Shomates Family Support
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Daniel Shomate. Husband to his wife Rachel, and father to the cutest little boys you've ever seen; Lucas Thomas, three years old (10/31/11) and Reed Maddox (9/28/13).
From Rachel's account: Daniel was scheduled for an umbilical hernia surgery on Monday, January 26, 2015. We were told surgery would take about 30 minutes and we would be home by noon, definitely in time to pick up our boys from daycare. Around 9:30 I was asked to come back to a consult room to discuss his recovery. The surgeon came in and sat down. Very directly he stated that Daniel's hernia was repaired but upon opening him up he found large masses that were covering his abdominal organs. "He has mesothelioma." What in the world is that? Don't they have commercials for that? Your world stops turning in that instant. You feel as though you are suffocating. You wonder if this is really happening?
I asked if he had removed the tumors and he stated it was too far advanced. "I'm sorry."
Daniel was admitted to CMC pineville to receive a CT scan to determine the extent of the cancer. This was the first night we have ever been away from our youngest son. Second night away from our oldest.
Tuesday morning an oncologist arrived. "Have you ever been around asbestos?" No, we both answer. "Well, you are young and healthy and I'm not convinced this is mesothelioma. It could be many things: colon cancer, appendiceum, many things."
Hope. We received some hope. Things weren't really as bad as we thought.
The oncologist stated that he was waiting for the pathology report but we should hear from him by the end of the week.
An entire week later our appointment was scheduled for 3:15. February 3 as we sat together, on edge, in an extremly hot and stifling room and we were told that Daniel had Malignant Mesothelioma with sarcomatoid features. This is a non curable disease that affects around 200 people annually in the US. There is no reason this is happening, it is a random event. The oncologist stated that Daniel's lifespan would be 3-4 months if he chose not to have treatment, but could be extended to 8-10 months with aggressive chemotherapy.
Scrambling for answers and dealing with the devastation, we traveled to Wake Forest and met with an oncologist specializing specifically with Mesothelioma on Friday, February 6th. The doctor there confirmed the diagnosis and agreed to the treatment plan. Daniel will begin an 8 hour, aggressive chemotherapy regimen Wednesday, February 11th, his 33rd birthday.
Words don't do justice to the emotions you feel. There is an overwhelming sense of drowning. You can't get ahead of yourself because each day new challenges arise. You literally feel as though you can't keep your head above the water. Each time you feel as though you get a handle on your emotions and understand what is happening you dragged back under the water. All it takes is one thought about our little boys who are so innocent and don't deserve this. Their lives will be incomplete. We will be missing the cornerstone of our family. The one who should be teaching them to play ball, and helping with math, girls and so many other things.
We are strong and we will fight together but difficult doesn't begin to describe this journey. Words cannot describe what we are experiencing.
Daniels biggest fear is that his family will not be taken care of. Thank you all for your support. Our family and friends have been unbelievable to us in this time. Those of you who know my husband know that he is a caring, thoughtful, highly intelligent, and strong man. He lives for myself and our little guys.
Please keep Daniel, Rachel and their sweet little boys in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle with the overwhelming life and the unknown future that lies ahead.
From Rachel's account: Daniel was scheduled for an umbilical hernia surgery on Monday, January 26, 2015. We were told surgery would take about 30 minutes and we would be home by noon, definitely in time to pick up our boys from daycare. Around 9:30 I was asked to come back to a consult room to discuss his recovery. The surgeon came in and sat down. Very directly he stated that Daniel's hernia was repaired but upon opening him up he found large masses that were covering his abdominal organs. "He has mesothelioma." What in the world is that? Don't they have commercials for that? Your world stops turning in that instant. You feel as though you are suffocating. You wonder if this is really happening?
I asked if he had removed the tumors and he stated it was too far advanced. "I'm sorry."
Daniel was admitted to CMC pineville to receive a CT scan to determine the extent of the cancer. This was the first night we have ever been away from our youngest son. Second night away from our oldest.
Tuesday morning an oncologist arrived. "Have you ever been around asbestos?" No, we both answer. "Well, you are young and healthy and I'm not convinced this is mesothelioma. It could be many things: colon cancer, appendiceum, many things."
Hope. We received some hope. Things weren't really as bad as we thought.
The oncologist stated that he was waiting for the pathology report but we should hear from him by the end of the week.
An entire week later our appointment was scheduled for 3:15. February 3 as we sat together, on edge, in an extremly hot and stifling room and we were told that Daniel had Malignant Mesothelioma with sarcomatoid features. This is a non curable disease that affects around 200 people annually in the US. There is no reason this is happening, it is a random event. The oncologist stated that Daniel's lifespan would be 3-4 months if he chose not to have treatment, but could be extended to 8-10 months with aggressive chemotherapy.
Scrambling for answers and dealing with the devastation, we traveled to Wake Forest and met with an oncologist specializing specifically with Mesothelioma on Friday, February 6th. The doctor there confirmed the diagnosis and agreed to the treatment plan. Daniel will begin an 8 hour, aggressive chemotherapy regimen Wednesday, February 11th, his 33rd birthday.
Words don't do justice to the emotions you feel. There is an overwhelming sense of drowning. You can't get ahead of yourself because each day new challenges arise. You literally feel as though you can't keep your head above the water. Each time you feel as though you get a handle on your emotions and understand what is happening you dragged back under the water. All it takes is one thought about our little boys who are so innocent and don't deserve this. Their lives will be incomplete. We will be missing the cornerstone of our family. The one who should be teaching them to play ball, and helping with math, girls and so many other things.
We are strong and we will fight together but difficult doesn't begin to describe this journey. Words cannot describe what we are experiencing.
Daniels biggest fear is that his family will not be taken care of. Thank you all for your support. Our family and friends have been unbelievable to us in this time. Those of you who know my husband know that he is a caring, thoughtful, highly intelligent, and strong man. He lives for myself and our little guys.
Please keep Daniel, Rachel and their sweet little boys in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle with the overwhelming life and the unknown future that lies ahead.
Organizer
Chastity Welsh
Organizer
Fort Mill, SC
