Thank you, Dr. W. Douglas Gentry for recognizing my pancreatic cancer and arranging excellent specialized care, hopefully giving me many more years.

I sent the following letter of appreciation to Dr. Gentry last November. The Dr. Trocha referred to is a surgical oncologist at Prisma's Cancer Institute in Greenville, SC.
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7 November, 2023

Thank You, Dr. Gentry!

Today is my birthday, my 84th. It’s an especially happy occasion because just before my 83rd, I found that reaching 84 was no sure thing. A year ago you diagnosed a bile blockage possibly due to a tumor on my pancreas. I realized my expiration date likely had moved up considerably. You quickly arranged ultrasound and CT scans and a consultation with Dr. Trocha. He said the tumor was too large to operate, but that chemo and radiation therapies might shrink it enough for Whipple surgery. He gave me hope that I was a good candidate, despite my 83 years, due to my general health and attitude and lack of detected metastasis.

I will forever be thankful to you for recognizing the possible cause of my symptoms, rapidly following up with scans and getting me Dr. Trocha’s attention.

I’ve been through chemo, radiation and, finally, Whipple surgery on May 4. It’s been a rough year for me, but so much better than the alternative. My life is more fragile than I used to think, but at present there’s no indication of a recurrence and I have hope for many more good years with Ellen, my loving wife.

Thank You !
David Plumpe