(WHTM) \u2014 Any of us who have ever experienced acid reflux know how uncomfortable it can be, but did you know it can also be deadly? A central Pennsylvania man didn\u2019t know, but found out in time.<\/p>\n
David Kimmel found out just in time that he had stage three cancer. It is the worst stage at which doctors have a decent chance of curing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had heartburn for years that was treated with your basic maintenance drug, and then I started to have GERD attacks,\u201d Kimmel said.<\/p>\n
David\u2019s youngest daughter, Laura, happens to be a nurse and remembers when she first realized something was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was at my birthday dinner,\u201d Laura said. It was May 2024 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Dauphin Borough.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we were sitting outside and we were all getting burgers and you ordered soup,\u201d Laura said. \u201cAnd I thought that was very strange for you. Because you couldn\u2019t swallow any, like any of the solids. And I thought, \u2018Well that\u2019s just really weird. Why would you order like a hot soup outside at the end of May when it\u2019s really hot out?’\u201d<\/p>\n
David also had a cough.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n \u201cBut it kind of persisted and actually, I think it was our son Seth who said, \u2018You need to get that checked out,’\u201d David said.<\/p>\n Well, his family was right.<\/p>\n \u201cTalked to my primary care physician and she said about an endoscopy,\u201d David said.<\/p>\n The diagnosis was \u201cinflammation at the base of my esophagus and it turned out to be cancer,\u201d David said, adding that he was in shock when he heard that.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid had esophageal carcinoma,\u201d UPMC Oncologist Dr. Sri Lakshmi Yeruva said. \u201cWe caught it at a curable stage.\u201d<\/p>\n David explained that treatment \u201cstarted with the chemo and radiation. Followed up by the surgery and then a regimen of immunotherapy, which I just finished, I guess two months ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And for next month?<\/p>\n