My Moms Journey..... Ovarian Cancer

My mom was officially diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer yesterday. 

Everything has happened so fast.  Our whole lives changed in a matter of minutes.  As we were on the way to the doctor yesterday, she said that it is amazing how in about a 30 minute meeting your entire life will be altered and never be the same. 

 My mom had all of these symptoms.....

so she had been going back and forth to doctors for a little while.  When they did the pelvic ultrasound, they saw what looked like her uterus... the thing was... she didn't have a uterus.  She had a partial hysterectomy June '12.  So a year and a half ago.  She had a mass at that time but it came back benign.  It was the size of a softball.  She has been hurting on and off pretty much since then.  But her doctors appointments always checked up okay. 

About 2 weeks ago is when she really started hurting bad.  My mom handles pain very well.... so I knew something wasn't right.  She went to the dr and he gave her some medicine and ordered some more tests to be done.  Long story short, she found out Monday, February 3rd at about 5:00 P.M. that she would have surgery the next day, Tuesday.  It caught us both off guard.  The two doctors re-arranged their schedules to operate on her asap.  Kyle wasn't home, but thankfully Dad was.... so I knew he would love to watch the kids for me to take her.  We got to the hospital about 8:45 A.M.  Ready to get things started.  The doctor did meet us in the hall of the hospital and talked to us and then came to her room and talked to us.... that was kinda scary because he was very serious and very concerned.  He told us originally that the new tumor was roughly 11 cm... size of a grapefruit and they could not remove it laparoscopicly.  When he came to her room (they had us in an outpatient room while we waited) he told us that they were going to do it laparoscopic because her blood levels were abnormally high and if they saw cancer, then they would not do surgery and would send us to the cancer center.  So we were praying for surgery. 

Here's my pretty Mama as we waited....

My Uncle Bruce kept us laughing.....

The surgery lasted 2 hours.  That's good right?  Well..... when the doctor came in and told us that what they were dealing with was Ovarian Cancer, it literally felt like he rared back and sucker punched me in the stomach.  I still feel that way today. 

I sat there and shook for about 15 minutes straight.  Pure shock.  I then got my self together and went to the hospital bathroom and just hit my knees.  I didn't care how dirty or germy it was.  That was the least of my concern.  

We thought with surgery that all would be good.  He explained yesterday that they didn't think it was cancer which is why they opened her up. 

So then the next journey began.  Your whole life forever changed.  She had lots of visitors after surgery Tuesday.... but she was out of it until the next day.  We made sure not to discuss anything with her about the results because the doctor was going to explain it the next morning when she was more aware.  Thankfully the kids have wonderful grandparents.  They were taken care of so I could stay at the hospital all day for the next 2 days.  I would stay until about 830 or so at night and leave.

They removed her ovaries, the mass (turned out to be 12 cm), her appendix because it was laying on the mass, and some lymph nodes attached to her aorta.  They also took several biopsies of all they could get to so they could make sure it hadn't spread.  

Her appointment to find out the pathology report results was yesterday at 1:15.  That seemed like an eternity away last week when they told her the appointment.

The hospital stay......

Mother & Son napping LOL....

 Mom seriously has the best coworkers ever.  A pile of them came to visit her in the hospital and her office assistants all made cards for her.  They were SOOOO sweet......

Yana sent me this verse.... and I had my Bible with my at the hospital.  There is NOTHING too hard for God.

Yana sent me this picture of them having a living room picnic while eating pizza and watching a movie :)!

 MeMe kept the kiddos Wednesday... and then brought them to visit us later that day.

Thursday was "go home" day.  We just weren't sure what time.  I got Karter early from preschool so we could go to the hospital.  I could not get there fast enough. 

My energetic Sophie girl was all over the place.  She was loving Babee's hospital bed....

 YAY!!! She was released shortly after lunch.... babies liked the wheelchair.

She had 25 staples... unless I missed some when counting.  And it was a vertical 6" incision.

Kyle got home Thursday afternoon.  Thankfully.  I just really needed a hug from him. 

Sunday morning I had to help with the nursery at church, but Sunday night I could hardly wait to get to the alter.  I just asked God to prepare my heart for yesterday.  I asked Him to give me the strength that I needed to accept whatever was in store.  He did just that.

Mom has been doing great.  She is still a little sore, but each day is an improvement.  Yesterday when we went for her results, it was a room full.  She is so loved.  She got her staples out and that was really the neatest thing.  The incision was kind of bumped together.  Looked like a "log" almost... but with each staple they took out, it flattened.  Was very neat. 

He did explain to us about the results and answered any and all questions.  We will meet with the Oncologist today and discuss chemo treatments. 

I had no clue that when I quit work 1 1/2 years ago that this was in store.  It is amazing how God has everything lined up way before we even know it.  I was able to be there with the surgery, hospital stay, home stay, yesterdays doctor appointment, todays, and the appointments to come.  God really is so good & I am so thankful that I am able to do this with Mom. 

We are going to stay strong and we are going to fight this demon.  Mom is strong and strong willed.  She will beat this.  We all have to be strong for her.