Help Jason Fight Cancer
Donation protected
Just 4 days after we welcomed our son Ryzen into the world, we found out my husband, Jason, had cancer.
I thought, by now, I had a pretty good grasp on everything going on - yet as I began to write that first sentence the tears began to flow.
Why him? How did this happen?? Why NOW?!!
This is my very best friend, my soul mate! The father of my son. I'm supposed to comfort him, shield him from pain. I can't protect him from this!
Trusting that things happen for a reason, even when those things are incredibly horrible and hard, is something you have to let your heart guide you through.
The story:
One Friday Jason had an egg sized lump show up overnight on the left side of his neck. Being a pestering wife, I insisted that he go to urgent care to get treated for what I thought was an infected lymph node.
What we thought would be a simple visit turned into a CAT scan followed by a bunch of medical terms and confusing information that we assumed was just doctors being overly cautious. They thought the mass to be a Branchial Cleft Cyst, a birth defect.
By Monday we were in to see an ENT, and before the middle of the week he was at the hospital having the cyst contents biopsied - we were told the results were good, but the cyst would need to be excised. Surgery was set.
Two days before the birth of our son Jason had surgery to remove the cyst. Surgery went well and he began to heal wonderfully - it was behind us!
So we thought.
We had just brought our son Ryzen home from the hospital and were trying to settle in to life as new parents. Ryzen was just 4 precious days old when we got the phone call.
Jason had cancer.
Something none of us, even the doctors, had expected. The cyst had been sent off for further testing. It was not, in fact, a Branchial Cleft Cyst, it was a cancerous lymph node.
We both broke down. Now what?
We gather ourselves, trust in faith, and charge on. Day by day, appointment by dreaded appointment.
It was known that the location of the cancer that was removed had to have originated in another area, it is a secondary cancer.
After doing more testing - a PET scan, another CAT scan, it was found that the cancer had originated in his tonsil and already metastasized to another lymph node that is behind his throat. Because of this surgery was not an option, there for he needed chemo and radiation to equal what surgery could have done. After meeting with a radiologist, it was decided that Jason will proceed with chemo and radiation.
After bad and eerily honest news from multiple doctors , we were finally given an uplifting note. The great news was that his specific cure rate is around 80- 85%! We were so grateful for this news! We would find ourselves focusing on this.
We were warned to brace ourselves that treatment will be very aggressive and painful for Jason. This totally sucks, yes! However, we wanted honesty and to know what we were getting into, so bring it on cancer!!
Next step was to get a port placed to make administering his medications and fluids much easier on Jason.
Done!
His treatments started with chemo and radiation on Monday, June 12th . Ryzen and I were right by his side, cancer will NOT break this family!
A feeding tube will likely have to be placed in the near future, since Jason will more than likely not be able to eat and/or swallow as time goes on.
His treatment will last 7 weeks - radiation every day Mon-Fri, with 3 massive doses of chemo throughout.
Then comes the slow recovery of about another 3 months or so.
This is going to suck. Suck BIG TIME! But you know what? If all goes as planned, I'm still going to have my husband! He may be hurting, I may not be able to shield him from this, but God had a plan for us and its much bigger than we could ever figure out. We just have to have faith, trust and love. And that we do!
Lastly, we also need support. We have been beyond blessed thus far with peoples outpouring of love!! THANK YOU!!!
Please help if you can:
Then comes the "tail between your legs" moment of asking for financial help too.
There are already so many medical bills piling up and we've just begun. I'm out of work for maternity leave (which had otherwise been a blessing, since I can be by his side through this all). Luckily Jason has some disability coming, but there is a large gap of time between when he'll need to quit working and when that will kick in. We have a mortgage, car payments, insurance, groceries, etc. Basically everything your own household requires. We, unfortunately, don't have any savings left and are truly scared at what's to come.
Any help is appreciated beyond words. But prayers are free and we need them most!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our families story.
With your help and prayers, JASON WILL BEAT CANCERS ASS!
I thought, by now, I had a pretty good grasp on everything going on - yet as I began to write that first sentence the tears began to flow.
Why him? How did this happen?? Why NOW?!!
This is my very best friend, my soul mate! The father of my son. I'm supposed to comfort him, shield him from pain. I can't protect him from this!
Trusting that things happen for a reason, even when those things are incredibly horrible and hard, is something you have to let your heart guide you through.
The story:
One Friday Jason had an egg sized lump show up overnight on the left side of his neck. Being a pestering wife, I insisted that he go to urgent care to get treated for what I thought was an infected lymph node.
What we thought would be a simple visit turned into a CAT scan followed by a bunch of medical terms and confusing information that we assumed was just doctors being overly cautious. They thought the mass to be a Branchial Cleft Cyst, a birth defect.By Monday we were in to see an ENT, and before the middle of the week he was at the hospital having the cyst contents biopsied - we were told the results were good, but the cyst would need to be excised. Surgery was set.
Two days before the birth of our son Jason had surgery to remove the cyst. Surgery went well and he began to heal wonderfully - it was behind us!
So we thought. We had just brought our son Ryzen home from the hospital and were trying to settle in to life as new parents. Ryzen was just 4 precious days old when we got the phone call.
Jason had cancer.
Something none of us, even the doctors, had expected. The cyst had been sent off for further testing. It was not, in fact, a Branchial Cleft Cyst, it was a cancerous lymph node.
We both broke down. Now what?
We gather ourselves, trust in faith, and charge on. Day by day, appointment by dreaded appointment.
It was known that the location of the cancer that was removed had to have originated in another area, it is a secondary cancer.
After doing more testing - a PET scan, another CAT scan, it was found that the cancer had originated in his tonsil and already metastasized to another lymph node that is behind his throat. Because of this surgery was not an option, there for he needed chemo and radiation to equal what surgery could have done. After meeting with a radiologist, it was decided that Jason will proceed with chemo and radiation.
After bad and eerily honest news from multiple doctors , we were finally given an uplifting note. The great news was that his specific cure rate is around 80- 85%! We were so grateful for this news! We would find ourselves focusing on this.
We were warned to brace ourselves that treatment will be very aggressive and painful for Jason. This totally sucks, yes! However, we wanted honesty and to know what we were getting into, so bring it on cancer!!
Next step was to get a port placed to make administering his medications and fluids much easier on Jason.
Done!
His treatments started with chemo and radiation on Monday, June 12th . Ryzen and I were right by his side, cancer will NOT break this family!
A feeding tube will likely have to be placed in the near future, since Jason will more than likely not be able to eat and/or swallow as time goes on. His treatment will last 7 weeks - radiation every day Mon-Fri, with 3 massive doses of chemo throughout.
Then comes the slow recovery of about another 3 months or so.
This is going to suck. Suck BIG TIME! But you know what? If all goes as planned, I'm still going to have my husband! He may be hurting, I may not be able to shield him from this, but God had a plan for us and its much bigger than we could ever figure out. We just have to have faith, trust and love. And that we do!
Lastly, we also need support. We have been beyond blessed thus far with peoples outpouring of love!! THANK YOU!!!
Please help if you can:
Then comes the "tail between your legs" moment of asking for financial help too.
There are already so many medical bills piling up and we've just begun. I'm out of work for maternity leave (which had otherwise been a blessing, since I can be by his side through this all). Luckily Jason has some disability coming, but there is a large gap of time between when he'll need to quit working and when that will kick in. We have a mortgage, car payments, insurance, groceries, etc. Basically everything your own household requires. We, unfortunately, don't have any savings left and are truly scared at what's to come.
Any help is appreciated beyond words. But prayers are free and we need them most!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our families story.
With your help and prayers, JASON WILL BEAT CANCERS ASS!
Organizer
Ashley Pelton
Organizer
St. Paul, MN