Patient Stories
LARRY CRUMLISH
Bladder Cancer Survivor
Prostate Cancer Survivor
Eight years ago, Larry Crumlish visited a urologist not affiliated with Baylor. He knew something was wrong and wanted to know if it was serious. It was bladder cancer. But it was the receptionist, not the doctor, who gave him the news. He decided it was time to find another doctor.
At the time, his daughter had a job as a nanny; her employers were doctors at Parkland. She asked them who they would go to if they were in her dad’s shoes. Without hesitation, they said they would see Dr. Fine at Baylor. He became Larry’s new doctor.
Dr. Fine recommended robotic surgery to remove the cancer. Called the da Vinci procedure, it can be done with very minimal incisions. That surgery plus six months of medicine knocked out the cancer. But Larry wasn’t out of the woods yet. Four years later, a routine exam revealed prostate cancer. Again, robotic surgery came to his aid, this time performed by another da Vinci expert, Dr. Smith. By now, Larry was so familiar with the procedure, he named the robot Lenny, short for Leonardo.
Five tiny incisions later, Larry’s cancerous prostate was carefully extracted. In three days, he was walking half a mile. Today, he’s outspoken about his two-time battle with cancer, the wonders of robotic surgery and the need for men to get regular check-ups. He’s happy to spend time sharing his experience, just as long as it doesn’t take him away from his hobby: five grandchildren, aged six to ten.
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