Bill Kish’s prostate cancer diagnosis came after his doctor felt something unusual during his annual physical. Blood work showed his PSA level was at 5.3. He was 69, so this was higher than the normal range for a man his age. 

A local urologist in San Antonio performed a CT scan and prostate biopsy to confirm that Bill had cancer. But he and his wife, Jacki, weren’t comfortable with the doctor’s diagnosis.

“They told us the cancer was very slow-growing and suggested we wait to make a decision,” he says. “That didn’t sound too good to us. So, we got input from our family, some of whom live near Houston. We all agreed I should come to MD Anderson for a second opinion.”

Second opinion leads to more accurate diagnosis

Bill’s test results were sent to MD Anderson. Urologic oncologist Mehrad Adibi, M.D., spoke to Bill and Jacki over the phone to discuss next steps.

Bill’s Gleason score was 4+3, which is intermediate risk. Adibi wanted Bill to get an MRI before developing a treatment plan. He came to Houston for an MRI and met with Adibi a couple of days later.

“Based on the CT scan results, everyone thought my prostate was enlarged. The MRI proved that wasn’t true,” Bill recalls. “My prostate was a normal size. It was the three tumors attached to my prostate that made my prostate look enlarged.”

On June 13, 2023, Adibi performed a robotic radical prostatectomy to remove Bill’s prostate and pelvic lymph nodes.

“Dr. Adibi did a fantastic job,” says Bill. “I was supposed to spend the night in the hospital, and then Jacki and I would drive home to San Antonio the next day. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

MD Anderson helps with complications after prostate cancer surgery

The day after surgery, Bill’s blood levels dropped significantly, and he had excruciating abdominal pain. Tests and scans revealed that he had internal bleeding combined with clotting in his arms and legs as a result of a rare medical complication.

Interventional radiologist Rahul Sheth, M.D., did a minimally invasive procedure to stop the bleeding. He placed an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter to try to prevent the blood clots from spreading to Bill’s heart and lungs.

Bill didn’t get out of bed for three weeks. During that time, his doctors consulted with each other, read medical journals and ran tests to figure out why he had internal bleeding and clotting and to see how they could stop it.  Interventional Radiology performed another procedure to remove blood clots, and Bill had a drain placed into his abdomen, along with getting seven blood transfusions. The quick drop in blood pressure affected his retina, so his vision was blurred for two weeks. He was given pain medicine and muscle relaxers to help manage his pain.

“At one point, I had a drain, a catheter, three IVs in both arms and was on oxygen,” says Bill. “Jacki and I decided to have our family and a priest come, and I was given last rites. I remember telling Jacki that I didn’t want to die there. There were two things I wanted to do: go home and sit on my back porch and dance at our granddaughter’s wedding.”