Prostate cancer survivor reunites with physician who supported him through treatment

ORLANDO, Fla. - "God bless you. I'm doing great. Thanks to God and you."

Those were some of the first words 60-year-old Ernesto Rodriguez shared with Maher Blaibel, MD, when the two reunited during September's Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Rodriguez told his physician he was gaining weight, feeling better and beginning to look like himself again after months of health challenges.

"Whenever you have a patient who you help and you take care of and you heal, it makes everything worth it."

"Let me tell you, if I ever have an issue, which I don't want to, I want you to be my doctor," Rodriguez told him.

"I'm always going to be your doctor," Dr. Blaibel replied.

For Dr. Blaibel, moments like this are part of what makes medicine meaningful.

"Whenever you have a patient who you help and you take care of and you heal, it makes everything worth it," he said. "You laugh with them, you cry with them. You're there through the struggles. All the patients become family when we take care of them."

The exchange reflected a relationship built during one of the most difficult periods of Rodriguez's life.

"God first and then Dr. Blaibel," Rodriguez said. "I know behind God would be the doctor."

"The doctor was used as an instrument to help me."

Rodriguez was already facing several health concerns when another unexpected challenge emerged.

Dr. Blaibel, a board-certified urologist specializing in urologic cancers, robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgical techniques, said Rodriguez was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer."It was fairly shocking to him," Dr. Blaibel said. "It was new.

He didn't have any family history of prostate cancer."

Dr. Blaibel said a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood test came back elevated. An MRI showed concerning areas, and a biopsy confirmed prostate cancer.

Rodriguez recalled receiving the diagnosis directly from Dr. Blaibel.

"He gave me the unfortunately bad news that I had cancer - prostate cancer," he said.

Dr. Blaibel and Rodriguez discussed treatment options, and Rodriguez then spoke with his wife before deciding to have his prostate removed.

"We agreed that it was the best choice for us," Rodriguez said. He underwent robotic prostatectomy Jan. 27.

"It's a complete team effort, and it's whole-person care."

For Rodriguez, faith remained a source of strength throughout his treatment and recovery.

"The doctor was used as an instrument to help me, and this is the reason why I'm here," he said.

His family was another source of strength.

Rodriguez said his wife, children and others supported him throughout the experience and prayed for him along the way.

Dr. Blaibel emphasized that Rodriguez's care extended far beyond one physician. He pointed to medical assistants, surgery schedulers, operating room staff, recovery teams and other caregivers who support patients throughout treatment. "It's a complete team effort, and it's whole-person care," Dr. Blaibel said.

Rodriguez's experience comes as prostate cancer continues to affect men across racial and ethnic backgrounds.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 13% of U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

The incidence also varies by race and ethnicity, with the highest rate among non-Hispanic Black men, followed by non-Hispanic White men and Hispanic men.

During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Blaibel encouraged men to pay attention to their health.

He said prostate cancer often develops without noticeable symptoms and encouraged conversations with a physician about screening and individual risk.

He also said changes, such as difficulty urinating, unexplained weight loss or blood in the urine should prompt medical evaluation, while noting that urinary symptoms can have causes other than cancer.

For Rodriguez, sharing his story is an opportunity to encourage others facing difficult health challenges to keep moving forward, lean on the people around them and listen to their medical team.

"You want to keep going. You want to live," he said. For a patient who credits both his faith and his physician for helping him through an unexpected cancer diagnosis, the reunion carried a simple message.

"It is amazing to be alive," Rodriguez said.