For those who have never had to deal with cancer, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center has probably been little more than another building in Kennewick. But for those who have been touched by cancer - either in their own bodies or through a loved one - it is universally recognized as a gem in our community.
I'd never walked through its doors until early December, a few weeks after I was diagnosed with lymphoma. And getting there turned out to be more difficult than I expected.
I got the lowdown on my diagnoses Nov. 12 and immediately received a referral for Dr. Thomas Rado, a renowned physician at Columbia Basin Hematology & Oncology, which is in the cancer center. Because we were nearly upon the Thanksgiving holiday, I wasn't able to get an appointment until Monday, Dec. 1. The evening prior to my appointment, I discovered my number had been called for jury duty in Benton County. No problem, i figured. Cancer should get me off the hook.
Right.
I showed up Monday morning at the county courthouse, along with 83 other prospective jurors. One person was assigned to log us all in, and when I mentioned that I had a doctor's appointment that afternoon, she said I was supposed to have called a phone number to be reassigned but I would have an opportunity to be deferred later in the morning. As the morning progressed, that opportunity never came. I kept waiting for my opening to say, "Hey, I have cancer and need to go see my doctor today!" But before I knew it, I was selected to a jury and was hearing opening arguments.
I called my wife, who was extremely upset - at me, at Benton County, at life. But she called to get me a new appointment at Dr. Rado's office. As it turned out, Dr. Rado was overbooked that day and was hoping someone would have to cancel. So the fates collided to give him some relief and give me the opportunity to sit on a jury (we convicted the accused of forgery, by the way).
I got a new appointment for Friday afternoon, where Dr. Rado and his staff went through my case and laid out what would happen next.
The first thing he pointed out was that I did not have the fairly common "Diffuse Large B-Cell lymphoma" but rather the more rare variant, known as "T-Cell-Rich B-Cell Lymphoma." Great. Rare cancers usually mean you're hosed, I thought. Turns out that's not the case here, as my form of lymphoma actually improves my prognosis. Score one for me.
I was quickly scheduled to begin chemotherapy as early as Dec. 15, and Dr. Rado laid out the drugs I would be receiving. I also needed to be scheduled for a few tests and to have a medi-port installed in my chest, through which the chemo drugs would be administered. The next 10 days were going to be anxious, but I quickly realized I was in good hands with Dr. Rado at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.
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Cancer center dispute
Cancer center dispute
I have restrained from writing a letter to the editor about Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology and their monopoly at the Tri-City Cancer Center for a long time, but Sunday's article about Dr. Thomas Rado was simply more than I could bear.
As with the author of the article, I have survived stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was treated for my initial diagnosis and a relapse by CBHO at the Cancer Center. However, after my treatments, my physician was one of those who resigned from CBHO and tried to open a local office. Dr. Rado prevented these doctors from opening a practice in the area.
While I understand that the doctors signed a contract for employment, someone who cares as much about fighting cancer as Dr. Rado could have allowed others to practice in the area. After my doctor resigned, I was assigned two other physicians at CBHO and became so upset with the practice that I drive to the Northstar Clinic in Yakima for my cancer care. There are others from the Tri-Cities who travel to Yakima rather
Faces of Cancer: Tri-City doctor has cancer on his mind
Faces of Cancer: Tri-City doctor has cancer on his mind
Dr. Thomas Rado never stops thinking about cancer.
He spends long hours at Columbia Basin Hematology & Oncology in Kennewick helping 12 to 14 patients per day and checking their treatments. When he isn't with a patient, he is overseeing the burgeoning research department he has built at CBHO.
When he gets home from work, he and his wife, Mitra -- a nurse practitioner at CBHO -- talk late into the evening about how to help someone stricken with cancer, and they start again at the breakfast table. At the grocery store, at a restaurant, on an airplane, all he thinks about is cancer.
"It doesn't leave my mind for very long," he said. "Whatever creativity I can bring to bear, maybe it will make it a little better."
Faces of Cancer: Fighting for your life
Faces of Cancer: Fighting for your life
WEST RICHLAND — There is no more "normal" after a cancer diagnosis.
There is life before cancer and life with cancer, but there is no life after cancer -- even with successful treatment.
Cancer is always a presence.
Faces of Cancer: Tri-Citian battles 3 cancers to care for wife
Faces of Cancer: Tri-Citian battles 3 cancers to care for wife
Most survivors will say that fighting cancer can be an exhausting, all-encompassing battle. Imagine waging a simultaneous war on three fronts.
That's what Dennis DeFord of Kennewick faced more than three years ago.
DeFord, 72, was diagnosed with skin cancer, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma all about the same time, around February 2008. The most serious of the three was mantle cell lymphoma, one of the rarest forms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, so that is what his doctors tackled first. He began with six rounds of chemotherapy at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick.
Excellent care
Excellent care
I appreciate so much the Nov. 15 letter from Jeanie Crane regarding Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology and Dr. Thomas Rado. I could have and should have written her a letter.
I've been through two sessions with lymphoma and have had A-plus care in all areas of CBHO, from the nurses and everyone, and especially Dr. Rado.
Again Dr. Rado rose to the occasion and gave superb treatment.
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