{"id":385,"date":"2015-11-19T15:29:57","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T20:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.wpengine.com\/?p=385"},"modified":"2015-12-03T15:34:18","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:34:18","slug":"eye-of-the-tiger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=385","title":{"rendered":"Eye of the tiger"},"content":{"rendered":"

Landon Hudson<\/strong>
\nThe Bucs’ Blade
\nGrand Haven HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 1, News Writing
\nHuman Interest Feature<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere does it hurt?\u201d the doctor asked.<\/p>\n

Senior Calvin Jager pointed to his left knee, the one with the quarter size bruise after\u00a0slipping on the bathroom floor a week earlier.<\/p>\n

Jager decided to have his knee examined when he noticed the pain persisted. His doctor\u00a0proceeded to take x-rays and he reassured Jager that he would recover from the incident.<\/p>\n

But then he paused.<\/p>\n

The doctor saw something else. Something he wanted to \u2018take a better look at\u2019.<\/p>\n

Jager and his family were used to the medical suggestion of \u2018taking a closer look\u2019 and\u00a0returning to doctors\u2019 offices for second appraisals.<\/p>\n

In January 2014, the doctors at Helen DeVos Children\u2019s Hospital injected a needle\u00a0into Jager\u2019s knee, took a biopsy sample, and confirmed the family\u2019s fear: the familiar\u00a0osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, appeared in his left femur.<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t the Jagers\u2019 first experience with cancer.<\/p>\n

In the fall of 2007, Jager lost his dad to a battle with brain cancer. In September 2011, his\u00a0older brother, Jake, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, in his right femur. After almost a year\u00a0of treatment, Jake went into remission and is currently cancer-free. However, the family\u2019s<\/p>\n

relief was short lived.<\/p>\n

But if there was a silver lining, it was that the family knew how to tackle this.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a process of talking about the family history and talking about what my brother<\/p>\n

had went through and (the doctor) told me I was going to need a biopsy,\u201d Jager said. \u201cHe<\/p>\n

had a pretty good guess that it would be the same as my brother because of the family<\/p>\n

history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family was scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very heartbreaking and very saddening moment for sure, it was tough to hear that\u00a0something you wouldn\u2019t wish on anybody was going to happen to your brother also,\u201d said\u00a0Jake, currently a sophomore at Grand Valley.<\/p>\n

Despite the disheartening diagnosis, the Jagers were prepared to go through the next nine\u00a0months with a positive outlook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe that we would be challenged to deal with a life threatening illness again,\u201d\u00a0Calvin\u2019s mom, Lorie said. \u201cThe good news was that having been through the same diagnosis\u00a0before with Jake, I knew the things we needed to do, and some of the things to expect. I\u00a0knew too much in some ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Treatment began almost immediately\u00a0and Calvin joined the cancer\u00a0patient residents of the ninth floor.\u00a0He\u2019d be in and out of the facility\u00a0for the next nine months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would go in for about a week at\u00a0a time and they would do chemotherapy\u00a0which is basically like\u00a0dumping poison into your body and\u00a0it kills the cancer cells,\u201d Calvin said.\u00a0\u201cThey put you up in a room and it\u00a0seems pretty awesome because all\u00a0these people are there to take care\u00a0of you and bring you slushies and\u00a0whatever you want, and then it gets\u00a0later on in the evening and they\u00a0start to hook up the chemo bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calvin, whose blue eyes and bright\u00a0smile mask the deep pain he had\u00a0lived through, was comforted by\u00a0the sounds of beeping and babies\u00a0crying at almost anytime during the\u00a0day. The staff, rooms, and equipment\u00a0were interchangeable but his\u00a0routine was set.<\/p>\n

In the swing of things<\/p>\n

Biweekly chemo treatments. Resting\u00a0time in between as the mountain\u00a0dew colored fluid flowed through\u00a0his body. Home visits on the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely scary but I went\u00a0into it with the eye of the tiger and\u00a0had to be strong for the family and\u00a0everyone around me,\u201d Calvin said.<\/p>\n

Despite the sense of order created \u00a0by the schedule, doubts and anxiety\u00a0still gripped Lorie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest thing for me as a\u00a0parent watching my children go\u00a0through this was watching them\u00a0\u2018disappear\u2019 as the chemo was\u00a0pumped into them,\u201d Lorie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleeping through the chemo was\u00a0good because he slept through feeling\u00a0sick, but it left me feeling very\u00a0alone, and it provided too much\u00a0time to worry about things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having been through the same\u00a0process nearly two years before,\u00a0Jake understood the family\u2019s concern.<\/p>\n

D\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of worry that all it\u00a0takes is one thing to go wrong and\u00a0all of a sudden you\u2019re in the ICU\u00a0and praying for a miracle,\u201d Jake said.\u00a0\u201cEveryday is a battle, is the best way\u00a0to say it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite worries over worst-case\u00a0scenarios, the Jagers knew what\u00a0to expect since Jake\u2019s case was so\u00a0similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was disheartening and at the\u00a0same time relieving to know that I\u00a0had been through a lot of what Cal\u00a0had already gone through because\u00a0it allowed me to give my own wisdom,\u00a0my own insight to how to get\u00a0through things- what works, what\u00a0doesn\u2019t work, what to be prepared\u00a0for,\u201d Jake said. \u201cIt felt kind of nice \u00a0to know that I had information that\u00a0would be useful to him during his\u00a0process that not many other people\u00a0would be able to give.\u201d<\/p>\n

After months of rising before\u00a0dawn for doctor appointments, the\u00a0day came for Calvin to check in to\u00a0the hospital for surgery, where he\u00a0was rolled into the operating room\u00a0accompanied by worried thoughts,\u00a0looming fears, and an empty stomach.<\/p>\n

First step is the hardest<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous going in because\u00a0I\u2019ve seen what\u2019s going to happen\u00a0but I\u2019ve never experienced it myself\u00a0so that\u2019s a whole new world,\u201d Calvin\u00a0said. \u201cI was worried about what it\u00a0was going to be like after and how\u00a0my leg was going to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foot-long incision ran from\u00a0his mid thigh to below the knee and\u00a0into his tibia. Forty percent of his\u00a0femur was replaced by a titanium\u00a0rod, and Calvin was given a new\u00a0knee.<\/p>\n

Although surgery was the scariest\u00a0part of the experience, Calvin\u00a0found the temporary immobility\u00a0was the hardest part.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a whole different world not\u00a0being allowed to walk because you\u00a0wants to start the process of getting\u00a0back into the swing of things but\u00a0doctors say you\u2019re not allowed to,\u201d\u00a0Calvin said.<\/p>\n

Throughout the ordeal, the Jager boys managed\u00a0to use their sense of humor to keep\u00a0them going. Jake laughed thinking back to\u00a0the moment when Calvin woke up from the\u00a0six hour long surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was right there and the first question he\u00a0asked was \u2018Where are my pants?\u2019\u201d Jake said.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s just those funny little things that I talk\u00a0about. In times like that, the most important\u00a0thing is to keep your humor light and funny\u00a0and to keep everyone happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support system<\/p>\n

Besides Calvin\u2019s sense of humor, the support\u00a0from his family and friends was even\u00a0more important to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom\u2019s definitely a trooper for sure,\u201d\u00a0Calvin said. \u201cIt\u2019s a world that I know in the\u00a0hospital. My mom\u2019s an inspiration to me,\u00a0both my mom and my brother. My whole\u00a0family is just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his lack of mobility, one of the\u00a0best surprises was when his best friend, senior\u00a0Maxwell Vance brought Calvin\u2019s French\u00a0Bulldog Lola to visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalvin and I have been close ever since \u00a0the first grade, we are family,\u201d Vance said.\u00a0\u201cSeeing him in that state made me very sad\u00a0but the positive vibes he gives off makes you\u00a0feel and know that everything is going to be\u00a0okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

The steady flow of visitors motivated Calvin\u00a0to keep a smile on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy inspiration for it all definitely resided\u00a0in my friends and the ability to power\u00a0through,\u201d Calvin\u2019s said. I had to remember\u00a0that people are looking up to me and that I\u00a0need to be strong for them and show them a\u00a0good example of how to combat this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two words, ten letters<\/p>\n

In late September, Calvin was told the two\u00a0words he had been waiting to hear: you\u2019re\u00a0clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a huge relief,\u201d Lorie said. \u201cIt felt\u00a0like we had made it to the top of the mountain\u00a0and could see our way down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calvin will receive precautionary check up\u00a0x-rays every three months.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the year, Calvin felt he\u00a0missed out on some of the fun things his\u00a0friends and class were doing. He was eager to finally return to the life he had been waiting\u00a0to live.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really excited,\u201d Calvin said. \u201cWe had\u00a0a big celebration and a kicking-chemo party\u00a0which was very fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaways and taking chances<\/p>\n

Calvin also returned more mature.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely grew me as a person,\u201d Calvin\u00a0said. \u201cMy maturity and my passion for life\u00a0are definitely two things that I got out of\u00a0this. While in the hospital,\u00a0I was able to mentor\u00a0kids who were newly\u00a0diagnosed with similar\u00a0circumstances. It was very\u00a0cool to be an inspiration\u00a0to them and help their\u00a0families out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jagers have been\u00a0able to take away priceless\u00a0life lessons from their\u00a0multiple experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everybody\u2019s going through the same\u00a0thing and I think that for me and for Cal\u00a0that was a very tough lesson to learn,\u201d Jake\u00a0said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s got their own path in life\u00a0and the biggest thing to remember while you\u00a0walk that path is that everybody\u2019s got difficult\u00a0roads, some are just more difficult than\u00a0others and you\u2019ve got to respect everyone\u2019s\u00a0path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calvin keeps this in mind as he makes the\u00a0most out of his senior year and plans to attend\u00a0Michigan State University in the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m definitely taking every opportunity I\u00a0can and getting ready for college,\u201d Calvin said. \u201cI worked\u00a0very hard to get\u00a0back on track with\u00a0missing classes\u00a0and stuff, and I\u00a0was really excited\u00a0because my goal\u00a0and my dream\u00a0was to get back\u00a0to a point where I\u00a0could feel happy\u00a0and feel like I belong at Michigan State\u00a0where I wanted to go to college and I got my\u00a0acceptance letter to MSU so it felt like all of\u00a0my hard work paid off for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Landon Hudson The Bucs’ Blade Grand Haven HS 1st Place Division 1, News Writing Human Interest Feature<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[61,4],"tags":[48,20],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-humaninterestfeature","category-nw","tag-48","tag-division1","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kelsey Parkinson","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=3"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-6d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}