Memorial Day...and Results (by Lainey)

Hi friends,

Chris has been doing great in the past few days.  He has gotten lots of rest and started to be much more active.  He is still uncomfortable, but his distaste of boredom is far greater than any physical pain he may be feeling.  We finished Season 2 of the Wire (such a good show) and we have taken Harry on a few long walks to break up the days.  A lot of our friends have come to visit us and/or have sent their love via care packages.  I can't tell you how much the love and support you all have sent to him has seriously improved his mood and outlook on the day.  Thank you!!

Last Thursday, we returned to Memorial Sloan-Kettering for the removal of the staples in his incision.  The incision is approximately 4 inches long and sits on his lower left abdomen.  The staples were pretty gnarly looking, but the removal was easy and painless for Chris.  Afterwards, he said that he could have 'just taken them out with pliers in the garage' and I am grateful that he did not have that epiphany before this appointment! Ha! 

We did not get any results on the biopsy or CT scan that day, unfortunately, but we were prepared for that.  I drove Chris to Cabela's (his toy store) in Pennsylvania after his appointment to cheer him up...and of course it worked!  The drive out was nice for both of us and he had a good time walking around his favorite store and picking up some goodies for when he can be back out in action.

When we got home, I got a nice surprise from Chrissy's friends Carlos and Theresa (aka Carl 'n Terry).  They sent me a pretty arrangement of flowers to thank me for taking good care of their buddy! So sweet. 

Also, Chris' parents came over with dinner and then Angie stopped by with a Blizzard for Chris so he pretty much had an awesome day!

Cancer Stinks...but good friends make it a lot easier!

I know Chrissy was bummed to be laid up for Memorial Day Weekend, but it is always great to get together with loved ones to remember our dear friend Nilton.  For those of you who don't know, Nilt was Chrissy's BFF since childhood and joined the Marine Corps with him right out of high school.  Nilt served two tours in Iraq while Chris served in Okinawa and they both spent the last two years with USMC in San Diego, California (where I met both of them).  Nilt may have lost his battle with Leukemia two years ago, but he will never be forgotten or missed in our household.  Every Memorial Day since he passed, we walk in the Union Township parade with his family and it is a great tradition to honor a beloved hero.  It was a hot day and I know Chris was sore, but there is no way in hell that he would miss that for the world.

Union Township Memorial Day Parade 2012

(see my boo hobbling over there on the right?) :)

Today, FINALLY, after days of agonizing wait, we heard from Dr. Sheinfeld on some results.  We found out that the biopsy showed the tumor was a 'seminoma' which indicates a slow growing mass.  This is good news, since the 'non-seminoma' tumors tend to grow and spread rather quickly.  The CT scan showed slight enlargement/abnormalities of some lymph nodes in his lower left abdomen but all other areas are clear in the scan.  Dr. S ordered another CT scan for Chrissy since the images that were sent over were grainy/lacking certain detail as we had this done at a different hospital before we transferred to MSK.  This will take place on June 14th, after we return from our trip to California.

Once Dr. S reviews the new CT scans, he will be able to determine the treatment plan for Chrissy.  This may entail some radiation therapy, but we will know more in a few weeks.  Yes, more waiting (argh!), but feeling very fortunate that there is not a widespread effect on his body.  Based on Chrissy's results, Dr. S has diagnosed him with Stage IIA testicular cancer.  All things considered, this is relatively good news and Chris is pleased with the results. 

We are both looking forward to coming back home to Northern California next week for my baby brother's high school graduation and my 30th birthday (eeeks).  I think the change of scenery and visit with our west coast loved ones will do us both a lot of good.  Looking forward to lots of hugs and lots of delicious Mexican food! ;) 

Love & Thanks,

Lainey

The Waiting

Hi guys,

Well, it has now been five days since my surgery.  I have been feeling okay, just mostly sore and uncomfortable.  I was also growing pretty bored, but luckily my buddy Jesse from work dropped by with all the seasons of The Wire and Sopranos so that I have something to occupy my time.

Awesome show

I have had a few other visitors this week which has been great.  People have been bringing by dinners and sending treats and I can't tell you how uplifting it feels to have this much support.  Seriously!  The dinners have helped Laina a lot by not having to cook a lot and makes it easier on her.  I am also getting such great cards and messages of encouragement.

Tearing up some Maggiano's courtesy of Sam and friends from my work!  Notice Harry creepin' in the background for some fallen scraps...

Laina's work sent us some meat...how well do they know me??

Present from Sil with an important message...Protect your Nuts! lol

Feeling the love!

So as you can see, I have been pretty damn spoiled lately.  It has made it a lot easier to keep my mind from wandering.  Tomorrow, Laina and I are going back to Memorial Sloan-Kettering to get the staples taken out from my incision and HOPEFULLY hear some results.  There is a chance that the doc may not be there tomorrow, so I may have to wait a little longer to hear what is going on.  Hoping for the best!

Thanks again to everyone for all the prayers, good thoughts, calls, messages and visits.  It is all truly appreciated and is really helping me get through this.  Until I kick this, I'll be hangin out here with Laina and my main man Harry!

Chris

Surgery!

Yesterday at 9:30am, I arrived at Memorial Sloan Kettering for my orchiectomy with Laina and my mom.  I went through several exams upon arrival, and then I was informed that my surgery would not take place for a few hours.  They showed us up to the patient recreation room, which was pretty cool.  For about three hours, we hung around and relaxed while listening to a lady play the piano.  They had a pool table, board games, library and outdoor terrace for patients of MSK to enjoy during their stay.  It really helped me relax and I think it made my mom and Laina feel more comfortable since I'm sure they were anxious as well.

Me shooting pool in the Patient Recreation Room before surgery

View from the Rec Room

I was nervous before I got to the operating room but I became eerily calm when I thought about my best friend Nilton (who passed away two years ago from Leukemia), knowing what hell that he went through and how strong he was the entire time. It almost felt like he was by my side, relieving me of all my fears before the operation. I made an attempt to fight the anesthesia since it was my first time, but that lasted about five seconds...haha!

Ready to rock this surgery!



Get well card from Laina's family that really lifted my spirits (and made Laina cry! aww)



When I woke up, I felt groggy and a little sore, but mostly uncomfortable from wearing this elastic jockstrap.  The doc is making me wear it to keep the pressure off of my incision and implant, which feels a little weird to be honest.  Everyone in the recovery room was really great and took good care of me.  The first thing I got to eat was wheat saltine crackers...which I never would touch on a normal day, however, these tasted like the best things on earth.  They wouldn't let me go home until I could pee, so I was chugging cranberry juice and water like it was going out of style.  I guess it normally takes patients a long time to go after this surgery, but I was ready after about an hour. Don't act like you're not impressed! HA! Anyways, at 5:30pm, after 8 hours in the hospital, I finally got to head home. 

Today, I feel pretty good although I'm more sore and uncomfortable than yesterday.  The doc said that is normal since the local anesthesia wore off.  I went for a spin with Laina for some frozen yogurt to get moving a little and ran into my "Cancer Coach Ba-Boach" Danny!  It was good to see him. 

Hobbling around with Danny

Other than that, I've just been taking it easy and napping at home.  Laina's been spoiling me and taking good care of me.  If anything, I'm a little bored since you know I am usually out in the woods somewhere on a Saturday and not used to laying around so much. Looking forward to getting this jockstrap contraption off at my next appointment on Thursday when I get my staples removed and get the results from the biopsy.

Thanks again for all the encouragement and support guys.

Chris



Memorial Sloan Kettering

Hi friends and family,

Today, our friends Danny and Angie took us to Chris' second surgical opinion appointment at Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer hospital in Manhattan. Once we walked in the front doors, it was clear that people call MSK "the best" for a reason. Every single person we encountered today (and it was a long day) was supremely professional, warm and helpful. Dr. Joel Sheinfeld is a well renowned surgeon in the testicular cancer world and was referred to us by Danny (seriously what would we do without you?) after he was treated for TC over three years ago. Dr. Sheinfeld is a calm, pleasant man who eased Chris' fears and whose vast expertise made the choice to go with MSK an easy one. After examining Chris and going over his reports, Dr. S booked him for surgery tomorrow morning. Chris wasn't expecting to do the surgery so soon, so we had to hit the ground running with pre-surgical testing (X-rays, ECG, labs and exams).

The surgery tomorrow will be a routine orchiectomy (removal of testicle). This is done by making an incision in his pelvic area much like a hernia surgery. It should take about 45-70minutes plus some time in the recovery room. He will be recovering further at home for 5-7 days, depending on how his body responds. At this point, he is most concerned about the doctor's orders not to work-out or lift anything over 10 pounds for 4-6 weeks. We all know how Chris feels about his fitness! After the surgery, the doctor will do a biopsy on the tissue removed so that they can determine what subtype of cancer it is and figure out the next steps. Chris feels very comfortable with Dr. S and is looking forward to getting his treatment started sooner so he can get back to dreaming of opening day of hunting season. He has written you all a message below and he is loving all the comments, texts, calls and messages. Thanks so much for being there for him, and for us. Love you all!

Love & Thanks,
Lainey


Thanks for all the support guys. It really means a lot for you all that have reached out to me and portrayed your confidence that I will get through this successfully. Just to give you a laugh, wanted to share a funny moment when Dr. S was helping me and Laina about deciding on implanting a "prosthetic testicle" during surgery. He actually said that they are "flying off the shelves, believe it or not." I had no idea that people were so nuts for "nuts"....haha! (see below)
-Chris aka B-tah

The Beginning (according to Lainey)

Hi friends and family, First of all, I just want to thank you all for your love, support and care for us. As most of you know, Chris (my Chrissy) was diagnosed with testicular cancer last Thursday, May 10th, after discovering a painless but enlarged testicle. The diagnosis was found after an ultrasound showed a large solid mass in one testicle and blood results confirmed at least one of the three tumor markers was elevated.

We have done research and talked with doctors who have informed us that testicular cancer is one of the most effectively treatable cancers (if found early) and also one of the most common cancers occurring in Caucasian men between the ages of 20-39. With the odds on our side, we begin our journey/battle with the big C.

As of now, Chris is scheduled for a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis tomorrow to check if the cancer has spread. We have read that testicular cancer progresses in a very predictable pattern, so we are hoping for clear and positive results from this scan.

Next, he is scheduled for an orchiectomy surgery on Friday, May 25th. This is needed to remove the tumor and also to perform a biopsy to determine what subtype of cancer it is and thus, what appropriate treatment (radiation, chemo, more surgery) is needed.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. Thank you for this! For now, please just send some prayers, good thoughts and wishes out into the universe for Chris. We are going to get through this.

“Knowledge is power, community is strength and positive attitude is everything” ― Lance Armstrong

Love & Thanks,
Lainey