Hello, everyone! This is the blog to update on news relating to Ellen. Please let everyone know about this blog, including friends, family, coworkers, everyone!
Ellen was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) last Tuesday (July 28, 2009). This type of breast cancer is a rare but very aggressive type of breast cancer that usually grows rapidly and often spreads to other parts of the body. They originally thought it was some sort of infection and she was given antibiotics to treat it, which she ended up being allergic to. On Tuesday they performed a biopsy and gave the diagnosis of IBC. The tumor is too large to remove surgically, so they will do several rounds of Chemotherapy to try and shrink the tumor and then remove it. IBC is sometimes treated with hormone therapy when the tumor feeds off of estrogen. This is unfortunately not an option, Ellen tested negative for estrogen, so the tumor is not feeding off of estrogen so hormone therapy would have no effect on it.
On Friday, (July 31st) Ellen had a port-catheter inserted into her chest. This acts as like a permanent IV for the chemotherapy treatments.
Chemotherapy starts on Thursday, August 6, 2009.
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Best wishes for your first treatment today. One of my friends had cancer a couple of years ago and she was able to network with other patients and received good ideas about what not to eat, etc. so you won't get sick. Grandma Sneddon actually took some treatments with my friend. My friend took her treatment one day and was back teaching school the next! I hope you have such an easy time.
ReplyDeleteFriend of your dad's ... Just letting you know your prayer army continues to grow. May God's unfailing love and peace wrap around you each and every day. Praying always, Chuck
ReplyDeleteAnother friend of your dad's: I am also contributeing my prayers for you as you follow this journey God has sent you on. Keep a positive attitude and remember "with Him all things are possible" Nancy Ihlenfeld
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