Mom’s Cancer

This past year has been a rough one for mom. She hadn't been feeling well and felt like she was constantly sitting on a pebble. This summer she finally went to see a doctor. They took a biopsy on Thursday, June 10 and told her it would be 2 weeks before they would have results. 

Well Monday came around and they had the results of the biopsy and it is cancer. I was at work when I found out. My first thought was probably "shit" (that's my go-to word). Second thought, "How are we going to pay for a funeral?" Third thought, "What's going to happen with Mary?" I felt myself go on the verge of tears. I was sitting in my office at work. I had just finished a group and was charting. It had been a really rough weekend at work with some patients (one of them sending a sitter to the ER). I told myself I didn't have time to think about that and could wait until after I was home that night.

I managed to make it through the rest of the day, but it was rough. I don't really remember what I did that night. I think Meg came up that night. If it wasn't that night, then it was the next night. She brought me my life jacket for the Bear Lake Trip. Anyway we talked and vented to each other about work (which included Cassy saying the F word, as I was quoting patients. However this is not typical for me at all). 

The next day I had my first appointment with the PA to find out why it was so painful to take out tampons (see Surgery post for that story). That appointment ended with the PA telling me I might have to have an MRI, which is I was not prepared for that news (don't worry, I didn't end up needing one). So when I made it back to my car. I finally broke down and started crying from all the stress of work, Mom's news, my possible MRI. I cried the rest of the way home.

I went to Bear Lake with my ward and used it as a distraction. That weekend I went home to Mom's. It was Father's Day weekend and I thought it would be more fun to visit with Dad and John (over Portal) with all of us together in the same room. 

Mom had a colonoscopy the Tuesday after Father's Day. I took her to that. Meg joined us at the hospital as we awaited the results. Good news, her colon looked great. Bad news, the cancer is in her rectum and anal areas. The doctor sent everything up to Huntsman's to figure out a plan. 

Aunt Mary and Uncle Boyd ended up visiting that day. I'm grateful they did. It was hard getting Mom to tell her siblings she had cancer. I think a bit of divine intervention came that day and we were able to tell them and Uncle Boyd was able to give her a blessing. I know Uncle Wayne also gave her a blessing Labor Day.

The past few months have been the beginning of the action plan. Mom was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. It is located in the anal and rectum areas. She started with Chemo (still in the process of doing those treatments). She will then move to radiation and later surgery. 

She had a CT scan on the 23rd and Mandy sent me the following text: Scans went well, the tumor is shrinking. The Doctor will meet with the other doctors and figure out how many rounds of chemotherapy and then what the plan will be for radiation.

Thanks everyone for all the thoughts and prayers for her and our family's behalf. We appreciate it! 

As we start the radiation process I will do another update.