Nick Gulas's Fight with Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Our friends, Jim & Sue Gulas’ son Nick was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in early February 2023. He was 26 at the time.

In late fall 2022, Nick had multiple symptoms that everyone thought was a combination of a cold and sinus infection. He made several visits to quick-care and received temporary relief only for the symptoms to return when the meds were gone. He went to an ENT who did cure the sinus infection. However the cough was the main concern because it had been hanging around for 3 months and Nick talked on the phone for his job so persistent coughing was a problem.

On February 2, 2023 Nick had an appointment with his GP to get relief from the cough. An x-ray and a chest CT were taken. The result was a large mass (6cm by 13cm) in his chest. They were told that day to get Nick to the ER at Northwestern immediately.

Nick was admitted to NW that same afternoon. He remained in the hospital for 2 weeks. He was first diagnosed in the ER with SVCS (Superior Vena Cava Syndrome) which was the result of the large mass causing the swelling and coughing, etc. because it was resting/pushing on his main vein to the head, neck, chest and arms along with resting on his lungs. After several days in the hospital the biopsy result was a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

He began aggressive chemotherapy treatment while still in the hospital that continued for 6 months. He was put on short term disability from his employer while going through treatment. He had his last infusion in mid-July and returned to work at the end of the month.

In mid-August, he had a follow-up PET scan which was supposed to be the benchmark moving forward through his recovery. Unfortunately, the scan came back with a small lymph node “hot-spot” in the center of his chest, too small and located in a difficult position to biopsy. A follow-up PET scan was scheduled for mid-November.

On November 27th Nick was laid off from his job with only 2 months of insurance coverage. 3 days later, his PET scan results showed the first spot behind his chest wall had enlarged and a second area of lymph node “hot spots” also in his collarbone area developed. A biopsy was done right before Christmas. The results came back malignant for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma AGAIN.

He was hit with two huge unfortunate life altering blows within two weeks. His cancer had returned and he no longer had a job with health insurance. At 27, that’s a lot no matter who you are or how successful and healthy you had previously been.

Nick is currently going through a second protocol of treatment that is much more intense than the previous 6 months of chemotherapy. He’ll have 2 treatments – 3 days each which includes an overnight at NW. Then in mid-February he will have a procedure to remove stem cells for storage. He’ll then be admitted to Northwestern for a 3 week hospital stay for even stronger chemo. Once that treatment is over he’ll have an infusion to return his stem cells back to his body. Additionally he may have 2 weeks of radiation before his hospital stay.

He has a long road ahead of him. For obvious reasons he can’t begin looking for a job because he’ll require so much time off in the next few months.

He is purchasing costly Cobra insurance each month to remain in the care of his current oncologist (Dr. Jane Winter) at Northwestern. He has previous deductibles and non-covered medical bills that he was beginning to take care of before he was laid off. It’s all building up: Cobra payments, deductibles, non covered procedures, plus all of the treatment he has ahead of him that may not all be covered. At just 27yrs old, he never had time to save a “nest egg” to cover an unforeseen and unexpected health situation like this. What 27yr old does? He also has a monthly mortgage payment for his condo. He is located only about 2 miles from Northwestern so that is a huge help for him and his parents. This eliminates hotel expenses during his treatment and he can easily go back and forth without traveling from Joliet to Chicago for infusions, tests and oncology appointments.

Of course his parents are certainly helping financially as is his grandma but it’s still a lot. His cure, recovery and overall health are their main concern right now. A lot of prayers will help as well.

Note from his mom: While his prognosis is good and obviously that's the "endgame" that we want, it's not going to be without a long intense treatment process. No matter how old they are, your kids are still your kids. If you have “mother’s intuition” that something is wrong, it probably IS. Don’t worry if your child gets mad at you because you’re nagging them to see a doctor. Keep on them. It just may save their life. This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Nick bought a condo in the city and was planning on “living his best life” with a good job and plans for the future. We are certainly hoping this is just a bump in the road and he’ll still get that chance. In the meantime, hug your kids, you just never know……