Shari Nothem

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

To all my friends and family, I would love to speak with each one of you directly but, due to work and scheduling, I am just not able to at this time, hopefully in the near future.

My journey begins:
about 16 years ago I had a cyst removed from my left shoulder.
March 18, 2021 I received my Johnson and Johnson covid vaccine. 2 days later my arm was sore, like I received a vaccine. Several days later the pain changed to more of an ache. I felt the cyst was returning. Then the vaccine was pulled due to blood clots. So I went to the doctor who ordered an MRI.
May 3, I was out east moving my son to Maine. My doctor called to inform me the MRI shows:
2 tears in the muscle
torn ligament
inflammation
fluid building up
2 small cysts in the joint
and a 1cm x 7cm mass in the bone,
I need a CT scan and a specialist!
May 10, the doctor informed me, the mass is in my upper arm, collar bone and my shoulder blade.
May 14, specialist visit, Dr Witten, orthopedic oncologist!
He is not sure what is going on, ordered blood test, biopsy and a bone scan. I asked about cancer, he said it was a coin toss.
May 19, went for the biopsy. The doctor doing it told me he saw nothing that warranted a biopsy, boy was he wrong!
May 20, Dr Witten called with the results of the blood test, cancer, leaning toward myeloma, can't confirm until biopsy is back, hopefully tomorrow, Friday before the weekend! No call Friday!
May 24, I called doctor office. Secretary told me the results were in, Dr Witten will call me back. 30 minutes later, Emily, Dr Witten's nurse, calls me, the test results are not in, they will call as soon as they have them. No call!
May 25, I am just stubborn and my phone doesn't work well, I missed Dr Witten's first 2 calls.
The biopsy shows it is most likely B cell lymphoma, but he is not 100 percent sure because they didn't have enough material from my arm to complete the tests, I need another biopsy! Bone scan is cancelled, I need a PET scan, I am also referred to a medical oncologist. It is now almost 5, no time to schedule appointments.
May 26 I finally call Dr Witten's office at 12 to get phone numbers for everyone I need to call for appointments.
Dr Schama, 3 Thursday May 27, hopefully I will get answers.
Biopsy 2, Friday May 28th
PET scan, June 16, I have to wait for the insurance company to approve it! The doctor can push it up.
I don't think I have ever been this frustrated over anything else in my life!

Sorry I can't talk to each of you individually, but this is going to be it for now. At least I am finished with driving bus for the year! I will have to see what the next school year brings as to whether I go back.
Thank you for all the love, support and prayers during this most difficult time.