Friends, 

Our mother recently learned that the back and leg pain she had been experiencing is, in fact, a malignant spinal tumor (plasmacytoma), resulting from a plasma cell cancer called Myeloma. 

This month she was accepted as a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and although she completed all of the necessary testing and labs needed to classify and stage her diagnosis, her Oncologist described her case as a “conundrum”, and asked for a little more time to consult with a team of her peers to review her case.  For this reason, we’re still a little unsure of the specific progression of her disease and exactly where her case falls within the Myeloma spectrum. 

We hoped that the solution would be a simple one...a “best case scenario” in which the plasmacytoma was considered “solitary” and that radiation would be the only necessary treatment. Within the next day or so, we expect to hear back from Mom’s oncologist, Dr. Becnel, to review what was discussed in her meetings, where we hope a more long term plan was decided.

Today, Mom will begin 3.5 weeks of radiation to treat the plasmacytoma currently causing her L4 vertebrae to expand, “pinching” the nerves in her spinal canal, causing excruciating and persistently unmanageable pain. Right now, this is the most important part of her treatment.  

Over the last several weeks, Mom’s pain has worsened significantly, affecting her mobility, but not her determination. She has not once complained. Not once.

Until this point, Mom hesitated to discuss her diagnosis publicly. We wanted all the answers.  We wanted to be absolutely certain.  We wanted a plan. But all of these things continue to change at such a fast pace, and we can barely keep up.

What we know is that Mom is in the absolute best care at MD Anderson, and that what she really needs is the support of her community, family, co-workers, and friends.    

Please pray for our Mama, and encourage her when you can. She laughs loud, loves big, and has more grace & grit than we ever knew.

-Meg, Samantha, & Marshall