Chapter 05: A Father Who Beats Cancer

Chapter 05: A Father Who Beats Cancer

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Description

In this very personal Chapter, Dr. Satterfield recalls that in 1987 his father was diagnosed with lymphoma and all the physicians he had seen “had written him off.” Dr. Satterfield was able to have his father seen at MD Anderson and was still doing well in 1995. (Mr. Henry C. Satterfield died in an auto accident.) Dr. Satterfield explains that when he arrived at MD Anderson in 1983, he thought he would stay four years or so and move on. However, this personal experience with cancer galvanized his commitment to cancer research. “We do a little,” he says, “but everybody does, and it adds up to a lot.” He also recalls MD Anderson neurosurgeon, Dr. Samuel Hassenbusch, who died of cancer (the same cancer he studied). Dr. Satterfield collaborated with Dr. Hassenbusch and recalls him very fondly. Dr. Satterfield again says that the Keeling Center offers faculty a tremendous opportunity to enjoy work, stimulating colleagues, and a sense of purpose.

Identifier

SatterfieldWC_01_20120724_C05

Publication Date

7-24-2012

City

Houston, Texas

Topics Covered

The Interview Subject's Story - Personal BackgroundPersonal Background Inspirations to Practice Science/Medicine Influences from People and Life Experiences Human Stories Patients

Transcript

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

I have to tell you this. When I came here in '83, I was here about four years when my father called me and told me that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. He had been to a number of physicians in Tallahassee, Florida, a number of oncology physicians. That's cancer doctors. They had written him off, and the last guy I talked to on the phone— I called. I spoke to him. Dad gave me his number, and I called him and spoke to him. He said, "Well, your father's had a good life. I think that he should get his affairs in order." I happened to be in Houston the next day and Dr. [John] Jardine, who was the division chief for Veterinary Medicine at that time, said—I told Dr. Jardine that my dad had been diagnosed. They had written him off, and could I get him into Anderson? Dr. Jardine said, "Bill, come with me." We left that eleventh-floor conference room next to the president's office where we have those first-Thursday morning meetings. Dr. Keeling had sent me to represent him with all of the chairs. Walked around the corner to an office there, and Dr. Jardine spoke to one of his colleagues and said, "I have a veterinarian here whose dad needs to be seen. He has lymphoma. Can we get him in?" I'm trying to remember the physician's name, but he said, "Just a moment." He picked up the phone, and he called Dr. [Jorge] Romaguera, who is still in lymphoma medicine. He said, "I've got a colleague here who needs to have his dad seen. When can you get him in?" He looked at me, and he said, "Can you have your dad here tonight?" I said, "I will." That was 7:30 in the morning. I called my dad, and I said, "You get on the plane. You and mom get on the plane. I'll meet you at Houston International." I got him there that afternoon and he spent the night at MD Anderson. In 1995, he was still doing great. He had passed the five years, and his oncology section in Tallahassee said they would never have done what they've done in Houston. They saved his life. I knew then that this was where I needed to be, and I have done everything I could do since I've been here to try to help the quality of life for other people, families in Elgin, the community. Everybody that I know has had some part of their family touched with cancer. I can't honestly say I don't know anyone— And I've sent lots of people to MD Anderson to be treated. It's an amazing place. We do just a little bit here, but everybody does a little bit, and it ends up being a lot. That's what I've tried to do the whole time I've been here with all of the work with the animals. We do a lot of medical care, just routine stuff, but we get an opportunity to collaborate to help other people cure cancer.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What was the year that your father had that diagnosis?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

It was, like 1987.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Wow, 1987.

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

I have some of his medical documentation here, where they sent him stuff.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What is his name?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

It was Henry C. Satterfield. This was in '96, when he got one of his family physicians—said: "To Whom It May Concern: H.C. Satterfield is a patient of mine and is being treated for cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Sincerely, Maurice E. Diehler, MD, Southern Family Medicine." Dad carried these things around with him. I would take my kids down there, and we'd visit him. They would put the patients up in one of the local motels. Here's Romaguera. He's gone to see Romaguera, different ones, lab medicine.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What are those documents? Those documents are obviously really important to you. What do they mean to you, to have those letters?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

It gave my dad and my mother years that they wouldn't have had.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Because your dad—

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

And they were good years.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Has your dad passed now?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

Yes, he was on the way to have his eyes taken care of and was broadsided at a red light early in the morning, right before daylight.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

I'm sorry. That's so—

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

That was in '96.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

But MD Anderson helped him beat that cancer.

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

Oh, yeah. He beat the cancer.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Did you have quite that sense of mission about your work here before your personal experience with that?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

Not actually. I thought I would be here—when I first came here, I thought I'd be here approximately three or four years and then I'd find something else to do. I didn't know I'd be cut out to do research medicine. But something like that personal— I think a lot of people here at Anderson have some kind of personal connection with their patients and with their family.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

It gives you a kind of vocation almost.

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

I know that the neurosurgeon I worked with, Sam Hassenbusch—Sam was one of the guys that didn't— I had his book here. Wait a minute—Physician, Heal Thyself. Sam Hassenbusch was a neurosurgeon that loved what he did. He loved MD Anderson. I felt like that was one of the— Dr. Purcell and Sam and Mike Miller, who is a plastic surgeon—we did tissue engineering with. Roman Skoracki, who is currently still at— Mike Miller has gone, moved on, become the chair of Plastic Surgery at the Ohio State University School of Medicine. Roman Skoracki is a plastic surgeon, still at Anderson, and some of the other folks. Sam Hassenbusch was— We did just groundbreaking work with trying to solve the issues about neuropathic pain.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Let me—just for the record, this book is called Physician, Heal Thyself: Brain Cancer: A Surgeon's Journey Through Brain Cancer. Do you mind if I read what you added to this?

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

No, certainly.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

"Words cannot express the impact of this news to those of us in Bastrop at the Keeling Center who knew and worked so closely with Sam since 1993 to develop new therapies to alleviate severe pain in cancer patients. He was in every sense a leader and physician scientist. It was a great shock when he told me that he was a victim of cancer himself. His subsequent bravery and grace in dealing with his disease was an inspiration to so many, including my own family, especially my father-in-law, who passed last spring with a brain tumor." You've had a lot in your family. "Our ties were always close to him and his life. We thank God for the time we were given with such special men. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with Sam's family. He will be deeply missed. Bill Satterfield and Family." That's important people that you work with.

William C. Satterfield, DVM:

He was a good dad. Sam rebuilt—in fact, his wife, Rhonda, let him and his son rebuild a car in their dining room. How many people can do that? But that was him. They did stuff like that. And he had an old Charger from, I guess, the ‘70s or something that belonged to his family. He would drive that up here. He rebuilt that and parked it out on the street. It was sitting— so we had fun. We enjoyed what we did, and we were able to do science. I think that's what— I try to tell people, we have such a unique opportunity here. We need to enjoy what we do, have a sense of purpose, and I don't want to end this interview without mentioning this special group of people from Elgin that comprise the Cattlemen for Cancer Research.

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Chapter 05: A Father Who Beats Cancer

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