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"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." - John Lennon
These words ring true for so many of us at different points in our lives, but never are they more true then when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. And when it comes on fast and furious, you forget all about life's little minutia, and just try and get through each day.
Linda was seen in early May by a Neurologist at the Essentia Clinic in Duluth after showing some signs of short term memory loss and complaining of headaches, and after having an MRI completed that showed a mass in her brain. The location of the mass was operable and the surgeon was positive that extracting it would give Linda the greatest opportunity for wellness. A craniotomy took place on May 11th, and the surgery was successful at removing 99% of the tumor. Samples were analyzed here in Duluth and also sent down to the Mayo clinic for pathology.
Linda was doing fairly well after the surgery, but required "constant supervision," as she put it, as she was having trouble keeping track of numbers, dates, and times. She was no longer permitted to drive and also needed to leave her position as Dental Hygienist with Dr. Langguths's practice in Duluth.
The pathology results came back after a couple of weeks indicating that the tumor was a form of Non-Hodgkins Central Nervous System B Cell Lymphoma, thankfully, is treatable and provided a positive outlook toward recovery. Unfortunately, on the 6th of June, prior to the start of any of the prescribed chemotherapy, Linda suffered an episode where she was conscious, but unresponsive after having a severe headache during the day. She spent a challenging night in the ER accompanied by two of her daughters and a son-in-law, and was finally admitted to the hospital after an MRI was done in the very early hours of the morning on the 7th. The new imaging showed new lymphoma growth and much swelling.
Currently, Linda is a patient at the hospital and is on the Oncology floor, and she began her chemo treatment on the 8th. The initial days of chemotherapy have been very challenging for Linda, with growing concerns about her kidneys and her body's ability to tolerate the very strong doses of drugs she's receiving. She is being seen by a kidney doctor who is confident she'll make it out of this first round of chemo with her kidney's intact. Moving forward, a different approach to treatment will be needed due to the unforeseen negative reaction Linda had to the first round of chemo.
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As I'm sure you can imagine, this whole situation has been a shock to her daughters, family, and friends. While the outlook is still positive, we are feeling the growing concerns about how this will play out in the long-term for Linda, both in regard to her care as well as the financial burden this will place on those involved. We welcome your prayers and good wishes, and if you feel so compelled, a donation to the gofundme page that we have connected to this account. Thank you!
