Bad and Sad News from Gail (fwd)

[Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:27:51 -0700
From: Gail <http://www.cox.net/~g3>
To: Cynthia <http://www.frit.ucsb.edu/~cj>,
     Patty <http://www.hotmail.com/~p>, Nita <http://www.aol.com/~nita>
     ,
     CeCe <http://www.cox.net/~ccins>, Corey <http://www.cox.net/~gabow>,
     Roy <http://www.comcast.net/~r>, http://www.waylandcomputer.com/~dana,
     Laurie <http://www.comcast.net/~lm>,
     Nicole <http://www.gmail.com/~nicole>,
     Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>,
     Gordon <http://www.parkstreet.org/~GHUGEN>
Subject: Bad and Sad News from Gail

Hi All,
 
I apologize for the mass email, but I'm feeling overwhelmed in dealing with
the following news and trying to get it out to friends and family who should
know and would most likely find out about it through others who already know
because I happened to see them recently or were for other reasons in touch
with them already.
 
My youngest 40 year old daughter, Romy, who lives in Austin, TX with her
husband and no children and who is the one who 8 years ago got MS of the
relapsing/remitting kind and is on oral medication for that and had been
doing well -Â I think for the past couple of years - received a definite
diagnosis (this past Mon. after ultrasound and biopsies) of breast cancer.
She has stage 3 breast cancer in one breast that is in 1 or more lymph
nodes, is large, and is very aggressive. She is now experiencing some pain
in that area. Evidently she had a breast exam 5 months ago, and at that
time she was perfectly normal with no signs of cancer. Apparently the tumor
(s?) started and grew only in the last couple of months. She detected a lump
perhaps a couple of weeks ago when shaving under her arms. We are waiting in
about 2 weeks for the results of the recent MRI and braca 1 test for the
cancer gene which her breast surgeon said if it were positive, she would
have an 80% chance of developing cancer in the other breast as well as in
her ovaries. The breast surgeon and the oncologist, per the MD Anderson
Cancer Center in Houston protocol for her situation, are recommending 5
months chemotherapy to shrink the tumor (s?) which most likely will start as
soon as this coming Fri. once Romy has given her OK before having surgery
which will then be followed by Radiation Therapy. My oldest daughter,
Kim, from Sonoma County arrived there Fri. for the weekend to help out in
proactively picking out wig (s?), etc. This coming week Romy is going to
seek a 2nd opinion and have a Petscan to check the rest of her body for
cancer as well as have a pic line/portal inserted Thurs. as a semi permanent
point of entry for the IV for the Chemo. Romy seems to be taking all this
news well with a positive attitude because as she told me, she has already
gone through pain and hell from the MS which started from being a normally
healthy young woman to the next day being in the ICU with her whole half
body suddenly paralyzed. Also the same day she received the breast cancer
diagnosis she had also received word that she was to start a new full-time
job in her HR field having also been unemployed for a long time, but she
then had to decline the offer due to her situation. Such bad luck all at
once!
 
Best,
Gail