http://lederman-patients.com/fimmano/
contact: Laurie LoCicero
Dr Lederman saved my Mom!
by Laurie LoCicero daughter of surviror Lorraine Fimmano

This is the story of a one courageous, inspirational, spirit filled woman. Her name is Lorraine Fimmano,

In this letter you will read how she overcame so much and never once lost her faith, lost her sence of humor, or her courage to fight against every obstacle in life. She is the one inspiration in my life and I am so proud to call her my Mom.

It all started years ago when dad died and she was a young widow of 33 with four young children, all under the age of 12. She later went on to marry again, and have another son, however that marraige failed and she was now left with five children to raise on her own. She was a old fashioned Italian who really didn’t have a education to speak of but none the less raised all of us on her own to become all productive citizens with education and insight in life on how never to give up. Never to stop pushing ourselves to become what we wanted to be.

She went to work for Estee Lauder back in the late 70s and worked there till she was forced to retire early due to her illness and disabilities. She was diagnoised with empysema and eventually had to stop working totally and relied then on us to help her through her troubled life. All five of us kids came to Mom’s rescue to give her what she needed and to help her know that even without the ability to work; she was still the same strong powerhouse she always was. That even though she was disabled at this young time in her life that didn’t steal her drive, her wit, or willingness to keep fighting and be that inspirational guide she had been.

As years went by eventually some of us got married and rasied families and some of us just stood close to Mom and helped in anyway that we could. Four out of five of us live right here within miles of each other, all close to Mom to do whatever we could when she needed us.

In 1998 Moms breathing became more difficult. We went to the pulmonolgoist and he performed a few tests along with xray and low and behold he found a mass in her lung. We then went on to an oncologist and he stated that she was inoperable due to her lung disease with empysema. The chances of her ever getting off a ventilator after surgery were slim and we didn’t know what to do. How could this be, she was so young, she was only 62 by this time, and had so much to live for and so much life in her. Her grandchildren’s young birthdays, watching them grow, their graduations, her two sons still werent married yet, would she be here to see them walk down the isle? He stated that all she can do is Chemotherapy and had six months to live at best. We were all devastated and felt she was given a death sentence with no hopes of parole. All of us children were going to be faced losing our only parent left, and we didnt know how to handle this news. BUT not Mom, she knew, she said “what is to be will be”, she never let it get her down. She fought every day tooth and nail to prevail. After discussing her options which at the time was only chemo she allowed the Drs to administer this awful drug in hopes of preserving her life. However much time she had. BUT although the chemo works for others, Mom just declined rapidly, and we all couldnt bare to watch this. She suffered more with the chemo then she was doing nothing about the cancer. She developped blood clots and had to be hospitalized for treatment, her breathing became worse, and her weight droped to an all time low. She was weak, sick and curled up on a couch with no life in her and that spark that once flared in her eyes were gone. We had to stop this immediatly and leave her to live the rest of her life out with dignity and style which what she always had.

Mom started to bounce back, she started to feel herself again, even though this dreaded cancer was in her body. She began to eat again, and put some weight on but we all knew the time was coming close to that six month mark and we were all frightend and started to search for other modalities that could possibly be done for Mom.

At that time my brother in law was driving in his car when he heard this new procedure being done in Staten Island University Hospital Radio surgery, and a DR GIL LEDERMAN was performing this. He called my sister and in turn my sister got in touch with this Dr. We all went to bat for Mom at this time. We got her medical records to him right away and waited patiently to see if Mom was a candidate. Then we got that call, bring Mom in, DR. LEDERMAN wants to meet with her. Although Mom was apprehensive and tired at this point of trying things, we knew we had to give this a shot. We met with Dr. Lederman for a consultation and after discussing her medical history at length, and the procedure at length, he went right to work.

PROCEDURE

Mom started her radio surgery non invasive treatement right away. They started first with a body mold of Mom. The patient does not feel a thing except maybe a little anxiety which will vary I’m sure within each individual. After the body mold is made, they put her under a cat scan and they procede to adminster radiation to the affected area only. In conventional radiation , this would hit a large portion of good tissue as well as the bad, but with the new procedure, it only hits the bad tissue along with a slight mm of good around it. In hopes of just localizing it , shrinking it and keeping it at bay. This procedure was a miracle, it was painless, and Mom was able to return to work the very next day without any side affects. She did this for five weeks, once a week session of about a hour at a time. After the five sessions there was already remarkable shrinkage of the tumor that was in Mom’s lung. She then went for follow up cat scans every three months after.

OUTCOME

I am here to tell you first hand how the treatment worked for Mom. It is now Nov 2005, seven years later and Mom, after first hearing she only had six months to live by other Drs and conventional modalities, Mom is now in remission. Her latest catscan showed only scar tissue left in the area that was treated and her body is free of the cancer .

Although the empysema is taking her breath away, cancer is not something we are concerned about at this time.

If there is anything that I can do to get this word out, to tell you that when there is a Dr that is telling you there is no hope, to go live your life for you don’t have much time to left, before you give up and throw in the towel please seek out Dr Lederman’s new technology and no matter how far you have to travel for it, don't despair, give it a shot. AFTER all its your life we are talking about. You travel on vacations, you spend money in hotels and on planes and cars, dont you think your life is worth a trip to Cabrini Hospital for an evaluation to perserve your life.?!?!?!

Written by Laurie Locicero daughter of survivor Lorraine Fimmano

November 2005


My Mom's last battle.
without Dr Lederman

It is now August of 2008; I am here to update the story on Lorraine Fimmano and to show the importance of going to the best for treatment and not listening to the rest who claim to do the same as Dr. Lederman in Cabrini hospital in NYC.

In late 2005, Mom although being in remission with her lung cancer thanks to Dr. Lederman's treatment, became ill again. This time it was cervical cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 1 and if her lungs had been well enough she could have had surgery to remove it. However, she was not a candidate to go under the anesthesia once again. We were told that the radiation was her only option once again.

I, of course, contacted Dr Lederman and we went in to see him. I discussed it with mom but she was so tired, she was in so much pain, and wanted to do the treatments close to home. She wanted to do it with a Dr that CLAIMED to be just as good as Dr. Lederman. I had spoke long and hard with Mom, and because treatment was going to be more extensive for cervical then the lung, Mom would need treatment everyday for 28 days. She didn't want me traveling into the city every single day with her. I begged her to please put herself first and reminded her that people come from all over the world for Dr Lederman, and said "please let's not go anywhere else to others that claim to do the same". But she wouldn't hear of it... She loved Dr. Lederman but she was always thinking of others before herself, and once again did what was easier for me, not what was best for her. No amount of begging could change her mind.

I had to do what Mom wanted against my better judgment and after talking long and on a daily basis with Dr Lederman the best chance of a good outcome would be with Mom feeling comfortable wherever she wanted to do this treatment. That is just the kind of man Dr. Lederman is. He did not take offense that she didn't want to travel for his treatment, but yet kept in touch with me weekly sometimes more just to advise and help in any way he could for us.

We went on to the doctors close to home that are claiming to do the same treatment. I am leaving his name out on purpose because I do not want to bad mouth any Dr who is trying to do his best, yet falling short of it. He still tried to help Mom as any Dr would but we will never know if it would have been different in Dr. Lederman's hands, however, from past experience and now knowing Dr. Lederman on a friendship level, my heart tells me it could have been.

I took Mom in and we got her R.T. plan. Then before starting treatment, I brought the plan treatment to Dr. Lederman. He said that although it is not as fancy as what he does, it would be ok, reassuring me once again saying she had to be comfortable in her surroundings for the best outcome.

Her new Dr stated that when Mom weighted in at 160 lbs that it was very important that she maintain that weight throughout treatments.

Mom was very ill at this time. She started her treatment and was doing ok for a bit, and then started to decline. Her body was not maintaining the weight for the treatments and unlike Dr Lederman I couldn't speak to this Dr that was doing the procedure. Why? Because of many reasons; one being that he had an ego that was as big as the hospital, and two because he was never on hand as Dr Lederman is for questions and when he was, didn't take suggestions or other options other than his own as seriously.

Mom started to get side effects that were so painful, she was in agony. She was in the hospital for the last two years of her life more then she was home. One thing after another started to go wrong.

Her body was now taking a beating and the more I tried to ask the Dr questions the more unavailable he made himself to me. I would take Mom into the city via ambulance for checkups with Dr Lederman and he would say get her in her own home, let her eat her own food whatever she wanted to eat but get some weight on her.

She tried so hard to eat, but the more pain she was in the more morphine she was given, the more weight she lost. When I took her home she would bleed out and need transfusions and back to the hospital she would go. Now treating the side effects not only the cancer. She became one big medical mystery. Mom's CAT scan reports showed burning of Moms insides. She was basically given radiation for a 160 lb woman even when she was down to 140-130-120-100 pounds and then ultimately under a hundred lbs. The radiation basically burned her insides. I was told she needed to stay at the weight she was at first for treatment… but my questions were why not adjust the amount as she lost more weight? When I tried to express my concerns they fell upon deaf ears. The damage was done, and once again my reason for telling you, to make sure you are with the Drs. you can express your concerns with, that will listen, and that will take your concerns into consideration, who will answer your questions no matter how silly they may sound, to reassure you when you are questioning anything.... All of which Dr. Lederman does.

No amount of morphine was taking her pain away and ultimately she was living in a nursing home. It was a horrifying experience and I couldn't bear to watch her in this pain, yet as long as Mom was of sound mind, I couldn't do a thing about it but try and make her comfortable, but no amount of drugs were helping for her under the guidelines. When Mom started to lose her drive, her desire to fight, all her weight, she then told me that she was tired and wanted to put her guns down for me to stop feeding her the ammunition that I promised to keep on giving her while she was still fighting.

After many blood transfusions, after morphine patches, shots, and pills, after many prayers, and many well wishes from everyone Mom’s fight and bright light to live went out. She was no longer the driving force of sound mind that we knew her as. We were then allowed to call in hospice and Mom went into a coma within the first week. Mom passed away on November 3 2007.

I will not let her last two years of unimaginable amount of pain define who she was. Her life was so much more than that and if I have to spend the rest of my life helping others and expressing my thoughts on how important it is to not only do what the patient wants but what is best from the best Dr in his field that is what I am going to do.

Mom was and still is my inspiration, my best friend, my hero. She is still forever living on in my heart, and through her I will be a better person in helping others and trying to get the word out to anyone in need that I think could benefit from Dr Lederman's treatments.

Lorraine Fimmano was survived by her children: Peter, Denise, Paul, Laurie, and Frank. Her son in law Joey, whom she loved her back massages from, thank you Joey! and daughter in law Diane whom she never had the chance to meet, and her new granddaughter in law Nicole. Her grandchildren: Joseph, Peter, Jennifer, Louis, John and her great granddaughter Mia, whom she never had the blessing to meet. Her brother Philip and sister in law Anne.

Richie, thank you for bringing Mom scratch offs and push up pops daily, you had a way of making her laugh daily even when we were all crying inside. She loved you so much.

Rest in peace Mom you are sorely missed but never will be forgotten. We all love you.

My sincere heartfelt thanks and love to Dr. Lederman because had it not been for you DR LEDERMAN, she would have been gone over ten years ago with the lung cancer, when other Drs. said she wouldn't live past six months. You gave her ten plus years!! Another special heartfelt thanks goes to the team that work alongside Dr. Lederman for your bedside manner, your willingness to always make Mom feel normal and never once treated her like a dying patient but rather a patient LIVING with cancer. You are all very special. Thank you Fran, for being there every day for lunch and being not just Mom's friend, but like a sister to her. It will never be forgotten.

Thank you Pastor Eric from hospice and thanks to the whole hospice team; you will always remain in my heart and pastor Eric a true lifelong friend to me; God bless you and thank your whole team for making Mom’s passing an easier one when the time came.

For others in the world that need any info from me, any guidance, any questions answered; please always feel free to contact me anytime. I will always do my very best to help and direct in any way I can in Mom’s memory.

Most importantly, if you're reading this, you are probably doing research on Drs. for treatment, and I am here to tell you, you will need to look no further, you found the best in his field. God bless and best wishes always

Laurie Lo Cicero
daughter of the late but never forgotten Lorraine Fimmano

August 2008

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