of radiation for his prostate and an additional four rounds for a small spot detected outside the prostate. He said the cancer center registrars, Steve Bendyna and Lee Porter, greeted him every morning at 7 a.m. like an old friend, and all the staff at Tunnell were extremely professional and made him feel comfortable.
“This was the total package in delivering excellent care at a difficult time,” Tom said. Through this experience, he learned how exceptional the people and facilities at Beebe are in serving patients’ needs.
On Tom’s last day of radiation treatment in February, he proudly rang the bell at the cancer center to mark the end of his treatment protocol. Although he felt relief, he also felt a strange sense of loss because his treatment routine was ending. However, his gratitude to Beebe for the excellent care he received remains constant.
Tom is still under active surveillance, hormone therapy and medication, but that’s not slowing him down. In fact, Tom and Laura might be spending their days enjoying a well-deserved European cruise.
As a community-based, not-for profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of the community it serves. To make a gift to celebrate the excellent care you or a loved one has received, visit Beebe Medial Foundation at beebemedicalfoundation.org or call 302-644-2900.
