The photo we chose for Frank's Story and Website signifies his and all our thoughts on Cancer!! :) We appreciate you visiting this site as we continue to update Frank's progress in his fight with cancer. Any and all positive vibes and words of encouragement are appreciated. Here's the scoop on how he/we got here:
As some of you may know, Frank was diagnosed with diabetes 10 or so years ago (give or take). He's spent the better part of the last decade trying to focus on staying healthy so that he can maintain his D.O.T. license and keep working. Sometime in early-to-mid February, he began feeling sick. His appetite went away, he was not able to eat or digest food very well, and he began to lose weight. In consulting with his doctor, they decided to run some tests and start to adjust his diabetic medication to see if they could identify and/or counter whatever it was that was happening.
Eventually, some results came back that led the doctors to suggest that Frank complete an ultrasound. The ultrasound was completed on February 22nd. Within about 30 minutes from leaving the appointment, he received a call from the doctor (not the nurse) stating that they found a mass on/near his pancreas, and that he needed to get in the following day for a CT Scan. He went in the next day to complete the CT Scan, however was unable to get results until the following Monday. As expected, this was very upsetting and stressful time for the family, as we are all aware that a pancreatic cancer diagnosis can be devastating. This weekend awaiting the news was a long and excruciating weekend. However this was just the beginning.
Monday came and the results of the CT Scan showed that there was no mass on or in the pancreas. This was good news, however still unsure what the diagnosis was. There were some concerns surrounding: lymph nodes near the pancreas, spots on the liver, and spots on his left hip bone. The next step was a PET-Scan.
Frank had the PET-Scan on February 28th. He received results the next morning indicating a high likelihood of colon cancer. There was still the issue of the liver and the hip that needed to be addressed. However a consult with an Oncologist was scheduled first to discuss everything up to this point.
As a family, we met with the Oncologist for the first time on March 5th. The Oncologist was fairly positive in the prognosis of this being colon cancer. However more tests needed to occur to look at the hip, liver, and a closer look at the colon. But all indications were that we were dealing with cancer and likely colon cancer. This was positive news given the initial concern for pancreatic cancer. Colon cancer statistics of long-term survival are very favorable.
On March 7th, he had a procedure to extract some samples of his liver for a biopsy. On March 8th, he had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to look at his hip. After an X-Ray, it appeared as though the cancer had spread to his hip and had drastically weakened the bone. The orthopedic doctor wanted to insert a pin into his hip that day to strengthen it. However, this would cause a 3-4 week delay in chemo-therapy (which was on the horizon) and therefore the Oncologist requested that the hip procedure be delayed. So therefore, Frank has to be very, very delicate in his maneuvering so as not to break his hip (which would be a big setback). Eventually, the hip will have to be addressed On March 9th, he had an appointment for a colonoscopy and endoscopy to take a closer look at the colon, esophagus, and stomach.
On March 12th, we had a follow-up appointment with the Oncologist to essentially go over all of the tests and a treatment plan. The Oncologist broke the news that Frank's colon was clear. No cancer in the colon. The liver biopsy results were and are initially inconclusive. There are more tests that are occurring to determine the science and mutation beyond what is going on in the liver. But essentially the liver is functioning normally, but obviously something isn't right. Therefore, there is no current diagnosis. Possible Bile Duct Cancer, possible esophagus, possible stomach-related. The Oncologist is confident that it's Gastro-Intestinal (GI) related. And that it is cancer...just not sure where or what kind with 100% certainty.
So at this point, unfortunately, we are not completely sure what we are dealing with. And that's where we stand as of today, March 13th, as we write this story. What we do know is that today, Frank had a port installed into his chest which will serve as his "IV' for the next 8 weeks as he embarks on his chemo journey. Tomorrow, March 14th, he starts his first round of chemo. He will receive chemo treatments four times (every two weeks) for the next 8 weeks. The Oncologist then said we will take a look at his insides again to determine progress and see if a source can be identified. At that point-in-time, he will likely address the issue with his hip as well, which obviously is a secondary concern at this point.
Frank continues to remain as positive as he can be. From the very beginning, when the initial thought was pancreatic cancer, all he kept saying was "I just want something I can fight". And he maintains that...he just wants to be able to battle. And as a family we are continuing to focus on positivity and support as he begins his journey and fight. We've been so proud of his strength and willingness to battle this from the very first day we all found out about. We can't stress how important a positive attitude is going to be for this fight.
We appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers, and words of support. Will continue to update this page as his chemo progresses and as we find out anymore information.
Any questions or want to reach out, please feel free to reach out to Frank via his cell phone, Facebook, or comments on this website. For additional information, please reach out to Joe or Jenny:
It is with heavy hearts we share that Frank passed away peacefully in his sleep last evening.
As painful as it is to lose such an incredible husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and friend, we are glad that he is finally at peace without cancer, pain, or suffering.
Our family is working on service arrangements and will update everyone as soon as we have more details.
Thank you for all for your prayers and kind words. Cancer fucking sucks and appreciate your kindness during this difficult time.
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