Turning the Tide: A Veteran's Fight Against a Rare Tumor
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"Sir, you are very sick," the doctor said, looking Harold “Harry” Blanton directly in the eyes. "If you do not have that mass removed now, you will die."
In October 2024, Harry, a retired Navy veteran of 22 years, lay in the intensive care unit of an Ardmore, Oklahoma, hospital. His vital signs were spiraling dangerously out of control. His heart rate had shot to 180, his blood pressure was over 200 and his blood sugar had skyrocketed from 500 to 630 in just the four-mile ambulance ride to the hospital. The stats were especially concerning for someone who had never been diabetic before.
Harry had a large pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor of the adrenal gland that was flooding his body with dangerous levels of adrenaline. His local doctor was unequivocal about what he needed to do.
"You need to see a specialist," she told him. When Harry asked where she would go if she were in his situation, her answer was immediate: "I would go see Dr. Sanjay Patel at OU Health in Oklahoma City."
For Harry, who worked as a trainer at an iron casting company in Ardmore, the crisis had begun just days earlier with subtle warning signs.
"I just got to feeling bad," he said. "I had a real bad headache, and my blood pressure was a little high. I knew something wasn't right."
Within 24 hours, his condition had deteriorated dramatically. He could barely even walk, and his equilibrium was completely off.
“I was running into wall facings trying to get to the bathroom and was out of breath," Harry said. He knew he had to go to OU Health before his doctor’s dire prediction came true.
The Power of Academic Medicine
"Most people with this condition experience episodes where suddenly their heart starts racing, they start sweating, and their blood pressure goes crazy high," said OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center urologic oncologist Dr. Sanjay Patel, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. "Some people can even misdiagnose it as a panic attack. But it can be life-threatening."
Within days of arriving at OU Health, Harry met with Dr. Patel, who immediately put him at ease with his thorough approach.
"He sat down and drew out some pictures of my entire system inside my body," Harry said. "He showed the precise locations and explained everything. He used this analogy about group projects in school – how there's always one person who wants to do a lot more and be in charge, and one who doesn't want to do much. He said that's what was happening with my adrenal glands. The right one was really pumping, while the other was just taking it easy."
The tumor was one of the largest Dr. Patel had ever seen, growing from nine to nearly 10 centimeters. Yet despite its size, he was optimistic.
"I can't say this 100%," Patel told Harry, "but I don't believe this is cancer, just because of the way it's growing." His intuition proved correct. The mass was later confirmed to be benign.
A Symphony of Specialists
The preparation for surgery demonstrated the unique advantages of an academic medical center's integrated approach.
"We have a big team here, and we've taken care of so many of these cases that we know the drill," said Dr. Patel, who has removed approximately 50 pheochromocytomas, a remarkably high number for such a rare condition. "At most high-volume training centers, surgeons might remove one during their entire training. Even at Vanderbilt, where I trained, I only saw one case."
Before surgery could even be considered, Harry needed careful preparation, including getting his blood sugar and blood pressure under control. Dr. Patel had Harry’s heart tested by OU Health’s cardiology team.
“We need cardiac clearance because as soon as I touch this thing, your blood pressure skyrockets and goes through the roof,” Dr. Patel told Harry.
The process revealed the power of OU Health's integrated team approach. OU Health cardiologist Dr. Zain Asad, M.D., associate professor in the Section of Cardiovascular Diseases at OU College of Medicine, discovered a heart abnormality during pre-surgery screening and quickly arranged for additional testing.
"We just made it happen," Dr. Patel said. "We were texting each other, calling each other. It's pretty impressive how everyone steps up to help."
Throughout the preparation period, Dr. Patel maintained close contact with Harry and his wife, who was tasked with monitoring his vital signs. Every three days, she had to email his vitals to Dr. Patel.
“There were days on the weekend when he might call here on a Saturday and say, 'Hey, I've looked at your information,’” said Harry. “He was very, very thorough and caring, but absolutely professional."
The surgery itself required extraordinary precision and monitoring. The anesthesiologist placed special arterial lines to monitor Harry’s blood pressure with each heartbeat. Additional lines in his neck allowed for immediate administration of medications to control his blood pressure during the delicate procedure.
While most surgeons would opt for traditional open surgery for a tumor of this size, essentially cutting the patient "in half," as Dr. Patel put it, OU Health's experienced robotics team was able to remove the tumor using minimally invasive techniques. This approach meant smaller incisions and potentially faster recovery for Harry.
The Future of Complex Care
Today, Harry is back to his life, cutting up cardboard boxes from new furniture and playing with his grandchildren. His recovery has been remarkable.
"I don't take any insulin anymore, my blood pressure is pretty good, and I don't take any medicine to slow my heart down anymore," he said.
The experience has left him deeply appreciative of the team at OU Health.
"I couldn't ask for a better group of doctors and nurses," he said. "Dr. Patel, in my opinion, is the ace – number one."
For others who might be suffering from undiagnosed pheochromocytoma, Dr. Patel offers some guidance:
"Anyone who has unexpectedly high blood pressure, especially if they're young and don't have risk factors, should probably have this ruled out,” he said, adding that he suspects the condition might be more common than currently thought. It’s just a condition that is often misdiagnosed.
Harry’s journey from a local emergency room to successful treatment at OU Health demonstrates the vital importance of having access to academic medical centers where teams of specialists can work together to tackle the most challenging cases in medicine.
"It's a testament to the team we have and that cadre of specialists that we can take care of these really complex situations," said Dr. Patel. "We're not just individual doctors working independently. We're an integrated system where specialists work together, communicate constantly, and bring their collective expertise to bear on saving lives."
Request an appointment or second opinion at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, or call (855) 750-2273 for more information.