Monday, September 27, 2010

An Unwelcome Diagnosis

~ Trust in the LORD forever, for in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:4


Last Friday, my mom was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma.  She noticed a lump in her left breast in June and had a core biopsy last Tuesday.  We have very little information at this point.  We met with her surgeon, Dr. Schuss, today and he decided to take her case to the Tumor Board that will be meeting tomorrow.  He will call us on Wednesday with more information.  What we do know is that her Bloom-Richardson Score is a 4-5, which means it is a less aggressive and slow growing cancer--this is a good thing.  Today, her surgeon said that her lump was somewhere around 7 cm large.  This means that a mastectomy is probable if she chooses not to do chemotherapy in an attempt to shrink the tumor.  There is a chance they will want to do more tests such as a PET scan and a Sentinel Node Biopsy.  If surgery is scheduled, it will not be until Oct 11th at the earliest. 

There is a red patch over the mass that we thought was an allergic reaction to the numbing agent used during her biopsy.  It appeared the day after her biopsy and was incredibly itchy.  The itching has since stopped, but the redness remains.  Dr. Schuss seems slightly concerned that this redness is not an allergic reaction, but a sign that the cancer may have spread to the skin.  He wants to wait before doing a biopsy on the skin in hopes that the redness will fade over the next few days indicating that it is indeed just a bad reaction.

My sister, Shannon, flew in on Saturday evening so that she could be here for today's appointment and will fly back home on Thursday.  She will return in time for my mom's surgery.

As we begin this journey, we covet your prayers, dear friends.  Please pray for peace and comfort for my mom.  At this point she has a wonderful attitude and is fully resting in the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus.  She said to me the day she was diagnosed, "God's plans are good plans, so we will not worry.  I will trust in the Lord, because trusting in Him is the safest place I can be."  Also, pray that the redness will fade and that it is only a reaction.  Pray for the decisions that need to be made by my mom, the surgeon and the Tumor Board.  Pray for the Dr. that will become her Oncologist.  Pray that I am able to minister to my mom in the days, weeks, and months ahead.  Pray that our family that lives in Washington and cannot come to be with mom will not be anxious, but also rest in the Lord's arms.  There are quite a few grandchildren (both grown and quite young) who are rather upset that this is happening to a much beloved "Gramma", please pray for them as well.

I will do my best to post here after each Dr. visit or every few days with whatever information we are given and keep you all updated on how mom is feeling. This way you can stay current and we won't be fielding as many phone calls.  Please feel free to comment as often as you'd like with words of encouragement and prayers, I will make sure that your notes are forwarded to my mom.

Standing on the promises of God,
Dori

8 comments:

  1. Carleen Horton-PippinSeptember 27, 2010 at 8:54 PM

    Anita, you and your entire family are in our prayers. We praise God for you and know that He has it under control. We trust and rest in Him and are grateful for your testimony and example. Big Hugs! We will check in often.

    Carleen

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  2. My dear Anita. Naomi was just here visiting and at one point we were remembering how close our families were at one time. Right now, I feel that closeness again. I love you as a friend, mentor and second mom. I know you are in wonderful hands with your family and your faith. As you probably remember, I am not a good letter writer, but I'm a pretty decent emailer. I'll either stay in touch here or I'll email you through Dori. Either way, I'll check in often. xoxox Heather

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  3. My prayers are yours, my friend. God be with you all.

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  4. Dori and Family,

    Trials and peace in God can be a tough combination in the best of times and a spiritual workout at the worst. I will pray that HE will guide you and support you through this uncertain time. May He manifest Himself through His Word and all the loving arms of the body of Christ. Blessings to you all.

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  5. To Anita and all her family, I pray for His peace to be surrounding you all through this trial. I pray the doctors will have wisdom and discernment on all their suggestions and actions. God Bless you

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  6. Good morning! I hope this day finds you full of peace and belief. xoxox Heather

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  7. Carleen Horton-PippinOctober 15, 2010 at 10:56 AM

    Happy Birthday Sweet Anita!!! You are an inspiration to us all! Big Hugs and God Bless you!!!

    Carleen

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