We are Peter and Therese and we live in Sydney,
Australia.
We both saw this mailing list and started reading it a
couple of days ago. I (Therese have had a bit more time available
to read it) and I must say that I find it inspirational. Peter, my
husband, is 35 years of age and in July last year he was diagnosed with
Sarcoma - Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of the skin, very rare.
As a bit of a preamble to all this in about late
April, Peter had growth come up on his back, it was rather like a large
blister. We went to our local doctor who referred us to his
dermatologist to have it checked out. Peter Has been seeing this
dermatologist on an annual basis for about 5 years now, just as a
precaution. However, that aside, the dermatologist took a shave
biopsy of the growth. He told Peter at the time that he did not
think it was anything to worry about. The result of the pathology
came back a bit unusual, so the dermatologist asked for further
investigation of the results. The dermatologist then phoned me
tell me what had gone on and that the further testing came back as
okay. In the next couple of weeks, the blister on Peter's back
grew again and was quite itchy and inflamed. We arranged to see
the dermatologist again. He looked at it and said "oh that's
just scar tissue, here put some of this cream on it" and you should
be right mate, he then said as we were leaving his rooms "now go
home and lick your wounds?" nice guy!!!!
Within the space of about six weeks, Peter started to
become very lethargic, did not want to do anything, he also started to
develop a lump in the side of his neck. It gradually got bigger
and harder. Peter also developed a severe cold and a nagging
cough. Peter does shift work and on one particular day he was due
to go in and do a night shift, but he just didn't feel up to it.
He took himself to a different local doctor, as our original doctor was
bit too far away and he didn't have the energy to take himself that
far. On seeing the new local doctor, he was very curious about the
lump that had developed, he wanted to know if Peter had recently had a
trauma to the skin, as he thought that it was his lymph nodes trying to
heal the trauma. Peter then went on to tell him about the growth
on his back and its subsequent removal. The doctor then arranged
for Peter to go and have an ultrasound done. This came back as
either being a cyst or a malignant tumour, to determine what it was
Peter then had to undergo a fine needle aspiration. This came back
as being malignant. Our local doctor then arranged for Peter to
have chest and lung x-rays, and thankfully, these were clear. The
local doctor then arranged for Peter to be referred to a specialist
surgeon, but we were not happy with him, his bedside manner was all
wrong etc etc.
One of Peter's best friend's brother works as a
radiotherapy doctor in one of the top hospitals in Sydney. He was
talking to several of the professors about Peter's condition and told
them about what had gone on. They suggested that Peter should go
and see a Professor O'Brien who is a head and neck specialist and is
considered "the best" in the business. We had a tough
decision to make as it usually takes about six weeks to get into see
Prof. O'Brien, however, I'm sure God was on our side, due to the other
Professors knowing Prof. O'Brien we were able to get in the next
day. We went and saw Prof O'Brien (a true gift from God) and he
said, I want you to go home now and pack your bags and come back in
again this afternoon, as I am admitting you straight away. Prof
O'Brien performed the operation the next day.
After the operation Peter was waiting anxiously (as
you do), to find out what went on in the operation. Prof. O'Brien
came in to the room to see Peter, Peter had a sudden rush, he was
thinking to himself what is he going to tell me, Peter was scared
stiff. Prof O'Brien said that "they got it all", Peter
sighed a breath of relief. They had removed all the lymph nodes on
the left hand side of his neck, they called it a "radical neck
dissection". They also reopened the original site on his back
and made a much bigger incision to make sure that they removed
everything from there. The site on his back was the primary tumour
and the lymph nodes was the secondary stage.
Peter has undergone six weeks of radiotherapy. He has
now made quite a few changes to his diet, he tries to tackle one day at
a time now. We were told by Prof. O'Brien that Peter has an 85%
chance of it returning in the first year. He has had a pet scan
back in November and they found nothing. Nine moths
down the track, and it hasn't reappared.
Peter and I are catholics, although we weren't
practising catholics at the time. Peter and my family are both
fairly religious and I am sure that it has been through everyones
prayers that we have got to this stage.
We were both shattered when we first heard those words
"malignant cancer". We both thought it was the end, our
heads were spinning. I think when you are in your 30's you seem to
thing that you are pretty invincible. Well it takes something like
this to bring you back down to earth with a real thud and a real thud it
was. We have two beautiful little children, Katherine (4 years
old) and Sean (2 years old). At the time I could only think of
these two kids growing up without a father, and even as I am typing this
message, it brings tears to my eyes. All I ever wanted in life was
to have a happy home, a home full of love and laughter, for Peter and I
to see our children grow up, to share life's experiences together, but
now I feel that there is this cloud of uncertainity hanging above our
heads.
But I have gained some inspiration from your messages
here especially one, where somebody said "all anybody has is
today". I guess that is true, because nobody know what
tomorrow holds.
Peter is well (although I would like to use the term
that Robert Ulrich uses "cured"). His body is cancer
free, Peter is working again, enjoying life, however sometimes I am
frightened that we will slip back into our old ways and get up in the
fast lane again.
Peter and I are trying to make the most of every new
day that God provides us with, as we realise now what a gift that
is.
Peter and I pray that someday soon there will be a
cure for this enormous disease that effects so many different people in
so many different ways. I have found throughout all this that
Peter has probably been my rock. He seems to have been the
stronger one out of us, yet I feel that I should be the stronger
one. I love him dearly and don't know what I would do if he was to
ever go away, we are a real team, we do everything together and most
importantly he is a wonderful husband and father.
You are all in our prayers and thoughts. It is
nice just to be able to babble on like this, I hope you don't
mind.
Regards
Therese & Peter.
Sydney,
Australia.
