My dad, Carey, was diagnosed with chordoma in 2009.
He thought he had arthritis, but he developed a tumor that could be seen under the skin. After he was diagnosed, he had surgery and was hospitalized for 22 days. His surgeon assured us that it was slow growing and that he wouldn’t have to worry about it returning in his lifetime (since he was in his 60s).
It returned a few years later and never completely went away. It became very aggressive. He tried radiation. When it spread, he was on chemo pills. The pills helped his upper body where the cancer spread, but the original area (lower spine/sacrum area) did not respond, so his doctor surgically removed those. He had at least six surgeries and took pills for years. He fought a long fight, over a decade, until he passed in 2022. He is now resting eternally!
His cancer surgeon was a wonderful man. Dad had a great relationship with him and trusted whatever he thought was best. He never gave up fighting. He looked forward to “visiting” with his doctor at every appointment.
It’s important to know that chordoma doesn’t always follow the rules. The Chordoma Foundation has helped us by showing us we were not alone.
- Teresa McCarta, Carey’s daughter