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When I heard the word cancer, it really hit me, kinda like a ton of bricks.
I had just gotten married and it really put the "through sickness and in health" portion
to test in our marriage.
My name is Crystal Carpenter and I receive my care
from Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.
My husband Kyle and I got married April 30, 2010 and we were still in our first year
of marriage when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
My husband and I had our entire lives ahead of us.
I definitely wanted to be a mom.
and I didn't know if I would be able to do everything that I had planned.
They referred me to the doctors at Georgetown.
They said that they have one of the best pancreatic teams in the area,
if not in the world.
I was referred to Dr. Johnson, who in our consultation, let me know
that I needed to have a whipple - which is one of the most complex surgeries
that there is on the abdomen. I learned that he has performed over 500
of these surgeries. I felt very confident in his abilities, really I was at ease
and at peace of mind about surgery with somebody who is so skilled at what he does.
Dr. Johnson did a brand new procedure on me. He took the traditional whipple and made it
half laparoscopic so instead of the traditional 10-12 inch incision, he just
needed to make just a 4-5 inch incision to get his wrist through and then was able
to get a camera in just below my belly button, so one small, tiny incision for that.
So, the recovery time and the time in the hospital was much, much shorter
which I was very happy about. He was very confident that he got it all out
everything was well, and I was on my way to healing.
Now I truly enjoy a blessed life. I'm currently seven and a half months pregnant
with my first child, so it's a really exciting time for my husband and I.
I work at Teach for America, for the regional office, here in Washington D.C.
I really enjoy what I do and I reflect back to almost two years that I spent
very sick, very frail and very weak and how blessed I am
to be able bodied and physically active again.
My husband is in the United States Marine Corps and he was just
an incredible support. Every doctor's appointment, every hospital stay.
He was by my side the entire time.
Medstar Georgetown Hospital is an incredible place.
I feel at ease there when I go back for repeat visits.
It's just a place that has become such a blessing to me because it's a place
that took really good care of me. The nursing staff was incredible
and it's not too often in our lifetimes that we have a chance to meet a true life hero
and Dr. Johnson is exactly that. He is somebody who is saving lives
and who is giving people an opportunity to return to their normal and healthy lifestyles
Now you know the rest of the story we'd like to introduce Wyatt.
And we'd just like to thank God
for making all this possible and the doctors at Georgetown.
Without you we wouldn't have this little guy.