Emma’s Story

Site created on January 26, 2020

If you’re here from my benefit flyer, here’s a quick blurb about my story! You’re welcome to read the posts if you’d like too 😊

Hello, my name is Emma Parker. I’m a 29 year old single mom to my beautiful daughter, Grace, who will be 4 in a month! Our world flipped upside down in January 2020 when I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer mets to the bones, with no prior cancer diagnosis prior. The week after Thanksgiving 2021 I found out I had brain involvement, a 2.7cm tumor. I had surgery to remove the tumor a few days before Christmas. And radiation in February 2022. I was (and still am) having lots of cognitive, memory, and talking problems and my dr told me that the average recovery time for my surgery is a full 12 months! And I was suggested to just stay home for now and not go back to work yet. So I decided to! But unfortunately Social Security Disability isn’t a living wage, especially not while raising a child. I know times are hard, everyone’s struggling, but I would very appreciate it to come get some yummy bbq for dinner while helping me so I can recover so I have the energy to play and do things with my daughter instead of worrying about having to go back to work when I should be recovering. Thank you all!


If you aren’t local or unable to attend the benefit and still want to help, I’m going to link my gofundme to this Caring Bridge site. Caring Bridge’s financial button is for their website itself, it doesn’t get to me. 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Emma Parker

Update for everyone for the first week of new chemo Enhertu for me. Unfortunately it’s been pretty rough already. Monday night right after dinner I was so nauseous and got sick. Tuesday and Wednesday I mostly felt okay just mild nausea and headache and started feeling like I was getting a virus, but no fever, actually a cold temp. I’ve been very lethargic most days this week and my body feeling sick. On Wednesday we had an appt to see my new palliative care doctor for the first time. I believe every cancer or long term health issues patient should have a palliative care doctor. It sounds scary and people tend to think it’s for people on hospice. And actually the opposite (or both can help with it) it’s pain management and mind, Spirit, wellness and everything all in once. He’s amazing, his nurse is amazing, and so is his social worker. An amazing team and I needed them in my life and my family needed them too, from the start! My mom drove me since it’s in Austin and she loved him and his team too! On Thursday I had my home nurse come and halfway I had to send her to leave because I was so queasy and was sick as soon as she left. On Friday I called my palliative care drs nurse to see if they suggest I go to the walk in clinic, er, or if they want to just send me something in. I was feeling very sick like I had a virus. Just felt it in my body when you feel sick. I’m also a carrier of strep throat so I know the tell tale signs of strep. My throat didn’t feel like strep at all, I know the fire in the throat all too well. And I didn’t, just mild rawness when eating or drinking. But I saw little families of colonies of puss puckets all over my mouth, throat, cheeks, tongue. Which is weird cause when I do have strep I have 3-5 big puss pockets. Not little baby colonies all over my mouth. Yes, so gross, I’m so sorry for that image. My drs nurse suggested to go to the walk in clinic on Friday in case I do have a virus or something. I did a strep test and whole Covid panel with like 5 other viruses including flu, RSV, and other big ones going around. Everything was negative! Turns out all my symptoms this week, including cold temp, body feeling sick, and my mouth, has to do with chemo 😖 good that I’m not actually sick, but also not good that I have so many side affects this week, prayers my side affects go away next week! Oh, my mouth, is oral thrush from the chemo 😖 grace and I had it once during our breastfeeding journey, but hers was very mild and continued to breastfeed during her having thrush was all I did and it was over before I even knew it had started. It’s so weird to me to have it in my mouth after chemo. It doesn’t hurt just uncomfortable and no appetite. And my days and nights have officially been switched 😩 the steroids are so rough and I got twice amount (purposely by my dr) on Monday during my pre meds before chemo. But later this week they took me off my 2pm steroid so yay praise God and prayerfully for sleep soon! I’m not sleeping more than 4 hrs of broken sleep in a 24 hr day. And I just need sleep 😢😴

sorry for no pictures this week. I’ve only FaceTime grace a few times this week and haven’t seen her 😢 hopefully next week I'll feel well enough to see her next week! 

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Make your gift in honor of Emma by midnight on March 28 to be counted!

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