Update on Mom..... Getting Started on Treatments

I have to start first by saying how much these bracelets mean to me.  The one in the top picture is the one Mama bought for me (silver one).  The clasp is straight and for some reason it comes out easily.  I was in our local grocery store one day and I noticed when I got home that it was not on my wrist.  I happened to be on the phone with Mama at the time I noticed it missing and went in a slight panic mode.  She said, "It's okay"... but to me it wasn't.  I cherished that bracelet.  I called the grocery store and told them if they found it to please let me know.  No more than 3 minutes later they called to let me know they had found it.  I almost cried.

I decided to keep the bracelet in a safe place until Kyle could get home and help me "fix" it.  A very sweet lady at church that has become very dear to me had no clue about my bracelet stories.  She lost her mom to Ovarian Cancer, so she sticks by pretty close and keeps a check on Mom.  She gave Mom and I both the silver bracelet that you see in the next picture.  Thankfully it stays on.  So it has become a new cherished jewel.

I took this picture last night on our walk. Top one says, "No One FIGHTS alone".

Okay, so since our last UAB visit that I blogged about Mom had to have a CT scan of her whole mid section.  Dr Huh wanted to do it to make sure what was "in there" since he didn't do the surgery.  Unfortunately, almost a week later he called her to let her know that a new mass had grown.  It was approximately 2 1/2" in size which means it grew about a centimeter a week.  It was in the same area that her other tumor was in.  Once again, we all felt as if we had been "sucker punched".  It had only been 4 1/2 weeks since her surgery and it had grown that fast that quick.  We knew it was aggressive just didn't realize THAT aggressive.

With that being known, the original attack method of the IPIV method would not work.  We found out about the growth on a Thursday and the team of Oncologists were to meet on Monday (this past Monday) to discuss what to do next.

Now in the mean time of waiting, we have had numerous people coming to us and asking us what was taking so long.  Why haven't they called you?  You need to be calling them.  They shouldn't take this long.  Call The Cancer Center of America.  Call this doctor or that one.  The thing is, it was really stressing all of us out.  We felt at peace when we went to Birmingham.  And people were making us second guess several things.  The cancer mom has is not a "generic" cancer.  The rarity of it is an issue.  There have only been 300 cases of this type since 2006.  That's not many folks.  Also, because of the surgery she had being such a major procedure, no doctor would start anything for 6 weeks after surgery.  She and I were talking one day this week and you know people tell you how important attitude is.  It is hard to keep a good attitude when you have LOTS and LOTS of opinions coming your way.  People mean good.  We know that, but sometimes it was doing more harm than good.  Some cancers they can remove and people start treatment the next week.  Not the case for Moms cancer or surgery. 

She heard from Dr Huh on Wednesday.  He said she had two options.  One was to remove the tumor which was another major surgery and would put her out 4-6 weeks before being able to start chemo.... AND there was the chance that it would grow back like it did this time.  The other option is to do a trial chemo.  He highly recommended the trial, but wanted her to come in Thursday (yesterday) to sit down and discuss it to  understand it better.  They sent her a 23 page report on the trial chemo, so we all read it Wednesday.  She made several copies & I took a red pen to mine and underlined, circled, wrote down questions, etc.  My head was spinning.  I was confused.  I was angry that it had grown back and we were having to decide on a new attack.  I was overwhelmed.

Mom came over and we talked about it for a while.  And then we went to My Uncle and Aunts later to talk about it.  I was too emotional and a mess on the inside to go to church.

Since Kyle wasn't home, but was coming home Mom and I decided it was best for me to not go with her this time.  I would have the kids here and there and then have to get Kyle's mom to get him and Karter would have tball and having to make sure he got there, etc.  So My Aunt Becky, Aunt Donna, and Uncle Jimmy went with her.

The excitement in her voice when she called me to tell me how ready she was to start after talking with the research nurse is a conversation I will never forget.  She felt so good about it.  This trial is designed specifically for MMT (Moms rare Ovarian Carcinoma).  They had been administering it for a year now and have success stories.  It is randomized (which scared us to read about Wednesday).  BUT what that means is her blood levels, and all of her other testings are put into the computer system and based on several different things the computer will decide the best trial treatment for her.  With 1 of the trials she will go and have an all day treatment and then not go back for 21 days.  The chemo is so strong that they told her it takes that long for your body to recover.  The other trial she will have to be hospitalized for 4 days to receive that treatment.  And then go back 21 days later for the next one.  She will have to take the treatment for 6-10 months.  She will have scans every 6 weeks and weekly blood testing to see how the treatment is working.  Once the 6th month is over, they will evaluate her and see if she needs to continue with it.  If they see during it that it is not working, they will stop and decide something else.  She goes Monday to get her port *yay*!!  She will get a chest port now like most cancer patients you see. 

I will say she did call The Cancer Center of America Wednesday to see what they had to say.... and to make "everyone" else happy that she did.  They said they couldn't see her for 2 weeks and then they would have to evaluate her, her scans, meet to decide treatment, etc.... before starting chemo.  So she would be looking at an even later start.  The lady also told her that she wasn't sure that they had even treated someone with Malignant Mullerian Mixed Tumor.  So she knew that she was at the right place with UAB.

So.... she'll get her port Monday and find out next week which trial treatment she will do.  She will then start treatments the next week.

Please continue to pray for strength, guidance, and good attitudes.  We are all so ready to kick this cancer in the butt!  I am not ready to lose Mom and I am going to do what it takes to keep her strong and positive through this.