Our news

Well…

Life has happened, and not in a great way. Since I last wrote, our family has been dealt a blow as Tricia recently was told she has melanoma in her eye. It’s an extremely rare form of cancer, like winning the lottery in a terrible, reverse way. But, the good news is, if the cancer cells are contained within the eye, it’s also highly treatable.

A few weeks ago Tricia went into our local eye clinic, due to a routine mailer that was sent to our house informing her she hadn’t been in for a while. Tricia has excellent vision, no former problems with her eyes, so hasn’t made a regular habit of seeing an eye doctor. Because of a few other medical things that she’s been dealing with this calendar year, her deductible had already been met, so she figured, why not, let’s go in and get the old eyes checked. Thankfully, as it turns out, Tricia made that decision, because that doctor, during that routine visit, discovered something peculiar in Tricia’s left eye. It was enough to alarm him and to refer Tricia on to a specialist at the University of Minnesota. So a week later, she found herself at the U, getting all sorts of strange tests including an ultrasound of her eye that was highly painful and extremely exhausting to her eye. As I was working late at school in Germany that night, I received a phone call from Tricia with the news – the doctor at the U thinks she has a tumor in her eye.

It was devastating news. And I felt extremely helpless to do anything, being an ocean away. Neither of us really knew what this meant. A cancerous tumor in her eye? What’s going to happen? Removal of the eye? Chemotherapy? Does this mean she has cancer elsewhere in her body? I raced over to a friend’s house because, unfortunately and for some ridiculous reason, I still hadn’t managed to get internet installed in my apartment. I wanted to Skype Tricia, so I leaned on a couple of friends for their wifi, and as it turns out, a hot meal. Tricia and I talked for a long time, and through the conversation we both began to settle down. It was a rough night, no doubt, and we knew it was just the beginning of a perhaps long and complicated journey.

Flash forward a couple weeks. After getting a lot more information from doctors, getting a referral to the Mayo Clinic for further testing, me talking in depth with a teacher at my school who went through this exact reverse lottery, super rare cancer diagnosis and treatment just a couple years ago and us having tons of difficult conversations, I was back home in Minnesota to be with Tricia for the next phase of things at Mayo. Most of the tests were combined into one very long, very exhausting day just a little over a week ago, then a few more tests and a final conversation with the eye specialist happened a few days after that.

The news? Mostly good. Yes, Tricia does have eye cancer, or at least the doctor thinks so with high probability. The reason they can’t be absolutely sure is because doctors don’t automatically do a biopsy when a tumor is in the eye. Performing the biopsy is a bit risky with a slight chance that doing it could cause the cancer cells to be transported elsewhere in the body, plus, doctors have become very skilled at identifying whether these tumors are cancerous through myriad other tests. So, the good news - there is absolutely no sign of cancer anywhere else in Tricia’s body. The first place they look is the liver, the next being the lungs. Everything looks great. So, we breathed a huge sigh of relief. The other good news - more than likely Tricia will not lose her eye. It’s still a possibility, but not highly likely.

So, what is the treatment she’ll be receiving? It’s a method of delivering radiation to the tumor that’s called Gamma Knife. It’s a one-time treatment, typically very effective, that should kill the tumor and stop the cancer. That’s not to say it’s an easy treatment or that life following it will be a walk in the park. Like with most cancers, there is still a risk that cancer cells have traveled elsewhere in Tricia’s body therefore regular scans for many years will take place as will future difficult exams to make sure the tumor in the eye has stopped growing. And, Tricia will likely have some loss of vision. Not likely a total loss in that eye, but she may lose the brightness of colors, experience reduced eyesight or have future issues like cataracts or even glaucoma. It’s not going to be an easy road ahead, but things are looking good in terms of the doctors’ ability to put an end to the cancer and in Tricia having a long and healthy life.

As I write this, I’m back at school but I’ll be flying home soon to be with Tricia for a couple weeks, including on October 21-23 as she undergoes more appointments and the eventual radiation treatment. Of course we’re counting on the moral support and love from all of you who are reading this. That support has already come pouring in in terms of well wishes, hugs, awesome conversations and food being delivered to Tricia and Sammie nightly. Thank you to all of you who have reached out to us in some way, shape or form!!! We love you and couldn’t be more grateful to have you in our lives.

If you’re wondering what’s in store for me and my new life in Germany, well, that’s up in the air. Tricia and I are taking things week by week, reevaluating daily, talking a lot and weighing all the options. Right now, the most important thing is to get this treatment done, make sure it’s a success, then get Tricia back in the swing of things both physically and emotionally. Then we’ll figure out my life.

But again, thank you to all of you for everything you’ve done for us already and for what you no doubt will be doing for us in the future. Family and friends mean everything to us right now, so just know that you’re important and significant in our lives. Thanks can’t say it enough, but… thanks.