First post:
Nov 22, 2016 Latest post:
Nov 22, 2016
Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
Mom's story started with a seizure on a Sunday mid day. She got a ride from the Tama Ambulance to Marshalltown Hospital. The emergency room doctor found a large tumor on her brain. The doctors immediately asked where we wanted to go, ultimately bringing us to Mercy in Des Moines!
The Neurosurgeon's assistant came in to see us Sunday to let us know that they would be doing surgery either Monday or Friday! Our first round of prayers were answered! Bright and early Monday morning, the Neurosurgeon came to visit us, discussed what he thought the tumor looked like, and answered our second prayer request which was informing us that Monday midday the 3 hour brain surgery would be underway!
Praise God's were sent late that afternoon as Mom woke up from surgery in the ICU. Visiting was limited during this time, and prayers were being sent for no seizures during the night! In true Mom, Ann, fashion she was out of ICU and into a room on Neurology floor within 24 hours following surgery! The focus became recouping from surgery and getting home.
Thursday morning bright and early the pathology report came back, it showed that Mom was the 1 in 1000 chance of the tumor being malignant. She was diagnosed with B Cell Lymphoma. Ann's first reaction: Well something more to fight! Let's do this!! Her family dropped everything and rallied around her while doctors came in with more information throughout the day. The words everyone concentrated on were "receptive to chemo" and "Cure". Since she has B Cell Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System the amount of drugs needed to breach the blood barrier of the brain is much higher. She has one chemo drug coupled with an antibody drug to battle the fast growing Lymphoma cells. With this aggressive approach to battling the cancer Mom will be admitted to Mercy where her team of Doctors and Nurses are able to over see each infusion and monitor closely.
The family thanks everyone for the continued prayers, hugs, and thoughts headed our direction.
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