Our family started this cancer journey almost 2 years ago when Andy was diagnosed on November 30, 2020 with Stage 4 Rectal Cancer. Wren was just a few months old and Willa was starting her kindergarten year. He started treatment in early 2021 and then endured 11 rounds of chemo. All was progressing in the right direction as he started radiation in August. He did 30 rounds of radiation which unfortunately turned into months of complications and never fully healed from the effects of the radiation. In October 2021 he had his first ER visit. It was horrific. What stemmed from that visit was a 4 hour surgery resulting in a colostomy bag and 10 days of recovery in the hospital. On his 40th birthday he was released. Early 2022 brought us another ER visit. During that stay he had multiple blood transfusions and we decided to switch his care to UCLA. Following the switch to UCLA Katie felt it was best for her family to go on leave and take care of Andy and the girls. This was a hard decision for everyone but ultimately the right one. After Katie took leave Andy started a new treatment with the most aggressive chemo possible. Few months into chemo the tumors showed no improvement. After consulting with the best trial/ rectal cancer doctor at UCLA, Andy has decided the best next step is to start back on the original chemo treatment as that showed great progress.
We appreciate everyone’s support during this difficult time. We feel surrounded by amazing family and friends. It really does take a village. Please continue to check back for updates regarding Andy’s journey.
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