Team Tarallo vs. Lymphoma 'The Rematch'

Sept, 4th 2015 I stopped at Home Depot to buy a 5gal bucket of joint compound. It's heavy and I was using a carriage that I had to swing the bucket into and I felt a pull in my back right behind the shoulder blade. Swing it out of the cart and into the truck. Swing it out of the truck and onto the ground. Swing it from hand to hand into the house. Then I worked all weekend long. I found myself in too much pain to work on Monday (Labor Day) so I rested. I noticed that I had become seriously constipated and hadn't had a movement since Friday morning.

I didn't know if I pinched a nerve in my back, slipped or bulged a disc, or did something else. I went to Salem Hospital Tue, the 8th for an x-ray and up/low GI pain. They didn't take an x-ray or do any scans. Simply put they gave me something for pain, sleep and a patch for my back. I did a colonic later that day and managed the up/low GI pressure and reduced my back pain. Thinking that did the trick I ate like normal, but still wasn't regulated and within a couple of days I was dealing with the up/low GI pressure again, the constipation and all the pain.

I couldn't sleep because of the back pain. I couldn't get comfortable in any position for sleep except sitting upright hunched over a stability ball with pillows. That was a true moment that Kodak missed.This continues until the 19th when I called it quits on my own efforts and decided to go to MGH. I'm thinking that this is just back complications and constipation. I get settled in the ER and we do a CT Scan to see whats going on. I had an inflamed pancreas, inflamed colon (not from the colonics like you're thinking) and inflamed lymph nodes in my abdomen. I was weak, could barely walk, whispered cause I couldn't talk normally.

We scheduled a biopsy of some of the nodes in my abdomen and a PET scan from eyes to thighs. We'd be able to sit down with the Dr. and review the results on Friday.

The biopsy and PET results showed that I was a stage 4 Lymphoma with Triple Hit that was attacking my system aggressively in a very short period of time. Triple Hit means that the cancer was mutating on 3 different chromosomes. My Doctor wanted to admit me immediately to start treatment.

I was admitted on 9-25-15 and even though the treatment got started late I feel a million times better. No pain, no up/low GI pressure, no constipation and I can sleep.

I've got 2 more 4 day inpatient stay cycles then I do a PET scan.

The next phase after the chemotherapy is stem cell transplant. They are going to extract my stem cells and use them.

Today 9-27-15 My bloods are Awesome! I'm not in pain, I'm getting stronger and I quickly realized how this disease can masquerade symptoms buying itself time to cause the most damage that it can. I never would have thought it was the Lymphoma coming back, neither did my Doctor which I just happen to see on 9-3 and every thing was great. I thought it had something to do with my back, but after the biopsy and PET my Doctor knew exactly what was going on.

So I'm on a different set of chemo drugs that I'll list later and a different approach to removing the cancer.

I'd love to talk to all of you, but it's exhausting telling the same story over and over. I'm not a pity partier and appreciate if you check your pity at the door. I love you and if you want to do whats best for me then demonstrate your strength.

When I was going through treatment in 2013 one of the quotes that had the most impact was from Ronda Rousey from The Ultimate Fighter. "If you quit now you quit for the rest of your life." "Once you quit, you're always going to have that quit in you."

That changed my game on the spot. Ronda would never read this, but i'd like to thank her for sharing her warrior spirit with the world that was listening.

Another moment that impacted me was from Lizard Lick Towing. I was going through chemo and in this new episode Ronnie demonstrated pure selflessness. I was in awe. His company was struggling, his relationships were struggling, money was tight and they had to repo some farm equipment from a local farmer that they grew up with. It was touching, but what Ronnie does through all his struggles is run for mayor and try to put a stop to big business moving in and taking over these mom and pops, and family run farms.

When someone tells you something most times it goes from ear to ear. When someone demonstrates something it holds more impact in it's statement.

I was able to figure out a meaning to all that and it's helped me a great deal with doubts.