Support Brooke's Journey
Below you'll find detailed medical information, timeline updates, and ways to help. This page is updated regularly to keep everyone informed about Brooke's progress and needs.
"Round two hit harder than I expected. I needed a reality check this time around.
The first night in the hospital, I woke up in a violent sweat at 3 a.m. Panicked that maybe this was all a mistake — that I don't really have cancer, and it's the chemo that's killing me.
The next day, my doctor showed me the PET scan. He told me what would happen if I did nothing. (Long story short: I'd die.) And it finally fully hit me — this is the only way through.
Now that I'm home, I'm back in the thick of it. The bone aches. The sleepless nights. The nausea that makes every hour feel endless.
My mother-in-law has been here helping me, but I still try to jump back in — even when nobody's asking me to. It's hard watching people do things for you.
My kids are feeling it too. My six-year-old melts down over dinner, but really she's just scared. My oldest avoids me and tries to fix everything. My three-year-old says he hates me for being gone, then cries because he missed me. And my newborn — he's growing and changing, doing all the little baby things I don't want to miss.
I can't even kiss my husband for a week because of the chemo. I miss him the whole time, even when he's right beside me.
I'm exhausted, but hopeful.
I finally let myself have a pity party — cried, complained, let it all out. And maybe I needed that.
Because now, I'm ready to grit through. I've got this. 💛
"
Diagnosis
Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Stage
Stage 3
Diagnosed
September 13, 2025
Treatment
EPOCH-R - 6 cycles
⏭️What's Next
Critical 2nd PET Scan - November 18th
This scan will determine the treatment path forward. If it shows good results (large masses are gone), Brooke continues with the current EPOCH-R treatment for 3 more rounds. If results aren't as hoped, she would need to switch to a different chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which is less effective and carries higher risks including potential breast cancer. Extra prayers and healing vibes needed for the masses to be gone!
Fourth Treatment Cycle
Cycle 4 will begin approximately three weeks after cycle 3 completes - 5 days inpatient treatment followed by recovery at home and Day 6 outpatient injection. Each cycle is 21 days apart.
🔄Currently In Progress
Recovering at Home Between Cycles
Brooke completed cycle 3 and is now home recovering before the next treatment cycle. She'll be feeling the full effects of the increased chemo dose over the next several days (days 7-10 are typically the hardest). The critical 2nd PET scan on November 18th will show how well the treatment is working.
✅What's Happened So Far
📏Tumor Sizes & Locations
Primary Mass (Mediastinum)
Size: 16 x 8 x 9 centimeters
That's 6.3 x 3.1 x 3.5 inches
About the size of a fist
Location:
Front of chest, behind ribcage
Between the lungs (mediastinum)
Causing fluid buildup around the lungs (Pleural Effusion) and what made Brooke's left lung collapse
Secondary Masses
Small chest mass: 2 cm
About 0.8 inches
Near the primary tumor
Abdominal mass: 4 x 2 cm
About 1.6 x 0.8 inches
Behind stomach, against back wall
Brooke's Specific Lymphoma Type
Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Starts in the chest area (mediastinum) - This is Brooke's confirmed diagnosis
Often affects young adults, especially women. Fast-growing but highly responsive to treatment
Dose-adjusted R-EPOCH (continuous infusion chemotherapy)
Excellent - 90% cure rate with intent to cure
Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
A specific type of aggressive Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that starts in the chest
Confirmed via molecular markers and FISH studies. This is a fast-growing but highly treatable form of B-cell lymphoma that typically affects younger adults and responds very well to chemotherapy. The cancer cells are actively dividing, which makes them vulnerable to treatment.
Stage 3
Cancer is in the mediastinum and three different areas, but NOT in bone marrow
Lymphoma staging is different from other cancers. Stage 3 means it's in multiple areas but hasn't spread to the bone marrow (which would be Stage 4). Importantly, Stage 4 lymphoma is very different from Stage 4 of other cancers - lymphomas remain highly treatable even at Stage 4.
EPOCH-R Chemotherapy - 6 Cycles
Continuous infusion chemotherapy specifically chosen for this type of lymphoma
EPOCH-R (Etoposide, Prednisone, Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin + Rituximab) given as continuous infusion because it works best when cancer cells are dividing. 6 cycles total (not 8, as studies showed 8 had too many side effects without added benefit). Each cycle is 21 days apart: 5 days inpatient treatment, then recovery at home, then Day 6 outpatient injection.
Excellent - Intent to Cure
Doctors are treating with the goal of complete cure, not just management
This type of lymphoma responds very well to treatment and 'melts away fast.' The medical team is confident and optimistic. While aggressive, this cancer is highly curable with proper treatment. The time to cure lymphoma is at the beginning - that's why completing all 6 cycles is critical.
Bone Marrow Biopsy - NEGATIVE
No cancer found in bone marrow - excellent news!
This confirms the cancer has not spread to the bone marrow, which keeps it at Stage 3 and means no need for spinal chemotherapy (methotrexate injections). This is a very positive finding.
Sister Had Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Sister was diagnosed at age 18, successfully treated and cured
Family history of lymphoma, though different type (Hodgkin's vs Non-Hodgkin's). Sister's cancer returned after incomplete treatment at an alternative clinic, requiring full treatment including bone marrow transplant. This experience reinforced the importance of completing standard medical treatment.
4th Child Born August 27th
Healthy baby boy born just weeks before diagnosis
Baby is healthy and doing well. Timing of diagnosis so soon after birth adds complexity to treatment planning. Brooke had to stop breastfeeding before starting chemotherapy.
How Much Cancer Has Shrunk
Next PET scan after cycle 4 will show treatment effectiveness
Why it matters: Will confirm the cancer is responding as expected. Doctors anticipate seeing 'complete response' - meaning no visible cancer on scans. Even if scans are clear, all 6 cycles will be completed to ensure any remaining microscopic cancer cells are eliminated.
Permanent Side Effects
Monitoring for lasting effects from chemotherapy
Why it matters: Most side effects are temporary. Small risk (<1%) of secondary leukemia from chemo. Neuropathy (numbness in fingers) is possible but unlikely to be permanent - much lower risk than initially thought.
Hodgkin's vs Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Sister had this)
Cancer that spreads in an orderly manner from one lymph node group to the next
- • Contains Reed-Sternberg cells
- • More predictable spread pattern
- • Often diagnosed at earlier stages
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Brooke has this)
Cancer that can appear in various parts of the body simultaneously
- • Does not contain Reed-Sternberg cells
- • Can spread unpredictably
- • More diverse group of cancers
🍽️Meal Train
We have a meal train set up to help coordinate meals for the family during treatment. You can sign up to bring meals or donate gift cards.
🔗 Sign up here:
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/4g8g0m📧 For gift card donations:
When donating gift cards (DoorDash, etc.), use this email: a@eyeballdivision.com
🍼Breast Milk Support
If you are willing to donate breast milk and have a young child or baby and you're still actively breastfeeding, and you would like to donate. Accepting any donations or if you know somebody, especially a call-out if you know anybody who has a baby that's a similar age. For example, if there was a mom that had a 2-month-old baby that had extra breast milk that she wanted to donate, that would be extra valuable to find milk closer to the age of the newborn if possible.
👶Childcare & Family Support
With 4 kids (ages 8, 6, 3, and 2 weeks), any help with childcare takes weight off Andrew's shoulders.
- • Play dates for the older kids
- • Babysitting to give Andrew breaks
- • Simply bringing some normalcy to the kids' routines
💼Support Andrew's Business
Andrew is a business owner working on innovative AI analytics solutions. If you have a business and are interested in learning more about how AI can help with your analytics needs, check out what his team is building.
🔗 Learn more:
Cerebro Plumb - AI Analytics