home from the hospital

First night home from the hospital. Wow...who would have thought. I'm pretty shaken up by what happened it seems a bit surreal. For all of you who don't know I'll break it down. Last Friday I was surfing after work w/some of my coworkers and my left arm and shoulder was tightening up and became pretty swollen. I was out for a good half hour before I came in beacause of the discomfort. I took my wetsuit off and my left arm and shoulder felt like a tourniquet was around it. Some of my other friends came in and I eventually went to the ER at Long Beach Memorial w/my friend Roger.

To summarize the major events: had multiple tests done in ER to diagnose possible causes of swelling and left arm discomfort. Doctors found out it was a large grapefruit sized mass in my chest cavity impinging on my superior vena cava (main blood vessel returning blood back to heart from upper extremities). I played the waiting game while a patient in the hospital for consults and results from various doctors. The most important diagnostic test I had done was the biopsy of the mass (using a needle to obtain a chunk of the tissue) to determine the tissue type and whether or not it was cancerous. One of the doctors gave preliminary treatment options: if it was one type it could be excised through the chest or chemotherapy. I wasn't sure what to think at that point but knew that it had to leave my body somehow. The next day the oncologist came in and told my family and I that it was mediastinal seminoma which is a malignant cancer but very treatable. Lance Armstrong had a similar type treated w/chemo and look what he's done!!

So here we are, got discharged today had a nice dinner w/my family and shion (eric's gf) and will start chemo on monday. The regimen is 5 days a week a couple hours a day then 3 weeks off to rest and strengthen for 3-4 cycles. My oncologist sounds very positive and 3-4 cycles could kill the cancer. Sorry to be so objective and dry for my first entry but I just wanted everyone to know what happened and where i'm going.

Emotionally I'm doing pretty well considering what I happened. I was treated at the hospital where I am employed. I was admitted to the acute medical tower (I work in the rehab hospital) and had tons of co-workers, friends and family visit me which was awesome. I got the VIP treamtent because I was an employee and had a huge room w/enough space for 10 people to sit and visit.

Anyways, I'm not going to think too hard while writing this blog so my thoughts will be random and might not be grammatically correct. But it will be me. I'm so lucky to have such caring friends and family. Some of the things you guys have done have almost made me cry. It feels empowering to have so many people supporting me. This is first step in the journey....