Jeffrey Pulver, a retired dairy farmer from upstate New York, faced an unexpected challenge when he was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer. The diagnosis came after he noticed blood in his urine and sought medical advice. Initially referred to a local urologist, the delay in getting an appointment led him to seek treatment at Columbia University, where he met Dr. Lenis and Dr. Wei.
At Columbia, Jeffrey’s treatment plan included a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for 12 weeks, followed by surgery to remove his bladder due to the tumors. Dr. Lenis performed surgery to install a neobladder, constructed from a portion of Jeffrey’s small intestine. This option allowed Jeffrey to avoid wearing a permanent external collection bag.
Despite successful surgery, Jeffrey faced complications including significant weight loss and a blocked ureter that required temporary use of a nephrostomy tube. He underwent additional surgery to ensure proper urine flow and eventually had all external tubes removed just before his daughter’s wedding on June 8.
Throughout his treatment and recovery, Jeffrey remained focused on walking his daughter down the aisle cancer-free. “I told my doctors, I’ll do whatever I have to do, but everything needs to be done by June 8 for this wedding,” he said.
The wedding took place on Jeffrey’s farm with family and friends present, including Drs. Wei and Lenis. Since then, Jeffrey has returned to managing his farm and spending time with family. He acknowledges the support of his wife and daughters as crucial during his recovery journey.
Reflecting on his experience, Jeffrey shared an analogy about guidance: “There’s a story about a farmer who had an old horse…my wife and my daughters all had a bell for me to follow.”
