We were excited about our recent move from Fort Drum, NY to Vicenza, Italy. It was our second tour to Europe, and the whole family was excited about Gelato, Pizza, Pasta, Espresso, and more Gelato. Shortly after the children started back to school, Nick's excitement level started to decrease. Nick was the boy that was always skateboarding, reading skate magazines, and playing his videogames. He began to sleep more and more, playing less. The high fevers started, the night sweats, the weight loss. All the signs of something wrong but we were clueless as to what. Then one day we notice this vast lump on his neck. So we took him to clinic on Post, where they immediately transported him to the Italian Hospital. Here they found a mass on his chest. After two days the Commander of the Hospital came in and told us they would be flying us out to Germany to see the Pediatric Oncologist. As sick as Nick felt; he perked up as soon as he saw the private jet that arrived to take us to Germany. The pilot was amazing; the Swiss Air Guard was in the Air the same time as us, and the pilot asked them to fly by and say hi to Nick. And they did, the Swiss Air Guard flew right next to us, and waved to Nick. Amazing!
Upon arrival in Germany ( Landsthul) and meeting with the Oncologist, he agreed with the previous doctors that it look like Lymphoma, and we would need to fly out the next day to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Mom and Nick flew out of Germany on a C-17 with the injured Soldiers coming home from Iraq. A 9 hour flight which Nick slept mostly slept through with furious fevers. The only question he asked was, 'What is happening to me, and when can we go back to Italy.'
Nick was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, Stage 4 on February 13 2007. It was not a happy day, but he knew he would start feeling better once some Medicine was in his body. His Chemo would last 52 weeks, and we choose to stay at WRAMC because Nick loved the Doctors and the Nurses. He was happy to leave the Hospital and begin his Outpatient therapy at the Hemo/Oncology Clinic. During his 52 weeks the Nurses, Ms. Tiffany, Ms. Jolene, and others made this all bearable for Nick. After a year he is now in remission, and going to school part-time, and yes he is back on the SKATEBOARD!
