Welcome to our CaringBridge site for our Mom, Sandie Wozniak. We've created it to keep friends and family updated. We appreciate your prayers, support and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most.
As many of you know, Mom had been coping with some complicated health issues over the past year or so. Steadfastly, she worked with her docs and was able to enjoy the long days of this past summer up at the lake, enjoying beautiful days in the sun with her ever-close family. She loved the trip back to Warren to celebrate Tony & Lil’s special anniversary with the Zawalski clan and the stroll down memory lane with Stacy and the kids.
The fall seemed to give way to signs that Mom needed a break from the tough New Hampshire winters, so it was off to Alpharetta, GA after the holidays to enjoy the milder climate and spend time with Mike and the family. She saw her docs on Jan 12 (Nana’s birthday, she reminded us all….) and everyone agreed – the winter break could do the trick, and on the 13th, Mom made the trip down to Mike & Stacy’s home.
After the first few days of settling in, something changed with Mom and on January 21st, Mike & Stacy brought her to be evaluated by medical experts at Emory University Hospital. There was a CT scan and an MRI, and the next day, Mom was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a cancer that originates in the brain. After a biopsy procedure that took place on January 25th, Mom’s condition was confirmed as stage IV, and inoperable due to its size and location.
Thankfully, Mom’s not experiencing any pain. Mom does understand where she is and what’s happening, and we’ve talked and prayed with her a lot about what the doctors have told us and her options. While she has had some difficulty communicating with us because she has trouble speaking, nor can she write, she has answered our questions and confirmed she does wish to pursue treatment. This will entail 3 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, followed by monthly chemotherapy for up to a year. The radiation happens outside of the body – targeted at the tumor while the chemotherapy is in pill form. Following a period of rest and recovery after the biopsy, and medical planning, the treatment will begin. The doctors have explained that Mom’s treatment may result in some fatigue and other mild symptoms, but that this should slow the pace of the tumor’s growth.
We have decided it’s in Mom’s best interest for this treatment to be managed by her Emory-based physicians. Emory, a teaching hospital sometimes called “the Harvard of the South” is world-renowned for its quality care and we are confident Mom is receiving the best care.
During this difficult time, we seek comfort in our Catholic beliefs and are doing our best to trust in God’s plan for Mom and for us. We know God listens to the voices of the faithful, especially where two or more gather in prayer. So it is in this spirit that we ask you to join us in praying for Mom’s comfort and healing. We ask your prayers for the family for strength and consolation.
We also seek comfort for Mom in the thoughts and well wishes from her loving friends and family. We know she misses you all and would enjoy hearing from you. We will share messages posted here and will deliver cards sent to Mike & Stacy’s home:
8580 High Hampton Chase Alpharetta, GA 30022
So, this site will be our way of staying in contact with you. We apologize to those of you who may be only just learning of Mom’s journey through this entry. As you can imagine, our priorities are with Mom and our immediate family; it’s been hard to be in touch with you all, and keep everyone up to-date with information. Going forward, we will rely on this site for that. As stated in the beginning, this is a private site. We did our best to gather emails for family and friends; undoubtedly we missed some, so please share contact information for those that you know love Mom and will want to support her.
We will be back with updates as often as possible. We welcome your thoughts and well-wishes. Please understand if you do not hear back from us right away, but know that we will share your loving wishes with Mom.
For now, we’ll close by again asking for your prayers for Mom.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
