Carolyn’s Story

Site created on August 26, 2012

My Story

Dear Family and Friends,

This has become a long journey, beginning in 2012 with lung cancer. Surgery and chemotherapy were my treatments and I was fortunate to have a worry-free 5 year period before the lung cancer metastasized to my brain. My neurosurgeon removed the tumor and my follow-up was radiation to the area. Again, I was confident that the problem was solved and I enjoyed another year of feeling great. Fast forwarding to today, I am now faced with uncertainty.

In the last 3 weeks I began having visual and balance changes that were concerning and becoming more noticeable to me , and to the people I began bumping into on my right side where more vision was lost. (By the way, I always apologized.) On Monday, after not being able to balance on one leg and then struggling to decipher letters when texting, Ken and I visited Deaconess Gateway ER where an MRI revealed swelling at the surgical site of my brain tumor last year.

Since we obviously enjoy visiting doctors and hospitals, and we had nothing important on our calendars, not to mention wanting to know what was wrong with me, we spent all day Thursday at Vanderbilt consulting with my oncologist, neurosurgeon and radiologist. The consensus is that the inflammation is caused either by necrosis (dying) of the radiated tissue or a reoccurrence of cancer. While there is no definitive diagnosis, the doctors are hopeful that necrosis is most likely the scenario and we’re on board for that !!

In the meantime, the steroid dose has been tripled to reduce the swelling and the next couple of months will solve the mystery. We are optimistic!!

I’ll keep you updated and are asking for your continued prayers.

Love to all,
Carolyn

Newest Update

June 23, 2019-Blue Skies Shining on Me

Journal entry by Carolyn Helm —

Dear Family & Friends,

No, I haven’t lost “it”.......yet. The blue skies I’m referring to is my good news. (All of us living in this area are not sure what blue skies look like any more.) My blue skies are a figure of speech.  Following a bronchoscopy on Wednesday to biopsy my lung for possible cancer, an “all clear” finding lifted the black cloud away that’s been following me around for past 2 1/2 months. Nothin but blue skies do I see. 🎶. Whew!!

Other good news is now that Mr. Steroid is no longer in my life, I’m happy to report that I’m finally able to sleep 7-8 hours a night with an afternoon nap, as well. The bad news is that I am not tidying up (always in the middle of the night) anymore so our garage is very likely to stay the unorganized, messy way it is now. 🤔 

As always, thanks to each of you for your continued prayers and loving support. It was a source of comfort to me and I am so grateful. My hope is that I won’t be using this website again. 🙏🏻

Love,
Carolyn


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