Dad is doing quite well, and been stable now for many months. He needs daily care and help with getting around, but is otherwise perky, eating well, enjoying good company and food, and coming off the end of a summer with lots of quality time at the beach.
Unfortunately, we got some really bad news about mom today, which is the subject of this message. Maybe sit down if you're not doing so already.
Patty had been complaining this year about chest pain, which we all thought was related to doing so much physical lifting and other strenuous activity while caring for Dale. There was actually an earlier diagnosis for the chest pain, which turned out to be wrong. More recently when the pain persisted, we did another round of tests including an x-ray. Patty got a call from her primary care doctor at the beach last week with some scary news about the x-ray, and today we met with a new doctor (pulmonologist) to get the news.
The x-ray and two other tests done in the past week show a large cancerous mass in her right chest, which appears to have started in the lungs but has now 'eroded' and metastasized into the rib cage, chest wall muscles and lymph nodes. We won't get the diagnosis/prognosis officially until our appointment with the oncology team on September 17th (biopsy was done today). The pulmonologist was careful to avoid a diagnosis, but guesses it is round #2 of the endometrial cancer Patty had successfully treated ten years ago. It is unlikely that surgery will be an option (no good 'margins'), but we are expecting treatment options involving radiation and perhaps chemotherapy in an attempt to arrest/stop the growth.
Patty is very concerned about quality of life, and not up for a debilitating knock-you-down treatment (especially if it's heavy-duty chemo).
Sorry to just drop the bomb like that, but we are all in a state of shock and there's no easy way. It's way too much to bite off all at once. Patty has been the primary caregiver for Dale, as well as managing the Georgie stuff (97 years old!) for 1.5 years now. Those of you who know this family well know it's a matriarchy, and I don't think any of us know what we're supposed to do without Patty running the show. It's unimaginable, really.
The family is going to the beach from September 7th - 16th while the elevator at the condo is out of commission, with other caregivers/friends already signed up to join us. There won't be much else to share between now and our oncology appointment on the 17th, after which we'll send out another update, perhaps with options for support and meals, etc. We are covered for the moment with caregiving, food, etc.
All our love to you and yours, any prayers and good thoughts headed are way appreciated.
Mark (+ Patty, Jim, Megan, Dale)
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