Saturday, May 12, 2012

How it all began

Well, gee...I have a lot of catching up to do. For those that know who I am, I'm writing this blog in may of 2012. But have been fighting cancer since February of 2011. You can say I was a little lazy to start this blog and tell everyone my story, or that maybe I wasn't ready yet to go into full detail about my immense and tiresome fight with cancer. Well, I have a little time now, and I guess I'm finally ready to share to the world about the biggest fight I've ever endured in my existence.

Just to let everyone know, I loved smoking. Oooh Lord, nicotine was one of my best friends, and if I could, I'd have a cigarette stand in my wedding. Ok I wouldn't go that far but it's a good example on how much I love smoking. I've been smoking probably since I was 17. There was a certain group of friends who introduced me to smoking back in high school, they know who they are and the funny fact is, I still consider them my closest friends. Haha thanks for almost killing me you assholes. Haha honestly, smoking had nothing to do with it. But I will write another blog on exactly what I think triggered my cancer another time.

Yes if it wasn't for smoking, I would have never realized what was wrong with me. You see, my beautiful wife Lidia was 9 months pregnant with our daughter Daniela. Back then Lidia was my girlfriend, so Daniela, if you ever read this you were born out of wedlock! I promised Lidia I would quit smoking before Daniela was born, but I couldn't stop. I remember January of 2011, my health was deteriorating. I was feeling sick, horrible, and I kept coughing. The day before Daniela was born on 1/11/11, I was at work, Lidia called me and said she thought her water broke, and the ob-gyne told her it was time to go to the hospital. Naturally, I freak the crap out and have a cigarette, but little did I know, that was the last cigarette I ever had. I rush to our apartment and line the front passenger seat with blankets stolen from work because I didn't want to get amniotic fluid on the BMW. We arrive to the hospital safely and a few hours later, Lidia was in labor....for 18 grueling hours. The very next day on 1/12/11 our daughter Daniela rose Evangelista was born and it was the most joyous moment of my life. I promised Lidia and Daniela I would never ever touch another cigarette again, which I still hold true until today and for the rest of my life.

They say after your last cigarette, your body goes through changes, after 12 hours, the blood o2 levels return to normal and the CO levels decrease. A month later your energy increases, your lung function improves, and shortness of breath decreases. Buuuuut....for some weird reason, the whole month of January going into February, I felt sicker and sicker. I thought to myself, why am I still coughing up a lung? Why am I always so tired? Why can't I sleep at night? And why am I sweating so much? It never really dawned upon me that something was wrong, I thought it was because my lungs were trying to clear themselves of all the crap that was in there, plus the stress of being a new father, I thought it was all related. Until a family party, and I started coughing up blood everywhere really opened my eyes. I made an appointment with my doctor the following day and saw her within the week. She ordered a chest X-ray, and I received the results on valentines day that I had a massive mass on my mediastinum. At that time Lidia and I were meeting with our wedding coordinator because we were getting married later that year in September. I excused myself from the meeting to take the call from my doctor and when she told me that news, my whole body sank. I feared the worst, that I had cancer. It explained everything. My doctor immediately set me up with an oncologist she knew at Loyola. Within a couple days I was in Loyola, getting more tests, week after week it was test after test after test. From CT scans, to PET scans, MRI of my brain, ultrasound of my balls, heart echo, biopsy of the tumor, including the dreaded bone marrow biopsy. Almost 3 weeks of testing drained the living bejesus out of me. I was tired, I wanted answers. The stress level of not knowing what was wrong with me was killing everybody including myself. My oncologist, Dr. Scott Smith had me admitted when all the testing was done. I remember leaving my apartment and giving daniela a kiss as if it was the last time I'd see my almost 2 month baby, and it tore my heart to shreds. At the hospital, my anxiety levels were through the roof as i finally saw the dorctor. I was diagnosed with diffuse large b-cell non hodgkins lymphoma. And I remember like it was yesterday. The date was 3/3/11, and I was to begin the fight of my life....

3 comments:

  1. thank you so much for sharing.
    it's probably the most interesting and inspiring blog i have ever read.
    we pray for you!
    always keep the faith.
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know I was one of your cigarette partners in crime @ work.. Laughing about the day, talking about continuing education and the fabulous weekends out with your girlfriend at the time Lidia, while inhaling that mess. I follow u in hopes to gain strength, knowledge and wisdom.... I do ask the Lord to keep you and yours safe.... ROB b not affraid, I know its easier said than done... GOD has a plan for you and your family bigger than what you can see.

    ReplyDelete