Welcome
Hi, my name is Christina Quattrocchi and I’ve created this page to reach out to friends, family and strangers for help. Although it feels strange to broadcast my life on the Internet, I’m in a difficult situation and know that I need help managing it. In looking for this help, a few people have suggested creating a site so with the ease and popularity of the web, I figured this would be the most effective way to reach the most people. I hope you will pause during your day and spend a few minutes looking around, and then pass this page around to people you know.
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others." – Audrey Hepburn
Recent News
May 2010
I finished my treatments this month! Now to start getting my energy and strength back and find a job.
March 2010
I launched my new website. I invite you to take a look around the website and tell your friends and family by using the new Spread the Word website tool.
February 2010
I had a PET Scan on the 3rd to see how the chemo was working and it came back clean! There was no trace of cancer in my body. I will still finish out the remaining treatment as set up by my Doctor.
December 2009
I began my Chemo treatments on the 1st. These Treatments will be every other Tuesday for 6 months. I will have 12 treatments all together which will take me through till the 4th of May. I'm very tired after my treatmens. I also have headaches and experience periods of light headedness and have had some blackouts. My appetite and tastes have changed some.
October 2009
I had my surgery on the 21st to remove the mass behind my breast bone. The mass ended up being bigger then the scan's showed and it was also attached to the sac around my heart. If my Doctor was just a Thoracic Surgeon and not also Cardiovascular I would of underwent a bypass to detach the mass from my heart. After the mass was removed it biopsied and came back as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. A oncologist meet with me in my hospital room to discuss further treatment.
July 2009
This month I had several tests done in Boston, MA. The first was a MRI that was intended to monitor a disease I was born with called NF. I was four when I was diagnosed with this disease and at the time Children's Hospital in MA had a very good care center specializing in the care of NF patients. Since my parents were from MA and therefore I still have extended family in the area I've continued my care for NF in MA when I visit.
The MRI showed a large unusual mass behind my breast bone that was unrelated to the NF. I therefore had a PET scan to further look into the mass which caused enough concern to have a closer look which lead to a Chest CT scan. I was then connected with a Thoracic surgeon to discuss the next steps I would need to take to care for this new found mass.
I listened to his diagnosis and suggestions of how to care for this newly found mass. I then took all the scans and Dr's notes and returned home to VA to find a Thoracic surgeon here so I could take care of this and move on.