Let me take you back to April of this year. My husband went in to have what was supposed to be a cyst removed from behind/below his ear. It turned out this cyst with a less than 8% chance of being cancerous was in fact cancerous.
This led to weeks of consultations with leading cancer specialists and a decision that he would in fact go through an intense 7 week treatment of proton radiation. This treatment started in June and went through most of July. It was every single weekday for 30-45 minutes a day. We are very lucky that only proton therapy center in the state is about an hour away. During those seven weeks, I watched my strong and resilient husband fight through emotional and physical effects of the treatment. Some we expected, others we underestimated. When I say the treatment was intense, I would say it's an understatement.
At the same time, I was working during my busiest project of the year and so I couldn't be there for him like I wanted to. He was having to do treatment every day and most days come home and cook dinner for the kids. We were extremely blessed by coworkers that started a meal-train for us and provided us with meals we could easily heat and/or cook. To say that this time was stressful, is again an understatement.
Physically, he endured a burn like I've only seen on TV shows and movies. The entire side of his face/head and ear were burned with the tip of his lobe completely charred off. I couldn't believe that that this was the better (and more gentle) of the two radiation therapies available. Furthermore, you could tell it was taking an emotional toll on all of us, especially him. There is nothing in life that can prepare you for fighting cancer. I always knew my husband was a strong man, but his dedication to our children during likely the most difficult thing he has endured was something that I hope every man has for his family.
So, here I am, nearly 4 months post-treatment and telling you that things are looking up. His physical wounds from the treatment have healed a good bit. There is still some discoloration, hair loss on his beard/head and swelling. He just had his first post-treatment MRI and everything looks good. There is no sign of anything growing back and for now we can say he is cancer-free. We are more grateful for every single day we are given together more now than before. For the next five years, he will continue to have scans to monitor and after the five years elapses, he should be free and clear.
Finally, I just want to say thank you for sticking around and for all the love and support as I know that you understand that family comes first in life. I look forward to writing regularly again and engaging with all of you!
Have a great day!
Kelley
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