Local Cancer Survivor To Participate In Relay For Life
Local Cancer Survivor To Participate In Relay For Life
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Local Cancer Survivor To Participate In Relay For LifeRichard Brainerd was informed a year ago he had sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue.
He is using the battle to raise funds for others who are fighting cancer by participating in next month's Kosciusko County Relay For Life.
Funds he and others raise will go to the American Cancer Society to be used for cancer research.
The relay is June 5-6 at Kosciusko Community Fairgrounds. There are currently 25 teams registered for the event.
Richard will participate in the relay with his wife, Julia who serves as activities coordinator for the relay. This year will be the Brainerd's second year for walking in the relay.Julia is employed at NG Instruments, Warsaw. The company has a relay team that is raising funds and will participate in the relay in honor of Richard.
The company will sponsor Guitar Hero for Play Station III during the relay.
For a donation, people will be able to play the game and the person with the highest score will win the game and guitar.
"It's important to raise awareness about the relay," Julia said.
"I knew people who had cancer, but it never struck so close to home until my husband was diagnosed."
Richard, 45, began feeling severe pain in his lower leg in May 2008 that he had never experienced before.
"The pain was so strong that something as simple as the wind on my leg could create terrible pain," Richard said.
He was referred to a neurologist at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, where he was treated by Dr. Brandy Matthews.
Matthews ran some blood tests and told Richard the pain in his leg was secondary.
She advised him he needed to see an internal medicine doctor immediately or go to the emergency room because of his blood count.
Richard went to Pain Management Associates, Fort Wayne, where he received treatment from Dr. Stephen Hatch for the pain in his lower left leg.
In late August 2008 he started running a temperature from 99 to 102 degrees everyday until Feburary 2009.
His temperature reached close to 103 degrees Thanksgiving weekend and his son David convinced him to get checked out at Medstat. He was given an antiobiotic for the fever.
Richard's weight dropped from 330 to 256 due to his lack of appetite.
Dr. Charles Marting, Northern Lakes Internal Medicine, Warsaw, internal medicine doctor, peformed blood tests and a chest X-ray in mid October 2008.
Richard had a biopsy performed and results showed a large cancer tumor in his upper right chest.
On Dec. 16, 2008, Dr. Musaberk Goksel, Center of Hope Cancer Care, diagnosed Richard with sarcoma on his right chest wall.
Richard had sarcoma attached to his right lung, diaphram, and under his heart lining.
He had a tumor that was restricting his breathing and he was on oxygen for two months.
Richard had worked for Biomet as a processing engineer for a year and was no longer able to work due to health concerns.
"I was in denial. I talked to the cancer society to see what they could do for us. I didn't think I had cancer," Richard said.
Dr. Karen Rieger, IU Medical Center, performed surgery to remove the tumor attached to his middle lobe on his right lung and his heart on Feb. 5, 2009.
He was released Feb. 14 after being there for 10 days, seven of which he was in intesive care.
Richard was told after the surgery that he was cancer free, but in March 2009 a Cat Scan was done at Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis.
The scan found cancer was growing again in his right chest wall.
Next week he is scheduled to begin chemotherapy for the first time before he goes in June to IU Medical Center for an evaluation.
He currently is taking multiple medications to manage pain. Richard sees oncologist Dr. Daniel Rushing, IU Med Center.
Richard and his wife celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in March and said they are glad they have spent their life together.
"When he goes through something I feel like I am going though the same thing," Julia said.
