Testimonials

At the beginning of this year, I finally scheduled a follow-up mammogram and ultrasound that I had put off because of lockdown. It revealed 2 areas of concern. Dr. Tanja got me scheduled straight away for an MRI which was followed by biopsies as my family history gives me an increased risk of breast cancer. While the results were good, Dr. Tanja has also arranged for me to speak with an oncologist, as well as a plastic surgeon, should this become necessary. I am so grateful that within a short period of time a solid plan that I have great confidence in has been put in place.

I developed a varicose vein over a decade ago, while pregnant. It became progressively more uncomfortable over time, and finally quite painful over the past 3-4 years. I finally booked to see Dr. Tanja, and am so happy that I did. It was decided that the vein could be resolved with surgery. Everything went smoothly, and the recovery did not take long. Although there is an obvious aesthetic benefit to the surgery, I had not realized just how much pain I had been in, and the fact that I am now pain-free has had a big positive impact on me. 

What I liked about having Dr.Tanja as a doctor was that she did a good job but most that she followed up and checked every 2 weeks and later every month to make sure that everything was all right. it’s 2 years ago now and my legs are better than ever, playing tennis 4 times a week and i don’t feel anything in my legs. I am very pleased with the result and try to recommend her to everybody.

I have been a patient of Dr Tanja Ebanks for over a year. I would certainly recommend her and have spoken very highly of her services to friends. Dr Ebanks has worked wonders alleviating the Varicose vein problems in both my legs and my circulation is now better than ever. I am so pleased with the results I am now confidently wearing dresses again after years of hiding my legs in trousers, Dr Ebanks has changed my life. My experience with both Dr Ebanks & CTMH Doctors Hospital was fantastic with everything I needed available when I needed it, even down to measuring me for stockings required for my recovery. A definite A+

I was reluctant to go outside in shorts and skirts not to mention the dread of putting on a bathing suit! It’s a terrible way to feel especially when living on a tropical island! But my legs just didn’t look like they used to with all the dark lines and bruised areas from varicose and spider veins. I was so pleased when my regular doctor recommended specialist Dr Tanja Ebanks for the problem. To have someone on island who could deal with the problem was as much of a relief as being able to deal with the problem itself! Dr Ebanks recommended two types of treatment for the different types of broken veins. We started with sclerotherapy injections and even though I didn’t care for the compression stockings afterward I was so happy with the results. The pain and swelling in my legs subsided and the dark lines I had started to disappear! Then for the smaller spider veins she recommended VEIN GOGH- a relatively painless procedure and NO compression stockings afterward! It was so easy I actually sat through multiple sessions in one afternoon! Every day my legs look and feel better and I have been exercising pain-free and have even been getting my suntan back! Dr Ebanks is wonderful and her attention to detail is amazing—-it’s such a pleasure to look in the mirror and see the legs I used to have all over again! If you’ve ever entertained the idea of vein therapy don’t hesitate any longer. It was the best call I could have made! Thank you Dr. Ebanks, I am very happy with the outcome and I can’t thank her enough! I appreciate all her help!

My name is Patrick and I have suffered from varicose veins in both my left and right legs. With ongoing swelling and regular pain, I sought the help of Dr. Tanja Ebanks while living in the Cayman Islands.

My experiences with Dr. Tanja could be best described as caring, thorough, professional and helpful.

With my knowledge of medical terminology and processes being very limited, she always took the time to clearly explain in a language I could understand what issues I was facing, what treatments were available and what the best course of action would be, which made me feel much at ease. In addition to displaying a passion for her work, she made me very comfortable with her surgical abilities through her knowledge of the vascular system and general professionalism.

Most importantly, she displayed a level of caring and empathy which I believe is hard to find within the medical industry. She understood my concerns and worries and always took the time to listen when I needed it most. Although she started as my doctor and went on to become my surgeon, she was always my friend when I really needed one. I cannot emphasize this aspect enough, as it is something I hold in high regard when addressing my health concerns.

Even as I am now living in the UK, she is in regular contact with me simply to check up on my health, which is something I truly appreciate and admire.
If not for Dr.Tanja my legs would not be in the great health they are today, nor would I be continuing to enjoy the sports I love such as hockey, snowboarding and rock climbing.
I highly recommend her to anyone needing vascular consultation as I am certain she will take wonderful care of you as she did me.

"Having been referred to the best breast surgeon on island, I walked into the office feeling lost and ill-informed and being diagnosed with breast cancer at 32 years old, overwhelmed was an understatement. After sitting with Dr. Tanja and listening to all the facts of my Stage 3 condition, I was faced with some of the hardest decisions in my life to make and with less than 4 weeks to make them. "Let me save your life" - I will never forget those were her words to me a few days before my 33rd birthday. I decided to trust Dr. T with my life and Every step of the way, she was available and made it easy for me to have all the information I needed to make an informed decision, which was important for me.

Thanks to Dr, Tanja's guidance, support and mastery in surgery, from the Port of Cath insertion surgery to my partial mastectomy, both so beautifully done. I'm happy beyond grateful that one year later; post chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatments; I am now in remission.
I will forever be grateful to Dr. Tanja Ebanks, she truly saved my life and fought for me when I was even too tired to fight for myself.

THANK YOU Dr.Tanja and the team.

Almost one year ago I severed my thumb in a construction accident. My thumb was hanging on only by one piece of skin. I sawed through the knuckle and severed my nerves in the thumb.

I went to the General Hospital where I was told that there were no Doctors on Grand Cayman Island that could do the kind of microsurgery my thumb required and that they were going to have to send me to Jamaica for the operation. The only problem was that by the time I was to arrive in Jamaica and get transport to the hospital it was 8 hours into the accident and due the length of delay, they were telling me I might lose my thumb.

Fortunately, a friend who was with me at the hospital knew Dr. Tanja Ebanks and said that she believed Dr. Ebanks could do this type of surgery. Once the appropriate calls were made I was transferred to The CTMH Doctors Hospital, where Dr. Ebanks saw me immediately. She explained the surgery, the post-operative procedures and had me in the operating room within an hour.

Dr. Ebanks was able to reattach the nerves and stabilize my thumb so that I did not lose it. She followed me very closely through the healing and physiotherapy stages. Thanks to Dr. Ebanks I was able to return to work with almost full use of my thumb.

The care and attention I received from the staff at The CTMH Doctors Hospital and especially Dr. Tanja Ebanks, I feel was critical to saving my thumb and enabling me to continue in my trade as a carpenter. I cannot express how thankful I am to her!

"It is cancer. And it’s aggressive.”

Not exactly the words I wanted to hear after having a lump checked following a breast self-examination. But I wasn't surprised, as my risk was high due to my family history. The truth is, I was mostly angry as I had already lost my beautiful sister and niece to this disease, and now it was my time.

I am so happy to have had Dr. Ebanks as my breast surgeon. I was devastated and obviously scared, but when I left her office, I knew I was going to be okay. She is a caring and meticulous surgeon, and takes her time to explain what I am to expect from my surgeries and aftercare. I had a much better understanding of what my cancer was, what was going to happen next and any additional testing I needed. She gave me my options and allowed me time to think it over before reaching a decision. My surgeries were close to being painless, and my incisions were strategically placed to appear almost invisible once healed.

There are no words to truly express my gratitude for her outstanding care, professionalism and sincere concern for my physical and mental well-being. My diagnosis was devastating for my family and I, but I knew that I was in excellent hands, those of not just what I consider to be a world-class surgeon, but also a sincere physician.

I am truly grateful for having a second chance at living because of Dr. Ebanks.

I was 48 years old when I was diagnosed with cancer.  My journey leading up to being diagnosed with cancer was during the lock-down. I hadn't been feeling well. I had severe itching on the left breast area, swelling in the underarm intermediate bad feelings, etc., certainly not like my usual self.  As such, I went to see my family physician. She ordered lab testing and requested that I have my annual mammogram, given that I'd missed my testing in February due to the ad-hoc requirements of COVID restrictions around non-essential hospital visits and the early lock-down. As directed, I made an appointment with CTMH Doctors to have my mammogram done.  A few days after that, my family physician called and informed me that results were back and that it showed a cluster of cells that looked somewhat suspicious, an image that indeed did not appear on the mammogram of the prior year.  Immediately I was ordered to have an ultrasound of the suspicious area, which too confirmed the same cluster.

I got referred to Dr. Tanja Ebanks for further evaluation of the suspicious area.   Dr. Ebanks performed an ultrasound-guided biopsy of the suspicious area, and while doing so, she also noticed another suspicious area in the underarm of the left side.  About a week later, I received a call from Dr. Ebanks asking if I could come in to see her; as the results returned, I made my way to Dr. Ebanks' office with optimism.  On July 31, 2020, my world fell apart. The Doctor informed me that the biopsy results confirmed an aggressive form of stage III cancer, Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer, with positive spread into my lymph nodes.  It was like my world had come to an end. I was scared and cried for days.  I honestly thought the worst case of limited time in life and leaving my family, particularly my boys, mother, and sisters.  I sat in my car for a while at CTMH Doctors and cried alone.  The first person I called was my husband, and as he heard the crying, he immediately knew something was wrong. He told me to make my way to his place of employment, of which he then contacted my eldest sister, who took the lead as she was able to ask the Doctor all the critical questions that I wasn't able to ask because of feeling scared.  My sister assured me that I would beat this. Her words replay in my head every day. 

Everything happened so fast. Dr. Ebanks immediately ordered an MRI and arranged my appointment to see the Oncologist to discuss my treatments plan etc. I had a chemo port inserted about two weeks after diagnosis, following about one-week later chemotherapy.  

My treatment plan consisted of 16 rounds of chemotherapy (Adriamycin and Paclutaxel)).  After the second round of chemo, my hair started to fall in clumps. For me, hair defines your beauty. I was scared to look in the mirror when I lost all my hair.  I had a bilateral mastectomy with delayed reconstruction. It was several weeks before I could look in the mirror on the area where the breasts were removed.  My treatment plan concluded with 25 rounds of radiation therapy.  I still have my days where I just sit and cry.

Cancer is not a death sentence if detected early.  Ladies, please have your annual mammograms.  I want to encourage all to do your self-examination, men too. I am living proof that early detection is the key.  Take charge of your body, and don't be afraid of what is going on in your body.  Unfortunately, I always performed my self-examination whenever in the shower; I never examined myself while lying flat. It was lying flat that the lump was discovered.  

I am currently in remission, but my treatment isn't over - far from it. I still have to have daily pills to stop my body from producing hormones that cancer feeds off, and as with any drug, these pills have various side effects. My level of concentration has significantly dropped, affecting my ability to focus. I'm still experiencing physical, mental, and emotional side effects.  Being diagnosed has touched every aspect of my life. It affected all my relationships due to COVID; family and friends weren't able to come over and visit. On the flip side, you realise what's important. Those who stood by you through cancer are still, always have, and will be, by your side. I will forever treasure these people, even more so now.

I am thankful – to the doctors, nurses, and pharmacists at CTMH Doctors behind the treatments that helped me…I am a survivor! I do not know what the future holds; however, I would work with the same medical team if I had to do it all over.

My name is Shelda Miller, and this is my story.

I had varicose veins from the age of 14. The first one appeared initially behind my right knee. Just a small little lump initially. They never really gave any trouble but I did have to cover them during my rugby playing days, right up to age 20. My GP at the time suggested some helpful tips including exercise, not standing too long etc. More developed as the years went along and likely inherited the “gene” from my father’s side of the family who had also had varicose veins. As I got older, I noticed I would get ache’s if I stood too long so always was the first to seek a seat at a gathering or an event as my legs would feel heavy and tired, much to the amusement of friends and family who suggested I was getting old before my time! Once I explained the reason they would be a bit more sympathetic. Other than being unsightly and becoming more extensive in both legs, I managed to live just fine with the condition. A lot of people have to put up with far more serious health issues so it was a minor complaint. As I got into my early 40’s they did get progressively worse and I would sometimes wake at night with aches and pains in my legs. I always remained relatively active but I think they just reached a point where they needed some intervention. I heard of Dr. Ebanks from a work colleague but it still took me 5 more years before I actively went and sought a referral from my GP here. When I visited Dr. Ebanks she reviewed my legs and then sat me down to explain the causes in a lot more detail than I had ever heard or remembered. However, given mine were hereditary, there was little I could have done to avoid developing them to the extent they were now at age 47. Dr. Ebanks explained the options available and prognosis, including surgery or doing nothing. While I wanted to avoid surgery, I figured if I was ever going to get it done, I may as well now rather than when I’m older. In addition, the Cayman Islands were still in a form of isolation given the pandemic, with zero Covid and travel restrictions in place. One reason I was so reticent up to now to have the veins operated on was the recovery time and given my need to travel for work, I did not want surgery and recovery to get in the way. Having discussed the options and risks with Dr. Ebanks, I went ahead and booked surgery. Pre-operation consultants were arranged, including full ultra-sound and scanning of both legs and vein arteries. The nurses doing these scans were very helpful. I had my surgery March 1 at CTMH. I had both legs operated on the same day to avoid the need to go under General Anesthetic twice. The surgery was quite extensive and last 5 hours. I was able to walk about that evening and was discharged that night. I had to wear compression socks for 7 days. Stitches were removed 1 week after surgery. The incisions were very small but there were lots of them (approx. 50 in each leg with a combination of laser and vein stripping). Bruising went away after a few weeks. Post op care included lots of walking and avoiding standing for any length of time until the remaining veins had time to accept their new role of carrying the blood flow. I will confess that the recovery time took a lot longer than I expected. My one bit of advice is to follow all instructions Dr. Ebanks gives you 100%! I didn’t on one occasion and that caused a temporary hiccup in the recovery but nearly 1 year on I am very happy with the result. I think after about six months I stopped thinking about them. My wife was amazed at the outcome as she was used to seeing my legs in shorts and remembers how they looked.  Dr. Ebanks give me great confidence from the moment I met her until my final post operation appointment. She was always available if I had any questions. Watching her go about her work was like watching a mechanic fix a broken down car! She is very skilled at her profession, and we are lucky to have her expertise available on Island. If there is a learning point for me here its I wish I went to her a little sooner. But better late than never.