Joshua Schumacher

On Saturday, September 27, Josh went in for a doctors appointment after feeling sick for a little over a month. He was assuming he had a stomach ulcer as he had struggled with keeping food down and had been experiencing stomach issues. The doctor quickly sent Josh to the ER where blood work showed a dangerously low White Blood Cell count. A CT scan was then done, and doctors found that many of Josh’s internal organs were enlarged and there were a lot of swollen lymph nodes. Josh was admitted to the hospital, and the plan was to do a bone marrow biopsy and a lymph node biopsy on Sunday. Before the biopsies were performed, doctors realized that Josh’s blood count was too dangerously low, and they transferred him to another hospital that has a wing specializing in bone marrow diseases. Throughout the next day, Josh was given a lot of plasma to bring his numbers back up. They were able to do the bone marrow biopsy, which helped doctors to rule out Leukemia. The last few days have been full of tests. Today they were finally able to give us a diagnosis: Josh has T Cell Histiocyte Rich Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (just Large B Cell Lymphoma for short) stage 4. A PET scan revealed that the Lymphoma has spread to nearly all internal organs, and doctors are continuing to test his bone marrow to see if it has spread there as well. Josh started his first Chemo treatment today, and will remain in the hospital for about two weeks as they continue to monitor his blood count and give plasma. Josh has been very weak, tired, and has been dealing with a persistent headache, but he continues to demonstrate a positive attitude and there are many reports of him joking with his medical staff and continuing to bring joy and laughter to those he interacts with. We will update here as we find out more about Josh’s treatment and progress. Thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes and prayers, we are truly blessed to be surrounded by so many caring friends and family!