We’ve created this blog in order to communicate with the mass of people who have been showing support for Sarah and for our family. We love to hear from all of you, but the hectic nature of what we’re going through can make it hard to connect. This blog is our way of keeping you all in the loop.

As some of you know, Sarah has been diagnosed with Hodkin's Lymphoma.

Perhaps I should start from the beginning. About a month ago Sarah noticed a lump on her neck, just above her right clavicle. We went through the normal denial, thinking it was probably nothing, but had it checked out just to be safe.

Sarah’s doctor, who is brilliant and level headed, was visibly concerned with the growth. This shook our foundation a bit but we were still hoping for the best. Next we went to see Dr. Gurney, the ENT who has made this experience as gentle as it could possibly be. The preliminary exam was positive. The growth had a smooth surface, and a good range of motion. Both of these attributes generally point away from cancer.

The next step was the CT scan on Thursday January 23rd. After the scan, we were supposed to see the ENT about a week later to discuss the results. The next day Sarah was called in for a second scan. My heart sank when I got the call. The results revealed that there were several more growths in her chest, and that they were consistent with lymphoma.

This unleashed a wave of emotion for both Sarah and I. This was due in part to the recognition of what was in store for Sarah and for our family, and it also eerily connected many of the dots from the past six months. Sarah had been battling what we had come to believe was depression. She was feeling tired all of time, unable to enjoy life’s pleasures, and unable to shake the feeling. Little did we know that the cancer was welling inside her the entire time. It was horrible news, but it was also a definitive answer to a question that had been plaguing Sarah.

Well, almost definitive. The next step was a biopsy by fine needle aspiration on Wednesday January 28th. This was painful to watch, so I can’t imagine how it felt for Sarah. After three passes with a frighteningly long needle, the results were off to the pathologist. We were told to expect results in 10 to 12 days.

The call came the next day. Dr. Gurney wanted Sarah in for surgery on Monday Morning, February 2nd. That’s all the information we were given, and once again our hearts sank.

We had a pre-op appointment scheduled for Friday afternoon, but that seemed like an eternity to wait with no idea of what the results were, and why they were jettisoning us into surgery. Our fear was that it was something more serious than lymphoma, and the not knowing was excruciating. Sarah called back and insisted that the Doctor call her as soon as possible. Dr. Gurney returned her call promptly. It turned out that the pathologist was confident from the biopsy that it was lymphoma, but needed lymph tissue to be able to narrow down the diagnoses.

So, bright and early Monday morning we headed to the Sutter Surgery Center to have the lymph node removed. The surgery went extremely well, but left Sarah feeling pretty depleted. They removed three nodes: the large one on her neck and two smaller ones in the same area. These were sent off to the pathologist, and results were to come in 4 days to a week.

Tuesday January 3rd it was on to the Oncologist’s office. We met with Dr. Wu, who discussed our treatment options with us. We were in the middle of discussing the various possibilities, which all depended on the results of the extraction biopsy, when the results arrived.

Hodgkin’s it is.

At that moment, everything became extremely real. No more conjecture, the word was in, and it hit us like a ton of bricks: Chemo, radiation, and a long and bumpy road. This was by far the hardest moment in this two week long roller coaster ride, but it made me realize that we’ve just been climbing to the top of the hill. The real ride is about to begin, and we are so thankful that we have all of you to help move us along the way.

The most difficult part of this experience will be how it affects our son Marek. He has been a gift in every possible way, and we couldn’t be happier that he arrived when he did. Marek will be forced to make some of the biggest sacrifices in this difficult situation, mainly in that he will no longer be able to breastfeed. Sarah has done an unbelievable job in defying all odds, and providing milk for Marek for two and a half years. If she puts a fraction of the effort and compassion that she’s put into breastfeeding into her fight against cancer, the cancer does not stand a chance.

There will be ups and downs, but it’s with the love and compassion of our family and friends that we will find strength, and ultimately success. We will do our best to keep you all in the loop and up to date.

This blog will allow us to do just that, and also will prevent Sarah from having to tell the story over and over, in a time when rest will be so valuable to her health. Please feel free to comment, as I’m sure that Sarah will want to hear from all of you.

~ Dan, Sarah & Marek