For a link to GO FUND ME to make a financial contribution: Click on "Ways to Help" below.
Meal Train link to sign up to bring a meal for the family and caregivers:
https://mealtrain.com/o33m6l---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Joseph's CaringBridge website.
It has been provided to keep our friends and family updated about Joseph's battle with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. In September of 2001 we discovered a lump in his left forearm. The doctors originally thought it was just a lipoma, no big deal. He underwent various scans and finally a biopsy on October 18, 2001, that revealed it was some form of cancer. The pathology report came back a few days later and it verified it was alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The MRI and CT scan revealed the cancer had also moved to the lymph nodes in the same arm (left). A 42-week protocal of VAC chemotherapy was started on November 1, 2001. He had his last Chemo treatment on August 23, 2002. During that time he had surgery to remove the tumor from the forearm and also remove the lymph nodes from the armpit. The surgery was performed in February 2002 and was followed by 4 1/2 weeks of radiation therapy. Since that time Joseph has been blessed with four years of remission.
In August 2006, after four great years of remission, a tumor showed up in Joseph's left bicep during his regular six month MRI scans. It was confirmed as a return of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. He started a 50-week protocol of chemotherapy on August 29, 2006. The chemo drugs in this protocol were Vincristine, Irinotecan, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Ifosfamide, and Etoposide.
In April 2018, Joseph returned home from working overseas after having extreme problems breathing, and receiving a chest x-ray showing innumerable spots on his lungs. He arrived at Hartsfield on Thursday the 26th, and was rushed via ambulance to the hospital. On Friday, he began chemo. Chemo cocktail drugs are vincristine, ifosfamide and etoposide. A biopsy will be needed to confirm if he has the same form of cancer a 3rd time, or something new.
Please feel free to leave an encouraging message here for Joseph and his family. Gain hope by reviewing his brave journey by visiting the link below (his old CaringBridge site) and scrolling the "past journal entries".
http://caringbridgeclassic.org/ga/josephlee/
