Patient Stories

Maury Walbrecht (Far Left)

Growing up in a trailer park his father created, Maurice "Maury" Walbrecht learned the value of a dollar early on. "My twin brother and I worked for my father every day after school, but we weren't allowed to touch a dime of the money we made," he recalls. "It's a lesson I've taken with me."

An Arizona native, Maury graduated from Arizona State University with a business degree. In the early 1960s, men were required to participate in the R.O.T.C. program - a six-year obligation - while in college. "I spent my two years of active duty in Oklahoma as a second lieutenant," says Maury. "The very first day I was given orders to serve as company commander with 218 people directly beneath me. I learned more about leadership in those two years than I ever did in a classroom."

Fortunately, Maury did not have to go to Vietnam. His military service was complete in 1965 after two years of inactive duty and two years "on call." That same year, he and his brother decided to go into business for themselves. "We opened an RV/camper business and grew with the industry," says Maury. "We were in business for 38 years before we sold it to a close friend."

Today, Maury, 61, has been retired for close to a year. It was nearly a decade prior, however, that he was forced to deal with the reality of prostate cancer. "A good friend of mine in Rotary Club died of prostate cancer. He was my age at the time and it really hit home." As a result, Maury made it a priority to have a yearly physical and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test. The following year, his insurance agent and long-time high school friend would also lose his life to prostate cancer. "At that point, Kathy, my wife, decided I needed to go to a urologist on a regular basis," he says. "Over the course of the next four or five years, my PSA began to go up. I had a biopsy and the results showed small pockets of cancerous cells."

Under the guidance of his regular physician, Maury researched all of his options, including radiation therapy and radioactive seed localization to name a few. "I had a really close friend who had his prostate removed," says Maury. "Although he'd had it removed by traditional methods, he highly recommended Dr. Mitchell Kaye" Shortly after this encounter, Maury and his wife met with Dr. Kaye. Less than a week later, Maury underwent minimally invasive surgery to remove his prostate.

"I had surgery in 2004 near the end of October, beginning of November, and I feel great," says Maury. "I can't say enough good things about Dr. Kaye and Scottsdale Healthcare."

Comparing his procedure to the traditional methods his friends had to endure, Maury cannot believe how quick his recovery has been. "I feel absolutely wonderful. A few days after my surgery, I was reseeding my lawn. I had no pain or discomfort."

Maury is grateful he caught his cancer early. "If it weren't for my friends who succumbed to prostate cancer, I wonder if I would have ever had mine checked," he says. He also reiterates how important education is. "Until it happens near you - to one of your friends or family members - you don't give it a second thought. I think education is such an important component and it's your health - your life - at stake."

It is Maury's hope that men become better educated about prostate cancer and prostate disease. "I'm grateful I caught mine when I did. Everything worked out so well," he says.

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