Submitted by Cindy Green

Austin Barclay Green, born first of our four children, received news that would change his life. We his parents, Jason and Cindy(Bertalon) Green were horrified when this one word entered our family bringing complete chaos.

Just after October 16, 2007, Austin’s 12th Birthday his 12 yr old molars came through and caused nothing but problems. On both sides, of the lower gum were white pussy bumps that made it hard to chew. I took him into the dentist on October 22, it was suggested that the molars had came up, but took either plaque or food particles back under with them. The dentist could not do anymore at this time until they came through, and we were to go home and use Orajel and Tylenol to control the pain.

In the first week of November, after a vigorous 3 Day Weekend AA Hockey Tournament in Saskatoon with the Moose Mountain Wild Team, Austin started complaining about pain in his knee. Austin and his dad mentioned that they had gone bowling and that Austin had skidded, so maybe that was why his knee was sore. The only thing was it did not heal, it got worse, and then the pain went into the other knee, then moved into his hips. At first we thought it was growing pains, we spoke with many parents and most of them said their children experienced severe growing pains, and that it could last a long time. We rubbed him down with A535, bathed him in Epson Salts and alternated between Tylenol and Advil.

He continued to play hockey, but the coaches started noticing Austin’s hockey skills and his drive were decreasing. I spoke with a friend about Austin’s conditions, being tired, the growing pains, his sore neck, and his loss of appetite. I had my own conclusions, the tiredness was the Advil and Tylenol, playing hockey, and school, the pain was from the growing pains, and his teeth were causing the sore neck and loss of appetite.

Until she mentioned West Nile, and seeing that we have an Educational Assistant from Lampman with it, I thought it could be possible.

So on Tuesday, November 13, Austin had a doctor’s appointment and had his blood work done. During the next week we kept helping Austin the best way we knew how. On Tuesday, November 20, I went back to the clinic for Austin’s results. His levels looked normal until the second page where this one level ESR was relatively high. It is the Inflammation of the Body, a man’s range is 0-10, where a women’s is 0-20, and this 12-year-old boy was sitting at a 68. Growing pains still played in our minds.

After 3 attempts, we finally were booked into a Pediatric Specialist, the first 2 were on holidays. The next day Austin asked me to run his Orajel over to the school for his molars, as he was applying the gel I noticed how loose his teeth were and that the molars were starting to turn inward. I went home and phoned the dentist, but no appointments were available, even with saying what was happening. I then phoned three other dentists and then two other towns, no one could see him. Then our dentist’s office called back to say have him there by 9 am Thursday morning. The dentist took one look and told us he had never seen anything like this before so he was sending us to a specialist in Regina.

Until now, Austin has not had any problems with his teeth. The specialist in Regina looked over the X-rays, looked in Austin’s mouth and told us that he could not do anything for us either, we needed to see an Orthodontic Surgeon. They closed at 12 pm on Fridays and we were now 12:30, so we would have to come back next week.

Next was the Pediatric appointment, he did his assessment on Austin, turned and said it looks to be something malignant, but we came to him on a Friday at 4pm, so we were to come back next week, and he left the room. That is when my heart started pounding, did he just say malignant, if I recall that word has something to do with Cancer.

Then Austin’s pain in his hips started, taking my thoughts to helping him. Austin started crying and screaming because it hurt so bad. The doctor came back in, I said to him that this is the pain he is dealing with, and could he not do SOMETHING now. He explained to me that he did not have a magic wand, and left the room again. While I was trying to calm Austin down and get him dressed, the doctor returned saying Austin was being admitted into the General Hospital. That they could control his pain better than what we were doing for him at home and that I was to go home and rest.

Austin then went out to the vehicle, while I went to speak with the doctor. In there he asked if I understood what was happening, I repeated the word Malignant and looked at me and said yes CANCER.

I am not sure where that boulder came from but it slammed into me and took the air out of me, my heart echoed in my chest, my ears started ringing and my head started pounding, I felt that I was going to be sick, This could not be, my boy had CANCER, no this had to be a mistake, and this doc did not know what he was talking about. Not this AA Hockey Player, this blue belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, this Level 10 swimmer, and this Honors of Distinction child. Why, why him, why this family, this was supposed to be about growing pains. All the way home with 2 hours to drive, I yelled, cried, felt guilty on what had I done wrong as a parent.

On Monday, November 26, Austin had a Bone Scan, then a CT scan with a dye injected into him, and an Ultrasound, then back for another Bone Scan with another dye injected into him, and a MRI finished the day.

That evening our lives changed, we were told that Lymphoma was in his neck and that it was an aggressive growth. It was growing in to his right cheek, across his chin and up the other cheek. It was pushing inside his mouth making it hard for him to close his mouth.

On Tuesday, he fasted so that his biopsy of his neck could be done but it was cancelled at 5pm and rescheduled for Wednesday. During the surgery Austin had his Biopsy, his 2 molars extracted, a bone marrow aspiration on his hip, this is where they take a large needle into his hip and remove bone marrow to see if and how much cancer cells are occupying his bone cells. He had a Hickman Line or Port Line put into his chest just under the skin, it goes down the vena cava vein and sits on the atrium of his heart. This line would now access his blood work and if need be the chemotherapy.

Over time and with the amount of blood work needed, a person’s veins could collapse or roll making it hard to give or receive anything. On Thursday, felling pretty rough, Austin still managed a smile for visitor, Chris Sarka #33 of the Saskatchewan Riders, before being sent to the Regina Pasqua. Austin got to ride in the ambulance, which was pretty neat he thought.

November 30 the Oncologist confirmed Austin having Burkitt Leukemia & Lymphoma, and that we would discuss the treatment together on December 3rd. The doctor told us that for the next 6-7 months, Austin would be receiving very high and extensive toxic levels of chemo. He told us the side effects of the drugs and that he would get very sick and could end up in ICU. At times he might need blood transfusions and could end up requiring bone marrow transplant, so the family would need to be tested at that time.

Today the cure rate for this type of Leukemia is 80 percent, and treatment would be done in 1-2 years where other Leukemia’s can take 3-5 years.