Tara's Superfight Against Rare EHE Cancer

I’m not even really sure where to begin, other than thanking everyone for the love and support shown to my husband, Michael, and I so far. So many people have had kind words, and reached out with offers of assistance. It means the world to have you all in our corner; thank you so, so much. It was suggested that I start a GoFundMe for those that would like to and are able to help us navigate in this way. If you know me, you know I’m fiercely independent, pretty much to a fault, and have a hard time asking for, or accepting, help of any kind. Well, this is a time I have to admit I’m in over my head and I cannot do it alone, in any of the ways.

For those that don't know me, my name is Tara Drechsler. I just turned 45. I am very happily married for 13 years (together 15), have an amazing 22 year old (step)son, and two Akita dogs. I love snowboarding, training jiu-jitsu, yoga, weight-lifting, gardening, cooking, baking, the beach, the mountains, the water, and the forest. As a healthy person my entire life, with no serious illnesses, no surgeries or conditions, and only a few injuries, this is a strange space to be in. I’ve put in a lot of effort and work to live a pretty healthy lifestyle, from the food I eat, to the products I use, to the choices I make, and the activities I partake in.

But some things are just out of your control. After dealing with abdominal and back pain for the last year and a half, and trying to address it through diet, exercise, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic care, and energy/body work with no relief, I finally went in for some ultrasound imaging as suggested by my naturopath.

I was hoping it would rule out anything serious, but that was not the case. Lesions were found on my liver and spleen, and nodules found in my lungs. After further imaging via CT scan, I had a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and after a biopsy of my liver, I was confirmed to have a very rare vascular sarcoma called Epethelioid Hemangioendothelioma, or EHE.

From fightehe.org: “Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare cancer that belongs to the group of cancers called sarcomas. EHE is a vascular sarcoma. This means it originates in the cells that line the inside of blood vessels. ‘Epithelioid’ refers to the elongated shape of the cells when seen under the microscope. The estimated incidence of this rare tumor is less than 1 per million people … Most common locations of EHE are lungs, liver and bones. But it also found in soft tissue, skin, blood vessels and many other organs of the body … As is the case with many other cancers, EHE is caused by a genetic malfunction, a specific chromosomal rearrangement or translocation (swapping of genetic material) called the ‘WC Fusion.’”

All of this testing and the diagnosis has happened over just the last month. What's crazy is how long I have been dealing with it, and was even able to compete in a Pan American Jiu-Jitsu competition and come home with a gold medal just a few months ago in March 2024. While it’s a relief to finally understand why I wasn’t getting better, this is obviously completely shocking, unexpected, and devastating.

Due to how many places it is in my body already, and the fact that it’s caused by a genetic mutation and grows in the blood vessels, I will never completely get rid of it. It’s possible to live with it for some time, but there are a lot of variables though as it presents differently in everyone, and treatment options vary wildly as well. There is no known cure. I have no answers or a treatment plan as of yet. It’s a hurry up and wait thing right now, which may be one of the hardest things to deal with.

The next step is a PET scan which will tell us where all it is located, as well as indicate the rate of growth. For some people it’s slow, for others it’s much more aggressive. They believe mine to be on what is considered the slower side, but we won’t know until after the scan.

I have an amazing oncologist here in Spokane who will remain a part of my treatment, but I have also been referred to Fred Hutch in Seattle as they have two doctors there that are considered experts in sarcoma. That brings it’s own set of obstacles and challenges. We are already racking up significant medical costs just with the preliminary testing that has gotten me here. And though I was able to obtain health insurance that my provider here in Spokane takes, it’s not accepted by Fred Hutch. I am hoping we will qualify for financial assistance to offset some of the costs both here and there, but there will still be a significant amount of out of pocket responsibility, not to mention the travel, and time away from work for Mike as I cannot handle a drive like that on my own.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds. I’m sad, I’m confused, I’m angry. It’s not fair. And then there’s my incredible husband, who has to deal with the s*** end of the stick on all of this. I am trying to remain hopeful and optimistic, but I also have a pragmatic side that prioritizes quality over quantity. This is how I plan to approach my treatment as options are presented.

Right now I am managing the discomfort associated, and I have good days and bad days. Because I don’t know when this ride might come to an end, my priority is enjoying my time the best I can: by taking care of my overall health, spending time with my people, doing fun things, and hopefully ticking off some bigger bucket list items. Life really is too short.

Thank you for the love, well-wishes, and prayers, and anything you can do to support self-care and health treatments, medical expenses, bills, loss of work, and bucket list fulfillment. It is beyond appreciated. I love all y’all, and I will keep you posted.