Against the odds
Chris
McNeil met his wife Karen when they were very young. Karen was only 15 and in
high school and he was 19. They
fell deeply in love and got married on July 7th 2007 or on the world’s luckiest
day of the year, 7-7-7, if you believe in superstition. They thought that
getting married on this date would bring them good luck in their life together
but that kind of luck wasn't meant to be as Chris isn’t like most 33 year old
men. He doesn’t get to go to
work. He doesn’t get to run and
play with his 3 year old son Trevor.
He doesn’t get to do everyday living because Chris is currently battling
for his life.
In
December of 2010 Chris started to have difficulty swallowing food.
He would choke and cough and food felt like it would somehow get
stuck. After mentioning his
difficulties to his family doctor, Chris was referred to have an x-ray done of
his throat to see if anything was amiss.
Sure enough, further testing was required because a mass was
detected. He was scheduled for an
urgent endoscopy in which the Gastro-enterologist confirmed the mass and had
sent biopsies of it away to be tested to see if it was cancer.
On May 5th, 2011 a devastating diagnosis turned the McNeil family’s world
upside down. Chris was diagnosed with Stage 4A Esophageal Cancer Metastatic
Adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis was stage 4 severe because the cancer had spread
to his lungs and distant lymph nodes in his stomach. The odds of a 33 year old
man getting this diagnosis are incredibly rare as it usually occurs in much
older men with a history of health problems. The diagnosing doctor told Chris
and Karen that given the advanced size and embedded depth of his tumour in his
esophagus he had only 1 year to live and suggested their palliative treatment
plan. Just 1 more year for a 33
year old to live who had barely begun to live his adult life.
Even though the doctors told him his estimated survival rate was between
1-3%, Chris knew he needed to fight this horrific disease.
Not just for himself but for his wife and son.
He wouldn’t just give up because one doctor told him too.
Chris
and Karen rejected the palliative plan and readied themselves for the
battle. They sought a second and
third opinion which was an extremely difficult process navigating through our
current health care system that presents roadblocks after roadblocks. He saw world renowned Doctors surgeons
at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and the plan for chemotherapy and
radiation was devised to aid Chris in his battle for his life. Surgery wasn’t an
option given the size and depth of his tumour!
From
the end of May 2011 to November 14, 2011 Chris went through a gruelling medical
regime of chemotherapy in hospital by IV pump and at home by mouth. This was a
very trying time for the McNeil family as not only was Chris getting sicker from
the side effects of his chemotherapy but the everyday bills were stacking up and
so were the bills for chemo which was costing the McNeil’s $600 every three
weeks. Not to mention the costs of commuting to an out of town hospital (they
live in Keswick, Ontario) and lost wages for both Karen who works as a
hairdresser from her home and Chris who could no longer work at his job at a
manufacturing plant.
Chris
had no choice but to also take a holistic approach to battling his health crisis
by turning to alternative medicine which also added to their financial
hardship. He did Infrared saunas
which detoxify the body to get rid of the dead cancer cells. He did Ionic Foot
Baths at home that also aid in body detoxification.
Chris took vitamin B17 three times a day which had to be delivered. After learning that cancer cannot live
in an alkaline environment Chris only drank alkaline water he purchased from a
medical center in Barrie that helps keep his PH level in the body on the
alkaline side and not acidic. He also had a mainly sugar free diet and only ate
organic food. He had a firm resolve that he was going to do everything that he
could to try and beat this disease.
Chris comes from a very small family as
he had already suffered the loss of his parents when he was in his 20’s and only
has a sister and a half-brother.
Karen’s family, their neighbours and friends stepped up to help them out
financially as best as they could but it was a constant battle not just for
Chris’ health but to make ends meet financially as one more bill constantly
appeared. Before Chris was even diagnosed with cancer the family struggle
financially as Karen had to quit her job as a hair dresser to stay at home with
Trevor after he was diagnosed as having severe allergies.
Trevor was allergic to almost everything... beef, pork, chicken, whole
eggs, garlic, pears and this list goes on. Karen tried day care but most people
didn't want to deal with a child that was so allergic to almost
everything. Karen had to stay
home and started to do hair dressing from home. But when Chris got diagnosed with cancer
the small business that she had dwindled due to the time she had to spend
travelling to and from hospital appointments and cancer treatments for
Chris.
Radiation
was now added daily to Chris’ treatment plan in late September 2011 and by the
end of October his body had finally had enough of the lethal drugs and he was
hospitalized for dehydration.
In
November all of Chris and his family’s hardships were worth it as his test
results showed that the lymph nodes in his stomach were no longer deemed
cancerous and his tumour had been reduced in size.
This was a huge triumph for Chris, Karen and Trevor – finally some good
news! He was scheduled for surgery the following month – the perfect Christmas
present to strike back at the cancerous tumour and remove it from his body
completely.
Chris
had surgery Dec 12, 2011 at Toronto General. The surgery ended up being more
complicated than the doctor originally thought and Chris had 3/4 of his
esophagus and 1/4 of his stomach and 23 lymph nodes removed.
Recovering from this surgery was incredibly painful and required a longer
stay in the hospital then predicted. He had chest tubes draining fluid from the
interior of his chest and upper abdomen and he was so sore after having such
invasive surgery. Lucky for little
Trevor, his Dad was released from the hospital just in time for
Christmas.
The
biopsy results from his surgery were positive. The Dr. reported that only 9 of the
removed lymph nodes were cancerous.
The tumour that had so invasively attached to his esophagus had shrunken
to the point of nonexistence. His
team of doctors told Chris to relax and rejuvenate and he wasn’t required to
have any testing done for several months. Chris followed the doctor’s orders and
was thrilled to have healed enough to return to work this past
May.
The resemblance of a normal life for Chris and his family did not
last. He had a follow-up CT scan
to look for any signs of his cancer returning and the results showed, much to
the family’s devastation, which in fact it had. More cancerous lymph nodes had surfaced
on the scan along with more cancerous lesions on his lungs.
Chris’medical team were putting chemotherapy intervention together but
nobody really knew what was going on in his body until May 28th.
That
was a very trying day for the McNeil family. Little 3 year old Trevor had to be
rushed to the emergency room by ambulance due to one of his allergic reactions
which was a scary enough experience for any mother and father. That stress and
health crisis for the family should have ended there with Trevor being treated
and sent home happy and healthy from the hospital. Unfortunately
Chris sought emergency treatment at his local hospital because he had tingling
and loss of sensation in his left hand and foot. It was so intense that he didn’t even
realize that his shoe had fallen off until one of his co-workers had pointed it
out. The ER doctor ordered a battery of tests and a head cat scan showed that
Chris had a brain tumour the size of a ping pong ball on his right frontal lobe.
The doctors told the family that the odds of the cancer spreading to his brain
were 1.3% and again the odds weren’t in Chris’s
favour.
Just
over two weeks after the discovery of the brain tumour, the McNeil family braced
themselves as Chris headed into Neurosurgery. His surgeon was vague with the details
surrounding the surgery but he did tell them that the surgery would be done as
day surgery and Chris would be free to go home at 6pm that evening.
He mentioned a chance of paralysis on his left side but felt he would be
successful with the surgery to be able to remove the entire tumour.
The surgery was more complicated than originally thought and Chris was
awake, although sedated, the entire time.
Chris had intense complications after surgery and ended up being
hospitalized for 12 days. Chris’
loved ones were truly devastated to learn that as a result of the surgery Chris
now had weakness on his entire left side and now needs the use of a wheelchair
as he can no longer walk without assistance. The weakness of his left side
didn’t just stop at his arms and legs but he suffered internally too. His throat was affected and was not
able to eat solid food or drink water because of a chance of choking silent
aspiration from the liquid going down his windpipe and into his lungs. It was at that point that his doctors
mentioned that he would have to attend a rehabilitation centre for intense
physiotherapy. His application was
rejected by two rehab centres before a Centre finally accepted him. He lived at
the rehab center for 4 ½ weeks until they kicked him out because he was starting
full brain radiation followed by chemotherapy. Chris worked very work hard to
strengthen his body so he can come home to his family and begin another intense
round of chemotherapy and radiation.
Chris finished his 5th round of daily radiation on his brain the end of July which was very
intense for him. Then two weeks
after that, August 13thhe
started chemotherapy again. This
time Chris was accepted to receive the chemo drug called Herceptin.
Chris had only 2 rounds of chemotherapy and his body could no longer
tolerate the toxic drugs anymore.
He had lost too much weight and he could not keep any food or water
down. He was now trying to regain
his strength and trying to gain weight before he can start his
3rdtreatment.
Fingers crossed he can restart his life saving treatments
soon!
On
October 12th was another visit to Princes Margaret Hospital to get the results
of a CT scan and MRI. They had
reviewed these results to the previous ones and were told that they were not
good. The comparison showed that
the chemo had not done its job.
The cancer has now re-appeared in his brain as well as some lymph nodes
in his chest, lungs and now his liver.
Treatment would not continue!
Chris was told that his fight was over and to go home and do whatever he
wanted to do. He was also told
that he had only a short time left, a couple of weeks to possibly 2 months.
The
McNeil's went home devastated by this news. They are all in shock and
disbelief. Such a wonderful person
to have to now deal with this at such a young age.
Chris and his family have given it their all and have faught this with
everything they possibly could. The battle has ended! Chris didn't have big dreams for his
family. All he wanted out of life
was to be happy and raise his son with his wife. Chris always wanted to have a
pick up truck, but couldn't afford it, and this winter he wanted to take Trevor
to Disney in Florida. Sadly he is denied this. Unfortunately they don't have mortgage
insurance; they thought that they wouldn't need it at such a young age. Karen
won't be able to keep the small house that they live in.
Please if you can find it in your heart to help it would be wonderful for
Karen and Trevor to stay in their home.
We can also all help in to send Karen and Trevor to Disney this coming
winter in memory of Chris. Please, if you can, every dollar donated will bring
that dream just that little bit closer for this amazing young family.
McNeil met his wife Karen when they were very young. Karen was only 15 and in
high school and he was 19. They
fell deeply in love and got married on July 7th 2007 or on the world’s luckiest
day of the year, 7-7-7, if you believe in superstition. They thought that
getting married on this date would bring them good luck in their life together
but that kind of luck wasn't meant to be as Chris isn’t like most 33 year old
men. He doesn’t get to go to
work. He doesn’t get to run and
play with his 3 year old son Trevor.
He doesn’t get to do everyday living because Chris is currently battling
for his life.
In
December of 2010 Chris started to have difficulty swallowing food.
He would choke and cough and food felt like it would somehow get
stuck. After mentioning his
difficulties to his family doctor, Chris was referred to have an x-ray done of
his throat to see if anything was amiss.
Sure enough, further testing was required because a mass was
detected. He was scheduled for an
urgent endoscopy in which the Gastro-enterologist confirmed the mass and had
sent biopsies of it away to be tested to see if it was cancer.
On May 5th, 2011 a devastating diagnosis turned the McNeil family’s world
upside down. Chris was diagnosed with Stage 4A Esophageal Cancer Metastatic
Adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis was stage 4 severe because the cancer had spread
to his lungs and distant lymph nodes in his stomach. The odds of a 33 year old
man getting this diagnosis are incredibly rare as it usually occurs in much
older men with a history of health problems. The diagnosing doctor told Chris
and Karen that given the advanced size and embedded depth of his tumour in his
esophagus he had only 1 year to live and suggested their palliative treatment
plan. Just 1 more year for a 33
year old to live who had barely begun to live his adult life.
Even though the doctors told him his estimated survival rate was between
1-3%, Chris knew he needed to fight this horrific disease.
Not just for himself but for his wife and son.
He wouldn’t just give up because one doctor told him too.
Chris
and Karen rejected the palliative plan and readied themselves for the
battle. They sought a second and
third opinion which was an extremely difficult process navigating through our
current health care system that presents roadblocks after roadblocks. He saw world renowned Doctors surgeons
at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and the plan for chemotherapy and
radiation was devised to aid Chris in his battle for his life. Surgery wasn’t an
option given the size and depth of his tumour!
From
the end of May 2011 to November 14, 2011 Chris went through a gruelling medical
regime of chemotherapy in hospital by IV pump and at home by mouth. This was a
very trying time for the McNeil family as not only was Chris getting sicker from
the side effects of his chemotherapy but the everyday bills were stacking up and
so were the bills for chemo which was costing the McNeil’s $600 every three
weeks. Not to mention the costs of commuting to an out of town hospital (they
live in Keswick, Ontario) and lost wages for both Karen who works as a
hairdresser from her home and Chris who could no longer work at his job at a
manufacturing plant.
Chris
had no choice but to also take a holistic approach to battling his health crisis
by turning to alternative medicine which also added to their financial
hardship. He did Infrared saunas
which detoxify the body to get rid of the dead cancer cells. He did Ionic Foot
Baths at home that also aid in body detoxification.
Chris took vitamin B17 three times a day which had to be delivered. After learning that cancer cannot live
in an alkaline environment Chris only drank alkaline water he purchased from a
medical center in Barrie that helps keep his PH level in the body on the
alkaline side and not acidic. He also had a mainly sugar free diet and only ate
organic food. He had a firm resolve that he was going to do everything that he
could to try and beat this disease.
Chris comes from a very small family as
he had already suffered the loss of his parents when he was in his 20’s and only
has a sister and a half-brother.
Karen’s family, their neighbours and friends stepped up to help them out
financially as best as they could but it was a constant battle not just for
Chris’ health but to make ends meet financially as one more bill constantly
appeared. Before Chris was even diagnosed with cancer the family struggle
financially as Karen had to quit her job as a hair dresser to stay at home with
Trevor after he was diagnosed as having severe allergies.
Trevor was allergic to almost everything... beef, pork, chicken, whole
eggs, garlic, pears and this list goes on. Karen tried day care but most people
didn't want to deal with a child that was so allergic to almost
everything. Karen had to stay
home and started to do hair dressing from home. But when Chris got diagnosed with cancer
the small business that she had dwindled due to the time she had to spend
travelling to and from hospital appointments and cancer treatments for
Chris.
Radiation
was now added daily to Chris’ treatment plan in late September 2011 and by the
end of October his body had finally had enough of the lethal drugs and he was
hospitalized for dehydration.
In
November all of Chris and his family’s hardships were worth it as his test
results showed that the lymph nodes in his stomach were no longer deemed
cancerous and his tumour had been reduced in size.
This was a huge triumph for Chris, Karen and Trevor – finally some good
news! He was scheduled for surgery the following month – the perfect Christmas
present to strike back at the cancerous tumour and remove it from his body
completely.
Chris
had surgery Dec 12, 2011 at Toronto General. The surgery ended up being more
complicated than the doctor originally thought and Chris had 3/4 of his
esophagus and 1/4 of his stomach and 23 lymph nodes removed.
Recovering from this surgery was incredibly painful and required a longer
stay in the hospital then predicted. He had chest tubes draining fluid from the
interior of his chest and upper abdomen and he was so sore after having such
invasive surgery. Lucky for little
Trevor, his Dad was released from the hospital just in time for
Christmas.
The
biopsy results from his surgery were positive. The Dr. reported that only 9 of the
removed lymph nodes were cancerous.
The tumour that had so invasively attached to his esophagus had shrunken
to the point of nonexistence. His
team of doctors told Chris to relax and rejuvenate and he wasn’t required to
have any testing done for several months. Chris followed the doctor’s orders and
was thrilled to have healed enough to return to work this past
May.
The resemblance of a normal life for Chris and his family did not
last. He had a follow-up CT scan
to look for any signs of his cancer returning and the results showed, much to
the family’s devastation, which in fact it had. More cancerous lymph nodes had surfaced
on the scan along with more cancerous lesions on his lungs.
Chris’medical team were putting chemotherapy intervention together but
nobody really knew what was going on in his body until May 28th.
That
was a very trying day for the McNeil family. Little 3 year old Trevor had to be
rushed to the emergency room by ambulance due to one of his allergic reactions
which was a scary enough experience for any mother and father. That stress and
health crisis for the family should have ended there with Trevor being treated
and sent home happy and healthy from the hospital. Unfortunately
Chris sought emergency treatment at his local hospital because he had tingling
and loss of sensation in his left hand and foot. It was so intense that he didn’t even
realize that his shoe had fallen off until one of his co-workers had pointed it
out. The ER doctor ordered a battery of tests and a head cat scan showed that
Chris had a brain tumour the size of a ping pong ball on his right frontal lobe.
The doctors told the family that the odds of the cancer spreading to his brain
were 1.3% and again the odds weren’t in Chris’s
favour.
Just
over two weeks after the discovery of the brain tumour, the McNeil family braced
themselves as Chris headed into Neurosurgery. His surgeon was vague with the details
surrounding the surgery but he did tell them that the surgery would be done as
day surgery and Chris would be free to go home at 6pm that evening.
He mentioned a chance of paralysis on his left side but felt he would be
successful with the surgery to be able to remove the entire tumour.
The surgery was more complicated than originally thought and Chris was
awake, although sedated, the entire time.
Chris had intense complications after surgery and ended up being
hospitalized for 12 days. Chris’
loved ones were truly devastated to learn that as a result of the surgery Chris
now had weakness on his entire left side and now needs the use of a wheelchair
as he can no longer walk without assistance. The weakness of his left side
didn’t just stop at his arms and legs but he suffered internally too. His throat was affected and was not
able to eat solid food or drink water because of a chance of choking silent
aspiration from the liquid going down his windpipe and into his lungs. It was at that point that his doctors
mentioned that he would have to attend a rehabilitation centre for intense
physiotherapy. His application was
rejected by two rehab centres before a Centre finally accepted him. He lived at
the rehab center for 4 ½ weeks until they kicked him out because he was starting
full brain radiation followed by chemotherapy. Chris worked very work hard to
strengthen his body so he can come home to his family and begin another intense
round of chemotherapy and radiation.
Chris finished his 5th round of daily radiation on his brain the end of July which was very
intense for him. Then two weeks
after that, August 13thhe
started chemotherapy again. This
time Chris was accepted to receive the chemo drug called Herceptin.
Chris had only 2 rounds of chemotherapy and his body could no longer
tolerate the toxic drugs anymore.
He had lost too much weight and he could not keep any food or water
down. He was now trying to regain
his strength and trying to gain weight before he can start his
3rdtreatment.
Fingers crossed he can restart his life saving treatments
soon!
On
October 12th was another visit to Princes Margaret Hospital to get the results
of a CT scan and MRI. They had
reviewed these results to the previous ones and were told that they were not
good. The comparison showed that
the chemo had not done its job.
The cancer has now re-appeared in his brain as well as some lymph nodes
in his chest, lungs and now his liver.
Treatment would not continue!
Chris was told that his fight was over and to go home and do whatever he
wanted to do. He was also told
that he had only a short time left, a couple of weeks to possibly 2 months.
The
McNeil's went home devastated by this news. They are all in shock and
disbelief. Such a wonderful person
to have to now deal with this at such a young age.
Chris and his family have given it their all and have faught this with
everything they possibly could. The battle has ended! Chris didn't have big dreams for his
family. All he wanted out of life
was to be happy and raise his son with his wife. Chris always wanted to have a
pick up truck, but couldn't afford it, and this winter he wanted to take Trevor
to Disney in Florida. Sadly he is denied this. Unfortunately they don't have mortgage
insurance; they thought that they wouldn't need it at such a young age. Karen
won't be able to keep the small house that they live in.
Please if you can find it in your heart to help it would be wonderful for
Karen and Trevor to stay in their home.
We can also all help in to send Karen and Trevor to Disney this coming
winter in memory of Chris. Please, if you can, every dollar donated will bring
that dream just that little bit closer for this amazing young family.