IRVINE, Calif. – God is good. All the Time.
Those six words ring true even more so this month as Concordia men's lacrosse captain
Brett Masaki has received a health update we want to pass along to the entire Concordia and lacrosse communities.
After initially being diagnosed with lymphoma, Brett received an update from his doctors who now believe his brain tumor that was recently discovered is not cancerous. Instead, doctors believe the mass is actually linked to ADEM, a rare autoimmune disorder called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis that mimics a brain tumor and affects vision and coordination.
"It's a rare condition and like 1-in-250,000 get it," explained Masaki. "The biggest thing is that the tumor has gone down in size. It was 68 millimeters and now it's down to 18 millimeters. It looked like a caterpillar and now it looks like a tiny little marble."
His peripheral vision at one point was down to only about five percent of what it should be. By mid-April, it's now closer to 50 percent.
"My vision has come back almost completely," he continued. "I can see the ball again better and was even able to practice on Monday and Tuesday."
Not only has Masaki been cleared to practice again with his team but has also been given the green light to play in Concordia's games again, beginning with
Wednesday's road win at No. 8 San Diego State and Saturday's home contest against No. 15 Arizona.
CUI Athletics will hand out lime green wristbands at this Saturday's home lacrosse game against the Wildcats to help raise awareness of lymphoma and to continue to support all who battle lymphoma.
In light of this new and encouraging news, the Go-Fund-Me for Brett has been paused as he and his family await further details on a new treatment plan. Originally, after the initial diagnosis of lymphoma, one chemotherapy session was planned but now the indications are that chemo will not be needed at this time. The money raised to this point will help pay for medical bills as originally planned.
Masaki recently posted a health update on his Instagram page to further thank everyone for all the prayers and support that he and his family have received these past few weeks.
"Obviously we are super thankful and don't want to keep asking for help if we don't have to," added Masaki. "It's been a crazy three weeks and a pretty wild ride with all the doctor's appointments but it all worked out for the best. There will be more bloodwork and a spinal tap and another MRI in next couple weeks to continue to track my progress and vision. There's a possibility it could flare back up but hopefully this goes away with our medication and treatment."
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