Southern Indiana man given hope and new lease on life following cancer surgery

New Albany, IN (Oct. 25, 2024) - Melvin Carver was given the worst news possible in early 2022. Not only was he told he had lung cancer, but if he chose to do nothing about it, he was only given months to live.

“It was high-end stage three almost stage four cancer,” he said.

But thoracic surgeon Nabeel Gul, MD, had a plan and presented it to Carver.

Dr. Gul told the Ramsey, Indiana resident he could perform surgery that included taking out the cancerous tumor and part of his right lung. He was also told there were risks.

But for Carver, the choice was a simple one to make.

“Dr. (Nabeel) Gul and I had a conversation. I said, ‘well I am going to die anyway.’ The surgery gave me a chance,” he said. “The way I see it he gave me my life.”

However, before he could have the surgery, Carver had to wait more than a year and go through several rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy to shrink the tumor. He said that was the most difficult year of his life.

“I thought I was going to die before I had the surgery. You don’t know if it is growing inside of you or what. It’s an eye opener when you are given that kind of diagnosis. You see the days ticking. You see the clock in front of you.

“I had to have the surgery to have a chance to live. I have talked to hundreds of people with cancer, and everyone just wants hope. They just want a little bit of hope.”

And that is what Dr. Gul gave him, hope. The tumor and one-third of his right lung were removed in April 2023. Eighteen months later, Carver, who is now 58 years old, said he feels great. The cancer is gone, and he is looking forward to a bright future, a future that just two years ago seemed bleak.

“Dr. Gul saved my life,” he said. “I put that man on a pedestal. I was given nine months to a year to live, and it has been a year and a half, so something worked. Dr. Gul was amazing. He said as long as I was OK with the surgery, he was OK with it.

“I was given little to no hope at all. Now I have a new life, and I am doing good.”

Following surgery Carver went through several more rounds of immunotherapy treatments at the Baptist Health Floyd Cancer Center. Those treatments recently ended, and he now goes back every six months for a scan and checkup.

“I still have doubts. Before this last scan a few weeks ago I was scared it was coming back,” he said. “But Dr. Gul said it was all gone and everything looked good.”

Carver has been on disability since 2015 due to a severe hand injury he sustained. But in early 2022 he knew something else was going on with his health.

“I was coughing a lot. I blamed it on allergies, but it was constant.”

He said he began smoking when he was 8 years old and worked around a lot of chemicals at various jobs. Carver also has a family history of cancer, so he decided to go in for a checkup.

That is where his cancer was diagnosed.

He said following the surgery he spent four days in the hospital and admitted to being in a lot of pain.

But he never lost hope.

“It was about one month before I could walk outside on my porch. I felt rough,” he said.

However, that is all behind him now. He has been given a new lease on life and he cherishes each day. He no longer takes life for granted.

“I live like I am dying every day. That is what I am going to continue to do. Every day is a gift,” Carver said. “Even food taste different. I just want to give one person hope. If I can just touch one person with my story. They just need to have hope.”

He not only praised Dr. Gul, but also the team at the Cancer Center in New Albany for their care and support.

“The nurses at the Cancer Center treat you like family,” he said. “All those girls over there are just great. The Cancer Center is awesome.”