At 80 years old, Larry Boudreaux thought he had his health figured out. So when he began feeling unusually tired, the Thibodaux native assumed it was related to his diabetes.
But within weeks, he started having trouble swallowing, the first sign that something more serious might be going on.
“I went to an ENT because I needed new hearing aids, and I showed him a little lump on my jaw,” Larry recalls. “He was concerned and sent me for some tests.”
Scans revealed the lump could be cancerous. Further testing and bloodwork showed that Larry was severely anemic and prompted doctors to recommend an endoscopy.
The diagnosis: esophageal cancer, located where his esophagus meets his stomach.
Choosing the Right Place for Care
Larry’s local oncologist started him on chemotherapy right away, with four initial treatments to shrink the tumor. Surgery was the next step, and Larry had a choice of where to go: a hospital in New Orleans or FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute in Baton Rouge.
“I much preferred going to Baton Rouge,” Larry says. “Best choice I ever made.”
At Our Lady of the Lake, Larry met thoracic surgeon Nicholas LeBlanc, MD, and surgical oncologist Mo Al Efishat, MD, FSSO.
“Two of the best doctors I could ever ask for,” he says. “They told me what had to be done, and I went along with it. I wanted the thing out of me, no matter what it took.”
Eight Hours in the Operating Room
The location of Larry’s tumor required a delicate operation that would remove the affected section and reconnect the esophagus and stomach. Dr. Mo reshaped his stomach into a tube, while Dr. LeBlanc made an incision in his diaphragm to pull the new stomach structure up into his chest and reattach it to his esophagus.
Fortunately, chemotherapy had already done its job. The tumor had shrunk significantly and had not penetrated the wall of the esophagus, a good sign that it had been caught early.
The surgery lasted eight hours. When he woke up, Larry was in the ICU, and he recovered quickly.
“Four and a half days later, 11 o’clock Saturday morning, I was coming home,” he says. “It’s almost a miracle to me.”
A Team That Cares
Larry says he was deeply impressed by the level of coordination and professionalism he experienced at the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute. Every step, from check-in to discharge, ran smoothly.
He also found comfort in the compassionate care he received. The nurses, surgeons and ICU staff made him feel supported at every turn.
“I can’t speak highly enough about Our Lady of the Lake,” he says. “Everybody there knew what they were doing, and they cared.”
Faith was also a major source of strength during his recovery. Larry says the prayers from his family and community helped sustain him through treatment.
“I am a man of faith,” he says. “I had a lot of prayers involved in that too, which didn’t hurt anything, I’m sure.”
Grateful for Healing and Hope
A few weeks after surgery, Larry was back on his feet and feeling good. Follow-up scans and pathology reports brought more encouraging news: no signs of cancer in any of the 18 lymph nodes removed, and no evidence that the disease had spread.
For Larry, that news felt like a second chance. He had lost about 25 pounds before surgery but was steadily regaining strength.
Larry continues to receive chemotherapy as part of his follow-up treatment, but his outlook is strong. Just weeks after his surgery, Larry says he feels better than he has in months.
“At my age, something else is going to get me before the cancer,” he says with a laugh. “But I feel good.”
A Message for Others Facing Cancer
If there’s one thing Larry hopes others take from his experience, it’s not to let fear take over. He knows the word “cancer” can sound overwhelming, but he believes attitude and trust in your medical team make all the difference.
“A lot of people hear the word cancer and think, oh, it’s the end of life,” he says. “I didn’t take it like that. I took it as a challenge. Don’t be afraid of it. Tackle it head on and find good people like the doctors I had. Trust them.”
Though he had only two minor surgeries in his life before this one, Larry says the thought of an eight-hour operation no longer scares him. In fact, he’d gladly share his story with anyone facing a similar path and maybe polish some skills he used in his professional career.
“If I couldn’t convince somebody to go to Our Lady of the Lake and have the procedure done,” he says with a smile, “I’m not a good salesman anymore.”
