07/04/11: Introduction + Update

Happy 4th everyone!

First I would like to thank everyone who has supported me through this trial. I've been brought to tears several times when I face the thought that so many people care about me so deeply and I am extremely lucky to have relationships with all of you.

As a result of the many people that support me I figured it would be a good idea to start a blog so everyone can stay updated on my progress and treatment in a more efficient way. It may also serve as a vehicle for my own emotional recovery through this process. Please feel free to continue calling/texting/emailing me, but just in case I'm not available soon enough to return your correspondence, there will always be this blog to fall back on with the most current information. For a few of you, this may all be new news, so I'll try my best to be brief, but comprehensive.

Update:
Last Thursday (06/23) I walked into the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center ER because of a bad cough, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and chest pain that I had been battling for a week and a half. After a chest x-ray they admitted me immediately into the hospital as they ran various tests (CT scans, biopsies, PET scans, blood work) to interpret what they saw in that initial x-ray. Eight days later, I have been diagnosed with a rare cancer called Spindle Cell Sarcoma. Confirmed from the PET scan imaging, the majority of the mass is in the anterior mediastinal and it encases portions of the aortic arch and its three branches, ascending aorta, the main and right pulmonary arteries, bilateral brachiocephalic veins and superior vena cava without occlusion. Epicenter of the mass is in the right mediastinal with slight shift of the heart and great vessels to the left. It is 14 x 11 cm in size.

A second biopsy was performed on 07/01 in order to examine the grade of the tumor, low or high, and its staging. This will inform them of what treatment strategy would be best. The initial biopsy diagnosed the tumor as low grade, but because it was such a small sample away from the epicenter they wanted a second sample to make sure. The results of the second biopsy should be in by 07/08 as that's my next appointment date.

I was voluntarily discharged on 07/02. Because of the long weekend ahead, the doctor agreed that it wasn't necessary for me to stay as no more tests would be administered and I was in good condition. He still recommended lots of rest, but no need for hospital supervision.


Hope this post shed some light on the current situation. This will generally be my first go-to when I receive any information regarding my condition.

This is a public blog so if you know of anyone who might be concerned that I may have missed, feel free to direct them here. Again, I cannot thank you all enough for the tremendous love and support!