Dr. Eustace Palmer, professor in the Department of English and Rhetoric at Georgia College & State University, and a native of Sierra Leone is known by colleagues and students as a man of gentle words and one whose life has been mostly kept private.
When Palmer was asked to share his most private experiences surviving prostate cancer, he gently responded, “Well, of course.” His positive outlook can be defined in those three words, and his genuine character speaks volumes to students and colleagues alike.
In the summer of 1998, five years after taking his job at GCSU, Palmer was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was having his yearly checkup with his primary physician when he was referred to an urologist. The urologist examined Palmer, but found nothing. However, sixth months later, Palmer returned to the urologist for a more in-depth examination. The biopsy results came back positive in the early stages of prostate cancer.
Having been educated about his prostate cancer diagnosis and given options for treatment, which included surgery and radiation, Palmer opted for surgery, which consisted of complete removal of the prostate gland. Beginning in September of 1998, Palmer started the eight-month preparation for surgery by taking medications and undergoing chemotherapy. His surgery was scheduled to take place in May of 1999.
During his eight-month preparation for surgery, Palmer had still not been granted his citizenship in the United States due to an outbreak of civil war conflicts in Sierra Leone. In February of 1999, Palmer was hit with the horrifying news of his older brother’s death in the civil war conflict in Sierra Leone.
“I grieved the loss of my elder brother, I am now the oldest surviving child in our family of eight children.”
Palmer kept busy before he underwent surgery that summer.
“It helped to be busy. I did not need to spend time focusing on my circumstances,” Palmer said.
During this time, he continued volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, singing in his church choir, and conducting research at the University.
He approached his circumstances with pure optimism.
“I did not view it as life threatening or frightening, it was just an interesting unusual experience. I had actually never been admitted to the hospital before,” Palmer said.
For three consecutive weeks prior to his surgery, he gave a pint of blood. The three pints of blood were then given back to him during his surgery. The surgery was conducted at the Oconee Regional Medical Center in Milledgeville, Georgia. Everything went well with the surgery, and three weeks later he had the stitches removed. Directly after the surgery he had to learn to walk properly with the help of a nursing assistant.
Staying out of the classroom was not the case for Palmer. He returned to teach a summer session class in June following his surgery. Palmer continued to see his doctor every six months after his surgery and was glad to report that the prostate cancer was completely gone.
In Sierra Leone, his father, Frederick, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the latest stages. “People in my father’s village said it was the ‘old man’s disease,’ ” said Palmer. “This disease is certainly not a question of age; you can be diagnosed as a young man. If your father does not have it, it does not mean that you can’t have it. Mine was linked to being hereditary, but many cases are not”.
Palmer’s father, Frederick, died from prostate cancer in 1983 at the age of 74. His father had worked as a civil servant for ministry of works, which is compared to a Federal Government worker in United States.
Palmer suggests that young men should not be afraid to get regular check ups at the doctor and PSA tests.
“I am grateful to my urologist and doctor for being there throughout the entire process. I have confidence in the great health system here, and this is something that my father did not have access to in Sierra Leone”.
As a man who has been personally affected by war, death and cancer, his positive outlook remains an inspiration to many and his story gives hope to men everywhere.
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