Carol Okerstrom

Welcome to our CaringBridge website for our Mom Carol Okerstrom.   She has given us permission to use this site to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope for her. Thank you for visiting and feel free to leave her encouraging messages. We will continue to keep all updated throughout her journey. 
Here is her story:

Mom hadn't been feeling well for awhile as she had been dealing with nausea, feeling very bloated and  as well as weak. She had been experiencing some GI issues and felt ill enough to want to go see the doctor. Anyone who knows mom, knows she must've felt pretty crappy to offer to go to the doctor.  We figured they would send her to a GI doctor, get her some meds and be as good as new. Little did we know that our worlds would be turned upside down with the news we were about to be told. 

On September 27th, 2019 mom was told they found cancer in her liver that believed to have been metastasized from a primary location that was unknown. After going through many tests the following week we met with her primary doctor for results on October 3rd. It was here that the doctor shared the news that mom had lung cancer in both lungs and has spread to her liver.  It was said that there were spots on both lungs as well as 2 spots on her liver.

From there, she was sent for a biopsy so that we could understand what kind of Lung Cancer we were dealing with. We were fast tracked into the oncologist on October 10th where we were explained that the biopsy results showed both Small Cell Lung cancer as well as Large Cell Neuroendocrine cancer.  Her oncologist explained that both had the same diagnosis as well as treatment as they are extremely aggressive and fast growing cancers. Here she explained that moms liver did not have only 2 masses on it as we had been told previously, but rather showed us her scans that showed that her cancer was everywhere on her liver.  

Moms Cancer is not curable. That is painful enough to say out loud or even type.  But her oncologist shared that she can offer her Chemo to try to give her a little extra time with us all. In True mom fashion, she said she wanted to fight for more time. So chemo it is!  And the Doctor wants to start it right away. 

Not sure Cancer has any idea who it is up against, because mom is one of the strongest, toughest women I've ever met. She's been through hell and back already losing her husband, parents, brother, grandchild and most recently just a year ago her son. Not to mention she has lived with COPD, Emphyesema , and Diabetes herself for many years now.  To say she is strong is an understatement. Until recently, she damn near seemed to be invincible. Our family continues to stand strong beside her as she begins this cancer journey and will not be taking our time with her for granted. 


Please flood mom with your love, support, and prayers. We are all stronger together.