GRATEFUL GUESTS, BARBARA AND CW
Barbara and CW Claytor have been together since
childhood. Both are retired educators who live in
Beckley, West Virginia. During the summer of 2020,
Barbara began experiencing occasional bouts of
indigestion. When she sought care on November
9, 2020, the local physicians told Barbara the true
cause of her symptoms. She had cancer. The small
hospital in Beckley did not have the level of care that
Barbara needed, and her doctors encouraged her to
look out of town for a specialized oncologist.
The Claytors drove to Charlotte to stay with their
daughter while they determined next steps. The
next day, Barbara checked in to the Emergency
Department at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical
Center in Charlotte. Fluid was building up in her
abdomen and was aecting her ability to breathe
and speak. Scans were taken to diagnose the issues,
and the Claytors were shocked to hear the results.
According to Barbara, “We could in no way foresee
anything close to what the ER doctor told us.” In
addition to conrming her rare form of cancer, the
doctor said that her immediate condition was life-
threatening, and she would need emergency surgery.
Barbara underwent two surgeries within 24 hours to
repair her intestines and save her life.
It would take at least a month of recovering from
surgery before Barbara could begin treatment on her
rare cancer, appendiceal endocarcinoma. But there
was an additional problem—the doctors in Charlotte
had almost no experience treating this form of
cancer. They recommended that Barbara seek further
treatment with Dr. Edward Levine at Atrium Health
Wake Forest Baptist (AHWFB) in Winston-Salem. Dr.
Levine is widely known for his expertise in treating this
rare form of cancer and is acclaimed for performing a
specialized surgery called HIPEC.
On December 9, 2020, Barbara and CW met with
Dr. Levine in Winston-Salem. Barbara said that