A Letter To Senator Burr By Austin Leonard (12)

Dear Senator Richard Burr,

My name is Austin Leonard and my dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer six months ago.  He is 39 years old.  I have two younger brothers 2 and 4; and two older brothers 15 and 19 years old.  When my family and I found out about my dad we were all scared.  I was scared knowing that my dad is really sick and had to have his whole stomach taken out.  He was going to have chemotherapy and other stuff.  I was scared that I too could possibly lose my stomach at 21 years old.  Either way I know my brothers and I, and our children, will have to get our stomachs checked every year for the rest of our lives. 

When my mom Christy and my dad Tony went to Duke Hospital my brothers and I had lots of questions like, will he lose all his hair, and did they catch it in time?  Would I get cancer too?  Could he still ride roller coasters?  How long will he be sick?  Lots of questions and very little answers.

My family and I are big supporters of cancer awareness.  My football team and I were in the newspaper last year for wearing pink in support of breast cancer.   When my dad was diagnosed, I noticed how little if any stomach cancer was supported.  With us having to get our stomachs checked every year, what if I don’t have the money to pay for it?  Is there any support for me?  How come the number two cancer killer in the world has little to no support or funding? 

Thankfully Congress passed two years ago, November is Stomach Cancer Awareness month.  Will you wear a blue ribbon in support of my dad and my family?  Will you help get the word out?  Will you help raise money for research and medicine to help people like my dad?  Please Mr. Senator, support my daddy’s fight and those like him?  Please help get the word out about stomach cancer awareness.
 

Sincerely,

 Austin C. Leonard

 

 

Cancer WHAT? FREEEEEE :)

I am so proud of my 4 younger sons.  Alec 15, has been my rock star.  I tear up every time I think about how strong he was during all of this.  We never lost faith and every time it was slipping for me, God put someone in my life to bring me back.  The nurses at Duke prayed with us.  Friends and family, the Pastor from our 4 yr olds pre-school came by to visit…Tonyeese saw me BREAKDOWN like no one in this town ever had...everyone was just great!!!  I took the past 6 months one day at a time, never stopping to think or else I would fall apart. 

Aydin's, "Dear God, make Daddy's boo boo better.  Amen!!!"  Always a welcomed prayer in this house.

Tony had his post treatment CT on Aug 24…1 month ago today…IT WAS CLEAN!!!!!!!!  No lymph nodes, no cancer ANYWHERE.  I swear it was divine intervention.  God came down and cleaned Tony out.  Every day my 4 year old would say, “Dear God, make Daddy’s boo boo better, AMEN!!”  I believe in prayer and I believe that God has not only healed Tony, but healed our family.

We go to Church now, we spend time as a family now, no more arguing, Tony is coaching Austin (12) football team.  He is still recovering from all the treatment and still has his feeding tube, but he’s alive and a new man.  GOD IS GOOD!!!   :)

Screw It, We're Going To The Beach

Radiation is finally over.  Now we have a 3 week break before the next wave of treatment...infusion chemo...so I'm taking them to the beach.  I mean why not?  The kids deserve the break, I deserve the break, we need it before Tony gets sick again.  So I took the kids out of school for a couple of days and we went to the beach!! :)

We did the best we could.  Tony was still a bit under the weather, but at our resort, I can let the boys go and have fun while I stay in the room with Tony.

We truly had a great time.  Tony and I even got to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary :)  <3

Infusion

So this is the bad stuff from what I hear.  But its only for a few days...nothing like having to take the Xeloda every day again...NOT, he has to WHAT?  Yup EOX...epirubicin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and Xeloda.  So the E and the O you get in your veins and the Xeloda you take by mouth.  You get 3 rounds of it, 3-4 weeks a part...no break from the Xeloda though, THAT one you take every day twice a day and the pills aren't small either :(  Poor Tony. :(

Counting the pills 1,2,3,4 Monday AM, 1,2,3,4 Monday PM, 1,2,3,5 Tuesday AM and so on.  My favorite was the biochemical warning on the box...seriously?  and he's putting this in his body?  Well back to the "if it will kill it."

So Tony and the boys and Tony's best friend shave their heads...it was only a matter of time that Tony would too be losing his hair...