Eddies fight against Osteosarcoma
Donación protegida
My fiance Eddie is a twenty-three year old Iraq war veteran, who has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on September 14th, 2012. It all started while he was on duty in Hohenfels, Germany where he fell while doing a drill. He thought that he tore his ACL or maybe a possible sprain. They took him to the sick call where he never saw a doctor, the only person that looked at him was a physician assistant that told him it was a knee sprain and didn't want to risk taking Eddie to the hospital to get an MRI done because it was six hours away in Ramstein, Germany. The P.A gave him crutches and a knee brace. The remainder of his time in Germany was spent in Physical therapy, where he would ride a stationary bike for two to three minutes because he couldn't bare the pain. Three days before him coming back to the states he saw the P.A again to see how Eddies knee was doing, he told him because he was 1. taking pain medication and 2. saw him walking (or rather limping) on his leg that he was "fine" and proceeded to take his crutches away from him.
Eddie finally came home on August 18th, 2012 where he still couldn't see a doctor because his L.O.D wasn't done yet (mind you this should have been done while he was still in Germany). On August 27th, 2012 the pain became too much for him and we went to the Urgent Care they did X-rays and said everything looked fine just a lesion from the possible fall while back in Germany. They prescribed him more pain medication. On August 31st, 2012 the pain became too much to bare once again and we went to the VA emergency room, where they finally did the MRI and another X-ray he also finally saw an orthopedic doctor who tried to do a Lachman test to see if his ACL was the problem but Eddie was in too much pain to go through it.
On September 10th we went back to the VA where we saw the same orthopedic doctor and he showed us on the computer screen the images from the MRI and proceeded to tell us that there was a tumor in his proximal tibia in the left knee, Eddie and I looked at each other in shock, the doctor looked at us and told us that it could be cancerous or the tumor could be benign he then called Eddies now orthopedic surgeon to set up an appointment for a biopsy. While he was on the phone he kind of whispered something that started with osteo. We came home and I started to do some research and stumbled upon a rare form of bone caner; Osteosarcoma. The more I read the sadder I became hoping that this was not what he had. So on September 13th, 2012 was the first appointment with his surgeon she explained to us that Eddie was in far too much pain to do the biopsy in the doctors office so she squeezed us in for an appointment the next day. On September 14th, 2012 Eddie had his first surgery, we waited an hour in the waiting room until she came out and told us that Eddie had Osteosarcoma. Thirty minutes later we got to see Eddie in the recovery room, they hadn't told him yet. To see him one second smiling and the next crying was heart breaking.
We found out we were gonna have a baby on September 17th, 2012. (due May 28th, 2013)
We then met his Oncologist who told us that they were gonna do four cycles of chemotherapy (Cisplatin & Doxorubicin) then surgery around January and then depending on the necrosis possibly more chemo after.
Started Chemo October 4th, 2012
Found out were having a boy December 6th, 2012
Surgery on January 25th, 2013 (in waiting room ten hours)
(Total knee replacement / reconstruction)
While recovering in the hospital Eddie noticed that he couldn't move his foot up and down the surgeon told us there are always risks when doing surgery and that nerve damage was one of them. He now has what they call a "foot drop" and that he may never walk normally again. This was very concerning to Eddie because he's such an active person, She told him they can do another surgery in nine months to fix it if he wanted to do so.
On February 1st, 2013 was his post-op appointment where they would also tell him if the chemo he was doing for three months was working or not. he The necrosis rate was 45% which was disheartening we were hoping for something between 75% to 95%. We also spoke to his Oncologist about what the next step would be on February 13th, 2013, He then started talking to us about changing the chemo and the possibility of the sarcoma spreading to his lungs.
Started post-op chemotherapy February 28th, 2013. (High dose of Ifosfamide)
(Did a CT Scan while in inpatient.)
On March 7th, 2013 marked six weeks after surgery so Eddie can now bare weight on his leg that is tolerable. In this same appointment the surgeon told us that they found in the right lung innumerable small nodules the largest measuring 6mm in the right lower lobe of the lung with other nodules measuring less than 5mm. In the left lung they found three small nodules in his left lower lobe and that they were the size of the point of a ballpoint pen and too small to resect. Eddie, his mother, and myself included all cried we were tired of hearing bad news after bad news, after more bad news. we just wanted to hear something positive for once. When we got home that day Eddie told me that if it had spread to his lungs that his chances were about 10% and that he doesn't know why this is happening to him.
March 23rd, 2013 - Appointment with the Oncologist, Eddie tells me he's never been more scared to go to an appointment in his life. The oncologist tell us "that in some cases when the sarcoma has spread to his lungs (or metastasis) that it will eventually take his life." Eddies mom instantly started crying, he then says that he wants a CT scan done after the second cycle of chemo to see if the Ifosfamide is either shrinking or stabilizing the nodules in his lungs if not we switch to another form of chemo. After this appointment I can tell Eddie is losing hope and again tired of hearing more bad news after more bad news. To get his mind off what the oncologist told him we went to a Miami Heat game against the Detroit Pistons, He proposed to me during half time and told me not to worry about what the doctor had said.
March 25th, 2013 - Started second cycle of chemo.
March 28th, 2013 - Started physical therapy
As of right now we don't know what to do anymore, we've had countless nights of crying talking about what would happen if it gets worse. we even have moments going to and from appointments were we just look at each other and cry. He's scared he won't see his child grow up, that he won't be able to walk. (even considering amputation if physical therapy won't work) He just wants to be normal again, and go out like every other twenty-three year old does.
The money we're trying to raise is for:
1. Flights to Houston, Texas to go have a second opinion at M.D Anderson (Osteosarcoma specialists) and at Burzynski Clinic (Antineoplastons treatment)
2. Possibly move there if things go well so Eddie can get treated there.
3. Medical expenses / Moving expenses.
4. Bucket list.
and
5. Wedding / Honeymoon
I know I wrote a lot but I thought it would be the only way people would understand.
Thank you to those who have read everything and to those who donate, every little bit helps.
Thanks again,
Jerrika
Organizador
Jerrika Romero
Organizador
Hialeah, FL
