Under a Watchful Eye
Larry Easton
May, 2017
Physicians: Stanley Pletcher, MD; Edmund Paloyan, MD; Benjamin Gielda, MD
One day when Larry Easton noticed a strange bump had appeared on his eyelid, he didn’t hesitate to make an appointment with ophthalmologist, Stanley Pletcher, MD. Since the bump wasn’t painful, which is common for a stye, Dr. Pletcher decided to take a biopsy. A week later when the results came back, Larry was surprised to hear the bump was cancerous.
“When you hear the ‘C word’ you always think of it as something that happens to somebody else – and when it happens to you it really changes your whole way of looking at it,” said Larry.
Dr. Pletcher connected Larry with local oncologist, Edmund Paloyan, MD the next day. During his initial consultation, Dr. Paloyan informed Larry that the cancer on his eyelid was Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) – a rare, aggressive type of skin cancer that usually appears on the face, head, or neck and is common in older people.
“Dr. Paloyan reassured me that although the cancer was aggressive, we had caught it early which was a tremendous advantage,” said Larry. “They didn’t waste any time beginning treatment which I was thankful for.”
Due to the rare location of the tumor, the radiation oncology team at Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph had to put their creativity to work in order to find a solution for safely administering radiation to the affected area. Under the ‘watchful eye’ of radiation oncologist, Benjamin Gielda, MD, the team fashioned a porcelain-covered lead shield which was placed over Larry’s eye and taped into place.
“It was a bit of trial and error for the first couple of visits and then it was very efficient – I was in and out in 15 minutes or less,” he said. “The eyelid is a bit delicate and by the 20th treatment it was really sensitive from both the radiation and the tape being pulled off each time. I am so thankful for my radiation therapist, Sara’s steady hand; she was empathetic to my discomfort and was careful each time she removed the tape.”
A total of 30 radiation treatments were administered over the course of a month and a half. Although Larry saw his care team five times each week, he said the compassion they showed him never went unnoticed.
“Each time I was there for treatment I felt like I was the only person they were caring for that day,” he said. “It’s hard to exhibit that kind of compassion on a day-to-day basis, but they did it – their professionalism never wavered.”
“Dr. Gielda was also there every day to ensure everything was correct before the radiation was delivered,” said Larry. “You could ask him anything and it was like he had all the time in the world. He even gave me his phone number and told me to call if I ever had any questions.”
Although the radiation treatments were able to remove the cancerous cells from Larry’s eyelid, Merkel cell carcinoma has a high risk of recurring and spreading throughout the body. As a result, Larry will need to undergo CT scans for the next three years to ensure the cancer doesn’t appear somewhere else.
“My fight with cancer caused me to reflect on how things would be if I were no longer here,” said Larry. “As a pastor who has a personal relationship with Christ, I was able to look at my situation perhaps with apprehension, but never fear. I am so thankful for the top-notch patient care, comfort, and hospitality my care team at Lakeland showed me – because of them I still have time left on earth to spend with my kids and grandkids.”