Keeping Up with the Joneses

I've been putting off updating you all for a couple of weeks because I haven't had answers to the many questions I knew I'd receive. Tonight I'm going to fill you in. Before I go any further I want to tell you that I remain positive and hopeful that someday I will overcome this illness and get to watch my children grow into adulthood. This news, to me, was scary ... no terrifying. I'm coming to terms with it now and have a renewed Faith that God is still with me.



A few weeks ago I completed my clinical trial to treat my Stage 3C Grade III recurrent endometrial cancer. This Monday I received the news that my tumor doubled in size during the trial and had invaded my spinal column. I've had a CT scan and an MRI within the past week. The scans showed very disconcerting images of a tumor that has invaded my spine from the L2 to the L5 vertebra. My L3 is also fractured. This tumor is part of the original tumor that is now located by my left kidney and is currently surrounding my ureter and artery. I've been having problems with weakness, severe pain and numbness in my left leg. We now know that is caused by the tumor wrapping itself around two nerves in my spine.



So, what's next? Well, at this point I am not a candidate for chemotherapy or radiation treatments. I will meet with a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon who specializes in metastatic tumors of the spine as well as a vascular surgeon on Tuesday morning. The recommendation is that I have surgery as soon as possible to attempt to remove as much of the tumor as possible. There are many risks, including but not limited to paralysis, the spread of the cancer throughout my lymph system and damage to the artery by my kidney. These scare me; however, I spoke with a nurse who works with my orthopedic surgeon today and she made me feel so much more positive about it all.



I still believe in miracles and I pray that God will find me worthy of one. I don't know how long I have left here on earth, but I'm optimistic that I will be granted time so I can be with my children and watch them grow up to be fine adults and loving parents themselves. It's quite possible that I will have this surgery in the next couple of weeks. It may be some time before I'm able to update my blog so please feel free to email me at momkate@att.net to find out how things are going and my sister or father will share those with me.

It dawned on me today that I've been blogging with ya'll for almost 2 years now. I sat here this afternoon and went through the last 2 years of my life as I shared it with you. Thank you all for your support, your words of kindness and your expressions of love. I don't know what I have done in this life of mine to deserve such a gift. Please know that I sincerely care about each one of you ... new friends and old ... friends who read my blog who don't even know me ... family members who have been by my side through the glorious as well as the grief-stricken times. I am truly blessed.

Until Tomorrow,
Kathy