Hearing those dreaded words “you have cancer” just once is tough enough. Hearing it again years later is even worse. Both times, Clinton and Rhonda Ward said “There’s life in cancer.” They were determined to return to the CyberKnife Center of Miami to get treated and to share their CyberKnife experience in hope of helping others.
When Clinton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 his doctor said, “If you were any other 78-year-old man I'd say, let's not do anything. Let nature take its course because you will likely die of something else before you die of prostate cancer. But you're not your average elderly man, you are extremely active, healthy, with a young blended family, who enjoys the pleasures of living so for you I recommend CyberKnife radiation therapy.”
Clinton and Rhonda had read good reviews and testimonies about treating cancer with CyberKnife. Rhonda wanted to be sure and researched every prostate cancer treatment option available. After reading everything she could about surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and other types of radiation treatments, they determined CyberKnife Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy would be his best treatment option.
It requires only 5 radiation treatment sessions instead of 42 with other types of radiation and because of its missile guided, pinpoint accuracy, CyberKnife can deliver high doses of radiation beams which target the tumor site, leaving the surrounding areas unharmed. That greatly reduces the risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence. That was vital to both Clinton and Rhonda, but especially Clinton, because as Rhonda puts it, “He’s a strong, proud, virulent, southern Black man from Georgia and his natural manhood is crucial to him.”
The next step was finding the best cancer treatment center and doctor that used CyberKnife technology, so Rhonda called Accuray, the company that manufactures CyberKnife located in California.
Rhonda says, “We were prepared to travel from Florida to California and stay as long as necessary for his treatment, but they told us, you don’t need to travel here, there's an excellent CyberKnife center, with one of the most experienced teams right where you live in South Florida. It's called the CyberKnife Center of Miami located on Kendall Drive.”
Rhonda called CyberKnife Miami and the treatment was a success. Clinton and Rhonda spent the next decade living life to the fullest, as she says, “And I mean to the fullest in every way. The treatment did not affect Clinton physically nor intimately."
Clinton was treated by Dr. Mark Pomper, “There is always a chance cancer can recur. We typically don't see that however Clinton had an intermediate risk of the cancer coming back because he had a high PSA score, over 14 when diagnosed, so there's a chance. Plus, prostate cancer tends to be more aggressive in Black men.”
Fast forward 11 years and Clinton’s prostate cancer had metastasized to his bones in the lower pelvic and spine area.
Rhonda says, “We went right back to CyberKnife Miami and started treatment. Immediately we felt a sense of relief knowing we were in the best hands.”
She adds, “The medical care and service they provide at CyberKnife Miami is excellent. Like none other. They treat you as if you're the most important person in the world and with compassion. After the second day of treatment, the pain Clinton felt from the tumors had already eased.”
Rhonda says, “Clinton’s 88 now and being married to an older man I cherish every moment and take nothing for granted.
Clinton is on hormone therapy now to help stop the cancer from spreading and that of course is like a medical castration, but we had to balance the scales and choose intimacy or life, we choose life.”
“We've done all we can to target the cancer and he's doing great. Even his doctors, including his oncologist who told us CyberKnife wouldn't work, are impressed with his results. Today his PSA level is less than 0.02 and his scan results are excellent.
Clinton’s twin brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the exact same time. Despite their efforts to persuade him to choose CyberKnife, he chose chemotherapy and died of prostate cancer 3 years later. The Ward's believe he' be alive had he chosen CyberKnife.
Rhonda adds, “I do not have any stock in CyberKnife, but Clinton and I tell everyone about this technology."
As for Clinton’s prognosis, Dr. Pomper says, “He’s 88 and has multiple areas of metastatic disease, we can’t cure it, but we can slow it down and help him live longer and without pain.”
Rhonda says, “I feel God has allowed my husband to go through cancer a second time to live and tell people about CyberKnife. We have much to be grateful for. This cancer is stage 4 but if he is going to die, we are going down trying, and we have no regrets. We're not here forever but give me some extended years. You must find the right people, positive people who'll work with you like the CyberKnife Miami team.
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