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Wendy Anderson hasn't added a story.
My 24 year old son has Peripheral T- lymphoma (NOS (not otherwise specified)).
Read about PTCL - NOS in Bryans case... also affecting bone marrow and organs.
The cancer is thought to be in early stages... I haven't been told what actual "stage" he is in, but maybe he knows hasn't said.
**Stage IV**
We will ALL be having to take time off work out pay in order to fight this battle. Anyone who has the circumstances to help my family during this time of need, please do so knowing how grateful we are what a beautiful thing you're doing. He is so very deserving of the best care and any amount you can offer will be greatly appreciated and is sorely needed.
My son will miss the most work and this is a tremendous financial burden on them. He is currently a Software Developer at Elliott Electrical Supply in Nacogdoches, Texas. Lisa teaches 3rd grade at a school in Nacogdoches ISD. Bryan has been told that he will have to keep up at least 30 hours a week at Elliott in order to keep his Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance. He is doing everything he can including working from the hospital bed while receiving his blood transfusions and chemo via IV! His supervisors are being very kind to him and understanding. He is doing everything he can right now to keep his insurance and his job. He was so happy to begin working there full time only 3 months ago when he was able to quit working his two jobs at that time. The other being an almost "career" at Brookshire Brothers grocery store. He started working at the store in Hemphill when he was living at home with me at age 16, then transferred to a Nacogdoches store when he moved there to attend college... worked there until very recently. He gave them his all, he's giving his all to work, to college... to Lisa and sweet little Gabby. I would give him all I have, if I had anything to give. I would take this disease into myself if it would cure him. It's so unfair. . . He deserves so much better for all that he has done for everyone; for how hard he's tried... still trying!!
I'm pretty numb over the whole ordeal, I'm sure that the entire family feels much the same way. Most don't know what to say, or how to react... it's just devastating... no other word describes it more adequately than devastating...
We have all been through so many different emotions and still going. He has too of course.... most probably beyond my wildest imagination. What my son is going through... I cannot begin to guess.. but I will be there for him, no matter what is required. He is so loved! None of us know very much about this cancer we are all learning as we get along in treatment just day to day experiences. This first chemo treatment seems to have done nothing except make him really tired & sluggish. He still has a decent appetite the nausea medication they give him during treatment worked well this time also.
He is receiving a chemo treatment called C.H.O.P.E.... 3 days of chemo is done as an outpatient, so he has to pay out of pocket for the hotel stay in Houston close to the hospital. Then on day 4 (exactly 24 hours after last chemo treatment) he is required to have an injection of a type of medication that will keep his white count up.
He had to have two more blood transfusions between chemo treatments while at MD Anderson Friday because his red blood count went back down to seven. It was 5.6 at the lowest when this all was first noticed in Nacogdoches. . .
As of October 16, 2014, (today), in total he's had seven blood transfusions six bags of chemo via IV. Every Friday, Saturday Sunday, at three week intervals, he will have to go back to MD erson get the C.H.O.P.E. chemo treatments. They're trying to coordinate Nacogdoches hospital to order the special white shot so it can be done at home on day four. They say the shot has to be given exactly 24 hrs after last chemo. This will allow the family member who is with him to come back home on Sunday and HOPEFULLY be able to work our jobs on Monday.
He will have the next one on October 31, Nov 1 & 2...
After the 4th treatment, they'll do another bone marrow biopsy /or PET scan to determine if he is clear of lymphoma so they can begin the infusion process. If so, that will begin sometime in February, if they determine that he has to have all six chemo treatments, it will begin in May 2015.
The plan is to kill ALL the lymphoma cancer from his T-Cells..Then for 5 days they will do what they called, " growth injections." They want to do this so that his own cells will produce an over-abundance in his bone marrow; spill over into his blood to rebuild him ...
Then they will start taking his blood removing the cells, then putting his blood back in. All of that will be done outpatient, so he will need a place to stay and necessities while away from home. Once there are enough cells stored, he will be admitted to the hospital to endure an entire week of an extremely high dose of chemo to ensure that they have killed all the cancer cells in his bone marrow. Then the following week they will begin putting his stored cells back into his body. They will monitor him for about a week afterward. So that will end up as three weeks in the hospital for that. Then he has to live within 25 miles of the hospital for 10 days afterward wtih someone monitoring him 24 hours a day going to the hospital daily for tests.
After that horrible time in the hospital is done and this treatment is successful, he will get to go home!! Then, following up trips to MD Anderson once a month, then every three months, every six months, finally once a year. This is such a life changer, because I am really poor myself, being a single mother with his teenage brother sister still at home, I can only afford a little fuel here or there, lunch for us while in Houston... and little things like that. So, because of that, I cannot be too proud to ask for help from the outside. Especially when there may be those out there who are able and happy to offer it. So I humbly ask, if you are able to in any way... any donation is appreciated, beyond anything words can ever say.
After all treatments (chemo ) are completed, he will have a 60-65% chance that the lymphoma will NOT come back.
That is the diagnosis the plan as I understand it right now. I may have some details of his treatment out of order or incorrect... but I will update as we get along. Already, we've been reminded that plans are just that; plans. plans end up changing quickly. Thank you so much for anything that you can do to help!
This is a terrible thing for will be a most difficult time in his life... He's 24... Was going to graduate from SFA State University his Bachelors in Computer Science in May 2015... As of now, he has dropped two of his four classes in hopes that he will be able to hle just those, along trying to continue to work at Elliott Electric as a Software Developer. He thinks this will put him behind by another year in finally getting his degree.
(UPDATE: ON OCTOBER 21, 2014, DECIDED TO GO AHEAD DROP HIS REMAINING TWO COLLEGE COURSES. I understand and told him that SFA will still be there waiting for him to complete the very few credits he has left to earn his degree. He is not feeling well enough to continue now and we all feel as if this is a good idea to try keep his responsibilities to a minimum of keeping his job, most of all GETTING WELL!)
When he was diagnosed the rare Pfiefer-Weber-Christians disease, in 2008 at age 18, we were never told that Lymphoma was a complication or that anything for that matter, would ever come from it. His new lymphoma specialist, Dr. Oki, stated that he did believe that the rare Weber Christians disease was related, but in what way, he didn't know. Because of that trouble back then, he started college at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches a year later than intended, now another disease in the form of this rare cancer is ruining his chance of on-time graduation. . .
Because of the rarity of that disease, now this cancer; also a rare type at his age...; he was asked to participate in the M.D. Anderson cancer research program. He accepted those terms happily; to give any and all extra tissue and blood samples to the research team there. Hopefully by that selfless act, much can be learned about his situation and what he is going through can very well benefit other people who find themselves in this horrible situation. He was always such a good child is now an outstanding man!
He's always worked so hard to do well. He's had to work his way through college on his own. His father being gone since he was three years old ... me.. just barely hanging on financially, he knew what he had to do and he never complained. He's worked very hard and is always good to everyone he meets. He worked two jobs, still went to college at one point not long ago. It's so hard to think about how truly bad he has been feeling.. how tired he has been, but still going forward; pushing himself to continue two jobs and school. What strength! I am so proud of him love him so much.
Read more about Pfiefer Weber Christians here:
Panniculitis / Pfiefer-Weber-Christians
Info on Weber Christian disease
Read about Peripheral T- Lymphoma (NOS) here:
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (MD erson Website)
I cannot read very much on this disease online. The prognosis online looks so grim at most websites. . . : -( So, I'd rather listen to the doctors at MD Anderson who are the "people with the plan!" to my wonderful son , who has a fire inside himself to beat this so he can go on a long happy life surrounded by the people that he loves and those who love him. If anyone has any awesome success stories on beating this nasty cancer, please share! It is so refreshing to hear good stories.
He's put his entire life on hold to fight a battle he shouldn't ever have to fight.
It's a huge dark cloud of sickness, sad, depressing unimaginable events waiting to unfold.. But right now, my son is being strong, keeping his humor, has the mindset of the fighter I raised him up to be.
His bills are already enormous... He said the process costs between $750 k to a million ... Flabbergasting... There's a few more little things here there that he will be required to do, but that's all the Big stuff that we know of as of October 16, 2014.
I hope that you can please help our family in any way and I thank you all for anything! From prayers, well wishes, to a few dollars for fuel and food along the travel...for when the family has to spend nights in Houston for the chemo treatment.
Here's a link to the Rotary House, reservations could possibly even be made for the family member that will be staying him ahead of time. If you can help with the cost of hotel stays, you might ask us or find on this page; the exact date of the next chemo treatment pay the hotel for a night or two pay the hotel in advance?
Rotary House International (Hotel by MD erson)
Also, PLEASE spread the word of this site to your friends family, we CAN together get them through this terrible nightmare. has so much to look forward to in life, this tragedy that has fallen upon him is enough to deal ... I want to help him will as much as I can in order for him to use all his strength energy in getting well not need to concern himself medical bills, insurance deductibles... fuel money to drive back forth from Nacogdoches and/or Hemphill to Houston several times a month, food while we are there at MD Anderson Hospital on the road. This tragedy affects the entire family and the financial needs extend to all of us...even just driving to Houston and staying is a financial hardship for the family member(s) who want and need to be with him. He needs all the energy and peace he has inside him to fight this disease and not worry about how his needs might affect others. This is about him and healing, and I hope to keep it that way.
Any size donation to this fund is a Godsend so very much appreciated. For those of you who are unable to donate, I completely understand! You can still help in a huge way by spreading the word about this fund to your family, friends & acquaintances who can hopefully share it with others also. He has a long way to go this, My family all appreciates any form of support you're able to give. Any! :-)
Finally, here is a link for the lymphoma specialist Dr. Oki the transplant specialist Dr. Hosing. Please send prayers to bless them both in their plans treatment to cure .
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