Chantel's Diagnosis is FINAL: Hodgkins Disease

Chantel has been referred to BC Cancer Agency for staging (determining what stage the disease is in - there are 4 stages in cancer diagnosis). She will be finding out next steps early next week.

I also want to thank everyone who has sent best wishes / prayers for Chantel. It is funny how I feel fairly calm yet deeply moved by each persons comments over the past days. Thank you all very much for your support and thoughts.

Letter to everyone regarding Chantel

This message is going out to friends, family, and business associates so please excuse the generic nature of this email.

As young cancer patient James Birrell remarked…

“Ya can’t let cancer ruin your day!”

Some of you are already aware that Chantel had a lump growing on her neck (we first noticed it on December 31st)and we were waiting on results from a series of blood tests and biopsies. We have finally found out what the lumps are and it is Hodgkins Disease. We are not sure what stage the cancer is at and what treatment protocol we will be following but we are currently evaluating our options.

Chantel and I are both doing well and not overly concerned as this is one of the cancers that is most treatable and has an extremely high recovery rate (~95%) if caught early. We have one complication in that Chantel is currently 6 ½ months pregnant but we have already been reassured by our obstetrician that there are therapies that can be done in conjunction or we can delay treatment and use steroids to slow the growth of the cancer that will not affect the baby. In fact, she may even be able to have the baby at term depending on the factors. Obviously, it is too early to know for sure but I will be keeping everyone updated on the status of her treatment and health. I will do this via a blog.

http://www.laurieandchantel.blogspot.com/

I am setting up a blog as a forum for people to get updates due to the shear volume of calls that we are already getting. As much as everyone wants to hear about the latest news and wish to empathize with us – we don’t really have enough time to go over each update on a 1:1 basis (after all, we have jobs and a business to worry about). So we are hoping that everyone can review our updates and I promise to show Chantel how to use the blog so she can add content and also review any comments that anyone puts up on the blog (I am moderating it so they posts will take a day to be processed).

Rather than respond to me via email – please use the blog to make any comments. We are both in good spirits and Chantel is not feeling any pain. She just finished working on the Portland’s books and will be continuing to work (I am such a slave driver).

Anyway, life moves on and we are confident that it will turn out well but be a rigorous journey for us to travel to say the least.

From a business perspective, I will still be fully involved at work although I may be taking time here and there to go to Doctor’s appointments, Chemo, etc. I am bringing Christine up to speed on a lot of things that I have handled in the past and frankly she is doing an amazing job with managing almost all of the North American responsibilities at present.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about work-related issues – give me a shout. If you want to send any best wishes, etc., please use the blog as that will be our primary way of updating everyone.

Thanks for your patience and support during this time!

Laurie and Chantel

Laurie Anthony Baggio VP, Franchise Development & Franchise Partner - Portland OR & Northern NJToll-Free 866-831-5865 Local 604-731-5782 Fax 801-751-06341-800-GOT-JUNK? To book an appointment call 1-800-468-5865 or on-line at http://www.1800gotjunk.com/

Diagnosis: Hodgkins Disease

Chantel has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease (a type of lymphoma). We do not know which stage she is in (there are 4 stages of progression of the disease) and will be learning more tomorrow. If she is in an early stage, it is highly curable (ie, greater than 95% survivability over 5 years).

For those of you who want to learn more of about Hodgkin's Lymphoma, I have assembled a few links:

Hodgkins according to PDQ (Cancer Database)

Hodgkins according to the Mayo Clinic

Hodgkins during Pregnancy according to PDQ (Cancer Database)

Chantel is holding up well. We had already discussed the possibilities and she is aware of some of the issues surrounding the pregnancy. We are looking into getting a second opinion as well. Thanks to Bonnie-Lynn and Brian who have helped us source some top professionals in the Lymphoma field.

Backgrounder on Chantel's illness

January 16, 2006

Chantel is still doing well but we are nervous waiting for results. Chantel called the Specialist to see if the results were ready - but they won't be back until tomorrow. Wait and see for 1 more day.

January 12, 2006

She has the biopsy and the Specialist confirms on Friday that the sample appears to be in good enough shape for conclusive evidence on what is happening with Chantel. He also tells her that he is leaning to lymphoma but does not know specifically which one until the biopsy is complete.

January 11, 2006

We meet with the specialist who covers both the endocrine system (glands) and surgical oncology (cancer surgeries) who looks at Chantel's glands and reviews the history to date. He wants to do another needle biopsy which he schedules for following morning.

January 10, 2006

Chantel goes for another ultrasound and they find that the lymph nodes have increased in size. One of them by ~20%. Also, the smaller, irregular one appears to have grown somewhat as well. Chantel is pretty upset and I take the balance of the day off to be with her.

January 9, 2006

As you can imagine - we are getting pretty stressed by now. But the good news is that we are scheduled to find out today. Unfortunately, it does not happen - it turns out the biopsy was damaged and there is not enough materials that could provide conclusive results.

January 6, 2006

Chantel's Doctor calls and offers that it may just be a bacterial infection but does not rule out cancer based on the bloodwork but must still wait for the results of the biopsy to confirm. Chantel's Doctor books us with a specialist on Wednesday for a consultation.

January 3, 2006

Chantel and I visit her Doctor to have the bump examined and she is scheduled for a biopsy that day. We have the biopsy completed and must wait until the following Monday for the results.

January 2, 2006

Chantel receives first ultrasound. The ultrasound shows that there are two swollen lymph nodes above her right clavicle and a smaller swollen lymph node on her left that is irregularly shaped. The Doctors are unsure of what could cause this - there are 54 different illnesses that could be reflected by these changes - lymphatic cancers are among this including Hodgekins and Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma. They are non-committal on a diagnosis without doing a biopsy

January 1, 2006

Chantel wakes up and her neck no longer looks stretched - instead it looks more like a bump just abov e her clavicle. Chantel goes to clinic and they advise her to see her Doctor on Tuesday after the holiday. Chantel and Laurie go to hospital instead to get some quicker feedback. After a brief 5 hour wait (yes, that was sarcastic), she was examined and suggested to come back in the morning for an ultrasound of the growth.

December 31, 2005

Chantel notices that her neck looks 'stretched' - almost as if a muscle has been pulled. There is no pain but we decide that she should go to a clinic on Jan 1