Year Recap

So we are finally starting a blog. If you are reading this you likely already know a little about our crazy year but here is a quick recap:

This past January Steven and I sat down with his doctor to discover that what we thought was a hernia was most likely cancer. That same weekend we learned we were expecting our first baby. Steven had an exploratory surgery where they removed his appendix, section of bowel, and took a few biopsies. Two weeks later the pathology results arrived; we were informed he had stage IV appendix cancer.

Unfortunately the doctors in BC didn’t give us much hope but one doctor told us about a surgery that could offer Steven a cure. She just happened to be working at the Port Alberni Hospital where Steven had the surgery. She had completed some of her residency under a surgeon in Calgary who performs an aggressive surgery for appendix and colon cancers. We contacted the surgeon and met with him in June, he said that Steven would be a good candidate for this surgery. We decided that it would be best if we had the surgery after our baby was born in September. 

From April to September Steven also completed eight cycles of aggressive chemotherapy. The treatment was a three week cycle consisting of one day of IV chemo, two weeks of oral pills, then one week off. Steven handled the treatment fairly well with not too many of the bad side effects. However the later treatments were delayed due to low white blood cell counts, this gave Steven an extra week off. We enjoyed these bonus weeks during the summer as Steven was feeling his best at these times.

Preparation for the surgery consisted of many scans and tests (MRI, CT scan, renal scan, PET scan).

That is how we wound up in Calgary. Tomorrow Steven will be getting the “Mother of All Surgeries” (MOAS); I will do my best to keep family and friends up-to-date with this blog. 

Of course, our year also included the birth of James Andrew Cargo on September 16^th. Steven is an amazing dad and I am happy he has James to offer extra incentive in his fight against cancer and journey to get better.

Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support.

Lots of Love

Tracy & Steven