Update Blog

So far so good today. Nick's not quite horribly ill from the chemo, but he's very weak from the radiation, and from the cancer in his lungs. It's astonishing that someone can be out skateboarding one week, and be incapacitated and wheelchair-bound the next. Still, Nick's had more of an appetite in hospital than he's had the past few weeks at home. He's down about 25 pounds, but is most likely benefiting from IV hydration.   The chemo ward's not as depressing this time around. Part of it's the steady stream of visitors, as well as the continual presence of Nick's wonderful girlfriend Alex. (aside: there may be plenty-o-fish in the sea, but Nick sure got bitten by a few piranhas and barracudas before finally meeting an angel fish!) The other part is that, apart from his diagnosis in 2012, Nick's never been sick from the cancer - just the treatment. Now that's changed. We've watched him become completely incapacitated from the disease in a

Nick's story so far... Early December 2012: Nick had been complaining of a sore back since being roughed up in the mosh pit at a concert in July. His pain seems to be getting worse. December 13, 2012: Back pain gets extreme. Nick is taken to emergency and immediate diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer. Surgery in January 2013 (orchiectomy). Tumour markers fail to normalize. Outpatient chemotherapy (January-March 2013). First relapse (May 2013) June-August 2013: in-hospital chemotherapy. November 2013: The cancer now under control, Nick has an autologous stem cell transplant (21 days in hospital) January 2014: Nick undergoes major surgery to remove  the massive tumour near his kidneys (RPLND). This 10+ hour procedure involved the removal of the tumour and various lymph nodes, and also the transplantation of one kidney from one side of his body to the other - reminiscent of how the eye of a juvenile flounder migrates from one side of the fish's head to the othe