
Chris’ Cancer Journey
Donation protected
On March 25, 2024 after 6 weeks of right sided abdominal pain radiating from the Gallbladder, Chris went in for a routine Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy to remove it. After only 20 minutes in the OR, Becca received a page to meet the surgeon in the consult room. She knew something wasn’t right as this surgery should take an hour or more. As the surgeon walked in and sat down with photos he said the words no person ever wants to hear. “It’s Cancer.” At that moment their lives as they knew it changed forever. A metastatic tumor overlaying the Liver, attaching to the Gallbladder, and cancerous “seeding” also known as “caking” covering the Peritoneum. The lining of Chris’ abdominal cavity.
Becca got to work scheduling follow up testing such as a CT and a Colonoscopy as the Surgeon felt this may have started in his Colon. She also reached out to a dear friend in healthcare in Kansas City who connected her with a Nurse Navigator at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. A Gold Standard cancer center with Physicians who specialize in GI Cancers and groundbreaking treatments for those cancers. In just 48 short hours after Chris’ initial surgery, they had appointments for further testing, an Oncologist in Tulsa, and both the Oncologist and Surgeon Oncologist at KU for the following week. This is nothing short of miraculous.
The biopsy from Chris’ Colonoscopy came back bleak. Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma. A rare GI Cancer with a poor prognosis on paper. In meeting with the Care team at KU, they found out more specifics. Stage 4 Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Appendix. It started in the Appendix?! That useless thing?! Ugh. SRCC of the Appendix only accounts for 0.4% of all GI cancers. Chris needs to stop trying to be so rare! We already knew he was special!
Wednesday, April 3, Chris and Becca met with their Care Team at KU and got a plan of attack for this monster. 12 rounds, one every 2 weeks or 6 months of a very intense Chemo regimen called FOLFIRINOX. The side effects alone from this regimen are horrific and taxing. But if anyone can tolerate them and push through them it’s Chris. He is able to have this Chemo administered at home in Tulsa and will travel to Kansas City in July for repeat scans, labs, and meetings with the Care Team there. If all goes as planned, Chris and Becca will then travel to Kansas City in November/December for Chris to have a large open belly surgery called a Laparotomy. The Surgeon will remove his Gallbladder, his Appendix, and possibly his Spleen. He will then take on the extremely tedious task of scraping ALL malignancies off every surface in Chris’ abdominal cavity. Once this is complete Chris will be moved to a secondary room and onto a bed that oscillates up and down as well as did to side. Lines are inserted into the abdominal cavity and a hot chemotherapy “lavage” or wash out is started. The bed moves so the chemotherapy can get into every single nook and cranny. Killing cancer cells on contact. The doctors affectionately refer to this as “shake and bake”, but the clinical term is HIPEC. Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Chris will spend a few nights in the ICU and then will be on the Oncology floor for another 5-7 days. Chris and Becca will need to stay in Kansas City for a time after discharge for post op appointments as well.
Chris has an incredible Village rallying behind him. Holding him up. His 4 children Glory, Bryce, Savannah, and Addison, while scared of the unknown and what the future may hold, have also rallied and are ready to fight right along side Chris. And if you know Becca, you know she is at the Helm right next to Chris, being his “Cancer Concierge” organizing all treatment, care, appointments. You name it. She’s on top of it. This family is a force to be reckoned with. Cancer will not beat them.
Multiple people have reached out to help them, but it's very hard and humbling to have to ask for financial help. We don't know what the final expenses will be for everything. We don't know what the ongoing costs will be for the rest of this year, and for years to come. The lost wages for Becca and medical bills are already significant. However, we wanted to set a goal to help in any way we can for Chris and Becca at this time. If you feel led to give, we thank you so much. If you are supporting them in thoughts and prayers, we are very appreciative. If you are supporting them with your time, meals, help with the kids, we are so grateful. More importantly, we trust God will bridge the gaps and provide exactly what they need, as He has always done.
Isaiah 53:5 - “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are HEALED.”
Organizer
The Jones Family
Organizer
Bixby, OK