His Cancer Days

My brother is being treated for cancer. Saying it out loud makes it seem real but once it's real, it can be acknowledged and dealt with. I've chronicled his treatment and updates on him on my MySpace site, so below are the posts I've made about his progress. Pray for him, please.

Part 1: Shot from a Gun

My brother Matt lives in Paris, France (as opposed to Texas or Vegas) and its so darn cool that he does. I spent New Year's with him this year, popping corks on real Champagne and drinking wine that would be kept behind double-bolted doors in America due to the price. He's got the love of his life with him, he's handsome, has a great degree, speaks a gabillion languages, and is all-around fantastic. Yeah, life is good for brother Matt...usually.

Matt is about 17 months younger than me. Whereas I was the "world's most wanted baby", and my parents tried for 8 years to conceive me, Matt decided to start the sibling rivalry in the womb and became a fetus when I was barely a 9-month old. So every single moment of my life has been lived with Matt. He's a constant, and he's also probably the person in this world I have the most love for. He's been through a lot in his life, and so seeing him happy in a place he likes with the person he loves is a blessing. The sibling rivalry has disappeared and has been replaced by a friendship and kinship that makes the continential and oceanic distance between us a moot point.

So just like they say some identical twins feel each other's pain, Matt and I sort of have the same thing going on. I don't know why. It's not a literal type of thing, but we definitely have a connection. He knows when I'm sad, I know when he's upset. We are each other's sounding board, and my cell phone bills are a testament to this. Calling France is expensive, yeah.

Anyway, this week I've been hurting and worrying for him because he has gone through a really rough situation. About a month ago, he found a lump on a testicle during a routine self-examination. *And people, you should be doing these - guys, check yourself, and girls, check your breasts once a month. They work.*

He went to the hospital in Paris, and they at first thought it was probably just a cyst or some sort of infection. They scheduled a biopsy for him and he went for that earlier this week. Instead of fully sedating him, they just numbed him from the waist down (think epidural) because it wasn't expected to be a too-invasive procedure. However, when they started the procedure, they realized the lump was actually a very aggressively growing tumor. He had to have the entire testicle removed, a not-uncommon plan of action when that type of tumor presents itself.

He was conscious and able to discuss it with his doctors before they finalized anything, and he knows it was for the best. Early blood tests and CAT scans are promising and he believes the biopsy will reveal that whatever was attacking him was removed before it could affect anything else. He is comfortable with the decision; as he told me, a month ago he felt nothing, and within a month the tumor had grown to over a centimeter. This was a very aggressive growth and he was wise to act quickly.

He's since been released from the hospital and is recuperating and resting at home in Paris. He has the support of his friends and partner, and my mom is going to be visiting him soon. He assured me that a common follow-through procedure to this type of surgery is a minor cosmetic adjustment to make sure everything appears normal, and he still will continue to have full reproductive function should he choose at some point to have children, so that's good. That is also a very common future for men who have this surgery.

So anyway, most of you who visit my site are prayerful people, and for those of you who aren't, I know you are mindful and caring people. My brother is a huge part of my life and someone I love more than pretty much anyone else in the whole world. And while I feel weird asking you to pray for us (I feel bad that for this entire blog I've made you focus on someone's testicles) I do hope you remain mindful of your own health and those that you love.

Routine self-exams save lives. If caught quickly, these things can be remedied and your lives can continue normally. If you wait, or are afraid, you may risk more than just a scary trip to the doctor. People love you and care about you, and they want you to be healthy and safe. So do everyone you love a favor today, and check your balls and boobs. You'll be glad you did, and so will I.

Part Two: Bullet: Dodged

My brother confirmed with me today that the testicle they removed last week was indeed cancerous. He has something called an "embroynic carcinoma", which defined is "a highly malignant germ cell tumor made up of tissues derived from the embryo." This sounds weird I know, but basically what it means is, that he has cells that started multiplying and growing out of control, and had it not been caught when it was caught, it would have spread and led to a LOT more complications than just simple testicular removal. He has to go for monitoring four times a year, but won't need chemo or radiation. He has a very strong prognosis for a life free of any further problems related to this issue.

The message here is that these types of cancers are indiscriminate. Matt is a healthy, educated, active, and young 24 year old guy. He does everything possible to ensure he's a healthy person. A month ago, there was nothing odd about his body, and within a month an aggressively malignant tumor began growing in a very dangerous part of his body. He is well aware of the bullet he dodged by being so careful and concerned about changes to his health and well-being.

Testicular cancer can be cured if caught early. It also can kill quickly if not treated promptly. Testicles sit right around major arteries, lymph nodes, and other large body parts susceptible to cancer such as the color, prostate, kidneys, liver, stomach, and bone. Do yourselves a major favor and schedule monthly check-ups. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, how healthy you are...cancer waits for no one. It can be caught and cured.

Part three: Bullets still flying

More updates on my brother. And please indulge me in these blog postings; they are allowing me to express feelings and get out worries and stresses and downright tragic, depressing feelings about something that means more to me than you can ever imagine.

I found out today my brother has been told he will need "two or three" sessions of chemotherapy. While they felt confident they had removed all his cancer during his surgery, the cancer center in France feels that a "preventative" course of chemotherapy is in order to kill off any remaining "germ cells" that might cause further cancer. Since his tumor was so malignant and so aggressive, they feel this is his best chance for long-term survival.

Survival. Shit, I really hate typing that while thinking about my brother.

I can't really get over thinking about my brother as a "cancer patient". And yes I know that Lance Armstrong and thousands of other young, now-healthy men have had this happen to them, but those are inconsequential to me. Those men, I'm sorry to say it, don't matter. They're not my brother. This hits close to home, and its even harder because he's so far away in France. Chemotherapy. Chrissakes...I think I start crying every time I think about it. And I don't want to do that, I want to be strong for him, because that's what he needs.

I sent him a few gifts today, seasons 1 and 2 of "The Kids in the Hall". That was always a favorite after-school show for us growing up, and to date some of the most hilarious comedy ever. Laughter is good medicine, and since I can't be there to blink in his pictures and make him wear the "king cake" crown, I'll have to send some support and laughs from across the continents and oceans. And hopefully soon, very soon, his cancer days will be over as quickly as they started, a faded memory no more important than a ticket for the train.