I'm starting this webpage for mom because I know there are many people who care about her and are interested in knowing how she's doing.  Everyone is encouraged to call her as often as possible, but she may not remember or have a clear understanding of what's going on with her health, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed telling everyone the same story over and over again.

As almost everyone knows, Mom had breast cancer in 2018.  She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation and we've had the all clear at all of her appointments since then.  She also had a total knee replacement in August, 2019, and was able to fully recover with drastically reduced pain in her knee.

Earlier this year she complained of lower back and hip pain.  Her doctor did an xray and discovered that she had a compression fracture in her spine (T-11 to be exact).  Mom went for an MRI and then met with a neurosurgeon who then sent her to her oncologist with concerns that the issue may be a return of her cancer.  In the meantime, that doctor put her in a clamshell brace in an effort to prevent further damage to her spine while we figure out what's going on.  Her T-11 is basically disintegrated.

Mom had a PET scan on 8/15, and that scan showed metastatic cancer in her right clavicle, her spine around the T-11 vertebrae (including in the T-10 and T-12), and her left hip.  (Ironically, it's the pain in her right hip that started the whole thing -- turns out that's just plain ol' arthritis.)  We don't know yet if this is a recurrence of the breast cancer or if it's a new cancer. 

They're treating it as though it is a recurrence of the breast cancer because apparently that is relatively common (to have it show up in the bones), but it could be an entirely different cancer.  They won't know how (or if) to treat it until the biopsy results come back.  We just did the biopsy on 8/25.

Upcoming appointments:

9/3/20 Meeting with Dr. Cochran, the orthopedic doctor who did Mom's knee surgery, to deal with the pain in her hip (Possibly injections?  Very unlikely to agree to any kind of surgery at this point given her diagnosis.).

9/9/20 Meeting with Dr. Rana to review the results of the biopsy.

9/15/20 Meeting with Mr. Winkelpleck (yes, that's really his name), the spinal orthopedic surgeon, to talk about ways to protect her spine from further damage as any additional breaks are likely to result in a pinch that could leave her unable to walk.

I will post updates on this site after each appointment.  In the meantime, Mom is lonely, and she needs someone besides the kids and I to talk to.  Feel free to take her out for ice cream or lunch or dinner, call and talk to her, send cards -- whatever you have time for.   She loves attention.  

I'm happy to talk through anything that you don't understand or to hear about potential options, alternative treatments, etc. -- but please check here on this website first.  Thanks, everyone.  I really appreciate how many people care about her and want to make sure she's well cared for.