Akron Life December 2023

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Top Notch

Akron’s doctors make a huge impact.

My role was to be there for whatever she needed and take care of the details, so she didn’t have to worry. I felt like I did all the worrying for her. We were blessed with lots of help around us, from babysitting to a meal train. We had so much support, and we accepted everything that came our way. It was much needed, because the last thing we needed to worry about was what was for dinner. The doctors involved in my wife’s care at Cleveland Clinic Akron General were top notch. Dr. Ariel Sindel was her oncologist and was exceptional. He was always there to answer questions and explore alterna tives and cutting-edge treatments. His honesty, positivity and confidence were essential components of my wife’s attitude toward treatment. Dr. Amanda Mendiola was her breast surgeon and was incredible as well. Her expertise, thorough explana tions and empathetic bedside manner couldn’t be beat. Lastly, Dr. Susan Hong was her radiation oncology specialist. She gets another five-star rating as far as we are concerned. Hong was warm and empa thetic. She was a fantastic communicator. Her conscientious care was top of the line. All three doctors exceeded our expectations. My wife has been very fortunate. After getting chemo and radiation, the tumor completely disappeared, with no signs of cancer left. She was able to have surgery with the minimum amount of tissue removed. Currently, she is still on some medications to keep cancer at bay, but she is on the road to recovery. There is still a lot in front of us, and she is still very tired from all that she went through, but her prognosis is very positive overall.

December has always been our health care issue. The Top Doctors list is compiled from doctors voting for other doctors they believe are the best in the area. One of the first things I do every year is scan the list and see if any of my doctors are on it — there are several, and it’s well deserved. Check out the list and our feature on pg. 32. Last November, my family’s world changed. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. After getting over the initial shock, thinking, This isn’t real and, She’s too young and healthy , the reality sank in. Then all our priorities changed to how she can beat cancer. It seemed like there were doctor appointments every day. We explored all kinds of treatment options, and there are so many differing views on treating cancer. But based on her cancer type, we chose the route of chemo therapy followed by radiation. I had no idea what we were in for, and neither did she. We had a 2-year-old at the time, and we knew it was going to be a rough road ahead, but you can only deal with what is in front of you at the moment. Every possibility and scenario would race through my head, and I couldn’t imagine how she felt. I went with her to chemo appointments and stayed through all her treatments, but the side effects hit several days later. Most of the time, she would go back to work the next day after chemo because she felt better, but two to three days later, she was in misery. They gave her a regimen of pills to combat the side effects, but it was tough. The spac ing of getting chemo was three weeks apart, so she would start to feel better right before she had to go in again.

We are so fortunate to have such great hospital systems in Akron. Having so much health care in a city our size is a real blessing.

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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DECEMBER 2023 | akronlife.com