Welcome to the first round...

I'm beginning this blog in order to keep family and friends updated on the status of Eddie's diagnosis and treatment. So many people have contacted both Eddie and I in the past few weeks, and while we appreciate the gesture (and hope you keep checking in), I know it is much easier to dispense information in this format.

Eddie's cancer journey began on December 20th, when he decided to seek medical care for shortness of breath he had been feeling for about the previous month. Not having a primary care physician here yet, he went to Urgent care, who sent him to the ER. When I found out he was on the way to the hospital, I was able to leave school early to join him. After a chest X-Ray, we were told they found a 13 cm mass in his chest. Through tears and fears, Eddie was taken for a CT scan and we met with our oncologist, Dr. Braik. He asked us several questions and answered all the questions we had. The initial belief based on how his tumor looked was that Eddie had Hodgkins-Lymphoma. He admitted Eddie to expedite the initial biopsy process, and we went home the following day.

 

After a week of waiting, during which we celebrated Christmas with both our families, we met again with Dr. Braik to hear the news. Surprisingly, the biopsy yielded no cancer cells, because the majority of the tumor was smelling of the lymph nodes. So, in the meantime, we scheduled a second, more in-depth biopsy. During the procedure, the surgeon, Dr. Khabbaz, inserted a port-a-cath so that chemotherapy could begin as soon as a diagnosis was confirmed. This second biopsy took place on January 4th. The recovery was more painful because they had to cut through his muscle, and we had a difficult week of little sleep, anxiety, and lots of pain. As the following week progressed, Eddie was able to get up and about with the help of Lori (his mom 💕)

On Thursday, the 10th, Eddie blew his nose and experienced excruciating pain in his back, so much so that he couldn't move. He contacted Dr. Braik who instructed him to come back to the ER, where he would meet us with the diagnosis. Our appointment wasn't until the 11th, but his diagnosis had been confirmed with the Mayo Clinic: Testicular Cancer.

WHAT???!! The tumor is in his chest, how could that be? Eddie's cancer is known as Seminoma, a tumor outside the Testicles. Another name for it is Extra Gonadal Germ Cell Tumor. Brief Biology lesson ahead! When we are developing in the womb, all our organs originate from the mid-line, near where our heart is now. As we develop, our organs move to their final locations. A few cells that would have become part of the testicles remained up in Eddie's heart/chest region. As Dr. Braik put it, those cells went rogue. It’s very uncommon and he hasn’t seen a case of this cancer in ten years.

So, even though our original belief was Hodgkins, we now had a diagnosis with an even better prognosis for recovery (better than 95%!). In order to curb the complications of Eddie's tumor, he was admitted again (stay #3, if you're counting) to begin chemotherapy the following day.

I am finishing this first blog post on day 4 of his first round of Chemo. We have been made aware of the side effects, the possible risks, and what to expect when we go home (Tomorrow!) Eddie has experienced a few side effects already, and if you're curious about them, feel free to ask him. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming and immense and we greatly appreciate it and welcome it in the months to come. I'll be updating as I can remember, and may enlist Lori and Eddie to post some entries too.


In the meantime, continue to send us your prayers, hug your loved ones a little tighter and enjoy the moments you are given.

If you're interested in an Eddie's Fight shirt, please fill out this form. Shirts will be ready February 1st.