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Covington Man Looks Forward To Life's Next Chapter After Successful Treatment At Our Lady Of The Lake For Surprise Lung Cancer Diagnosis

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This article is brought to you by Our Lady of the Lake.

This past June, Mike Seiler was working out with a personal trainer in a local gym, performing moves at age 64 that might prove more challenging for younger people. He felt strong, healthy and grateful to be able to exercise two-and-a-half years after surviving a bout with bladder cancer that spread to his urinary tract.

"I felt healthy as a horse," he said. "Most men wouldn't be working out like that at this age. I had zero symptoms to indicate anything might be wrong."

A day later, Seiler was undergoing cancer surgery at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, a procedure that resulted in the removal of approximately 20 percent of one lung.

A routine six-month scan had indicated a dime-sized mass that doctors determined was cancerous. Seiler had been undergoing routine scans every few months since his prior experience with cancer in 2022. Those images had been clean during every previous visit. That, combined with Seiler's high activity levels and lack of symptoms, made the lung cancer diagnosis a true surprise.

"I was in shock. It was total disbelief," he said. "I had my scans for a year and a half before they saw anything. As much of a shock it was, it was also a blessing that it was caught so quickly and before it had spread anywhere else. It was very small and located in an area of the lung with plenty of clear tissue around it. It couldn't have been located in a better place, which made it easy to remove."

Seiler's treatment at Our Lady of the Lake was led by Dr. Nicholas LeBlanc, a board-certified thoracic surgeon. Dr. LeBlanc specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and care for diseases affecting the esophagus, lungs, mediastinum, chest wall, trachea, pleura, stomach and diaphragm. Seiler said he felt fortunate that a physician of Dr. LeBlanc's caliber was located so close to his home in Covington.

"It made me feel comfortable. It felt like one less thing I had to worry about," he said. "I didn't have to think about traveling out of state, getting around a huge hospital or finding a place to stay. Those are huge things to deal with and very disruptive, especially when you're going through cancer. I was able to drive an hour from the Northshore to Baton Rouge and receive world-class medical attention."

Seiler said the entire team at Our Lady of the Lake made his experience as easy as possible, from the friendly parking attendants to the receptionists who greeted him and his wife before each visit to the physician's assistants who immediately responded to questions about his treatment.

"Everyone at the Lake is caring and compassionate. They make you feel relaxed," Seiler said. "A huge part of cancer is the mental aspect of it. The surgery and chemotherapy are rough, but you can handle it if you have the mental health part taken care of it. The people at the Lake understand that and help you deal with things emotionally. They've always been very thorough. They never rush you through an appointment. They communicated with myself and my wife anytime we had questions. I truly feel blessed that they were the ones who helped us through that experience."

Today, Seiler is pleasantly surprised at how well he feels. A business owner, Seiler is developing an exit strategy and succession plan for when he steps away from full-time work a little less than three years from now. He's looking forward to having more time to spend with his hobbies, which include spending time outdoors and tinkering in his shop.

"I've got a project right now to put new flooring in my boat. I always love to have something going on," he said. "I love to hunt, fish and aggravate my wife, and I'm looking forward to many more years of doing all of that."

Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute is the regional leader in comprehensive prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship. The Institute offers the most advanced technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally recognized oncology experts. Its teams are committed to providing best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program, and extensive supportive care services. Learn more at ololrmc.Com/cancer.

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