Patient Stories

Robert Vasquez: Esophageal Cancer Recovery
When swallowing became difficult for Pearland resident Robert Vasquez, tests revealed cancer at the junction of his esophagus and stomach. His oncologist suggested chemotherapy to shrink the growth, surgery to remove it and more chemotherapy to kill any remaining tumor cells.
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Monica Stark: A Hunger for Normalcy
After emergency surgery to remove most of her esophagus, Monica Stark had no idea it would be nearly a year before she could eat solid foods. the lifesaving surgery, performed in April 2016 in San Antonio, resulted from complications caused by scleroderma, a rare connective tissue disease that affects approximately 300,000 Americans in very different ways.
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Jimmy Fincher: Onward with an Active Life
Licensed Texas peace officer Jimmy Fincher struggled, for 15 years, with acid reflux caused by a hiatal hernia. With an aversion to taking medication, he inconsistently took the antacids prescribed to lower his stomach acid even when experienciing debilitating abdominal pain after eating large meals and when laying a certain way, hearing gurgling noises in his chest.
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Ciaran Simon: A New Lease on Life
Ciaran Simon always discounted his heartburn as sensitivity to spicy food. It was not until his symptoms became debilitating that he sought medical attention.
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