In honor of Joe Tipper
In September of 2004, 64-year-old Joe Tipper took a blood test and got some disturbing news. The results showed high levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen). He was diagnosed with prostate cancer soon after.
“They caught it early, which is lucky,” said Tipper, a father of four. “The nurse has already called me three times to help me write questions for the surgeon and radiologist when I go talk to them. They want me to fully benefit and really be in the know.”
The Durham resident decided to participate in the UNC Lineberger study titled “Decision Making Under Uncertainty in Prostate Cancer,” which is designed to assess the impacts of intervention on outcomes and determine what types of patients benefit most from the training.
“My participation may benefit future cancer patients and help me get the best possible treatment as well,” he said.
Tipper lost his wife to cancer in March 2003. He said that he misses her presence, but his four children have been very supportive.
“I live with my son in Durham”, Tipper said, “and we’re very close. He’s an exercise physiologist so that keeps me in shape. We built a house a few years ago in West Virginia.”
He hopes to live his normal life throughout the study and one day build another house with his son somewhere in North Carolina. Tipper has been treated at UNC since he suffered a heart attack in 1996 and now for his cancer.
“My wife and I knew a lot of the nurses, staff and doctors,” he said. “I’m really satisfied for the way I’ve been treated. I can get an appointment easily, and they take good care of me. I’m looking forward to speaking with the team of doctors and getting started on a course of treatment.”