My family received some bad news yesterday in parallel with some not-so-bad news. My mom has been struggling with some health issues for several months now (see my previous post). She has seen several different doctors, none of whom can find anything conclusive. One standout issue was her anemia, unusual because it was unrelated to nutritional deficiency; her nutritional status (iron, Vitamins D and B12), was very good.
Finally she landed in a hematologist's office. He did some bloodwork, did a bone marrow biopsy, and diagnosed "smoldering" multiple myeloma. "Smoldering" means "stable" or, not advancing. At this point there is nothing to treat, so she will be watched via lab tests every couple of months. If nothing develops after a year, she will be able to go longer between blood tests. Thankfully, the doctor was able to rule out lymphoma.
I am more anxious and scared than Mom is! She has great faith and optimism in spite of a very difficult life. She has known so much loss! Dear nieces and nephews, one of my brothers, my dad, all dying of unusual causes. We actually lost one other relative, mom's paternal aunt, to multiple myeloma. So we know a little about the disease and it makes it more scary to have already had one relative with it.
Mom grew up in the home of a single mother, a child of the Great Depression, before being a single mom was fashionable or acceptable. Her mom was not always gentle and kind. She was supposed to go to Stanford University but her mom didn't have money for college, so my mom ended up getting married without going to college. She is smart, loving, interesting, fun. My mom is the greatest and is a dear friend to me.
I am praying that the Integrative Medicine doc will be able to help her with the as yet unnamed issues that first took her to the doctor. Hopefully she will have a lot of fine years yet to be part of our lives.
One interesting thing that I have found, after some reading around the Internet, is that there is a very possible link between celiac disease and multiple myeloma. Also a link between celiac and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Seasons of Life
The turning of the year 2010 brought unwelcome news to my life. My mom has been struggling for some time now with issues that severely impact her quality of life. Some health issues have overtaken her, and some cognitive issues as well. The memory and thought problems have robbed her of the ability to do a few things that she loves, and that give her peace and comfort. She has always loved reading, and it is difficult for her to comprehend what she reads, and impossible as well for her to work on the crossword puzzles that keep her mind exercised.
She was in the hospital a couple of months ago with a serious infection, actually a life-threatening bout with sepsis. A cascade of doctor visits and blood tests revealed anemia and other scary looking things.
Today was the latest in a chain of consultations, and the scariest of all. Something in her blood is a marker for cancer and they are needing to do still more tests. They also are going to do a CT scan because the hematologist thinks he knows what is causing the terrible edema in her legs. I think it is myxedema (warning...grossness alert).
I am angry that the doctors have, so far, blown off the fact that some of her hormones are extremely low, almost to the point of being out of the range of normal. When mine were like hers, I was very sick. I know that part of her problem could be easily helped but the docs won't listen. It is for this reason many people begin treating themselves, to the chagrin of their doctors. But what else can we do? I am also angry that it is taking them so long to get anything done. Mom has been having difficulty since last November. Now, halfway through July, the docs have made a lot of money off my mom, but she still has NO answers.
I shouldn't be afraid, but I am. I trust the Lord to keep His promises. Nonetheless, with all the struggles and pain my mom has endured in life, and faced bravely and full of faith in our great God, I had hoped that the latter years of her life would be peaceful and joyous. It doesn't look like that will be the case for her. If anyone is reading this, please offer up a prayer for my mom, and for her doctors.
She was in the hospital a couple of months ago with a serious infection, actually a life-threatening bout with sepsis. A cascade of doctor visits and blood tests revealed anemia and other scary looking things.
Today was the latest in a chain of consultations, and the scariest of all. Something in her blood is a marker for cancer and they are needing to do still more tests. They also are going to do a CT scan because the hematologist thinks he knows what is causing the terrible edema in her legs. I think it is myxedema (warning...grossness alert).
I am angry that the doctors have, so far, blown off the fact that some of her hormones are extremely low, almost to the point of being out of the range of normal. When mine were like hers, I was very sick. I know that part of her problem could be easily helped but the docs won't listen. It is for this reason many people begin treating themselves, to the chagrin of their doctors. But what else can we do? I am also angry that it is taking them so long to get anything done. Mom has been having difficulty since last November. Now, halfway through July, the docs have made a lot of money off my mom, but she still has NO answers.
I shouldn't be afraid, but I am. I trust the Lord to keep His promises. Nonetheless, with all the struggles and pain my mom has endured in life, and faced bravely and full of faith in our great God, I had hoped that the latter years of her life would be peaceful and joyous. It doesn't look like that will be the case for her. If anyone is reading this, please offer up a prayer for my mom, and for her doctors.
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