In his driveway four years ago, Joseph Khoury discovered he couldn't move his legs or get out of his car. Only 24 years old then, he had no idea he was stricken with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. "We had a lot of red flags of cancer: not sleeping, muscle pains, sweating when he slept. But we just thought he was out of shape and overweight," said his wife Tracie, a chiropractor, who at the time was finishing school.
In late March 2001, her husband had been complaining of a swelling in his neck. She phoned Joseph and told him to meet her at the doctor's office. Awaiting the doctor, Tracie noticed that her husband's left arm had turned wine red and his fingers were swollen. "He knew something was blocking the blood flow," Joseph said. "X-rays showed a massive tumor." The morning after, a CT scan showed Joseph likely had lymphoma, and a melon-sized tumor behind his sternum cut off blood flow. A week later, Joseph was diagnosed with an advanced stage of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
After chemotherapy, by Halloween 2001, Joseph's cancer was in remission. A few days later, he and Tracie were aboard a cruise for a honeymoon. "The first doctor told us to wait five years after chemo until we have children," Joseph said. "But now it's being discussed again. We want to have kids. That's why we just purchased a bigger home."
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