Attempting To Discover Where To Begin

I used to go insane with people that would "market/network/advertise" over their facebook accounts/blogs/twitter etc but the time has come where I am going to be a hypocrite and I am going to spam the living shit out of my facebook, twitter, and blog accounts in hopes that I can help raise some awareness and get some huge support from everyone reading this. That being said I feel as though this cause is a lot more important than those selling youth juice or all of those other bullshit scams.

As many of you know, one of my best friends, Jon, was diagnosed with Choriocarcinoma only days before his 23rd birthday. This cancer is typically found in women and is related to the placenta, however, it can be found in men in the form of Testicular Choriocarcinoma. This disease typically effects men between the ages of 15-35 years old (yes that means you all you average aged men so get your balls checked!!!) and is an incredibly aggressive form of cancer. It spreads very rapidly to other organs in the body, quite often affecting the brain within months. In most cases it's already spread to major organs before it's even been diagnosed.

In February of 2009 Jon found a lump on his testicle and decided he would get it checked out. Only days after he had his ultrasound (before he even had the results back) he continued to suffer from a massive headache. He downed tylenol after tylenol in hopes to alleviate some of the pain but nothing helped. He climbed the stairs at his childhood home in Vanderhoof only to throw up all over the floor once he reached the top. He finally went to the hospital where they immediately sent him to Prince George for some scans while his family waited in hopes that whatever was happening would be something treatable.

After having the scans done it was concluded that he had a golf ball sized tumour located at the base of his brain on the occipital lobe. He was in so much pain that the hospital actually turned off all of the lights in hopes that it would help even a little. He was on so much morphine he could barely function so he sat in the dark waiting to be flown to Vancouver where he would have to undergo multiple surgeries, the final diagnosis of his cancer, chemotherapy, and the beginning of seemingly endless battle.

Within a matter of days (literally, less than a week) Jon had went from a state where he worried about possibly having testicular cancer, to being diagnosed with a testicular cancer that had spread to his brain. After numerous tests and scans it was found that he had four other tumours for a grand total of 5 brain tumours as well as cancer in his lungs, stomach, and even more importantly, his spine. The biggest concerns at this point were the brain tumours and the cancer in his spine.

They removed the golf ball sized tumour first and immediately started chemotherapy. Imagine the pain of going through brain surgery, and then starting on the worst treatment anyone could ever go through. Jon was told he wouldn't be able to throw up or his brain could hemorrhage and it could kill him. How do you not throw up when your body is being poisoned and the lining of your stomach is being depleted to nothing?

I saw Jon the night they started his chemo and it was just awful. It broke my heart in every way. I cried the whole way to the hospital not knowing what to expect. I got him this really gay teddy bear and a guitar magazine because I wasn't even sure what he'd already been going through. I had called all over the city to find out where he even was because the only information I was told was "man, Jon's in the hospital. He's got brain cancer." When I called VGH to ask for him they first told me he wasn't there. So I called back again a few minutes later because it didn't make sense to me that he wouldn't be there. Finally the lady came back on the phone to tell me, "I'm sorry, he has been discharged to the cancer clinic. If you would like to reach him you can the hospital at ***-***-****."

My heart sank. Up until that point I was so in shock and then all of a sudden everything I didn't want to believe had been confirmed. I didn't even ask his family if it was okay if I came, I just showed up not even knowing what the fuck was going on. I walked in and he was sitting up in bed with his family. He had staples all up the back of his head from the surgery and the nurse kept coming in to change IV bags and to check on him. Another nurse came in at one point in this heavy duty apron, kind of like the kind you wear when you get Xrays done, and she changed the bag on his IV line. More poison. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to hug him but I was afraid to even touch him because I didn't want to hurt him or squeeze him too hard. I didn't even know what to do so I did what I do best, made some awkward jokes, commented on what a sweet haircut he had and gave him a gentle hug.

I watched as the nurses came and went with more drugs. The stuff is so toxic that the nurses take extreme caution not to get it on their skin because it will eat through their skin and clothes. Yet here she is putting this shit in him. It just didn't seem to make sense. It really hits you on how serious it is when it takes something that poisonous to (hopefully) stop the spread of an even more poisonous disease.

I left the hospital a complete disaster. In fact, I spent my Valentines Day curled up on the couch crying while Dario tried to help by bringing over "Horton Hears A Who" and endlessly hugging me. I still couldn't thank him enough for doing that because it honestly helped immensely.


Jon's treatment continued for a couple months. 5 days of chemo, 16 days of rest, for 5 cycles. All the while he went through a couple more surgeries to remove the other tumours in his brain (all except one which is too dangerous to remove.) He had quite a few Grand Mal Seizures (the worst ones you can have) that would be so intense he actually dislocated his shoulder, twice; all thanks to the brain tumours and surgeries.

In May 2009 he was discharged from the hospital, bald, aged, sick, 50lbs lighter, and with a bottle of Dilantin that he had mixed with smarties to control his seizures. Still, there was no for sure answer as to whether or not he could be cured, nor did the doctors even have a clue of how to go about treatment. With the cancer now in his spine it makes him an extremely rare case, being one of the only people with this kind of cancer in the world. There is no set regiment of treatment, it's all trial and error, and unfortunately the "error" ends up being death.

I spent as much time as I could with him over the Christmas holidays, sleeping side by side and pretty much not letting go. It was around this time that he had been told that his cancer was terminal, that it was now about "treating" and not "curing" the disease. He woke up one night just drenched in sweat. I had him change into a clean sweater and within half an hour he had soaked through that one as well. Between the headaches and the nightmares he rarely sleeps, not to mention he feels like he is wasting his time when he sleeps.

There's been so many things that he's said to me that bring tears to my eyes every time they come to mind. While most people plan the next 25+ years of their lives, he's planning the next day of his. While most of us don't write wills until we are well into our 40's or 50's, he's written his and openly talked about his funeral at 24. While we worry about going to the doctors to diagnose a cold or flu like H1N1, he worries about whether or not his next appointment will involve more scans and more spinal taps. While most people ask me to play them a song on guitar, he asks me if I will play for him at his funeral.While we all wish that we get to grow old with someone and watch our children grow, his only wish is that he'll live to see his 25th birthday. He once told me he would feel like a failure if he died before he was 25. It's still all unfathomable to me.

So when I say that this cause is important to me, it honestly means so much to me I can't even begin to describe it. We all know someone that's been affected by some sort of cancer, and unfortunately not everyone that's been diagnosed with cancer can say that they've beat it. I want to see a cure be found, and I know these things take time but I'm hoping that with enough help it can be found sooner rather than later.

So, on August 19th we are having a fundraiser at AXIS on West Georgia and Thurlow right here in Vancouver. From 11am to 5:30pm the stylists will all be dressed up in lingerie cutting hair, and all the proceeds that are made will be donated to help find a cure. The charity we are specifically donating to this year is Childrens Brain Cancer Research. After the cut-a-thon we will be moving the party down to AXIS on West Pender and Broughton Street, (literally a 5 minute walk away) where there will be a live auction, drinks, and a lingerie show. The night is being hosted by Todd Hancock from CFOX radio. There's a lot of artwork being auctioned off, as well as trips to Whistler, and other great things donated from businesses/people in the city. Admission is free so feel free to come on down with your friends and make a night of it. We'll be serving beer and wine and you can even dress up if you want to!

I will be booking hair appointments for those who would be interested from 11am to 5:30pm. You get a great haircut for a great price ($30 for men, $35 for women) and it all goes to charity. If anyone has 50% off cards you won't be able to use them this time around unfortunately, but I ensure you that you can use them the next time you come and see me and it will be honoured.

If you would be interested in coming in for a haircut please feel free to either comment via my blog, email me at marlee.mcconnell@gmail.com, or you can call AXIS on West Pender at 604-609-3535 to book your appointment. I would love to book in anyone that's interested, even if I have no idea who you are. Please, don't be shy and come down for the day/night. It means the world to me. Even Jon is hoping to attend and (if he doesn't chicken shit out of it ;) ...) will possibly be doing an interview for CFOX before the auction starts.

Come show your support guys. Our goal this year is $35,000.00 and if this event is big enough this year it is possible that next year it will become a branded fundraiser that will raise enough money to donate to multiple charities.

There are a limited number of appointments so if I'm all booked up ask to see if any other stylists have open appointments. If everyone is booked up and you still want to donate, or you would like to donate but are unable to attend the actual event on the day of you can donate at any of the AXIS locations (West Georgia, Pender, and Sinclair Centre.) If you're interested in the artwork that is being auctioned off you can personally view it at AXIS on Pender and there is an auction book there as well where you can bid on it if you can't make it to the event.

Tax receipts will be given for all donations over $20.