Kelly’s Story

Site created on January 24, 2023

To all my dear family and friends who have already shown me such love and more support than I could dream of having. Thank you! Here’s the story…

It all started with a back ache that wouldn’t go away. They first thought I had kidney stones. Then a pinched nerve. Only to finally discover I had a fractured vertebrae. I was lucky enough to get an appointment with a spine specialist the day before we were scheduled to leave for Puerto Vallarta. We were so excited. Since Mark retired last year, heading to the warmth for 2.5 months was our dream we had thought about for so many years. But, sometimes life has something else in store. The spine doctor asked me to cancel our trip and we started many days of all sorts of scans and test. Ultimately we received the news we were afraid was coming. The big “C”, as one of my dear friends refers to it. I have breast cancer that has spread to four lymph node locations, my liver and spine (stage IV). And yes, I’ve always gotten mammograms. Faithfully & annually. I just had a normal mammogram in September. So, a new chapter in my life filled with healing and hope. I try to remember a quote that one of my best friends shared with me after the news…”Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried. But you’ve actually been planted”.

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.

Newest Update

April 30, 2024

Journal entry by Kelly Holm —

Mayo….we were here last week and all this week. I’m getting lots of testing done, which is great. I am currently doing an ambulatory EEG on my brain for 72 hours. I need to do activities to stimulate my tremors, so I bought a Lego puzzle, which worked immediately on getting my hand shaking (those pieces are small!). 
I met with Oncology today to review my PET Scan results. They are happy, as I have no new cancer spots showing and all previous locations are very stable. 
On Friday I will meet with Neurology to discuss MRI results of my brain cancer and all the other testing. 
Tomorrow I am going to get an epidural in hopes it will help my back pain. I’d love to get off of opioids if I could. 
Meanwhile, thank goodness I have Mark here with me and my mom home taking care of the pups. I couldn’t do this alone. And, as always, I couldn’t do it without all of you. I’ve received so many encouraging messages and I appreciate every one of them. 
Xoxo! 
Kelly 🩷
Read More of the journal titled "April 30, 2024"
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Kelly Stay Connected to Family and Friends

A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Kelly's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?

Leave a comment of support for Kelly

Did you know? A quick comment, no matter the situation (positive or negative), can boost morale by 28.2%.

Comments Hide comments

Load more comments
Read More Journal Entries

Show Your Support

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

Personal Fundraiser
Support Links
Helpful Requests
Go to Ways to Help
SVG_Icons_Back_To_Top
Top