Because the story is so serious, my husband and I took a lot of funny pictures that helped us get through...
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In the Beginning
Recently, my husband was a victim of (and is now a fighter of) Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer. This cancer is an extremely rare pediatric cancer- occurring in only 1,000 children each year. So, Caleb, my brave husband, is one of the unlikely one percent of one percent of adults who gets this diagnosis. As you can imagine, it has been a brutal battle and it has changed our lives, forever. We were a newly married couple (two months in) when on October 16, 2015 we discovered a cantaloupe size mass after many scans in the ER.
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The diagnosis
We had to wait through the weekend, before we got the diagnosis of Ewing’s Sarcoma. After we got this diagnosis, we were air ambulanced to Mayo Clinic. We had the privilege of having our friend Dan who is a flight nurse fly us from Durango, CO to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
We chose Mayo Clinic because it was an advanced cancer hospital and centrally located for our families.
Caleb was feeling terrible at this point because it was a rough first round of chemotherapy.
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Complications
In the beginning of this journey we had many different appointments from bone marrow biopsy, the putting in of the power port (which is where they inject the chemo), sometimes daily blood draws and countless other doctors visits.
November 4, 2015 was the first round of chemo.
Caleb had lots of complications due to a suppressed immune system. We got to know the inside of an ambulance really well.
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The holidays
We spent the holidays in the hospital. So, to make the best out of a crappy situation, we decorated our hospital room, including pimping out the chemo cart with Christmas lights.
If you look closely at the picture of the chemo cart, you’ll see a Superman pouch. Thanks to Caleb’s Mom, for giving our fur babies a place to ride.
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THE Surgery
Due to the many complications that Caleb went through the surgery was pushed back multiple times. During one of the times when Caleb was struggling we sold our house in Durango, Colorado. While Caleb was recovering, I flew back to Durango and with the help of friends, moved our life into a storage shed.
After returning to the Mayo Clinic, we got the green light to go ahead with Caleb’s internal amputation. It’s also called a hemipelvectomy. The surgery lasted over 14 hours and he had his bodies worth of blood replaced more than once.
The recovery for the surgery was lengthy and hard. Everyday Caleb was pushed a little harder and a little further. They started with helping him learn to sit up, learning to take tiny steps and eventually learning to dress and bathe himself.
Going through a surgery like this helps all involved appreciate the little things in life. Sitting up, bathing, going to the bathroom, walking, putting on your shoes, driving and so much more are affected.
This is not the end it is only the beginning!
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Life
March 16 was a happy day, as that was the day we got released from the hospital!
After getting released from the inpatient physical therapy floor, we started our journey of radiation, along with chemo at the same time. We went to radiation treatments for five weeks, Monday through Friday. The cancer was attached to his bladder, so this treatment was done to make sure no cells were left behind.
A typical week looked like going to the hospital everyday and being exhausted most of the time. Caleb, on top of the surgery and the life change, was worn down by the chemo and the radiation, so he napped a lot. Around this time, I started training for a race called, “Unleash the She” to support women with cancer. It was nice to have an outlet and to have something productive to do when I was not at the hospital. It was the first time in a year that I had done something that was just for me….
We made life-long friends with many of the people while going through radiation. We were all scheduled at the same time to go through the physical challenges and it brought us together. We still talk to many of these people and it has been a year since we've seen most of them.
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Flash forward a year…..February 2016
Life is not without its challenges. We are having to learn a whole new normal, but we get the privilege of getting a Handicapped Parking Sticker! ☺
In all honesty, the idea of not being able to do the things we loved doing together has been difficult. We both handle it in our own way. Caleb has been glad to be back at work. He has been able to get back on his bike, not in the way that he’d hoped, but it’s more than he could have had…. With hard work, dedication and perseverance, We believe the “new normal” won’t be so bad.
In the up coming year we look forward to using our story to help others who may be going through the same or similar situations. Even being a year out our heart is still to let people know that no matter what they are going through, their story matters...Every Story Matters.
