Saturday, August 16, 2014

Cancer

I received terrible news about 3 days ago. I have cancer. Stage 4 cancer.  I guess it began years ago. A small lump in my breast that went undetected for years. I am young, i have always had dense lumpy breasts anyway. Fast forward to last October. I noticed a lump. About walnut size and very tender. I scheduled a mammogram. I had the mammogram and they found nothing! I also had an ultrasound, again nothing. The doctors thought...it was hormones, and it should go away about 6 months. Fast forward even further.  Life happened, and I didn't think too much about it. Kyle started a law internship which unfortunately didn't come with insurance. We purchased our own short term insurance with a $5000 deductible. We tried very hard not to use it!  In July, I noticed the lump had gotten even bigger, but was no longer painful. Also in July I hurt my hip and my back on two different instances.  When August came, I could barely walk. I saw my doc twice, had an xray, received 2 rounds of pain pills and muscle relaxers. Nothing worked. I finally had an MRI on Thursday. I immediately received a call to come into the docs office for my results. He showed me my back and hip and all the cancer in both. It turns out my bones were so brittle from the cancer, I almost had to have a hip replacement Thursday night. I also had developed a fracture in my back.  Hence all the pain I have been in. I immediately met with cancer doctors and started more tests to see if it has spread even more.  I had a breast biopsy and it was confirmed that the cancer most definitely started in my my breast. I also have cancer in my lymph nodes as well.  I had another MRI, and 2 more different scans.  Right now, we are waiting on results to see if it has spread further. On Tuesday I will start radiation. The goal is to grow my bones and shrink the cancer with the radiation.  Then I will start chemo or hormone therapy.  I have looooong road ahead of me. It is not good.  And it turns out my breast lump was caused by estrogen, so every time I had a birth control pill, I was feeding it.  Right now, I am in a lot of pain. I can put no pressure on my bad hip, so I have to walk with a walker.  To even lift the walker, it puts a ton of pressure on my lower back and hurts so back with every step.  I can't do anything myself and need to be sitting or laying constantly. I am really only comfortable laying.  Please please pray for me.  I am trying to be so confident that everything will be ok, but my whole life has drastically changed.  I thought after going through everything with Valerie, I had hit my quota for bad things happening in my life, but apparently not. 


7 comments:

Cindy Mills said...

I have been thinking and praying for you since I've heard the news. Waiting. Wanting to help and make it better; to make it go away. You are like one of my own, Karie. I have watched you grow up and become a beautiful wife, mommy, and loving daughter. You are strong. No one will ever understand why this has happened to you and your family, but you will be clothed with even more LOVE and prayers than you can imagine. Day by day, fight the fight, and live for your babies and your loves!

Psalm 18:39 You have armed me with the strength for the battle.

celeste said...

I will include you in my daily prayers, Karie...prayers for comfort and strength and healing. And, I will pray for your support family.

KW said...

You will be in our prayers for healing throughout the day. We love you and believe through Jesus suffering on the cross you will be healed. Continue to hope and trust in the Lord. I pray that this disease is expediently and miraculously taken from your body and that you will be used as an example of the many miracles God is able to perform. I pray that you are given comfort, love, hope, and support during this time.
-Khara

Unknown said...

I went to Lewis Cass with your mom and am good friends with the Tabler's. I shared your prayer request with many friends and LC alumni. We are praying for you! Five years ago my niece went through this estrogen-fed breast cancer while she was pregnant and fought it while finishing the last three months of her pregnancy to deliver a healthy baby girl. Another friend developed a fast growing case following the birth of her baby girl and underwent emergency double mastectomy and hysterectomy to save her...her daughter is now a college junior and my friend is cancer-free. There has been so much learned via research and new meds since then...I am praying they can find the right combination of treatments to kick this cancer in the butt! God bless you and give you strength and calm in the face of this present storm. Dawn Sailors Fisher

Unknown said...

Hello Karie,

My name is Pastor Jeff from Walton, IN. Some of your classmates from LC attend our church. Our church is praying for you and your family. I offer you what Jesus Christ offers all of those who trust in Him with their lives: If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril or sword?. . . But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-35; 37-39).

In other words, if you are trusting that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins on the cross and then rose again, then cancer will not have the final word over your life. Jesus Christ will. Yes, cancer is evil, but Christ is King. Seek Him, seek Him, seek Him, and fight, fight, fight, come what may.

We are praying for you. Please let us know how else we may be able to serve you.

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff

Anonymous said...

Today I looked up to the heavens and thanked God that you were introduced to me. I am so thankful to know you, Karie. You are one of the dearest people I know. You and Kyle are very blessed to be in this time where medical science has so progressed. I have not stopped thanking God for giving you peace through the time to come. I continue to thank Him for His healing touch, His strength for you and your family, and for His love to saturate you. I ask the angels to cover you with their wings and bring God's nearness ever closer; to protect you against any doubt or fear. The more you lean on Him, the more dependent you become until you can release your fear and doubt and just fully trust Him. I said I would cover you with Psalm 91 every day and I have spoken it at least 4 times for you today. You can call or text me 24/7 for encouragement or prayer. I would consider it an honor. I will ever be cheering you on, Karie. I will not stop. I'm so excited to fight along with you. Love you.

Anonymous said...

Today I looked up to the heavens and thanked God that you were introduced to me. I am so thankful to know you, Karie. You are one of the dearest people I know. You and Kyle are very blessed to be in this time where medical science has so progressed. I have not stopped thanking God for giving you peace through the time to come. I continue to thank Him for His healing touch, His strength for you and your family, and for His love to saturate you. I ask the angels to cover you with their wings and bring God's nearness ever closer; to protect you against any doubt or fear. The more you lean on Him, the more dependent you become until you can release your fear and doubt and just fully trust Him. I said I would cover you with Psalm 91 every day and I have spoken it at least 4 times for you today. You can call or text me 24/7 for encouragement or prayer. I would consider it an honor. I will ever be cheering you on, Karie. I will not stop. I'm so excited to fight along with you. Love you. Sondra