Shifting gears
Pierre Crevier
Oct, 2022
Physicians: Ginard Henry, MD; Rafeek Woods, MD; Edmund Paloyan, MD
As an avid Southwest Michigan mountain biker, Pierre Crevier is no stranger to a bumpy route. At 63 years old, he has traveled many paths. Regardless of what he encounters, Pierre follows the creed: “Live life with a good attitude, take it as it comes, and prioritize caring for yourself.”
One day, after returning home from a ride, Pierre inspected himself as usual for ticks. He was slightly concerned when he felt a bump on the back of his head despite not seeing anything. He decided to keep an eye on it.
The bump remained on his head in the days that followed, so, Pierre’s wife encouraged him to make an appointment to get it looked at.
Pierre met with his primary care provider and a dermatologist. A diagnostic ultrasound came back inconclusive and the bump on Pierre’s head continued to grow. With concerns of how quickly it was growing Pierre was referred to plastic surgeon,Ginard Henry, MD at Stonegate Plastic Surgery of Lakeland.
“While talking with Dr. Henry, I mentioned I was also getting dizzy a lot and felt like I could feel my heartbeat in my head,” said Pierre. “That was a sign to him that something was seriously off.”
Dr. Henry assessed the bump and ordered an MRI scan to see even deeper into the soft tissue. This time results showed a large tumor that was pushing on the outermost layer of his brain, known as the dura. The tumor had created a nearly three-inch sized hole in his skull.
Pierre was referred to Spectrum Health Lakeland neurosurgeon, Rafeek Woods, MD.
“I tried to keep calm despite learning I would need major surgery on my brain,” said Pierre. “I made a point to educate myself and ask the doctor a lot of questions.”
“Dr. Woods was thorough with his answers and made me feel very comfortable and confident going into surgery.”
Dr. Woods successfully removed the tumor in its entirety, repairing the damaged area with a titanium mesh plate.
“I was back home with my family two days after surgery,” said Pierre. “It was a relief that I could find this level of expertise and great care so close to home.”
However, Pierre’s journey was not yet done as the biopsy of his tumor revealed it was cancer. Soon he was meeting local oncologist, Edmund Paloyan, MD, who started him on an immunotherapy treatment plan at the Marie Yeager Cancer Center. The treatment plan is designed to boost Pierre’s immune system, encouraging it to work harder to find and attack the cancer cells.
“My mother died of cancer, so it was hard learning of my diagnosis,” said Pierre. “I’m also a husband and a father of five daughters. I have a lot to fight for, so I continued to focus on what I could control and let the doctors take care of me.”
Pierre learned the typical life expectancy for this diagnosis is six to nine years. Though this news was shocking, he was continually rethinking his diagnosis.
“As I talked with Dr. Paloyan, I learned that there are different variables to account for,” said Pierre. “Things like health, age, attitude, and support from family and friends can all effect my outcome.”
Pierre has been receiving treatment at the cancer center twice a week.
“I’m happy to share that after 11 months of treatment I’m in deep remission,” said Pierre. “I’m hopeful to be in full recovery in a month from now.”
Pierre attributes his health journey to many factors; including his positive attitude, optimism, and dedication to keeping active and healthy.
“You never know what path your life will bring; I certainly didn’t see this coming,” said Pierre. “Now, I encourage people to take good care of themselves because if I didn’t, I might not have had the same result.”