“Thank you to Operation Access and Dr. Vanguri for being quick to treat me and for having clear communication with me throughout this process. Without Dr. Vanguri I would not have been able to afford such excellent care. I cannot thank Dr. Vanguri enough.”

Jose, a 49-year-old construction worker, lives in Richmond and has worked without health insurance for over 15 years. He is a loving husband and a dedicated father of four children. In his free time, he enjoys going on walks with his family and playing with his children. Recently, however, walks and other family activities have been limited because Jose suffered from pain, infections, and discomfort stemming from the gradual development of anal lesions over the last eight years. Jose tried to alleviate his symptoms on his own. His condition deteriorated, however, and his pain became constant.

Eventually, Jose's pain became so intense that he sought help from a local clinic. He was diagnosed with anal warts and was prescribed topical medicine to help with his symptoms. Unfortunately, the medicine did not cure his condition.

Jose became increasingly concerned his condition was more serious than the clinic diagnosed and would require significant medical attention that he could not afford. At that time, Jose did not seek additional care and continued at-home remedies to provide fleeting relief.

A year later, his wife encouraged him to visit Lifelong William Jenkins Health Center to get a second opinion. There, Dr. Angela Mendoza diagnosed him with perianal abscesses and referred him to our program for colorectal surgery.

We matched Jose with Dr. Poornima Vanguri at Bay Area Colon & Rectal Surgeons. After the initial consult, Dr. Vanguri performed a colonoscopy at John Muir Health Medical Center, Concord, to determine if there were additional abscesses and whether Jose had an underlying condition. Dr. Vanguri confirmed Jose had three external abscesses, and she scheduled three separate surgical procedures to remove them. Dr. Vanguri and her team provided their services at John Muir Health Medical Center in Concord and Walnut Creek. After surgery, Jose experienced some bleeding and pain, but each time, within one to two weeks post-surgery, he was healed. The pain medicine and antibiotics Dr. Vanguri prescribed prevented infections and helped Jose recuperate.

Now, completely recovered, Jose is pain-free and no longer suffers from infections. He is deeply grateful for the care and attention Dr. Vanguri and her teams at John Muir Health Medical Center in Concord and Walnut Creek provided. Jose no longer struggles at work, and he takes walks with his family and plays with his kids again. "Thank you to Operation Access and Dr. Vanguri for being quick to treat me and for having clear communication with me throughout this process. Without Dr. Vanguri I would not have been able to afford such excellent care. I cannot thank Dr. Vanguri enough."

Story and photo shared with patient’s permission.