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MY HUSBANDS STORY:This is how it all started.....I was going in for a MRI because I had pain in my hip, burning pain around my thigh and a little tingling in my toes.I was miserable as Peggy would say and it was really starting to become unmanageable. I had already seen my orthopedic surgeon in late July and scheduled a long over due knee replacement surgery on my left knee for Feb. 08'.After visiting my orthopedic Dr. a 2nd time, because of this TERRIBLE DISCOMFORT on my left side from my hip down....I was told that it was common to have these symptoms since I had MAJOR problems with my left knee(Torn ACL etc. from a High School injury).I was sent home to do stretching exercises and given a anti-inflammatory. A few weeks passed and I decided to call my family Dr. which is how I ended up going to have a MRI on Monday, September 10th 2007.Just when I thought the MRI was over the Technician said she saw SOMETHING, and would need to do a CONTRAST with the MRI. So, now I am thinking okay.......maybe I have a bone spur....slip disc.....something minor..... A few hours later I spoke with my Dr. and he said I needed to come to the Office and that it was urgent and that I was going to be admitted...."they saw a epidural mass at L4-L5 region of my spine!!!!!!!! This was the beginning of the longest week in my life.Within 24 hours, I was told that I had a tumor wrapped around L4 and L5 and that I had multiple nonclacified nodules on the left and right lung and multiple lesions in the spleen. The Dr.'s were 90% sure I had LYMPHOMA.Peggy, our families, friends and I were ALL in SHOCK!LYMPHOMA, I have no family history of Cancer? I never get sick, I don't smoke, rarely drink alcohol! How can I have LYMPHOMA?The following days were spent taking MRI's, CT Scans, PET Scans, MUGA Scans, BIOPSY'S of Tumors, Bone Marrow and blood test. By, Thursday they were 99.9% I had STAGE 4 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Now, we had to wait for just one more pathology report to tell us what type I had since it could be any of 30 types. In the mean time they had scheduled surgery to place a port-cath under the right chest muscle, so I could start Chemotherapy ASAP.Friday, September 14, 2007 at 3:30pm, we were told I had Diffuse Large B-Cell, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It was confirmed to be Aggressive and stage 4.Monday, September 17, 2007 we began the fight to KILL THIS HORRIBLE DISEASE.THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS and NEW FRIENDS for your support.Demetri, Peggy and Alex (A.K.A. TEAM KOPLEY)
