Meredith's Fight

On Christmas Eve of 2012 , a month and a half after our youngest daughter was born Meredith was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma cancer. Synovial sarcoma is a rare form of cancer of the tissues typically found in young males and is extremely uncommon for a woman of her age to have. The first round created havoc within our lives . It took away from her ability to enjoy our daughters infancy due to weeks of radiation, several surgeries of which one she almost died from and 4 rounds of inpatient prophylactic chemotherapy to boost her chances of it never returning. We were devastated and Meredith was left severe everlasting disabilities in her leg. Our wedding had to be postponed due her health issues which caused us to forfeit the deposit we placed for our reception venue. Our lives were turned upside down and inside out. We were never so happy to ring in the new year. Very slowly, we began to pick up the shattered pieces of our lives. Meredith's health started to improve and day by day she started to regain the person that she was before cancer destroyed her life. She started seeing a new therapist for the lymphedema she suffered from. The mundane of life for most became what made her the happiest.
Taking our girls to school, after school activities, making dinner, helping with homework, snuggles before bedtime and running our household seemed to be what helped to make her whole again. In October of 2015, Meredith and I decided to try to have another baby. Right around this time last year we were blessed with the news that in July 2016 we would be welcoming another member to our family. She was ecstatic. She lives and breathes to be a mother. She has always said that it is the only job in the world that could ever make her the happiest. On July 1st 2016, Joseph Anthony Martone was born. We were over the moon and I finally got my boy! Life seemed like it couldn't get any better. Meredith was finally back to the woman that I first met with strength, self confidence, humility and this charisma that beamed for miles. In September of this year, she started not feeling well but dismissing it as exhaustion from the new baby and a minor cold. Anyone that knows her, knows that she's tough as nails and will never complain when something is bothering her. On October 10th, the day after our daughter, Giuliannas birthday she began to cough up blood. She immediately went to the Doctor who advised that it was probably just pneumonia, sent her for a chest x-ray and then gave her a strong dose of antibiotics. The next day, he called and her world began to crumble. He advised that her cancer had a good probability that it had returned. She was sent for a CT scan where the found a large amount of fluid in her chest. That day she had a half of a literary drained from her chest cavity. The fluid, it was explained was from the maliginant tumors swelling and then seeping into the chest cavity. Another CT guided biopsy at Roswell last week confirmed the one thing we had feared the most. The synovial sarcoma had returned and moved into her lungs creating lesions or tumors on both the right lung and primarily the largest of the left lung. Surgery is not an option at this point. They described it as stage 4, incurable but hopefully controllable. She is set to undergo her first round of inpatient chemotherapy Monday at Roswell Park. Unfortunately, her insurance is out of network with the hospital and the cost of treatment may become unmanageable for our incomes. I will also have to take unpaid absences to be with her or care for our children while she is away and home. Chemo ain't easy. Withe the Holidays approaching, Meredith is seemingly and not suprisingly more concerned with our children and our finances. Please help me to set her mind at ease with this so that she can focus on fighting for her life. We need her around for every Holiday Season and not just one. She doesn't know that I am doing this and probably be upset with me for doing so but every little bit helps and our gratitude is overwhelming for any donation we shall receive. Thank each and every one of you all for your continued prayers for my amazing wife and our family. This year will not be easy but as long as she is alive, we are willing to battle anything. We love you all and once again thank you for all of the love and support.

Love,
Joe