Appreciating the Little Things: My Brother's Cancer Story
By, Emily Grill
Nov. 30, 2023
SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOl
An era of lasts. The last-first day of high school with your hometown friends you grew up with. The last-first sporting event. The last-first 'normal' year before everyone moves away to college. That's how the story goes for most seniors in high school. And this was true, for the most part, for my 17-year-old brother Michael.
But what he didn't realize was that the news he received on Nov. 28th, 2022 would not only change the rest of his senior year, but the rest of his life.
A CLOSER LOOK INTO HOW IT ALL HAPPENED
Nov. 21, 2022 - The Pain Continues
Progressively getting worse and worse, to the point where a clicking sound would occur in the back of his leg, he decided to speak up.
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"Any time I reached a certain depth in my squat, I felt a funny popping sound."
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September 2022 - The Pain Begins
A frequent gym rat, Michael started to feel a weird pain in his left leg after working out. He brushed it off, assuming it was just a pulled muscle.
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Nov. 25, 2022 - The First Doctor Appointment
A routine X-ray exam after Micahel went to the orthopedic showed a shocking result: one that instantly worried the doctor and prompted him to advise an emergency MRI the following day.
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"I knew something was instantly wrong with the doctor's sense of urgency. Seeing a picture of the X-ray alarmed me, too. I knew the blob on the back of my leg wasn't supposed to be there."
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Circled is the tumor.
Nov. 28, 2022 - The Results
First thing Monday morning after the MRI, my mom received a phone call that sent her into a spiral. The doctor said the results were in, and that they needed to get to the office immediately. My mom: trying to keep it together while rushing my brother into the car. My stepdad: suddenly driving home from a boys' vacation in Vermont after only being there for one day. Me: back at school after Thanksgiving break, keeping my ringer on waiting for a phone call with any update.
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“It was definitely hard to get out of my mind. I tried to keep the bad thoughts out of my head but I really couldn’t. It was just a lot of nerves, especially building up to receiving the news."
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And then, the news came. The news we all knew to be true in the back of our minds, but didn't want to hear out loud.
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"Never in a million years did I think that something like this could happen. Of course, I hear about it happening to other people, but I never thought it could be me. I was in a complete state of disbelief ."
Nov. 29, 2022 - The Biopsy
With less than 24 hours to process the news, Michael was sent to the hospital to meet his surgeon, Dr. Wittig, and go in for a biopsy.
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"I knew I was in good hands the moment I met Dr. Wittig. He got straight to the point and was confident in his ability to save my leg. He's also just a relatable guy in general, super easy to get along with."
His entire leg was completely bandaged, forcing him to move around with the assistance of a wheelchair, a walker, or crutches.​
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Nov. 30 - Dec. 12, 2022 - The Waiting Game
A week and a half of awaiting the surgery and processing what's about to happen.
"I tried to stay positive during that time. What kept me motivated was thinking about getting back to what I love doing post-surgery. Getting back to living my life as a kid. Of course, visits from everyone like friends, and family, and well wishes from just about everyone all helped me along the way."
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Dec. 13, 2022 - Surgery
It took six long hours to take the tumor out and complete the operation. It was just my mom and me in that waiting room. Fidgeting our thumbs, pacing the floors, anxiously waiting for any sort of result. When we finally were able to go see him in the recovery room, his lifeless, drugged-out, face looked at us and said,
"I did it."
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Dec. 13 - 20, 2022 - Days Turn Into Nights, Nights Turn Into Days
Michael spent an entire week being surrounded by dreary blue painted-walls, IV machines, and oxygen masks in a hospital bed. Not being able to move a muscle without screaming in grueling pain, he needed assistance just to breathe.
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"I just wanted to go home. I was so frustrated that I wasn't physically able to do anything myself. I wanted to get out of there."
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January - April, 2023 - Recovery
Unable to go back to school, Michael started at-home physical therapy to try and re-learn basic activities without the use of his leg.
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"I was taught how to get myself out of bed, take a shower, and use the bathroom. All things I took for granted to be able to do on my own."
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At the beginning of March, in-person physical therapy began, and movement that seemed impossible just a couple months prior became possible for him once again.
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Dec. 20, 2022 - The Return Home
Just in time for Christmas, Michael was released from the hospital and was able to return home with strict restrictions. But he didn't care. He longed for his bed, his dog, his home. The second he walked through the door he was brought to tears:
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"I can't believe that happened to me."
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Michael and Dr. Wittig pre-surgery
X-rays of Michael's knee today: completely metal
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF LIFE: 365 DAYS LATER
As we approach the one-year mark of Michael becoming cancer-free, there's a lot to reflect on. But if there is one thing for sure, it's that he got his wish of living his normal life again.
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Here are the sights and sounds of some of Michael's favorite things:
WATCHING SPORTS WITH FRIENDS:
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Yelling at the TV and comparing Fantasy Football teams have been the ideal set-up for Michael and his friends since they were in middle school. It was something that kept a sense of normalcy for him during the winter months of 2022 as well.
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"My friends would always stop by. Some would even skip class to come watch sports with me. It meant everything to see that they cared so much."
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His childhood best friend, Vincent, attests to the fact that Michael's cancer affected all of them.
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"Michael's been in my life for as long as I can remember. He's done so much for me and all of us over the years. There wasn't a doubt we were gonna be right by his side the entire way, even if it meant not going to school."
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Now, their Sunday and Monday night rituals in our basement continue.
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STAYING ACTIVE:
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The gym routine helped Michael discover his tumor in the first place. And coming back to the gym was one of the things he eagerly looked forward to post-surgery.
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"I'm able to go to the gym, but there are limitations. Any sort of leg workout done on equipment has to be done with my own body weight. I can't add any extra weight to the equipment."
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Now, he doesn't miss a day without going to the gym.
Playing pickup basketball at the local park or in someone's backyard was also a frequent activity Michael did with his friends and younger cousins.
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"I was told I'd never be able to run or jump ever again. Obviously, that mentally broke me to hear at first, but I've found ways around it. I've accepted that this is the reality for the rest of my life."
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Now, he's grateful he's able to play sports again.
SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY:
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Michael was bedridden during the holidays last year, unable to participate in annual family games, or sit at the kitchen table.
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"When family members came to visit me last year after their long days of work just to hang out with me, it meant a lot. They all have lives too, but they chose to spend their days with me."
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My mom, Amy, relied on others to help keep herself strong during this time, too.
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"It was hard to watch him struggle day in and day out. Having my sisters or my parents or other cousins stop by not only brought a smile to his face but helped to calm me down as well. When something like this happens, you really see who's in your corner."
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Now, time spent with family means so much more.
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The way Michael lives his life now, you would never know he is a cancer survivor. But it's inevitable that it will continue to affect him for the rest of his life.
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"It kind of just put everything into perspective for me. If it's one thing I learned, it's that time is very valuable. You never know when something could happen in a matter of seconds that can change your life forever. Appreciate the little things, and never take time for granted."
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After life-threatening diagnoses, many people feel anger and resentment it happened to them. Michael feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
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"Instead of considering myself unlucky that it happened, I consider myself lucky that the outcome wasn’t much worse. I'm lucky to be here and live the life that I live."
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