萝莉社

Joseph Bailey didn鈥檛 feel the volleyball-sized tumor growing around his kidney until he was on a cruise with his wife in October 2012.

He had back pain and became short of breath, but it would be months before he found out what was causing the trouble. As the tumor grew, it pressed on his stomach, taking away his appetite and leading to weight loss. It seemed like a good thing, since Joseph needed to lose some weight. But his wife Helen, who has been with him for 35 years, knew something wasn鈥檛 right.

After months of doctors鈥� visits, Joseph鈥檚 urologist found a mass on his kidney. He told the Baileys it would take a large team of people to remove it. It was so serious, Joseph retired from his job as a Jacksonville Human Rights Commission investigator. Less than a week before the surgery, however, a CT scan revealed additional serious masses on Joseph鈥檚 other kidney. It was so unsettling, the urologist excused himself from the case. Joseph needed someone more qualified to handle his surgery.

The Baileys, who have a strong Christian faith, said God led them to 萝莉社 Jacksonville. Several people recommended the hospital, including Kelly Brown, PhD, their pastor at Greater Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church. He had undergone a kidney transplant there.

When the Baileys sat down with Christopher Williams, MD, they instantly liked him, though they couldn鈥檛 help noticing he looked younger than their own daughters. But thankfully Williams was no rookie. The associate professor of surgery is interim chief of and medical director of .

Williams immediately ordered new scans of Joseph鈥檚 kidneys to get a clearer picture of what he would be dealing with. A MRI revealed there were multiple tumors on his right kidney, and the tumor on his left was so large, it was growing into Joseph鈥檚 other organs. Williams concluded Joseph鈥檚 best chance of survival was to remove both kidneys. He warned the Baileys it would be a very large and serious surgery.

鈥淣obody expected him to live through the night鈥�

On the day of Joseph鈥檚 surgery, Feb. 22, 2013, a caravan of supporters traveled to the hospital with him. Joseph鈥檚 wife, daughters and a large group of family members and friends from church crowded into the waiting area and met his medical team before he went into surgery. When they hadn鈥檛 heard a word on his progress three hours later, Helen knew her husband was in trouble.

In the operating room, Williams found that Joseph鈥檚 largest tumor was so massive, it spanned 10 inches long. Once removed, it would fill a large bucket. But first, he would have to cut into multiple organs to detach them from it.

鈥淭he mass was just stuck to everything: The pancreas, colon, spleen, posterior body wall,鈥� he recalled.

Williams had never seen anything like it, though he expected the complication ahead of time. To deal with it, he asked assistant professor Omeni Osian, MD, interim chief of , to assist in the surgery.

鈥淭he tumor was in close proximity to just about every vital structure you have in the abdomen,鈥� Osian said. 鈥淲e were taking turns getting the tumor free and holding pressure to stop the bleeding (from organs the tumor was being removed from).鈥�

Neither surgeon had significant experience in removing the colon and pancreas. Thankfully, 萝莉社 Jacksonville is the one hospital in the region with a Level I trauma center, where a team of general and specialized surgeons is always ready to step in. So in the middle of the surgery, Williams asked associate professor of surgery J. Bracken Burns Jr., DO, MS, to join them. With his assistance, they were able to spare Joseph鈥檚 colon and part of his pancreas.

When they reached Joseph鈥檚 spleen, they found that the tumor was bonded too deeply with it to salvage the blood-filtering organ. Burns immediately performed a splenectomy on Joseph.

Once his spleen and left kidney were removed, Joseph began bleeding heavily. The three surgeons worked for hours to stop the bleeding and keep Joseph alive. Twice, they had to resuscitate him.

鈥淎t one point I found myself holding pressure at multiple points of bleeding while the other two worked. He almost died in the operating room, and I鈥檓 still surprised today that he鈥檚 with us,鈥� Osian said. 鈥淚t shows you what the human spirit 鈥� and collaborative work 鈥� can do.鈥�

Williams said Joseph was the sickest patient he had ever treated.

鈥淣obody thought he was going to live through the night. If he had gone anywhere else, I don鈥檛 think he would have,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e started out with a private urologist. If they had needed a thoracic surgeon or a trauma surgeon, they wouldn鈥檛 have been able to get there in time.鈥�

鈥淎ll we can do is pray鈥�

When Williams finally returned to the waiting room, Helen knew what he was about to say by the look on his face.

鈥淗e told me, 鈥楢t this point, all we can do is pray. He is a very, very sick man,鈥欌�� Helen said.

Years ago, she and her husband promised to stay by each other鈥檚 side during trying medical situations like this one, and Helen planned to keep her word. For the next four months, she spent each day at her husband鈥檚 bedside in the hospital. She kept a daily journal about his care, and there was a lot to write about.

During his stay at 萝莉社 Jacksonville, Joseph lost more than 100 pounds. An estimated 10 to 15 of those pounds came from the seven tumors that engulfed his kidneys. He also lost both kidneys, his spleen, his gallbladder, half of his pancreas and at least one of his adrenal glands. Living in the intensive care unit ( ICU), almost the entire time, he went through nine surgical procedures, came close to death several times, relied on a ventilator to breathe and had to relearn how to eat and walk. He started dialysis treatments, which he has to continue for the rest of his life. But he was alive, and that was a shock even to the team who took care of him.

鈥淚 did not expect him to survive. A lot of places wouldn鈥檛 have given him a chance or even been willing to do the surgery in the first place,鈥� Burns said.

Virtually everyone who worked in the ICU had a role in Joseph鈥檚 care during his stay. Williams checked on the Baileys even on his days off. Burns saw Helen so often, he joked that she was on the clock more than he was. And Osian figured out that an antifungal medication would finally stave off a massive fluid buildup in Joseph鈥檚 lungs that he had been battling for months.

鈥淚 always knew so much was invested in my husband. Everyone was pulling and rooting for him and doing everything they could,鈥� Helen said.

She became especially close with the nurses who tended to her husband.

鈥淚 will never forget them. They told me to take it hour-by-hour and day-by-day. If they saw any little sign that he was better, they told me to keep me encouraged,鈥� Helen said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about the ICU. Everyone was skillful, knowledgeable, compassionate, and they showed a genuine concern.鈥�

Osian said Helen, lovingly dubbed Mama Bailey by the staff, was a 鈥渞ock鈥� throughout the process.

鈥淭he patients usually aren鈥檛 awake through the toughest parts, so it鈥檚 the family that has to endure the worst. Most in that situation give up or get frustrated. But she never wavered. She saw us fighting for him,鈥� he said.

Helen would later say it was the toughest time in her life, but she knew she had to stay strong for her husband and for all the family, friends and church members who were supporting them.

Home at last

After an unheard-of 126 days in the ICU, Joseph finally left the hospital to begin therapy at Brooks Rehabilitation. When he finally went home, he鈥檚 not ashamed to admit that he 鈥渃ried like a baby.鈥�

The Baileys later returned to 萝莉社 for a follow-up visit, and Joseph met a number of people he couldn鈥檛 remember taking care of him. One of them was Burns, who dropped his telephone in the middle of a call when he saw Joseph walk through the door.

鈥淗e grabbed us and hugged us and kept saying, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e standing! You鈥檙e standing!鈥欌�� Helen said. 鈥淗e told us we made his day.鈥�

Helen made a point of giving back to the staff, too. She and her family treated the day staff to a feast, and then they returned to treat the night staff to another feast. Helen said it was the least she could do after all that was done for her and Joseph.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how it happened that they got all these people in one place, but there are just layers and layers of tender love and kindness. It wasn鈥檛 just the doctors, nurses and physician assistants, but it was also environmental services, the clerks, the physical therapy team, the speech and respiratory therapists, the PCAs and the LIFT team. They all made sure we were taken care of.鈥�

A blessed man

Now back home, Joseph said his clearest memory of his long hospital stay is having Helen at his side.

鈥淢y highlight was seeing you walk through that door every day,鈥� he told her recently while they were sitting in their living room.

鈥淚 had no desire to be anywhere else,鈥� Helen said. 鈥淗e is not just the man that I love. He is my best friend. We can talk about everything.鈥�

Helen said she missed Joseph鈥檚 voice so much during his stay in the hospital that she would call home several times a day just to hear him speak on the answering machine.

鈥淪he puts on a granite fa莽ade, but she鈥檚 really not that tough. She鈥檚 in love,鈥� Joseph quipped.

The Baileys regularly return to 萝莉社 Jacksonville for doctors鈥� visits and treatments. Since he no longer has kidneys, Joseph has to receive three to four hours of dialysis three days a week.

鈥淗e鈥檚 still considered a sick man 鈥�,鈥� Helen began to explain.

鈥溾�攂ut I鈥檓 a blessed man,鈥� Joseph cut in, finishing her sentence. 鈥淓ven with all the limitations I have, I鈥檓 very, very fortunate. We are both forever grateful.鈥�