Sarah’s Story

Site created on April 27, 2020

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. Thank you for visiting. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this very trying journey we have ahead of us. Sarah is a 26 year old wonderful loving mother of 2, Reegan(5) and Riley (2). They truly are the lights of her life. My name is Nick and Sarah and I met 8 years ago and for at least one of us it was love at first sight! (She took some convincing). We have been together even since. Like alot of couples we've definitely been through our share of ups and downs but we've always come out on top stronger and more in love then the day before. We have a saying, For Love For Life, and that is all that needs to be said about us.  On April 15th Sarah and I were laying in bed and she was playing with the necklace I got her for her birthday only weeks after we got together, she does that often, while doing that she had an itch or something on her left breast, she went to itch it and felt something so she felt her right breast and realized there wasn't 2 of what she felt and that wasn't normal, i then felt it and became concerned so she made an appointment with her primary physician for Friday April 17th where they did a breast exam. Her Dr. Set up an appointment for Tuesday April 21st for an ultrasound and mammogram if necessary. Fast forward to the 21st Sarah had 3 ultrasounds, 2 mammograms and a biopsy done on her left breast, they told us the results wouldn't be back until the following Friday. So we waited. The next day April 22nd Sarah received a phone call from NUMC saying the results were in (not even 24 hrs later!!) Needless to say this was nerve wracking (and if we're being honest we didn't have the best feeling deep down). We went to the hospital and were given the worst news ever. Sarah was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Insitus. Breast cancer. The f***ing devil itself. Inside my Sarah. My love. My rock. How can this be?! We broke down immediately in tears and shock, just saying over and over "what?" "How" "she's only 26". Devasting doesn't even begin to describe the feelings we're experiencing at that time. Immediately after the diagnosis with her doctor we went over to the OB/GYN and had her mirena iud removed, as a precaution and also because we think that maybe that played a roll in the cancer, which we've named GUS, because Sarah has always absolutely hated that name for some reason, developing. We were then put in touch with a rn care nurse who scheduled an MRI, CT SCAN, AND BONE SCAN,  for the very next day (4/23). We went to the hospital and Sarah did the tests which took 5 hours and went home with an appointment set for the next day (4/24) with our surgeon to go over the results and find out the prognosis. Words can't even begin to describe Sarah's strength and resolve throughout this process so far. From the time of detection of the lump to the appointment with the surgeon for the prognosis and treatment plan was 10 days! Thank God for that and the ability for things to be moving along so swiftly!  The prognosis: as it stands right now (4/27) GUS is still in the breast/lymph, meaning it has not spread to anywhere else in the body. It is agressive and time is definitely of the essence when it comes to moving forward with the treatment plan. Right now the plan that we received from the surgeon is to do chemotherapy first to shrink the mass, because it is measuring at about 7.5cm (which is big), and then depending on how her body and GUS  react to the chemo the next step is surgery, either lumpectomy and breast conservation or mastectomy with reconstructiion.  We do have a 2nd opinion consultation appointment at Abbott Northwestern on Wednesday (4/29) to decide where she/we feel most comfortable doing care. After that we will have a plan fully set in place and will be ready to BEAT GUS' ASS!!  In the meantime we are praying and staying positive and also Sarah is drinking a special tea her parents and sisters introduced her to, which has testimonies from many other people of being healing and very beneficial.  At this time we are asking friends, family and really anyone who reads this to please pray for Sarah and our family for a speedy recovery and a quick return to normalcy.  Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for your well wishes!  We will update this site as often as we can. Hopefully after every appointment and/or everyday.    May God bless all of you and especially Sarah during this trying time. 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Nick Thiel

Hey everyone! Been quite some time since I've posted in here. Kinda feel like I let people who care and are concerned about Sarah down so for that I am sorry! This is going to be a long post so yeah. My last post Sarah was about half way done with her chemo and experiencing very minimal side effects, an occasional headache and a little extra sleepy (more than she usually is, anyone that knows Sarah knows she loves to sleep lol) and thats about it. Needless  to say we have been very fortunate throughout all of this, its been a fairly "easy" journey, not much has changed in our everyday life. This all was true all the way through the taxol  treatments. And then we started the AC. The side effects became a little more prevalent when and still throughout the AC. For the most part on treatment day she feels a little sleepy sometimes and then the day after a little more sleepy, and then when Thursday comes around its like she got hit by a bus and then ran a marathon, lifted weights for days and the headaches, oh the headaches, they're terrible.  Its difficult to explain how significant the difference in days makes but its not easy I'll  tell you that much. But Sarah, man, she has been so strong and so brave throughout all of it. So inspiring. The side effects now include a rare side effect of the taxol  called hand and foot syndrome, which just came on this past weekend. Basically it makes her feet extremely hot, sensitive and painful with a sunburn like color to them, and feel. She couldn't walk, like literally couldn't put  any weight on her feet for basically the whole weekend until yesterday. She would scoot around the house on her butt. I tried to do as much as I could so she didn't have to do that and my mom and Wepps came up Saturday to be here while I was at work. This last round of treatment really hit her hard and made her feel very cold, she was in the shower alot, sitting down, in the bath, unable to fill a cup with water to dump over her back so I was in there with her, lights off, candle lit, doing it for her. Talk about a humbling experience, yet satisfying, knowing that I can be here for her  in her darkest of hours, still loving her, even more, being grateful that i am here for her to do these things knowing she is getting the best care i could possibly give her. knowing that she would do the same for me. I would do it all over again if I had to until the day I died.  But enough of the bad stuff, let's talk positive! Tomorrow is her FINAL ROUND  OF CHEMOTHERAPY WOO HOO!!! its amazing to think how far she has come, what she has overcome! Doctors can't even feel the tumor anymore! And they look hard for it, but nothing! Take that gus!! We told you from the beginning you wouldn't win ya sonofabitch!!  We met with he plastic surgeon who is going to be doing the reconstruction, Dr. Timothy Schaefer, and we've got a great plan in place to rebuild what will be taken out on October 19th. Its almost over but yet at the same time shes definitely still in the thick of things. There is going to be a long road to recovery after the surgery. But just like this chemo journey, she will fight! She will win! And she will come out stronger and better on the other side!! I love you Sarah Elaine  Darling! With all my heart and everything I have! We're  in this together and we will beat this together! I speak for Sarah when I say thank you god, and thank you friends and family for your love, encouragement and strength throughout this journey and for everything to come! Thanks again and #fuckyougus we are #DARLINGSTRONG 
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