As some may know, Maria went to the ER in late February due to pain in her left hip and leg. This is when they discovered colorectal cancer & she underwent surgery. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that the cancer is very advanced and her time with us is very precious.
I'll give it my best to explain what Maria has encountered in her battle with cancer as her type is not very common. Her diagnosis was Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Colon...Researchers have linked the presence of mucus to the faster spreading of cancer cells. Therefore, mucinous adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive types of cancer and its treatment is rarely successful. Mucinous adenocarcinoma attacks the glands in the body, both the exocrine and the endocrine ones. Moreover, nearly any extra cells growth in the glands can develop into mucinous adenocarcinoma. If the tumor is formed in the colo-rectal area, the better are the chances of it developing into cancer. Mucinous adenocarcinoma resemble polyps and has a gelatinous nature, therefore it is very difficult to treat. Not to mention the fact that mucinous adenocarcinoma can show no or little symptoms in its earliest stages and it can even go undetected for years, even if the polyps have been there for a very long time. (by the way, these are not my own words:)
Maria had surgery in which 18 inches of her colon were removed as well as her appendix that had a massive tumor. During surgery, it was discovered that the mucus had spread to her kidney. Doctors tried to remove as much of the cancer as they could and the plan was for chemo treatments to clean up the rest. Recovery was slow since she had a fracture in her pelvis which was always a mystery as how it occurred. The fracture was discovered upon admittance to the ER in February and she did not recall a fall or any event that would explain the fracture. After a long 4 week recovery in the hospital, Maria was released but the pain in her left leg still remained and limited her to a walker. The Oncologist was concerned this pain may be due to the cancer and ordered a dye contrast MRI of her pelvis area. Unfortunately, this is when we discovery that the cancer had entered her bloodstream and spread to her pelvis bone and more. The goal from this day on was pain management not treatment. Maria had 10 days of radiation in hopes to ease the pain which it did.
May 1st Maria was admitted to Home Hospice with the goal being to keep her as comfortable as possible. They have been a blessing and so have friends & family! We are so grateful beyond words for all the help (including visits) from everyone!
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