Chemo Day 4 and 5

Well, I mostly slept these last two days during the treatment so that made things pass by much faster. I am off for two weeks now for recovery. It's hard to tell if I'm doing fine because I'm mentally a little out of it. I have to guess whether or not I'm hungry, and even if I stuff myself with food I can hardly tell. So if that's the worst I have to deal with, I think I'll be fine. Good news is I have medication for the hiccups so things are looking up.

Chemo Day 3

Three days down and two more this week. Feeling tired, but nothing a little nap can't handle. Funny side of effect of the chemo is the hiccups. I did not see that one coming 'hiccup'

Chemo Day 2

Second round of chemo is done. I'm not that hungry today, but then again I pack away quite a bit of food. Maybe the medications have knocked me down to a normal diet.

I just can't wait to go through the rest of these sessions. It feels good to fight back. I know that as long as God is with me and I'm surrounded by the ones I love, I'll make it through without a hitch. Thanks for the support!

First Chemo

First Chemo treatment

Wedding

It's official: Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Koza. 

Thankful for such a special day and a relaxing week following the wedding.

Subscribe & Donate

To make sure you are getting all of the updates, go to the bottom right hand corner of the screen and input your email address. That way any time there is a new posting, you'll know! You will be sent one email per day (I believe around 6:30am) if there is anything new on the blog.

DONATIONS: feel free to spread the word. To donate, go to the following link through PPF Inc.:
http://www.ppfinc.org/Recipients/Christopher_Koza.htm
Follow the link right below the pictures to submit your donation amount. Please click the "PPF Recipient's Donation" and make sure to write in "Christopher Koza"-- otherwise it will go to the general fund and will not allow Christopher to benefit 100%. Please email: cheryl.lawrence08@comcast.net once you have donated so we can keep track. Also, if you prefer to go old school and write a check, that's completely fine too; email for details. Don't forget, all the donations are tax deductible. 

More information to come on the Family Fundraiser Funomenon.

Thank you again. Your support means the world to us!!!

Pre-op Pic

Back tracking a little-- here is a picture from the surgery to remove the tumor. Loved the fancy blue hat haha.

PET scan & MRI

Yesterday was my PET scan and MRI. This is one step closer to deciding what course of treatment is right for me. Everything went smoothly, but the three cups of barium were hard to choke down.

Christopher's Story

Christopher Koza is currently a mechanical engineering student at the University of Maryland, and in a few short weeks, will be marrying his high school sweetheart, Melinda. Born and raised in Frederick, MD, Christopher devotes much of his time to the Army ROTC program and spending quality time with his friends and family. It's amazing how quickly our lives can change and this is exactly what happened to Christopher. At his age, one expects to be vibrant, entering into the prime of their lives, living life carefree ,but  things don't always work out quite as we expect. Unfortunately a lot has happened in the past few weeks, including the life-changing diagnosis of cancer. Although Christopher had grandparents who dealt with this obstacle, cancer is one word a 21-year-old never expects to hear.

In May, the doctors diagnosed Christopher with a testicular tumor.  On Friday the 11th, he had surgery to remove the cancer. The results showed that the borders were "in-tact" but that the tumor was in fact malignant: Embryonal Carcinoma . Thinking that the "bad news" was out of the way, the family found  themselves yet again taken aback to hear that the CT scans showed the cancer spreading to the lymph nodes (qualifying as stage 2 B).  Christopher will get a PET scan this week of his entire body and will begin  chemotherapy shortly after his wedding day. As one can imagine, life changed quickly. Christopher has had cope with the new diagnosis, drop out of school for the remaining spring semester, and face the possibility of losing his ROTC scholarship and even putting the wedding plans on hold.

Things have continued to pile on, but there is hope in a sovereign God. We know that God knows  Christopher by name and has established all of this before the foundation of the Earth. We also know that  His ways are not always our ways, but He always knows best! Amidst the circumstances, they are clinging to Romans 8:28. The apostle Paul writes, "And we know that in ALL THINGS, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose." We have already seen some pretty amazing ways God is working in all of this, including the discovery that Christopher is able to stay on his parents' insurance, even though he will be married! That in itself is such a major blessing! It is his family's hope and prayer that through Christopher's story, God will be given all of the glory.

The financial burdens of cancer are strenuous to any family. Unfortunately, Christopher's family is no different.  We are asking that you partner alongside us as we pray for the miraculous healing of Christopher, and if you feel led to also help contribute to the rising medical costs.  We are so very grateful for all of your love and prayers and know that great things will be accomplished. We are believing God for what seems impossible to many, but we know that with God all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). Through the Patty Pollatos Fund, Inc. (www.ppfinc.org), Christopher will benefit 100% of anything that is donated! All donations are tax-deductible.If you are interested in donating, please check the blog soon for the link. Thank you so much for coming together to support Christopher and his family through this time.