Welcome to the blog

I (Julie) have asked my Mom if she would let me do a blog to share the latest information about her Cancer Diagnosis. My husband and I have 2 friends with cancer and their blogs have been helpful. We check the blog to learn about the newest information without having to call or visit and we send cards in the mail to let them know we're thinking about them. I know each Cancer Patient is different, so if the time comes where she can't have visitors or flowers or food taken in like our friends cannot at times, people can know by reading the blog. I asked my Mom to give me details she wants in the blog.

It all started with neck and upper back pain in February 2012. Then it added right arm pain, weakness and numbness. She couldn't sleep in any position and sitting up didn't help either. She said, "It's interesting how pain and lack of sleep make everything seems worse". She finally couldn't relieve the pain at all with home remedies like ice, heat, massage or tylenol/pain meds. She finally got appointments with a couple of doctors: Primary Care doctor and one for a Spine Specialist which she waited 3 weeks to even be seen.

These are the test the Primary Care Doctor did: Nerve function tests, blood tests full panel (+high Alkaline Phosphotase) 1 neck MRI and 1 Breast MRI (we found out the Breast MRI is clear) CT scans, x-rays and more x-rays and a Full body bone density test. The MRI and CT scan shows growths on the spine and through some ribs, lumbar, hips, sacrum and neck, causing pinched nerves. The Primary Care Doctor called her and told her on the phone he thinks she has either multiple myeloma, lymphoma or blastic metastatic disease. Another blood test ruled out multiple myeloma. He still thinks she has a bone cancer but doesn't know where it started. It has traveled from it's original location into her bones. When Karen saw the Spine Doctor's nurse they said he won't even operate on her neck and just sent her to Huntsman.
Two Sunday's ago she was leaning against a closet door to get her Sunday clothes and heard a pop and her arm was even worse than before. "They told me I injured my rotator cuff but that's on the back burner because they needed to get on this bone cancer stuff. So I guess the bone cancer pain meds is helping with it too because it doesn't bother me too much except it freezes on me. The MD said to not let it freeze up."

Last Sunday the family (kids, spouses and grandkids) came for dinner. The Stake President and Bishop dropped in and joined Russ, Paul, Lane and Jason to give Karen a Priesthood Blessing. It's hard knowing there isn't much we can do. We can't make her sleep because her body won't get comfortable in any position. If we bring all the grandkids over she does too much for them and us and exhausts herself. We can see she is tired, but you don't know she is even in pain unless you capture the moments when she has tears in her eyes.

When Karen and my Dad, Russ, went to Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City Monday, July 16th they waited forever. They eventually found out their new computer system kicked them off the list that day and by the time they got a few x-rays it was too late to see the doctor. They got out 4 hours after going in all for something IHC could have done. Thursday, July 19th they went back to Huntsman and were told they need to go BACK to the Primary Care Doctor and have Him order the biopsy. So, they got sent to Huntsman too soon. In a couple of weeks she'll have a biopsy done on her hip instead of the neck (where they thought the spine doctor would operate & take the biopsy at the same time). The physicians assistant at Huntsman, who has not been out of medical school very long told Karen that this kind of cancer has sky-rocketed in this short time she has been out of medical school. What she means is, they find the cancer in the bone--as the first place they find it.  It doesn't mean the cancer started in the bone, but that it traveled from somewhere else and a biopsy can usually tell where the original cancer location was or still is. It's called Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP).  http://www.huntsmancancer.org/cancer-information/cancer-types-and-topics/cancer-of-unknown-primary

Mom, do you have anything you'd like the "blog readers" to know? "We are all praying for a miracle of healing."

Thank you for all of your love, concern and support through this "bump" for Karen and her family.
We love you, Mom! Like you tell us, "It's in the Lord's hands." Everything will be alright.
Cancer is a word, not a sentence.  ~John Diamond