It has been just over 1 month since we found out that Rachel has lymphoma. I thought I would start at the beginning and tell you what we know. On February 22, 2010, Rachel found a large lump under her right arm. She had been complaining of her arm hurting, but she had been snowboarding the week before and so we didn't give it much thought. Rachel had been home for the weekend to attend her brother's Eagle Court of Honor. There wasn't any way to get her back up to school so I decided to take her up so that she could get to her Monday classes. That was the day she found the lump. What a miracle that I was there to help her figure out what to do. With the help of some friends we found a Woman's Clinic in Idaho Falls that would see her the next morning. We saw a Nurse Practitioner named Lori Miller who was so kind and helpful to Rachel. Lori was just the person for us to see because she pushed us through to each appointment. It was as if the sea parted and we could walk through. It was all such a blessing. After the first exam, Rachel had a chest x-ray and an ultrasound. After these test were read the doctors ordered a CT scan because they saw some shadowing at the base of her neck. She had the CT scan on Wednesday. When this scan was read they decided that they wanted additional images so another CT scan was scheduled for the next day. The second scan showed enlarged lymph nodes along the right side of the neck, under her arm, in her chest and along the right side of her esophagus. This is when they gave us the news that Rae had lymphoma, we just didn't know what kind. A biopsy was scheduled for the following Monday where they removed the large lymph node under her arm.
So now we knew that Rachel had cancer. Now we had to decide how treat it. Should she stay in Idaho or should we bring her home to Utah? I think in some ways this was the hardest decision of all. It became apparent that we needed to move her home. It was very difficult for Rae to leave school, roommates, friends and the life she had in Rexburg to come home for treatment. She has shown a lot of courage and faith throughout this experience and I am so proud of her for that.
Rae met with the Dean of Students several times before she left. He has been a wonderful support to her. Even though her professors agreed to let her finish the semester via email, she has decided to withdraw from school so as not to have that pressure on her as well. She is concentrating her energy into getting well.
There were so many appointments to go to, baseline tests for her heart and lungs, an initial consultation with the oncologist in Provo, surgery for a porta-cath and bone marrow biopsy, a Pet scan and then more visits with the oncologist. The cancer was determined to be Hodgkins Lymphoma. I guess that if you have to have cancer, that is the one you want because it is the most treatable. The cancer was more widespread that we had first hoped and without the results from the bone marrow biopsy Rae in in an advanced stage III. The treatment will be 12 treatments of chemotherapy over the course of 6 months. Treatments are spaced two weeks apart. Radiation is an option, but we won't know if it is needed until later on.
They told her that she would lose her hair. I know that will be a hard day. We plan on getting some cute hats and a wig. Maybe her hair will come back in curly!
Thank you to everyone who is praying for Rachel. We feel the Lord's presence and we are grateful. We have much to be grateful for: good medical care, caring doctors and nurses, such good and kind friends, insurance, love in our family and the list goes on and on.
