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Monday, February 24, 2020 was not a good day. I received the call I had been waiting for regarding the results of my CT biopsy I had the week prior. The receptionist said the doctor would like to meet with me and was available that morning. Upon confirming the time, she told me that the doctor recommended I bring a loved one to the appointment. It was at that moment I knew my life was about the change.
In December of last year, I started having back pain. A few trips to the chiropractor and a couple massages didn’t seem to make things better. The first week of January I decided to see my primary doctor who had me go for an x-ray. The results showed something that the radiologist suggested should be examined further via a MRI. The following week I twice unsuccessfully attempted to complete the MRI as the pain I experienced lying on my back was too much to handle for the 45 minute test. However, I lasted long enough during the second MRI attempt for the radiologist to see what they described as a lesion on my spine. My primary called me to explain the findings and scheduled an appointment for me to see a neurosurgeon.
On Friday, January 17, I met with the neurosurgeon who looked at the MRI and said a complete MRI would be needed and order me a MRI with sedation. Obviously, I began to worry about the worst and then mentioned to him that I had experienced some chest pain last May for which I had a CT scan. He pulled up those images, scrolled down to where the lesion would be, and, sure enough, saw the same lesion that was now causing me pain. While still concerned, the doctor said that because the lesion had been there a while it was probably benign and not to worry about it.
Following a two-week family vacation to Florida, we returned to Rochester and on Monday, February 3, I went to Rochester General for a sedated MRI. The following day I was at the chiropractor who pulled up the MRI report that indicated a 4.5 x 3 x 2 cm lobulated peripherally enhancing mass within the T6 vertebral body of my spine. The differential considerations included an aneurysmal bone cyst, osteoblastoma, and atypical hemangioma, but a CT scan should be completed for further evaluation. The chiropractor ordered the CT scan as I wasn’t scheduled to see the neurosurgeon until Friday, February 14. This way, the neurosurgeon would have both reports to make his recommendation. I had the CT scan February 10.
While waiting for my follow-up appointment, I reached out to another neurosurgeon so to have two professional opinions. Ironically, I met with both neurosurgeons February 14. The first, who I had previously met with, told me that he couldn’t make a determination as to what was on my spine and that a CT biopsy would be the next best step. The second told me that he was confident the lesion was an aneurysmal bone cyst but, because of its location, I would need a thoracic surgeon to remove it.
Given the differing opinions, I reached out to a doctor I know to get his thoughts. He suggested I meet with an orthopaedic surgeon in his practice. Wasting little time, I was able to meet with this doctor Monday, February 17. This doctor’s recommendation also was a CT biopsy. I had the CT biopsy Tuesday, February 18.
I was at work on that fateful Monday morning, so I called Kerrie after hanging up with the receptionist. Kerrie met me at the appointment and together we listened as the doctor explained that the pathology report from the CT biopsy indicated the tumor on my spine was malignant and I had been diagnosed with low grade chondrosarcoma of the spine.
To say this cancer is rare would be an understatement as less than 100 people are diagnosed with this each year. While rare, it is curable, and I intend to do everything in my power to beat it!
In some respects, this entire experience seems surreal. You never think something is going to happen to you until it does. For me, being diagnosed with cancer and going through the entire treatment plan seems like a blur right now. Was I really diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer? Did I actually go through 39 radiation sessions and 4 surgeries? Have I really missed nearly 3 months of watching my kids grow up to be treated in Boston? While much is a blur, through this experience I’ve come to realize how physically and mentally strong I am; lucky I am; and loved I am.
The plan given to me in March and begun in April came to its successful conclusion today. No more radiation. No more surgeries. No more cancer. Yes, there is still a long way to go. My body is far from healed and there will be routine scans in the coming months and years to ensure the tumor has not returned. But today, for me, signals a new beginning. A beginning that will bring a sense of normalcy back to my life (as normal as you can get in 2020) and the lives of those around me.
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