Darlene’s Story

Site created on December 12, 2018

In 2012, Darlene met Dr. Santoso at West Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee after experiencing post-menopausal bleeding.  He was a witty, young doctor with a simple wisdom ... "You have pre-cancer.  I will remove what is there.  To prevent cancer in the future, you must change your diet and exercise. Eat moderate portion sizes and keep your weight within a normal range."  Darlene was relieved to know that she was okay and walked out that door, trying to block this cancer scare out of her mind. 


Flash forward to October 2018, Darlene decided to see her gynecologist after a year of ignoring symptoms of returned bleeding. Dr. Albritton does a uterine biopsy and finds stage 1 cancer.  She is immediately referred back to Dr. Santoso who is now affiliated with Baptist Hospital.  He schedules her for a full hysterectomy and hopes the cancer is contained.  After surgery is completed, he alerts us that he found one suspicious lymph node out of seven.  He tells us to wait patiently for 2 weeks to get the results from the tissue sample.  


Exactly 2 weeks later, we meet with the doctor, and he gives us the difficult news. My mom has Stage 3C Endometrial adenocarcinoma, endometrioid type. Dr. Santoso said that the suspicious lymph nodes tested positive and cancer is spreading. He said chemo is the only option for better tx. outcome which will begin on December 14 at 8am. The doctor said that prognosis is uncertain, tx goal is curative, and life expectancy is uncertain. She will have Carboplatin/Paclitaxel chemo every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. Chemo infusion is a five hour process, and will cause side effects such as hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and immune suppression. 


Best Cancer Prevention/Treatment: 1) Go to the doctor right away when you exhibit unusual symptoms such as unexplained bleeding to catch it when it is treatable. 2) Treat your body as a temple feeding it vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. 3) Exercise regularly and find ways to de-stress such as reading, art, meditation, yoga, and listening to music. 4) Give hugs and love to your family & friends. 5) Don't take anything or anyone for granted. 6) Get support from your community to lift your spirits. 7) Prayers are always welcome. 8) Have a positive attitude. 9) Get involved in a cancer support group. 10) Don't be afraid to tell your story.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Melinda Cassius

Darlene completed her second chemo today with the new port-a-cath.  Her infusion was over 5 hours so she enjoyed passing time by reading "Jocie" (Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg).  As you can see, she has lost most of her hair and is wearing a head covering.  She prefers this over a wig because it is less itchy and is machine washable.  Darlene does plan to go wig shopping in the near future.  We heard that "Great Hair Everyday" in Cordova has nice wigs!  Dr. Santoso met with Darlene briefly and reminded her to continue to avoid sugar.  She tries to maintain a sense of humor, especially around family & friends.
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Darlene Stay Connected to Family and Friends

A $30 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Darlene's site for one month. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?

Comments Hide comments

Show Your Support

See the Ways to Help page to get even more involved.

SVG_Icons_Back_To_Top
Top