In early February Melissa and I were concerned when she found a noticeable lump near the base of the bottom of her neck, just above the collarbone, on the left side. She had her doctor check it out and she told her it was probably just a swollen lymph-node from having a cold. To be on the safe side, however, Melissa was scheduled to see the doctor again in thirty days. As the next appointment grew closer, Melissa noticed the lump had actually grown bigger. When she went in her doctor immediately scheduled her for an ultrasound. When that test came back she was then scheduled for a CT scan and a biopsy. When she was called back to go over the results we were shocked to hear that she had been preliminarily diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, a rare but very treatable form of lymphoma. Melissa was then referred to see an oncologist for further testing and a firm diagnosis.
When we saw the oncologist at the end of March and he confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled Melissa for a PET scan, which would show how much the cancer had spread. Melissa was then scheduled to see the oncologist again at the end of April to go over the results and a treatment plan.
When we returned in April we went over the scans with the doctor and saw that there were growths that had spread some in her chest area but had not spread to any organs. This officially gave her a stage II diagnosis. The encouraging part is that at this stage the cancer is very treatable with an over 80% successful treatment rate. Unfortunately treatment will include chemotherapy every two weeks beginning mid-May through August. At that point more scans will be done and if the treatment has been successful the cancer will be "finished off" with some radiation therapy. The oncologist is very confident that this will be the case.
So what's next? First, Melissa needs to undergo some routine testing to be sure her body can handle the chemotherapy. On Tuesday she sees a cardiologist to make sure she has a healthy heart. On Thursday she will have out-patient surgery to have a port installed. The following week she will see a pulmonologist to make sure her lungs are healthy. Following that test she will be scheduled for her first round of chemotherapy. Each round is expected to last 3-4 hours. The biggest side effect will be fatigue and she will very possibly lose her hair, however, it will eventually come back.
As you can guess this has been some pretty difficult news to digest, however, we have taken it in stride. We have total confidence in Melissa's doctors and know that we can lean on each other and God to see us through this. We also know that we have the amazing prayers and support of all of our family, friends, and congregations.
At this point Melissa plans to maintain her duties at church and does not plan to take a leave of absence. We are happy to receive private messages and calls from folks, however, please refrain from posting public social media (Facebook, Twitter) comments at this point.
We hope to keep the blog updated throughout this process so you can check back here from time to time. If anything, you will get to see all the latest Colby pictures :)
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Rob, Melissa, and Colby
Read more about Hodgkin's Disease here
Posts
