Most everyone knows that my mom has battled some sort of cancer since 1993. It was back then that mom was diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoma. The doctors in Rexburg caught it but didn't give her very good odds of beating it. Her case was transferred to Doctor Ward at the University of Utah. Mom had wonderful treatment by Doctor Ward and she loves him very much for giving her hope and helping her through that first primary cancer battle. Five years later she was considered cancer free. In 2003 mom had her normal yearly check up and it was discovered then that she had a cancerous tumor in her right kidney - now she had a second primary cancer - this time it was Renal Cell Cancer (absolutely no connection to the Large Cell Lymphoma). Doctor Ward said it was rare to have two primary cancers but he had seen as many as three. Mom was scheduled for surgery and her right kidney was removed. All was well and she was fine for a few years. When mom and dad put in their papers to serve an LDS mission, a physical exam is necessary and it was at that time a small nodule (or spot) was discovered in her lower right lung. The Renal Cell cancer had metastasized to her lung. She was immediately put on medication which targeted this particular nodule and kept it from growing out of control. Mom and dad were able to serve their one year mission to Jacksonville Arkansas. She was under a doctor's care in Little Rock the entire time. Upon their return home, mom's health care resumed at the University of Utah. She was able to be part of a drug study and participated in that study for several months. It was in May of 2009 that the nodule on the lung had then grown enough to knock her out of the perimeters of the study. Mom's medication was changed to another drug which has only been on the market for about 2 months. Four weeks ago (June 24) when she went for her normal checkup and had a CAT scan done, it was discovered that she now had a new nodule on her adrenal gland. Not good news but the doctors still felt like it could be controlled with the new medication.
On July 23 mom collapsed at home at the dinner table. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital in St. George. Because she was displaying symptoms of having had a stroke, a CAT scan of her brain was done. It was then that a large cancer mass was discovered in the right side of the brain. The Renal Cell cancer has now metastasized to the brain. It's been a lot for all of us to comprehend and to make decisions.
We basically had two options:
1. Surgery could be performed to cut out the mass and then she'd have to do radiation therapy. The surgery could affect her "quality" of life and it could have left her paralyzed or a gamete of other things. The radiation therapy would make her very sick, she'd lose all of her hair, etc. All this, and it would only buy her a few months. The cancer in her lower body (lung & adrenal gland) would continue to grow.
2. Do nothing and let her live "quality" of life until the cancer hits the brain stem at which time she will fall into a coma and die peacefully in her sleep (best case scenario).
Mom has opted for the second option. She doesn't want to have surgery and radiation therapy if the outcome is still the same. If the surgery would buy her 6 months to a year - then she would have considered it. Mom made the decision to let nature take it's course. She feels like her work on earth is done and she's being called home.
Mom is in good spirits and very lucid. She has cherished the phone calls and visits from so many friends and family. While it has been hard to say good-bye she is grateful for this window of time to have those cherished moments.
Mom and dad have come home to Rexburg and are living in my home for this next transition in all of our lives. I am honored to have my mother in my home and to have this opportunity to care for her.
I love my mother so very much. She has been my best friend throughout my life and I'll miss her dearly but I am grateful that when she passes - I'll have no regrets. I'll have a life time of memories to think back on.
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