I hate that I’m in this account again, but here we are. Eric had a fever for a week, so we had some blood tests done last Tuesday. Wednesday he got the call to go to the ER. They admitted him and ran lots of tests. By Friday night we found out he has acute myeloid leukemia. Neutrophils we’re at zero. He’s in the hospital and started getting powerful chemo Monday. He’s getting it again today and Friday. Then he’ll need about a month to get his immune system high enough to go home. He then needs a full bone marrow transplant in Boston. Yay (not). The sooner we can find a donor, the better. The boys nave been amazing. Collin has extra responsibilities at home in addition to working 53 hours a week as a TIG welder. Evan passed his PhD proposal at Northeastern Monday (awful timing) and is juggling the drive back and forth to see his us. For the boys, I thank Maddy, Ryan J., and Evan’s roommates. I wish I could be there for my sons, my husband, my little dog, and my school all at the same time. Our family and friends have been amazing. There are so many to list that I’m sure I’d inadvertently leave a name out. You know who you are. Friends/neighbors Lauren, Rich, and Lila are taking amazing care of Mira. I’m not in school right now, and I sure miss it. My colleagues are my extended family. Plus, the students always make me smile. People have asked if this is a relapse. It is not. The chemo he needed to beat multiple myeloma causes leukemia in 1-2% of patients. We are not amused. Please do not send flowers because they may have minor fungus or bacteria that could cause great danger. We’ll gladly accept warm thoughts, prayers, cards, and any good vibes you can spare. We’ll try to keep you posted.
Much love, Chrissy
Form 2012: original start date of this site Please note that if you donate anything through this site, the money supports the site itself. We are not asking for money for Eric. So here's the deal. Eric had pain in his shoulder way back in May. He attributed it to volleyball and softball, took Tylenol, and kept going. In July, he put in posts for a dog fence. Higher intensity pain began right after that. By August, he went to his primary care doctor who diagnosed a growing lump on his neck as arthritis. The pain and lump grew. Eric was sent to a bone doc. because they thought he might have a torn rotator cuff that was causing things to twist out of position. X-rays, MRIs that looked in the wrong places, even visits to the ER never made us think "cancer". He went through weeks of physical therapy and chiropractic care. The lump kept growing, and docs thought he simply had a dislocation at his sternoclavicular joint. The chiropractor even tried to pop the bone back into joint. OUCH! Finally, tests came back showing masses. Yeah, that's scary! Blood work, more MRIs, etc. revealed tumors: one in the tip of his clavicle (hence, the lump), one on rib 3, one on rib 8, and one in his skull (which explains his recent poor taste in music;). The diagnosis is stage 3 multiple myeloma--cancer of his plasma. The tumors are eating his bones from the inside out. Can you imagine how much it must have hurt to have the chiropractor try to shove the bone back into joint? Yeouch! He started chemo yesterday and will need an autologous bone marrow transplant in the spring. Chemo for this type of cancer involves a shot that does not make him ill--just tired. He also has to take bone strengtheners and steroids. Docs warned us that he may be fatigued and grumpy. If you're planning to buy a car jack for Christmas, don't bother--he'll soon be able to lift vehicles all by himself. And sing like Barry White. His doctor is awesome. Doctor Gurpreet Lamba stands about 6'2" but seems taller because of his awesome black turban. He is amusing to listen to because he has a wicked Indian accent. Oh, and he has a bit of a facial tic, not quite like I Dream of Jeanie when she's blinking, but sort of. (I imagine him crossing his arms and saying, "Cancer, go away!" in that beautiful accent. Keeps me giggling). How are we doing? Pretty well. We have moments of panic, but have a huge support network. Texting with friends helps. Being silly is a great relief. Most of the time, we are simply ourselves. Honestly. More pressure? Sure, but things could be worse, right? I know, things could be better; but this is what we've been given, so this is what we'll work with. The boys are doing beautifully. We were honest with them right from the start and they are taking it in stride. They've decided that they don't want every little detail. They just want to know about the big stuff: When does chemo start? How will it affect him? Dad's going to be okay, right? We put up a Christmas tree over the weekend, and plan to celebrate what we have--that's a lot! I'll put updates on this site as they come. Don't avoid us. It's okay to ask questions because we're pretty candid. There will be happy-high-flying days and oh-shit-this-sucks days, but we'll get through it. As Winston Churchill once said, "If you're going through hell, keep going." Marching on.
Eric is now in “deep remission,” according to his bone marrow and docs. They’re still waiting for one final test result, but the doctor said he has a strong suspicion that it will come back clean. Docs plan to start tapering him off his immunosuppressant meds next week; it should take a few months.
Eric’s getting his hair back, and he has more energy. He’s allowed to eat take-out food. Deli meats and meats that are less than well-done are banned for a full year. So far, this man has proven to be made of steel. One auto transplant and two allo transplants for two different types of blood cancer… he just keeps going. We feel beyond blessed to have him with us.
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