From Relishing Camelot to Living with Cancer

By Dr. Ernest D. Cronin

About the Book
This book describes the ups and downs of a surgeon’s experience with cancer, a gifted surgeon dedicated to improving people’s lives. This story will be helpful to any person dealing with cancer and its treatment. Paul W. Gidley, MD Professor, Otology-Neurotology Department of Head and Neck Surgery UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Author of Temporal Bone Cancer …an inspiring personal chronicle recounting the cancer journeys of an extraordinary plastic surgeon, Dr. Ernest Cronin, and his wife, Candy, as they battled the "Fiend" in a courageous and determined fashion with unwavering faith and tremendous family support. - Donald R. Collins, Jr., MD, FACS Plastic Surgeon, Clinical Assistant Professor Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Cronin chronicles the personal journey that he has taken… he demonstrates that victory over cancer is not ringing a bell, but continuing to live a fulfilling life. - Dr. Terence Holmes, Medical Internist.
Dr. Ernest Cronin…truly has shown that you can have a meaningful life while living with cancer. - Jenny Morrow FNP-C Oncology Nurse Practitioner
…an easy-to-read yet very detailed account of a successful plastic surgeon …and his personal journey against cancer. Dr. Ernest Cronin expresses the human condition well in his descriptions of how he went about tolerating therapy…for other cancer patients who wish to obtain a perspective of how life is while in the midst of the treatment process. - Devish Pandya M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor Weill Cornell Medical College, Medical Oncologist, Oncology Consultants
... an excellent portrayal of the journey it took to build a beautiful Camjelot-coupled with an intense battle against a formidable fiend that all feat, cancer. - John Anderson, M.D. Ophthalmologist
...a window into the life and battles of an outstanding plastic surgeon and his family. It is extremely well written and gives the reader a glimpse of how faith, family, and passion can help heal in times of illness and need... a journey both motivating and inspiring. - George Golod, M.D. University of Texas Physicians.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Oct 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889255819

Book preview

Reviews

From Relishing Camelot to Living with Cancer is an inspiring personal chronicle recounting the cancer journeys of extraordinary plastic surgeon, Dr. Ernest Cronin, and his wife, Candy, as they battled the Fiend in a courageous and determined fashion with unwavering faith and tremendous family support.  The book is a very readable account of the daily challenges and setbacks that they confronted and managed in a positive and upbeat manner. Readers, especially cancer patients and their families, will be encouraged by the hopeful tone of this narrative.

Donald R. Collins, Jr., MD, FACS

Plastic Surgeon

Clinical Assistant Professor

Weill Cornell Medical College

After a self-described charmed life Dr Cronin, a well- respected pioneer in the field of plastic surgery, faced a life-threatening disease and loss of his career in a single day. In From relishing Camelot to Living with Cancer, Dr Cronin chronicles the personal journey that he has taken since that day.

No doctor desires to be the patient and most do not look forward to the end of their career. For this reason, and due to the many painful complications, he has endured as well as the illness of his beloved wife, you might expect bitterness and loss of his faith.

However, instead, the reader will be impressed, by the way Dr Cronin created an even more rewarding life. His strong faith sustained and became even stronger as it helped him deal with his cancer treatment. He also busied himself with his writing and new hobbies, new friends, and rewarding travels with his wife. He has taken meaningful time to spend with his extensive family as well as old and new friends.

Dr Cronin demonstrates the victory over cancer is not ringing a bell, but continuing to live a fulfilling life.

Dr Terence Holmes

Medical Internist

In From relishing Camelot to living with cancer Dr. Ernest Cronin gives a detailed account of his professional accomplishments, his cancer journey and that of his wife, Candy. He is able to explain in immense detail his experience with cancer in a way that is easy to understand. He eloquently incorporates aspects of his faith as well as appreciation for the support of his family. Dr Cronin retired as Plastic Surgeon not long after his diagnosis however he truly has shown that you can have a meaningful life while living with cancer.

Jenny Morrow FNP-C

Oncology Nurse Practitioner

From relishing Camelot to living with cancer is an easy to read yet very detailed account of a successful plastic surgeon including his professional achievements and his personal journey against cancer. Dr. Ernest Cronin expresses the human condition well in his descriptions of how he went about tolerating therapy and the conversations with his medical team would do well for other cancer patients who wish to obtain a perspective of how life is while in the midst of the treatment process. His humanity is also seen in his manner of intertwining his trust and exploration of his faith and gratefulness for his family in the fight against cancer. This all creates a complete picture of what this process entails. His referenced quote by Teddy Roosevelt of work worth doing does well in also explaining the committed fight he began and now both he and his wife are undertaking.  

Devish Pandya M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor

Weill Cornell Medical College

Medical Oncologist

Oncology Consultants

From Relishing Camelot to Living with Cancer is an excellent portrayal of the journey it took to build a beautiful practice and life in Camelot, then coupled with an intense battle against a formidable fiend that all fear, cancer. Throughout his entire battle, he never lost his will to teach or grow spiritually. His perspective of his struggle with cancer is needed in the literature today

John Anderson M.D.

Ophthalmologist.

Dedication

To my parents, Ed and Elaine Cronin, who brought me into this world and took good care of me; Kathleen Kane Cronin, the love of my life; mother of our eight children and grandmother to our thirty grandchildren; my tutelary medical oncologist, Dr. Devish Pandya, and his entire medical team.

Foreword

In mid-December 2022, Dr. Cronin called me out of the blue. I had not seen him since I gave up the Cleft Palate Team at St. Joseph Hospital in 2007. I knew he had cancer. I had spoken to him by phone a few years earlier but lost touch with him over the years. I feared that in this phone call, he might be calling to say goodbye.

I was overjoyed to learn that he was holding his own against his cancer, and he invited me to review his latest manuscript. I considered it a great honor to be among the first to read his book.

My relationship with Dr. Cronin dates to when I worked at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (now called McGovern Medical School) in the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. The chairman of the department, Dr. Charles Stiernberg, had opened a satellite clinic at St. Joseph Hospital, and he assigned me to be there full-time. I had just finished my neurotology fellowship at the University of Iowa, and I was eager to get into practice. Dr. Stiernberg introduced me to Dr. Cronin, and Dr. Cronin invited me to participate in his cleft palate team. My role was to provide otologic care for these children. Children with cleft palates frequently develop chronic otitis media with effusion, and they often need pressure equalization tubes as a temporizing method until the palate is repaired and functional.

I worked with Dr. Cronin and his team for ten years. During that time, I saw Dr. Cronin’s skills. transform the lives of many children. His results were far superior to anything I had ever seen before. Eventually, my path took a different turn, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recruited me as part of the skull base surgery team. While I tried to keep up with the cleft palate team initially, my cancer work became too much; and I had to give up working with Dr. Cronin and his team.

During my career at MD Anderson, I have learned about the devasting impact cancer creates. Both of my parents died from cancer during that time. The initial diagnosis is shocking and overwhelming. The initial meeting with a newly diagnosed patient is always full of emotions. People come face to face with their mortality. Follow-up visits are equally anxiety-provoking. All patients have a nagging worry that their cancer will return. I strive to give patients the results of scans first before engaging in any small talk. The diagnosis of cancer is completely disruptive to one’s life, and it can force productive workers into early retirement or onto disability. Alternatively, it usually causes individuals to re-prioritize their lives, to realize that life is fragile and limited, and to make the most of each day.

Dr. Cronin demonstrates many of the coping skills necessary to deal with cancer. At all times, he has his wife with him. They clearly have a strong, loving bond between them. Having a family member or friend attend meetings with the physician is fundamental. Someone who is not primarily involved can help by taking notes, asking questions, and being supportive. Keeping a journal or running a file can help to keep one’s facts and thoughts organized. Writing questions down before you meet is a useful strategy to make sure your physicians address all of your issues. Having a source of spiritual support can help in moments of doubt, doom, despair, and depression.

Many patients face this diagnosis with courage, determination, and perseverance. Others react with fear and anger or sadness and depression. Some never seem to grasp fully the peril they are in. Dr. Cronin met his ‘fiend’ head-on. He educated himself by reading patient handouts and references. He reached out to family and friends for their support and help. His journey invigorated a life-giving faith that sustains him. He shares very personal vignettes in hopes that his experience might help other patients, certainly work worth doing.

We learn that he was diagnosed with cancer at a rare location, the appendix. While the appendix is a part of the colon, appendiceal cancer is very rare compared to colon cancer. Colon cancer is one of the top 4 sites of cancer (the others being breast, prostate, and lung). Colon cancer affects about 25-30 persons out of 100,000 per year. Appendiceal cancer affects only about 1-2 persons out of 1,000,000 persons per year (this incidence is like the incidence of ear canal and temporal bone cancer). In other terms, colon cancer occurs about 250 times more frequently than appendiceal cancer. With rarity comes a relative lack of understanding, and physicians extrapolate knowledge from common tumors, like colon cancer, and apply it to rare tumors.

Cancer treatment is complex. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are complicated topics. A few cancer patients may have had surgery, but virtually no one has any firsthand experience with chemotherapy or radiotherapy prior to diagnosis. Of course, some patients have had family members with cancer, and their knowledge and experience with chemotherapy and radiotherapy come from observing their loved ones. It is incumbent on physicians and team members to provide information that patients can understand. However, a person can absorb, process, and digest only a limited amount of information on a given day. We, physicians, can be faulted for providing too much information at times or information in a form that is not readily understood. This area deserves attention to improve communication and education. Dr. Cronin mentions the reams of information given to him. Even for someone with a medical degree like Dr. Cronin, clearly a well-read individual, this amount of information can be formidable.

Medical care comes with trials and tribulations. Dr. Cronin was blest with a compassionate, experienced, trustworthy, and honest team of physicians, nurses, and other allied professionals, but human knowledge is limited. Cancer therapies have improved dramatically in the last 20 years, but they are not perfect. Many patients are living with their cancer as a chronic illness. Although some advanced staged cancers can be cured, the therapies have significant and occasionally life-threatening side effects. Many patients may ask themselves if the treatment is worse than the disease. Dr. Cronin worked with his oncologist to develop a treatment plan with fewer medications and reduced side effects. This type of shared decision-making is central to cancer care.

Medical knowledge is always advancing. The advance in medicine is accelerating. Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and genetic sequencing are some of the newest tactics in the armamentarium fighting cancer. The newest therapies often come with a hefty, eye-popping price tag. Someone must bear this price, whether the patient and his family, an insurance company and its enrollees, or the government and its taxpayers. Many patients make great financial sacrifices trying to overcome and beat their cancer. Dr. Cronin writes about the medical bills he received and the costs of treatment that he and his wife received.

Books by doctors as patients are enlightening. The role reversal highlights many of the triumphs and shortcomings of medical practice. Doctors are accustomed to being caregivers and are not used to being cared for. One might think that having medical knowledge would be comforting following the diagnosis of cancer, yet the opposite is true. Physicians are aware of what an isolated swelling or new weight loss might mean. Doctors who return to practice after cancer treatment emerge with a new sense of empathy. They realize the prevalence of medical jargon in their speech and change to use common terms instead. They often take a closer look at medication side effect profiles since having suffered themselves.

This book describes the ups and downs of a surgeon’s experience with cancer, a gifted surgeon dedicated to improving people’s lives. This story will be helpful to any person dealing with cancer and its treatment.

Paul W. Gidley, MD

Professor, Otology-Neurotology

Department of Head and Neck Surgery

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

Author of Temporal Bone Cancer

Preface

Everything was copacetic as the middle of March 2016 approached. I was content with my own serene and wonderful life in Camelot. I was enjoying a uniquely diverse career, in exciting times, for the development of plastic surgery.

Cancer struck suddenly on March 21, 2016. This necessitated my early retirement from my fulfilling and productive plastic surgery practice. Enjoyment of my personal Camelot suddenly changed to a battle for my very survival, vis a vis the Fiend, Cancer. Facing an unexpected diagnosis of Stage IIIC Carcinoma of the appendix was frightening and disconcerting. I imagine everyone’s experience with cancer is unique. However, I decided to write about my experience because, as a Catholic physician, I thought I might have insight different from most cancer patients. I hope that some of my experiences will benefit others with significant cancers. Since I have endured many side effects and complications, including recurrent cancer, after four years, I believe my story might encourage others to endure similar experiences more easily. I will briefly discuss my response to affliction.

Unfortunately, as I wrote this book, the subject matter changed from my cancer to our cancer when we discovered my wife, Candy, had Stage IV ovarian carcinoma. Our story ends with outcomes undetermined. Although we no longer live in the Camelot described in part one of this book, Candy and I know it is fortuitous that we have each other and the love and concern of our wonderful family, friends, and church. During our illnesses, we have been so fortunate to have the prayers of our family, numerous friends, and many prayer groups. We feel rewarded due to all these intercessions from the Communion of Saints. Despite our afflictions, still, it’s a beautiful life!

Introduction

Part One of my story begins with relishing my prize of practicing plastic surgery. Theodore Roosevelt declared, Far and away, the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard, at work worth doing. That prize was just one aspect of a blest, utopian life that I called my Camelot. I tell the story of the planning, hard work, and good fortune that allowed me to build my Camelot.

I describe the broad, fulfilling, and enjoyable aspects of that beautiful life in Camelot that my wife Candy and I were living, and I relate some recognition that I received.

In Part Two, a minacious Fiend (Cancer) decimates Camelot, leading to my early retirement in March 2016. Dangerous and destructive complications accompanied my chemotherapy treatments. Nevertheless, I completed the chemotherapy treatment in January 2017. But was I cured? And then what?

In Part Three, after recovering from chemotherapy for about six months, I enjoy a two-year hiatus of near normality. During this time, I turned my attention to writing a memoir of my 38 years of plastic surgery practice. I published The Healing Mission of Plastic Surgery - One Surgeon’s Story in 2020.

In Part Four, the Fiend returns with a vengeance. I faced multiple hospitalizations, repeated surgery, and more chemotherapy. An added catastrophe was my wife Candy’s Stage IV Ovarian Cancer diagnosis in November 2021. So, my cancer became our cancer.

In Part Five, I review the myriad difficulties and complications and discuss how I managed my afflictions. The final chapter, Outcome Undetermined, reinforces the conviction that it’s still a wonderful life.

Part One

Camelot

1

My Prize in Camelot

As the middle of March 2016 approached, everything was copacetic. I was content in my own serene and splendid Camelot. However, without any portent, a minacious interloper, a loathsome Fiend, was about to devastate that wonderful life.

Teddy Roosevelt said, Far and away, the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. I was assiduously pursuing and relishing my professional work, which was a significant and integral part of my personal Camelot. It is a great privilege and pleasure to practice plastic surgery. It is a beautiful specialty that helps patients worldwide every day and gives great satisfaction to its practitioners. My prize was the opportunity to improve my patients’ lives using the plastic surgery skills my mentors taught me.

The western tradition of plastic surgery dates to the Italian Renaissance surgeon Gaspar Tagliacozzi, who wrote in 1597, We restore and make whole those parts which, nature or ill fortune have taken away, not so much to delight the eye but to buoy up the spirit of the afflicted. ¹ Most plastic surgeons aspire to this ideal despite the cheesy, meretricious advertisements some practitioners produce and the tawdry sitcoms that purport to represent plastic surgeons.

We would all like to think that we have made or