Welcome to Doug's webpage!

Doug being hugged by his brothers, January 2009, left to right Dustin, Rich, Robby

(Scroll down past the bold print for the latest update)This site has been provided so that you, our family, friends, and community may be easily updated about Doug's health during his ongoing cancer treatment and following the years beyond treatment. Doug's family consists of Mom(Debbi) Dad (Nick) and 3 brothers: Rich,20, twin Dustin,19, and Robby,13. Doug is now 19 years old and had surgery to remove a brain tumor(medulloblastoma) on May 4, 2004. Next, he had 6 weeks of radiation therapy. He has gone through 9 six week cycles of chemo over the year 2004-2005. Cycle 9 treatment was given 6-17-05! He is now in 100% remission. Doctors visits follow for a long while...MRI's must be done every year, and will continue until he's 20.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:1-2

Treatment Complete June 5, 2005


Thanks again to those of you who have added us to your family prayer lists and had your kids praying for us at bedtime or dinner...those of you who have said a prayer for Doug whenever you thought of us...etc.

We want to be available to other families who have kids with cancer. (2 Corinthians 1) So, if any of you come to know of others suffering from childhood cancer or life-threatening diseases that could use a connection with someone who has traveled a similar road let us know.






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Journal

Friday, May 8, 2009 9:30 AM CDT

May 4, 2009 was the anniversary of Doug's brain surgery. I think that he/we think of a life timetable as "before cancer" and "after cancer" and the surgery day was the day that the journey really began.

Those are pretty horrible memories, seeing him after the surgery. Rich was with us and I think it was pretty hard on him to see his brother that way. Hearing that the surgery was very successful, but also hearing that it was most likely a malignant tumor. Being in the ICU with Doug as he was trying to recover from the surgery and trying to figure out the right timing to tell him that he had cancer. Our whole family gathering around his bed to tell him. Meeting with Dr. Hajjar and him so casually explaining how Doug's treatment plan would be around fifty-some weeks and thinking that we heard him wrong and he meant fifty-some days. I was so overwhelmed and shocked that I started laughing.

Looking back I now understand that in Dr.Hajjar's world of pediatric oncology Doug's case was very straight forward and looked pretty good to him. It was the most common pediatric brain tumor. They found no evidence of cancer anywhere in the spine. They got all of the tumor out during surgery. And, he had a set protocol to follow and Doug had pretty good chances of surviving if all continued to go well.

For us it was like someone had just pushed us off of this planet that we were on and we fell down down down until we reached the planet of childhood cancer with a thud. Everything was foreign and frightening. We could hardly breathe let alone comprehend all that he was telling us about what the year ahead would look like. We didn't really want to know him because he was a pediatric oncologist (though he was warm, kind, and friendly). We didn't really want to know anyone else on that planet either right at first because we didn't want to be there.

But, we learned very fast about that planet and we quickly started wanting to meet the other people there or who had been there because we had so much in common. We came to love and appreciate all of Doug's medical caregivers. It became hard at times to relate to people living on our previous planet.

We discovered that the cancer planet was divided into continents and countries just like our previous planet. We lived on the coninent of pediatric cancer, in the country of brain tumors and the city of medulloblastoma. When someone from the other planet would tell us about Great Aunt Sally who had stomach cancer they thought that we could relate, but though it was on the same planet it was on a whole other continent.

Those who wanted to help most often flew in planes at 25,000 feet and dropped in supplies. The supplies were much appreciated because it's very hard to do the basic everyday things that are needed to survive when you live on planet cancer in the pediatric country. It often felt like tar on our feet moving through massives webs. Some days we could barely move at all. The airplane people were often kind and might try to ask us questions, but the noisy engine and the distance made it difficult. The ones who came down to visit were most often ones who had lived somewhere on that planet before. It is a rare person who's never lived on planet cancer especially in the country of pediatric cancer who comes and walks the paths and trudges through the jungles with us. That's why it was good to connect with the others who had no choice to leave just like us.

When we came back to this planet it took a very long time to adjust. My friend who lived overseas for many years said that it took her about 3 years to start feeling comfortable back in the USA. I think that we were on planet cancer for a year, had to visit regularly for another year and now it has taken us these last 3 years to adjust and start feeling more comfortable back on this planet. I had no idea that it would take this long and what that adjustment would be like. And, of course we hope that we never are forced back to planet cancer.

I could go on and on. But I'll stop here. These are my thoughts on the event of his 5th anniversary of brain surgery.

Debbi for all

Read Journal History

Hospital Information:

Patient Room: Home!!!!!!!

Florida Hospital Orlando
601 E. Rollins St.
Orlando, FL 32803
407-303-5600

Links:

E-mail Author: debbi.decola@uscm.org

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Note: The foregoing information was authored by the patient, parent or guardian, or other parties who are solely responsible for the content. Such announcements or their content are not necessarily endorsed by CaringBridge, Inc. or any sponsoring agent.  This information does not confirm that anyone is or was actually a patient at any facility.