Almost all of us know someone that has been diagnosed with cancer and never did I think it would hit so close to home. Over 4 years ago, I took my 4 month old baby to her checkup where the doctor found a lump in her belly. Later that night we went for an x-ray, then sent to our children's hospital ER for an ultrasound. Before I knew what was happening, nurse after nurse came in the room to get blood draws...a very painful experience for us both. Finally around 2am, we were admitted to the 12th floor....the oncology floor. It all happened so fast! I remember sitting in the parent lounge late one night and seeing a little girl walk down the hall with her IV pole and head scarf and felt an overwhelming sense of pain and sorrow. A couple days later they removed a mass from her bowel. After 5 days in the hospital we made it home. That week the pathology results came back to confirm a fibrosarcoma tumor. Due to many factors we were lucky to only spend the next year getting MRIs every 3 months.
That took us to almost a year later, just a few days before Christmas at our clinic visit for results of the day's MRI. 3 people walked into the room and told us something new showed up. I couldn't speak and finally broke into tears when they left the room. 2 weeks later we were back at the hospital for surgery #2 to remove her new tumor and adrenal gland. This time it was Neuroblastoma. I spent countless days doing what the doctors told me not to do and that was research this cancer and every scary statistic out there. It consumed me. My results were that this one was worse, most kids are not even diagnosed until they are already stage 4, and kids go through a grueling 1+ years of treatment. We went through CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, MIBG scan, bone marrow biopsy, etc.
Side note and piece of advice if you ever find yourself in a children's hospital and see a mom pushing an empty stroller, don't say "hey, you know there is no baby in there." Yep, this happened. I said I know and managed a small grin to hide my anger and extreme anxiety. What he didn't know was that my child was in the middle of a MIBG scan and bone marrow biopsy and I was there alone until my husband could arrive after a night of work and 2 hours sleep. I was an emotional wreck pacing the halls.
Many appointments and a second opinion later, it was decided to again do no treatment and only monitor with MRIs every 3 months. I always say we were lucky to have had the first cancer and were monitoring to catch the second cancer so early.
This summer we celebrated 3 1/2 years cancer free!
