Pat Kocher

Welcome to our CaringBridge site. We've created it to keep friends and family updated. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most. In late 2012 I took a bad fall causing a major head injury resulting in a permanent abnormal movement disorder close to Parkinson syndrome but only with Parkinson ian movement. The neurologist I saw after several surgeries to repair the damage in my mouth and to my teeth, ordered some lab work not usually ordered but looking for anything. About a week later he called me and told me this was unrelated but he wanted me to see a hemotologist and tell them there is MGUS in my blood. The hemotologist ordered a bone marrow biopsy and a lot of lab work. Review showed that my blood plasma was leaking into my bone marrow at a rate of 5% . They treat at around 10% leakage. We watched it every 3 months with lab work and did another bone marrow biopsy which showed my leakage to be at 20%. The big, devastating words csme...you have cancer Pat and it is time to treat. At this time we are having oral chemo at home and IV chemo at the IV infusion center twice a week. At this time, other than a comprised immune system keeping me from groups, shopping and too much going out or too many guests in, I am dealing with a reaction to my oral chemo and look like I have measles all over. No medication has helped except Benedryl which puts me to sleep so I don't itch. I have chemo tomorrow, so will have a physician assistant on duty look at the rash and communicate to my oncologist. Together we will get through this but I need alot of prayer not only for me, but for my family and my husband who has decided to take on the role of caregiver alone.