Site search
sponsored by
News
ENLARGE
Blake Krieg, his wife Erika, their 9-week-old daughter Sway and their dog Luna sit at their home in Roseburg last week. Blake recently underwent extensive surgery for a rare form of kidney cancer. His family members and a local foundation are holding two benefits for him: a poker tournament and a firefighters vs. police basketball game.
|
ENLARGE
|
Blake Krieg holds his 9-week-old daughter Sway as they relax on the couch in their Roseburg home last week. Blake is recovering from extensive surgery that cut his sternum in half and removed a cancerous tumor and one of his kidneys.
|
What started out as one of the best weeks of Blake and Erika Krieg’s lives abruptly turned into one of the worst.
Just three days after their baby girl, Sway, was born, Roseburg‘s Blake Krieg was diagnosed with cancer.
“It was such a high, then such a low,” Krieg, 22, said. “Without the baby, the joy and happiness she brings us ... I don’t know what I would do.”
The new parents welcomed Sway into the world nine weeks ago, and in the same week discovered that Krieg had a newly identified form of renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer. Last week, he had a disheartening visit to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where he discovered that doctors know little about his type of cancer — a type of cancer identified only two years ago — and even less about how to treat it, he said.
“We have so many questions,” said Erika Krieg, 22.
“And no answers,” Blake Krieg added. “It’s scary.”
Krieg’s doctors told him they needed to research the cancer and talk with other physicians around the country before they could develop a treatment plan. Generally, chemotherapy and radiation cannot treat kidney cancer, but Krieg said he will have to wait and see if the treatments are options for him. Doctors aren’t sure what caused his cancer, but they don’t believe it was hereditary or that he passed a genetic proclivity for this type of cancer on to Sway, he said.
Just three days after their baby girl, Sway, was born, Roseburg‘s Blake Krieg was diagnosed with cancer.
“It was such a high, then such a low,” Krieg, 22, said. “Without the baby, the joy and happiness she brings us ... I don’t know what I would do.”
The new parents welcomed Sway into the world nine weeks ago, and in the same week discovered that Krieg had a newly identified form of renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer. Last week, he had a disheartening visit to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where he discovered that doctors know little about his type of cancer — a type of cancer identified only two years ago — and even less about how to treat it, he said.
“We have so many questions,” said Erika Krieg, 22.
“And no answers,” Blake Krieg added. “It’s scary.”
Krieg’s doctors told him they needed to research the cancer and talk with other physicians around the country before they could develop a treatment plan. Generally, chemotherapy and radiation cannot treat kidney cancer, but Krieg said he will have to wait and see if the treatments are options for him. Doctors aren’t sure what caused his cancer, but they don’t believe it was hereditary or that he passed a genetic proclivity for this type of cancer on to Sway, he said.
Since Krieg was a child he has suffered from severe stomach pains and vomiting. Whenever Krieg would visit a doctor, he was told that he had acid reflux or an anxious stomach. In the last two years, his condition continued to worsen and he kept being turned away from doctors with no answers.
Four months ago, Krieg, a carpenter, was laid off from his job. At the time, he was so sick he couldn’t look for another job. After being unemployed for two months, Krieg was able to get on the Oregon Health Plan. Several weeks later, and days after Sway was born, Krieg made another visit to a doctor. This time his doctor performed an upper gastrointestinal tract radiography, which is an X-ray of the esophagus, stomach and part of the small intestine. During the exam, the doctor realized there was something applying pressure on Krieg’s stomach and ordered an MRI, which revealed a tumor.
“They were 99 percent sure it was cancer when they saw it,” Krieg said.
Doctors are unsure how long the tumor was growing before it was spotted, Krieg said. Of the four stages of renal cell carcinoma, Krieg had reached the third stage.
Krieg underwent surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene within weeks of discovering the cancer. He had his right kidney and the tumor removed, but the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes surrounding his liver, and probably would have reached his liver eventually, Krieg said. Because the cancer infected his lymph nodes, Krieg said there is a high probability the cancer is in his blood.
Four months ago, Krieg, a carpenter, was laid off from his job. At the time, he was so sick he couldn’t look for another job. After being unemployed for two months, Krieg was able to get on the Oregon Health Plan. Several weeks later, and days after Sway was born, Krieg made another visit to a doctor. This time his doctor performed an upper gastrointestinal tract radiography, which is an X-ray of the esophagus, stomach and part of the small intestine. During the exam, the doctor realized there was something applying pressure on Krieg’s stomach and ordered an MRI, which revealed a tumor.
“They were 99 percent sure it was cancer when they saw it,” Krieg said.
Doctors are unsure how long the tumor was growing before it was spotted, Krieg said. Of the four stages of renal cell carcinoma, Krieg had reached the third stage.
Krieg underwent surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene within weeks of discovering the cancer. He had his right kidney and the tumor removed, but the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes surrounding his liver, and probably would have reached his liver eventually, Krieg said. Because the cancer infected his lymph nodes, Krieg said there is a high probability the cancer is in his blood.
So you know ...
Donations to Blake Krieg and his family can be made at Umpqua Bank to The Blake Krieg Donation Fund.
Two fundraisers are also planned to benefit Krieg. The first is a poker tournament held Sunday. Also, the Wecks Foundation, which has chosen Krieg as its first recipient, will host a firefighters versus police officers basketball game in late May. Game details are pending and will be reported in The News-Review. <b>What:</b> Blake Krieg Benefit Poker Tournament. <b>When:</b> 5:30 p.m. Sunday. <b>Where:</b> Moose Lodge, 3510 Douglas Ave., Roseburg. <b>Why:</b> Blake Krieg, 22, was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. Money raised from the tournament will benefit Krieg, his wife Erika and their daughter, Sway. <b>Details:</b> The tournament has a $40 buy-in with unlimited $20 rebuys for the first five rounds. Fifty percent of the buy-in and 100 percent of the rebuys will be donated to the Kriegs. Each player will receive 1,000 chips for a buy-in. The tournament will take about five hours to complete. Late arrivals who reserve a seat will be assigned a seat and chips, but players must be present before the first hand of the second blind is dealt (about 20 minutes). <b>Reserve seats:</b> For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Paul Jackson at 784-7777 or Les Krieg at 784-8181 or 670-9954. |
Two days after his surgery, Krieg’s doctors had to operate again. The draining tubes in his chest were filling with blood. Doctors had to reopen his incision — a cut that split his breastbone in half and left him with an upside down Y scar stretching from his chest to nearly his waist — and stop the internal bleeding.
Two days after the second surgery, Krieg woke up with a heart rate more than twice as high as normal. He was incoherent and kept losing consciousness. Doctors operated again, this time to drain fluid surrounding his heart and to insert a draining tube.
“They said I was in the process of dying,” he said.
Krieg only has faint memories of the last incident, but his wife was left shaken from all of the surgeries.
“That was the worst experience of our entire lives,” she said. “They said there was a 10 percent chance he would die in that or a 10 percent chance he would be brain damaged. But him coming through and still being Blake is amazing.”
Krieg spent a little more than two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit and has been home for about a month. Erika Krieg stays at home with her husband and Sway because he is still recovering and isn’t supposed to lift the infant himself. Krieg’s incision still hasn’t healed, and he said he is still in significant pain — just breathing, moving or laughing can hurt.
Even though Krieg has health insurance, the Kriegs’ lack of employment means the family is struggling and the bills are starting to pile up.
“It was just so rewarding to provide for my wife and now that’s taken away from me,” Krieg said. “I’m in a position right now where I need the help and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Krieg said the couple’s families have been helping with rent and other bills, but they can’t cover everything. Doctors told Krieg he could not return to work for at least a year because of the severity of his surgery, but Krieg said once he’s able to, he plans to go to school to become an MRI technician and leave carpentry.
Despite the struggles the young family has faced in the last few months, and the ones likely to lay ahead, the Kriegs have stayed optimistic.
“I think this cancer thing can be a blessing if we can get through it because we’ll learn at a young age how precious life is,” Erika Krieg said.
The experience has given Krieg a new perspective on life, he said. In the beginning, he said it was difficult to accept that he was sick, but now he wakes up every morning grateful for another day and determined to embrace whatever it may bring.
“If you would have asked me before, ‘Blake, do you take life for granted?’ I would have said, ‘Of course not.’ But I did,” Krieg said. “I’ve realized that life is precious and I’m so lucky to be alive.”
• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@newsreview.info.
Two days after the second surgery, Krieg woke up with a heart rate more than twice as high as normal. He was incoherent and kept losing consciousness. Doctors operated again, this time to drain fluid surrounding his heart and to insert a draining tube.
“They said I was in the process of dying,” he said.
Krieg only has faint memories of the last incident, but his wife was left shaken from all of the surgeries.
“That was the worst experience of our entire lives,” she said. “They said there was a 10 percent chance he would die in that or a 10 percent chance he would be brain damaged. But him coming through and still being Blake is amazing.”
Krieg spent a little more than two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit and has been home for about a month. Erika Krieg stays at home with her husband and Sway because he is still recovering and isn’t supposed to lift the infant himself. Krieg’s incision still hasn’t healed, and he said he is still in significant pain — just breathing, moving or laughing can hurt.
Even though Krieg has health insurance, the Kriegs’ lack of employment means the family is struggling and the bills are starting to pile up.
“It was just so rewarding to provide for my wife and now that’s taken away from me,” Krieg said. “I’m in a position right now where I need the help and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Krieg said the couple’s families have been helping with rent and other bills, but they can’t cover everything. Doctors told Krieg he could not return to work for at least a year because of the severity of his surgery, but Krieg said once he’s able to, he plans to go to school to become an MRI technician and leave carpentry.
Despite the struggles the young family has faced in the last few months, and the ones likely to lay ahead, the Kriegs have stayed optimistic.
“I think this cancer thing can be a blessing if we can get through it because we’ll learn at a young age how precious life is,” Erika Krieg said.
The experience has given Krieg a new perspective on life, he said. In the beginning, he said it was difficult to accept that he was sick, but now he wakes up every morning grateful for another day and determined to embrace whatever it may bring.
“If you would have asked me before, ‘Blake, do you take life for granted?’ I would have said, ‘Of course not.’ But I did,” Krieg said. “I’ve realized that life is precious and I’m so lucky to be alive.”
• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@newsreview.info.
