An Announcement to Our Friends

May 19, 2010

Dear Friends,

Where to begin. First of all, let me say I feel conflicted about sharing this news via email. However, I think this will be the easiest way for me to do it. Due to the graphic nature of the content, parental discretion is advised.

Last Tuesday morning I had a minor surgery, affectionately referred to as a Left Radical Orchiectomy. As I type those words it seems to read like a relatively bad-ass procedure. Sadly, it is far from bad-ass. A more appropriate description would be Lame-Ass. I'll let you Google the procedure itself so I don't have to go into detail, but think Lance Armstrong circa 1996.

To be more direct, lets just say my left testicle defected on me. This traitor testicle and his band of renegade cells rallied together to form a mass which caused me great pain. Great pain! So, based on the recommendation of several doctors, the traitor was relieved from his duties via the procedure mentioned above.

It took a week for my testicle to travel to sunny Phoenix, Arizona, where its gruesome fate was dissection on the biopsy table. Yesterday we finally got some answers. So here it is:

*Embrynal Carcinoma, aka, Stage III A Testicular Cancer*

Before you fret, let me note the recipe for this form of cancer pT2N1M1AS1 (whatever all that stands for) concludes that what we face is GOOD RISK. In other words, the cure rate for this bit of nastiness is 90%, and this unfortunate turn of events is VERY treatable. I am very optimistic. Our oncologist is very optimistic. Shanon is very optimistic, and also very pregnant. How the stress of the past 10 days hasn't put her into labor I'll never know, but it's amazing it hasn't.

What we face now are decisions about how to move forward. It's possible I'll start chemo as early as next week, but we're trying to decide how to schedule my treatment so that Baby M enters the world at a time when Papa isn't occupied getting infusions. Sounds ominous, but we'll figure it out. Although Shanon's official due date is June 5th, this may mean that we have to induce baby sometime in the next few weeks so we know exactly when she's coming.

This isn't exactly the way we planned on starting our career as parents. The lame part is that we'll probably have to put a large bubble around our house for a few months while I'm going through treatment, since I'll be a weak, weak Papa with no immune system. The good news is that Shanon and Baby M will be healthy and out and about in the world, available for dates at the coffee shop, rendezvous on the back deck (which I should be able to attend), or walks through the park.

Make no mistake, we intend to kick this "C" business in the ass, and get on with life. This is not a tragedy, but a challenge. A really poorly timed challenge. :)

As you've probably determined by the way I write about all this, I'm feeling pretty open about it. Given the number of strangers who have seen me naked or probed me in some uncomfortable way, I find if relatively easy to talk about. I know this is heavy news, but I find the whole situation to be surreal right now and I intend to keep the mood light. So one-nut jokes and clever nick-names are encouraged--don't be shy. I just hope that I look as good with a bald head as Kevin and Jeff.

Thanks for being great friends.

Onward!

Love,

Jared, Shanon, Baby M and Emmet