Support the Stobb Family Journey
Donation protected
After three and a half years of fighting cancer, it has become apparent that I now need more than just the emotional support that so many have given so fervently. Many have asked over the years how they could help, and this campaign is the vehicle by which that help can manifest itself. Please help us in my fight for life and the journey of my family through these uncertain times. All money donated will be used to cover medical expenses incurred in the coming months along with life costs associated with my inability to return to work after the next radical surgery.
Three years of fighting depicted in the pictures above.
In December of 2011, I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which manifested as a growth on the left side of my tongue. I underwent my first surgery, a partial glossectomy (removal of a portion of my tongue) and a bilateral neck dissection which removed 100 lymph nodes from my neck. At the time, we thought all would be well as none of the lymph nodes had any cancer cells in them and they were able to get clear margins on my tongue. But unfortunately, a year and a half later later, I had a recurrence in my left neck. I underwent surgery to remove my submandibular gland and a pocket of 10 lymph nodes, one of which contained active cancer cells. This surgery did not result in clear margins and following it, I spent the summer of 2013 going through my first round of chemo and radiation.
All smiles after the completion of radiation and chemo!
Six months after these treatments, the cancer recurred, this time in multiple places in my central neck area. I underwent a third surgery, this one more complex than the others. My thyroid gland was removed and four other areas that contained cancerous growths. My right pectoral muscle was disconnected from my chest and reconnected to my neck to cover the void created from the removal of all the soft tissue. Again, this surgery did not produce clear margins in two areas - one near the larynx (the voice box) and the other further down towards my sternum.
The summer of 2014 was spent enduring yet another 6 week course of chemo and radiation in hopes that this would impact these areas and prevent recurrence. In the Fall of 2014, we learned that these efforts were unsuccessful and I had my third recurrence, this time in the larynx. In December I underwent surgery again, this time to remove my voice box and perform another bilateral neck dissection. This surgery left me with a hole in my neck through which I breathe and robbed me of my natural voice. I am now only able to “speak” with the assistance of an electrolarynx held up to my neck. This has proved the most drastic of alterations to my body and the most difficult to deal with on a daily basis. It is quite shocking to spend 37 years speaking normally and then wake up one evening having completely lost the ability to speak. I am learning to live with my new limitations, but it will take much more time to really get comfortable with who I am.
The yellowish glowing area is the current tumor growth.
That brings us to today. The cancer has recurred a fourth time, now in the bone of my sternum. I have been undergoing some pre-surgery chemo to try and control and limit progression in the time before I have to be operated on again. Surgery #5 will be a big one. The current plan is to remove a portion of my sternum and a section of both clavicles. This plan is somewhat open-ended however in that they will remove whatever they have to in order to get clear margins and leave me with the ability to live. All prior surgeries have removed or altered soft tissue. What does it feel like to have complete sections of bone removed? This surgery scares me more than any of the previous, not just from a surgery survivability standpoint, but also in regards to recovery and quality of life after.
There is much uncertainty in the trying times ahead, but one thing is certain...I have not yet quit and I will fight with all my ability to maximize my time on this earth. We have much to figure out, but focusing on my health seems paramount at this point. I have now been told for the second time that I have less than a year to live, but I feel like I still have so much more to do! It is heartbreaking to watch your wife break down and nearly pass out when they tell you that you have cancer in your bones and this will kill you, likewise it is almost unbearable to look into your sons faces and tell them that you are going to die.
I want to be there to watch Bowen play football, which is all he dreams of doing. I want nothing more than to be there and watch A.J. have a competitive tennis match against an actual opponent. It has been such a pleasure to see them grow to be such wonderful 8 and 10 year olds, but I am not done being proud of them. Cancer might have taken away the ability for me to do certain things with them, but it can never take away the pride I feel each time they take the field to play a baseball game.
This is not an easy road that we are travelling down, but we must trudge on armed at times only with the hope that a miracle is just around the corner. Please visit my blog for a more in depth look at the journey I have been on in the past few years (bastobb.blogspot.com ).
Thank you for all of your continued support throughout this lengthy journey.
Love to all,
Bryce, Jessica, Bowen and A.J. (The Stobbs)
Three years of fighting depicted in the pictures above.In December of 2011, I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which manifested as a growth on the left side of my tongue. I underwent my first surgery, a partial glossectomy (removal of a portion of my tongue) and a bilateral neck dissection which removed 100 lymph nodes from my neck. At the time, we thought all would be well as none of the lymph nodes had any cancer cells in them and they were able to get clear margins on my tongue. But unfortunately, a year and a half later later, I had a recurrence in my left neck. I underwent surgery to remove my submandibular gland and a pocket of 10 lymph nodes, one of which contained active cancer cells. This surgery did not result in clear margins and following it, I spent the summer of 2013 going through my first round of chemo and radiation.
All smiles after the completion of radiation and chemo!Six months after these treatments, the cancer recurred, this time in multiple places in my central neck area. I underwent a third surgery, this one more complex than the others. My thyroid gland was removed and four other areas that contained cancerous growths. My right pectoral muscle was disconnected from my chest and reconnected to my neck to cover the void created from the removal of all the soft tissue. Again, this surgery did not produce clear margins in two areas - one near the larynx (the voice box) and the other further down towards my sternum.
The summer of 2014 was spent enduring yet another 6 week course of chemo and radiation in hopes that this would impact these areas and prevent recurrence. In the Fall of 2014, we learned that these efforts were unsuccessful and I had my third recurrence, this time in the larynx. In December I underwent surgery again, this time to remove my voice box and perform another bilateral neck dissection. This surgery left me with a hole in my neck through which I breathe and robbed me of my natural voice. I am now only able to “speak” with the assistance of an electrolarynx held up to my neck. This has proved the most drastic of alterations to my body and the most difficult to deal with on a daily basis. It is quite shocking to spend 37 years speaking normally and then wake up one evening having completely lost the ability to speak. I am learning to live with my new limitations, but it will take much more time to really get comfortable with who I am.
The yellowish glowing area is the current tumor growth.That brings us to today. The cancer has recurred a fourth time, now in the bone of my sternum. I have been undergoing some pre-surgery chemo to try and control and limit progression in the time before I have to be operated on again. Surgery #5 will be a big one. The current plan is to remove a portion of my sternum and a section of both clavicles. This plan is somewhat open-ended however in that they will remove whatever they have to in order to get clear margins and leave me with the ability to live. All prior surgeries have removed or altered soft tissue. What does it feel like to have complete sections of bone removed? This surgery scares me more than any of the previous, not just from a surgery survivability standpoint, but also in regards to recovery and quality of life after.
There is much uncertainty in the trying times ahead, but one thing is certain...I have not yet quit and I will fight with all my ability to maximize my time on this earth. We have much to figure out, but focusing on my health seems paramount at this point. I have now been told for the second time that I have less than a year to live, but I feel like I still have so much more to do! It is heartbreaking to watch your wife break down and nearly pass out when they tell you that you have cancer in your bones and this will kill you, likewise it is almost unbearable to look into your sons faces and tell them that you are going to die.
I want to be there to watch Bowen play football, which is all he dreams of doing. I want nothing more than to be there and watch A.J. have a competitive tennis match against an actual opponent. It has been such a pleasure to see them grow to be such wonderful 8 and 10 year olds, but I am not done being proud of them. Cancer might have taken away the ability for me to do certain things with them, but it can never take away the pride I feel each time they take the field to play a baseball game.
This is not an easy road that we are travelling down, but we must trudge on armed at times only with the hope that a miracle is just around the corner. Please visit my blog for a more in depth look at the journey I have been on in the past few years (bastobb.blogspot.com ).
Thank you for all of your continued support throughout this lengthy journey.
Love to all,
Bryce, Jessica, Bowen and A.J. (The Stobbs)
Organizer
Bryce A. Stobb
Organizer
Austin, TX
