New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology PA -- Testimonials

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My name is Richard Ducey. I’m from Center Barnstead, New Hampshire. I’m 54 years old, married and have five children.

They sent for a chest x-ray and at that point realized that I had probably had lung cancer for six to eight years. At the time I was diagnosed, I was diagnosed as stage 3B and at that point they said that even with surgery, chemo and radiation, I probably was looking at six months to a year on the outside. It’s been four years and four months and I’m in treatment again, but I’m still hanging on and in the interim it’s, ah, life has been pretty good.

It’s been a challenge, up and down. The treatments can be rough. The radiation seemed to have more of a negative effect on me than any other part of it, but that was a one-time thing and so was the surgery, so now the only way to treat it, if it flares up again, is chemo.

For such a bad situation, it’s been a wonderful experience. The quality of the people that are there exceeds anything that I’ve ever seen in any type of medical community before. It’s like a big family. This time I was diagnosed right before Christmas and both my doctor, the scheduling person and the nurses stayed on New Year’s Eve for my first treatment until seven o’clock at night. I know these folks all have families, but nobody said a word other than being concerned about my being comfortable and getting through the treatment. It’s the most wonderful group of people I’ve ever met.

My wife goes in with me whenever I go in for the visits with the doctor. My mother comes up and my wife comes during the treatments and they’ve been made to feel a part of it and that’s been very…it’s made it a lot easier for me to go through the process having the support there of my family. There’s never been any type of problem. They’ve all…everybody in there has just been very positive and very helpful.

I’m a veteran, so I’ve been in and out of the Veterans’ Administration system and so a lot of my friends tend to be veterans, and because of exposure to Agent Orange, a lot of my friends in their early 50s also have cancer, and what I’ve said to them is, "There is no comparison between treatment in a VA facility and treatment at New Hampshire Oncology."

I can’t say enough how positive an experience it has been, given how devastating emotionally going through terminal cancer can be. I’ve always been made to feel very special. I’ve always been treated with courtesy and respect. And, again, the medical staff has a very positive outlook. You feel like you’re making friends, rather than seeing doctors and nurses.

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