Austin “Flash” Schroeder
On March 19, 2014 during our family spring break trip to Mexico, I found a large
lump in my groin. Two days later, during our travel back home, I could hardly
stand up or walk due to the pain. The morning after we returned, my Mom took
me to Urgent Care and had an ultrasound done. It was inconclusive but the doctor
felt that it was a swollen lymph node due to an infection from a scraped foot.
After being treated for an infection for a week, I had an allergic reaction to the
medication, which caused a rash over my entire body and swelling of my face. A
week went by as the doctors tried to figure out what type of infection it might be,
and then my knee started to hurt and my leg swelled up. After X-rays they still
couldn’t tell what it was, but were very concerned. On 4/14/14 I went in for
biopsies of my groin and knee. I woke up in the hospital room after the operation
to find that a port had been placed in my chest, at that point I knew that I had
cancer.
We spent the week at home waiting for the doctors to tell us what type of cancer it
was and what the game plan would be. I spent a lot of time talking to my parents
about what everything meant. After spending the next week in a lot of pain, I was
admitted to the hospital to start chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin’s T-Cell
Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. I was told that standard chemotherapy treatment for
this would last about 2.5 years. It was hard to think that I am trying to finish 8th
grade and that this treatment would take me to my junior year of High School!
The first 30 days of treatment is called the Induction Period. During that time I
could barely stand up right, couldn’t sleep and it was hard to eat because I had
enlarged lymph nodes in my chest, stomach, groin and right knee. After the 30
days, Dr. O gave me the bad news that I had failed the Induction Period. The
standard chemotherapy didn’t work, in fact my cancer was so aggressive that it
grew and got worse. I’m not sure which was worse: being told I have cancer, or
being told 30 days after working towards beating it that it isn’t working and
getting worse? Well, I told my parents and Dr. O that it was OK and that I knew
that Dr. O and the others will find the drugs that will get this out of me.
A few days later, after Dr. O and the team did some research and collaboration
with others, we started a new plan. This time we were bringing out the big guns!
After a few days, things seemed like they were working as the leg swelling
reduced drastically and there were signs that the node in my groin was shrinking.
On treatment day 16 of 20, I had a very bad side effect from the drug called
Nelarabine. Not only did I have tingling in my fingers and feet, but I had trouble
getting words out. The doctors immediately discontinued that drug as they were
afraid the side effects would get worse or be permanent.
I had my third PET scan to see if I was in remission, but unfortunately I was not
quite there. It was decision time for the all of us. We could try another
chemotherapy drug and take the chance that it wouldn’t work and the cancer
would grow, and I would then miss my window for a Bone Marrow Transplant.
Or we could take the chance to go through with the transplant, getting doses of
chemotherapy and full body radiation at the start, and then 17 days of spot
radiation on the knee towards then end. We all felt that my best chance of cure
was to go through with the bone marrow transplant. I would get someone’s cells
in me to fight any cancer that might be there or trying to come back.
So on 7/17 I checked back into the hospital, had my 3 days of chemotherapy and
3 days of full body radiation treatments. On 7/23/14 I received my new marrow.
To me, it was just a bag of blood, but I was so thankful to this complete stranger,
who was a 10 out of 10 match for me, to being willing to donate his bone marrow
to me to help save my life.
Over the next 35 days in the hospital, I was very sick; it was like the worst flu you
could imagine. I didn’t eat and had fevers for over 2 weeks. I had an infection
that caused me to be stuck in my room and the nurses had to wear gowns, gloves
and masks every time they came in to see me. I remember telling my parents that
I didn’t think that it was going to be so hard. They reminded me that things could
always be worse. I remember watching the news with my Dad later that day
when I saw that 4 boys from Peosta who died after being hit in a gator by a car.
Yes, things could be worse! There was also a 12 year old boy in the next room
with bone cancer, who had to have his leg amputated. Yes, things could be worse!
On August 20, 2014, I was released to go home. What a great day and feeling!
Home Sweet Home! Since then, I have my good days & there are still some not
so great days. I have gotten sick a few times. I came down with an infection that
was very painful. I still have a little bit of the infection, but thankfully the pain
has gone away. I started online home school and a daily workout to try to stay
active and gain some of my strength back. It has been tough since I have been
down 20 pounds three to four times during the past 6 months. I’ve got a lot of
rules that I must follow now. I can’t go outside without a mask. I can only have a
couple friends over at one time and they or their family members cannot be sick.
Oh yeah, and I still take a small bucket of pills every day! With all that, and
having spent close to 4 months in the hospital, I feel fortunate to have so many
wonderful people supporting me and doing so many amazing things! I feel
fortunate because things could be worse.
In the beginning we said our theme will be Fight With Flash, not Fight For Flash,
because no one can beat cancer on their own. They need family, friends, and a
community to do it! I am hoping that I can give others the strength to beat things
that happen in their lives, just like they have given me the strength to beat cancer
in mine!
Austin Flash Schroeder
Together we can make a difference. Please consider donating to ensure that someday is today.
