Empowering and Innovative Solutions: Timmie’s Journey with Adaptive Radiation Therapy
Timmie O’Pry’s cancer journey began a few years ago when he noticed troubling symptoms while working – difficulty breathing and a persistent cough. His job highly relied on manual labor, and Timmie sought help from his primary care physician when his symptoms started getting in the way. He was soon diagnosed with both lung and […]
Easing the ‘Financial Toxicity’ of Cancer
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s Patient Compassion Program is a Lifeline for Many The year 2020 will go down in history as a tough one for the world at large, but for the Stipe family in Covington, it was particularly difficult. That’s when married father of two, Bubba Stipe, then 44, was diagnosed with colon […]
A New Shot of Hope: PLUVICTO Radiation Treatment Transforms a Cancer Patient’s Life
Four years ago, Demetrious Heim received a devastating diagnosis – stage 4 prostate cancer. The news launched him into a battle that would test his resilience and determination like never before. After an initial round of chemotherapy helped prolong his life, the cancer returned with a vengeance a few years later. Demetrious was facing an […]
Beating Cancer in Cajun Country: A Personal Story of Challenge & Triumph in Opelousas
At age 72, Mr. Bill Fontenot has won more battles than he can count. He spent his entire career in public service working at the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development and serving as St. Landry Parish president for eight years and eight months. Whether he was working to repair potholes, taking steps to strengthen […]
Planning for the Unexpected: For You & Your Family
Pamela Black, a nurse and breast cancer patient receiving treatment at Mary Bird Perkins’ Covington location, knows all too well that the unexpected can happen when it comes to health. She is also an avid believer in planning ahead to ensure your final medical wishes are carried out. Ensuring this happens on your terms, especially […]
Who will be the 1 in 8?
“I knew I had to live to tell my story.” Telling her story – a fight against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, or TNBC – is what Tracey Neldare does a lot these days. At 54 years old, Tracey is two years cancer free. Her personal story at last month’s Untie the Ribbons event, hosted by Mary […]
Beyond Treatment: The Care Continues…
This time last year, Janet Daigle’s life changed with a Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis, marking the second time she would face a battle with the disease. Almost immediately, she began treatment with a team of experts, led by William Varnado, M.D., medical oncologist. The two quickly formed a very close bond. “Dr. Varnado, particularly, […]
Support Services Help Patients Find Footing
“I was afraid that was the best I was ever going to be – using a cane or pushing a walker – and that devastated me.” While undergoing chemotherapy at Terrebonne General | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Barbara Toups noticed tingling in her feet that she described as the feeling of […]
The Courage of Creativity
It was the continuous series of sharp, shooting pains that artist Stacey Pelas experienced in 2018 which led to the detection of a grapefruit sized tumor in December of that year. As diagnoses go, this one was serious: Pelas had Stage 3 ovarian cancer; surgery was not only necessary, it needed to happen immediately. After […]
A Gamechanger: Care Closer to Home
Shortly after Mary Bird Perkins announced the addition of infusion and chemotherapy services at its Gonzales location in May, Bryan Lee became the first patient to take advantage of these additional services. The 25-year St. Amant resident was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2021 and underwent surgery to remove the malignant organ. Following the procedure, […]
A Patient’s Dilemma Led to Lifesaving Care in the Community
John Baker quite literally lives a stone’s throw away from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Natchez. Passing it an endless number of times over the years, it never occurred to him that he might one day rely on the care the southwest Mississippi location provides. “I believe I got as good of care there […]
An Unexpected Diagnosis with an Outcome to Match
According to the National Cancer Institute, the rate of colorectal cancer among adults younger than 50 has steadily risen over the last three decades. In July 2021, John Chisholm, then 39, had no idea. “It never crossed my mind that I’d have cancer at all,” John says. Last summer, John and his wife, Yvette, couldn’t […]