Multiple Myeloma

So here's the short-ish version of what's been going on around here.

My mom has been in pain around her ribs since August.  No picking up Audy, no sudden movements, and poor sleep.  The doctor told her it was costocondritis - inflammation of her cartilage around her ribs.  So she waited for it to heal. 

And it never did.  By December, still in pain, she begged to doctor to do more.  So he ordered her a bone scan and approved acupuncture and chiropractic services, if she wanted them.  

The bone scan came back in early January that she had multiple rib fractures, lesions on her spine, and it looked like the ribs had broken and healed several times.  

She was terrified.  Her doctor left her hanging for week, while she scoured the itnernet trying to figure out what was going on.  On the 22nd, she got a referral for a hematologist /oncologist, but without any explanation.  Quite worrisome.   On January 23rd, she finally got to talk to her doctor.  Her doctor assured her tonight that she has more than a month to live (she'd convinced herself last night that's all she had).  Her primary doc didn't want to confirm anything except that there was something serious that needed to be dealt with soon. He guessed it was cancerous but wouldn't confirm it...but told her that it would be life changing.

On Friday, February 1,  the hematologist/oncologist confirmed what my mom had suspected.  They are 99% sure it's multiple myeloma, which is a blood cancer that affects the bone marrow.  

They ran few more tests to confirm and find the staging before  another appointment on February 20.  We suspect chemo and a bone marrow transplant will be the next steps.

On February 8th, someone from the office, not the doctor, called her to confirm that it was in fact, multiple myeloma.  The cancer has infected 90% of her bone marrow, which is the reason her ribs were breaking.  The person (a nurse?) told her they would start chemo very soon and then do a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope.  She'll learn more at her appointment on the 20th, and for now, all we can do is hope and pray.

Multiple myeloma is not curable, but it is treatable.  My sister told me of someone she'd heard of who lived 22 years with it.  The average is 4-5 years, depending on age and health.  It's just such a blow.  

In the midst of all of this Audric got the flu, and Jason and I caught some virus.  Because my mom is at the end of her rope, she just can't get sick, so we couldn't see her for nearly 3 weeks.  That was hard.  Thank the good Lord for FaceTime.  

We do have a great support network.  I am so blessed to live so near all of my aunts and uncles and cousins.  My mom's sister-in-law is currently undergoing her second round of chemo for Leukemia, and they are both seeing the same doctor "group," so my mom is comforted by that.  

Some days are good for me, others are not.  My sister is still in Australia, I'm still dealing with pregnancy hormones on top of it all, and Jason is swamped with work (a good thing), but overall, we feel very, very stretched.  

Please continue to pray for Mom's sleep, her spirit, and her overall health. We believe in miracles!