More Doctors

Yale-New Haven Health as a very large Urology Department.  During my hospital stay after surgery I was visited by a number of doctors, interns, residents and physician assistants.  It was hard to tell  exactly what each was.  I was grateful  to have such good doctors.

Cynthia

Cynthia was one of the first to see me after surgery.

Matt

Probably the tallest urologist I've ever seen.

Still More Care Givers

Alana

Andrea

This ladies really enjoyed their work.  They were always smiling, even while working the night shift.

More Care Givers

Tammy

Rebecca

Two of the many great nurses at St Raphael's in New Haven

Care Givers

I while there were many doctors, physicians assistants, nurses and techs involved in my post surgical recovery, here are a couple of my favorites.  I wasn't able to capture everyone who helped me, but I thank them all even though They're not mentioned here.

Ron

One of the many techs looking after me.

Sue

Sue has been nursing over 37 years.  She hardly looks old enough.

Meet Dr David Hesse

Dr David Hesse

New Haven, CT 2018

I can't say enough about Dr. Hesse.  He convinced me that surgery would cure me of the bladder cancer and that I could maintain a good quality of life afterwards.  So on June 5, I underwent 10 hours of surgery, where Dr Hesse and his team of surgeons performed a prosto cystectomy removing both my bladder and prostate and creating a "neobladder" from parts of my intestine.  It is one of the most complex surgeries done at Yale-New Haven, St Raphael's Hospital.  Afterwards the results of all the pathology showed no signs of cancer outside of the bladder.  I was cured, and Dr Hesse said I would live to be an old man.  I've spent the rest of the summer recovering and dealing with some complications resulting from the surgery and learning to adjust to my new bladder.  It hasn't been easy, but definitely worth it.  Thank you Dr Hesse and Dr Portman.  You both are truly life savers.  

Meet Dr Gerald Portman

Dr. Gerald Portman

My health issues began actually last October when I noticed some blood in my urine.  After a series of visits to urologists, in January Dr. Portman performed a resection of the bladder and removed a tumor which turned out to be malignant.  A second resection confirmed the cancer was local to the bladder and hadn't spread.  The good news is I caught this early and bladder cancer is very treatable and curable.  I was lucky.