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.
