My name is Corby Coney, a firefighter from Liberty, NY. This is my testimony to the Everyone Goes Home® Program.
In the winter of 2006, I took the Courage to Be Safe® class with a great teacher, Carl Houman. After that class I took a hard look at myself. I was overweight and out of shape.
After several conversations with my doctor, we decided it would be best for me to have gastric bypass surgery. This was going to be a life-saving surgery because I had high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea, just to name a few serious health problems.
I had my bypass on January 13, 2010. As a result, my gallbladder went bad, which is a common side effect of this surgery. My local hospital would not do the gallbladder removal surgery, so I was sent to Westchester Medical Center, which is our local trauma center for the procedure.
During my stay at Westchester, they found a tumor on my pancreas that measured one centimeter. Pancreatic cancer is the most aggressive forms of cancer, so I’ve come to find out. Because of the severity of the diagnosis, the doctors wanted my wife there with me every moment. The hospital sent me home to get my affairs in order which included finding a caregiver for our 3-year-old daughter.
During that week of being home, the tumor grew from one centimeter to three inches. Thankfully, the tumor was removed completely and all margins were clear.
I asked the doctor what would have happened if I did not have the bypass surgery, which is why they ultimately discovered the tumor. He said point blank, “You would have been dead by this Christmas.” So, in many ways, the Courage to Be Safe® class saved my life more than once!! I encourage EVERYONE to take this important information to heart.
