Shit Hits The Fan June 6 2008

So, on Friday June 6th, Chris wakes up and can barely feel his legs. Last night, he thought he might have pinched a nerve, or whatever. However, when he woke up, it was worse. I did not realize just how bad it was. He drove himself to the ER instead of going to work. I got up, got ready for work and went straight to the ER to see him before I went to work.

While I was at work, he had MRIs done at JFK Hospital. They thought they would see a slipped disc or something. What they found, no one would have ever imagined. They found leisions on various parts of his spinal cord. They examined him further. There was a growth on his testicles. Ultrasounds were done. When I was at work, Chris told me they found the testicular growth by basic examining. But, he never told me about the spinal leisions. He did not want to upset me. However, I had a bad feeling. I knew him well enough. He had said something over the phone about the nurses having permission to tell me everything and that just didnt sit right with me.

I left work a little early and when I got to the hospital, I heard everything. I do not think that I ever in my entire life was so shaken up, so upset and such a mess. This is a lot to hear when you think your boyfriend is having orthopedic problems and are 28 years old. THIS is insane.. unfair... unexplainable... but this is what we faced very suddenly. Chris, I think, had heard sooo much that day, that he just wasnt taking it all in anymore. I talked to neurosurgeons, neurologists, urologists, nurses... it was overwhelming. They were getting him a room and admitting him. They would be removing the one testicle on that coming Monday. They suspected testicular cancer that spread to the spine. I got myself together. I called Chris's roommate of 4 days. She was awesome. We couldnt have been luckier with the person he moved in with. She let me come get his stuff (clothes) for the hospital and eventually was totally understanding when he had to move out.

Chris and I have no children. The urologist helped us find a sperm bank. We were able to make a deposit before they removed his testicle. They were pretty certain there would be chemo soon, and we wanted the best chance of saving some sperm at this point.

Chris was put in ICU. Let me tell you... JFK ICU nurses are the best nurses you can imagine. He made a friend, Yvonne, who was actually retiring at the end of this year. She was awesome. Neurogogical doctors- teams of residents- visited him throughout the day - everyday. The morning of the surgery came (Monday June 9th) and we had some privacy and collected the "boys" in a cup. Talk about an interesting intimate session.. hmmmm

I then had to drive the boys to the sperm bank in Mountainside NJ. I had to keep them at body temperature. Very interesting morning. I signed my life away at the bank. Paid through the gills for the storage... yea.. and went back to the hospital to see Chris before his surgery.

Now it was time to biopsy and wait. They started talking to us about radiation and chemo. At this point, the steroids were majorly helping him. He was close to paralasis when he first got to JFK. THey were amazed that he drove himself to the ER. By Thursday, the final biopsy results were in.. They were the biggest surprise. It was not testicular cancer. It was some sort of Leukemia. He was going to be transferred to Robert Wood. JFK does not treat leukemics and Robert Wood is the best place for him to be. My doctor prescribed me Xanex. I now understood real anxiety and uncontrolled emotions. We went to Robert Wood. We met Dr. Strair... the head hematologist at the Cancer Institute and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. They are aggressive with treatment and they are wonderful. THis was just the beginning...