George Hall - “Praise Every Day”

George Hall, Sanford, NC

George Hall was losing weight and had a bad cough in 2002. His doctor thought he had a cold and gave him antibiotics. When he started to itch with what he thought was a drug reaction, his doctor examined him again and found that he was jaundiced from what turned out to be a blockage of his biliary ducts. He underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder due to a concern for gallstones, but the blockage was secondary to a process in his pancreas. A CT scan at his local hospital was unable to identify a mass in the head of the pancreas.

His physician recommended that he come to UNC Lineberger to see Dr.H.J. Kim. The UNC multidisciplinary team used an innovative 3-D VIBE MRI technique, under the direction of Dr. Richard Semelka, to identify and delineate the early adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas.

Dr. Kim and Mr. Hall had a lengthy discussion of the treatment options, but the clear decision was to choose surgery since it provided the best potential for long-term survival. "I didn't have another choice," Hall explained. "and, because Dr. Kim and I had established such a good relationship, I wanted him to perform the surgery."

Mr. Hall's surgery went smoothly, so an initial ICU stay wasn't necessary as had been planned. The next day, his wife, Elva, couldn't find him when she returned to the hospital because she went to ICU as planned.

A man of strong faith, Hall says he "offers praise every day for the miracle God has given me." July of 2006 marks his third year of disease-free survival.

He underwent chemotherapy and radiation from February until September of 03. Hall works in shipping and receiving at Zurn Industries and hasn’t missed much work, despite his rigorous therapy regimen.

"I tell people that if you have cancer, go to Chapel Hill. They've got good doctors there." George and Elva, married for 45 years, have three children: Michael, Lori, and Jason as well as three grandsons.