Right away, Sam felt like he was in good hands with Dr. Lazar Klein and his team. Dr. Klein was very precise in his explanations, but also understood that Sam wanted to thoroughly understand every part of his procedure.

“My mother had cancer in her GI tract, so my siblings and I have routine colonoscopies every five years,” says Sam. “During my fourth colonoscopy my doctor found a tumour.”

When Sam was diagnosed with colon cancer, he knew right away that he wanted to be referred to a doctor at Humber River Hospital. His wife had been treated at Humber River Hospital by Dr. Jensen Tan and had had a really good experience.

“I asked the doctor who had performed my colonoscopy, Dr. Springer, if he knew of an experienced surgeon who could treat my colon cancer at Humber and he referred me to Dr. Lazar Klein,” says Sam. “I started doing my research and determined for myself he was the physician I wanted. I even learned he works out of the same office as Dr. Tan, which felt very reassuring.”

Right away, Sam felt like he was in good hands with Dr. Klein and his team. Dr. Klein was very precise and to the point in his explanations, but also understood that Sam wanted to thoroughly understand every part of his procedure. When Sam asked Dr. Klein how much of his colon he would have to remove, Dr. Klein brought out an anatomy book and explained how the large intestine worked in sections. He told Sam that they would need to remove about a foot to make sure they got all of the cancer.

Dr. Klein’s expert receptionist Debbie expedited Sam’s appointments, and his surgery was scheduled for less than a month away.

“Surgery day went really smoothly,” says Sam. “Everything I needed to do pre-op was efficient and I felt pretty good when I woke up. My surgery had been minimally invasive, leaving me with five small incisions. Dr. Klein and the resident Dr. Vivian Ma came to see me and confirmed that my surgery had gone well. That first day I was up and walking laps in the Hospital.”

Sam stayed at Humber on the 10^th floor for three nights recovering from his surgery. While recovery was not easy, he appreciated every time someone on his care team went above and beyond for him. His nurse Brenda was compassionate and professional with her ever-present smile, his nurse Rosemary and her assistant student nurse Elana were extremely helpful, the staff who cleaned his room were friendly and showed great care for their work, and Sam was touched when Drs. Klein, Ma, and Tan all took the time to visit him over the weekend to see how he was doing.

There was a readjustment period as his body adapted after surgery, and Sam started feeling more like himself after a week.

“I feel like I won the lottery,” says Sam. “They got me in right away, they were so compassionate and efficient, and Dr. Lazar Klein removed all the cancer.”

Then, at his follow up appointment with Dr. Klein, Sam received great news.

“I was informed by Dr. Klein that the biopsy showed my tumour was listed as T3 and the cancer was assessed as Stage 2,” says Sam. “The entire tumour had been removed during my surgery. I did not need any further treatment other than to be monitored. My CAT Scan prior to surgery had shown that the tumour had not metastasized, and the biopsy showed my lymphatic system and bloodwork were clear.”

“I feel like I won the lottery,” says Sam. “They got me in right away, they were so compassionate and efficient, and they removed all the cancer. I’m a big believer that when people do their job consistently well, they should be recognized and praised for their dedication to their profession and assigned duties. In conclusion, I am very grateful for my team at Humber River Hospital.”