Becky's Battle Against LMS

On February 18, 2015 Becky Kent was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer (Leiomyosarcoma). When the tumor was discovered the oncologist at Emory Winship Cancer Institute told her the tumor was inoperable and gave her a poor prognosis for survival. From the very beginning she told the oncologist this would not kill her, she would do everything they told her and that she was confident they would make her better. For 12 weeks she underwent chemotherapy in hopes of shrinking the tumor. The treatments were very difficult on her physically but she remained positive and continued to fight daily. Even when the treatments left her feeling sick and drained, she continued to walk 2 – 4 miles a day, as well as keeping the house kept, and caring for her two grandchildren (Rory and Deja, ages 6 and 8) that live with her. Never once did she complain about her situation, rather held firm that she would do everything she could in order to beat this disease.

On May 21, a few days after her chemotherapy treatment, Becky developed a fever that was, at times, quite debilitating. Even when she was at her lowest of lows (the fever exceeding 103oF on a few occasions), she continued to remain with a sound mind and even rode her bike with the kids the day before her scheduled oncology and chemo appointment on June 3. When she arrived for this appointment, her oncologist sent her directly from the office to have imaging done in order to determine the cause of the fever and new symptoms she had been experiencing. Immediately following the reading of the scans, her oncologist admitted her to Emory University Midtown. Imaging showed that her tumor (as the surgeons so graciously pointed out) “had gotten ticked off and decided to fight back”. There was an abnormal connection that had been made with her small intestines that resulted in waste emptying inside of her tumor which caused an abscess within. As a result of this infection, her body began to shut down and caused the fever to persist. From the moment she was admitted, the doctors placed her on antibiotics around the clock in order to fight the infection while they determined a course of action that was best suited for her well-being. Additionally, in attempts to slow the progress of the infection they placed her on intravenous nutrition so that the gastrointestinal activity was kept to a minimum.

On Friday June 5, Dr. Patrick Sullivan came and spoke with Becky and her family regarding the plan for action. He outlined all the possible courses of action, gave a very poor outcome for each, but ultimately decided that a life-threatening operation was required. Even after the news, Becky never once waivered in her resolve. In fact, she looked the surgeons square in the eyes and told them, “When we go into this, I do not need you to have the ‘I hope this works’ mentality. Instead, you need to have the attitude that we are going to be a part of something great that others will read about in medical journals. Who’s to say that my purpose in this life isn’t to make history so that other people can benefit from what you learn. It’s going to be okay!” Just as a mother always does, she was comforting not only her family but also the surgical team who would be taking her case. Every day Becky was in the hospital she was out of her bed from the time she woke until she went to sleep. You could find her walking the halls of the hospital and even venturing outside walking the gardens and common areas on the campus. She developed great relationships with all of the hospital nursing staff and everywhere we walked everyone commented on her resolve, strength, and determination. As the week went on, and time ticked by, her determination and confidence only grew.

June 12 arrived (the day for surgery) and they took Becky for her pre-op at 5:45am. The entire way down and through the pre-op procedure she kept the smile on her face and continued to demonstrate her strength to her daughter (Lindsey), son (Jeremy) and the hospital staff. The operation began at 7:30am. Seven and a half hours later Dr. Sullivan emerged to the waiting room where an army of supporters were awaiting results of her operation. Lindsey and Jeremy met with Dr. Sullivan and he delivered the news with a smile that Becky had done amazing. After seven hours of surgery they were able to remove the entire tumor and abscess with very minimal damage to surrounding anatomy. Despite the overwhelming size of her tumor, aside from the portion of bowels they needed to remove, there was only a minor attachment to her bladder which was able to be repaired. Dr. Sullivan went on to say that despite how difficult the surgery was, Becky could not have come out any better. The operation was a huge success and far better than anyone had expected. Even more miraculously, they took Becky directly from recovery back to her room. When she awoke and saw Lindsey and Jeremy waiting for her, the first words she spoke were, “I told you. I told you.” She later went on to say, “My back is hurting SO bad. Wait….no, no! I shouldn’t be complaining. The pain reminds me that I am alive.” Becky truly is an inspiration and a testimony of what the power of faith, determination, and a strong resolve can accomplish. Not 12 hours after her surgery she was out of her bed sitting in the chair going through her breathing exercises. 24 hours after surgery, she was up and walking with the assistance of the nurses in her unit. Two days after surgery, Becky was up walking the halls with minimal assistance, and three days after surgery made it a point to walk up a flight of stairs. Every doctor and nurse that stopped by always said that she is doing “incredible”, “absolutely amazing”, and “really stinking good”. One nurse even said that she “is the perfect post-op patient”.

Although Becky came through, there was still a long way to go. She will have to live with some of the effects of the surgery (a colostomy was needed due to damage to the bowels) and she still needed chemotherapy treatments for the foreseeable future in order to ensure she was disease free. Once she had recovered from the surgical wounds and regained her strength and some weight, Dr. Hawk ordered three more rounds of chemotherapy which began on July 29, 2015. On October 9, following the three rounds of chemo, Becky had a CT scan performed in order to see if there was any sign of recurring or metastic disease. The results were given to her on October 14, 2015 with the word that there were no signs of developing or recurring disease. From this point forward, the plan is to undergo imaging every three months to monitor for any changes.

The family is celebrating the miracle that occurred and grateful for the grace that was shown to them. Their faith continues to be unwavering and they know that He still has a plan and purpose for Becky. She will continue to fight and defy the odds. Although the majority of this journey is behind the family, there is still a fight with obstacles to overcome. Mentally, emotionally, and financially this journey has taken a large toll on Becky and her entire family. Although support is greatly appreciated, the family wants more than anything for a story to be heard. For those of you that are dealing with many of the problems and difficulties that life brings you, let this story be one that shows there is a true power in a positive attitude, an unwavering faith, bold confidence, and a determination to fight like hell. I will leave you with this, a few days after her release from the hospital Becky wrote these words to share with the world:

 “For the past several months I, along with my family and friends, have taken a journey that really could have ended my life. The journey was hard and took its toll on me as well as my family. I learned lots along the way and found a strength I wasn't sure I had. But by the grace of God, I stayed strong. Some days were hard and I felt like poop, and that is putting it mildly. There were days when I cried and was a big baby. I think I prayed more than I have in my entire life. I was not afraid of death if that was what was to be. But I prayed for my family and friends. I prayed to ask for God's forgiveness for not being the example or witness He wants me to be. Just days after coming home from the hospital, one of the staff members from Rory & Deja's school was killed in a car accident. This woman was a wife, mother and a great example of what a Christian should be. I wondered why God blessed me with life and this woman’s was taken. God has his reasons and it is not for me to know right now. But it is my prayer that I will not waste the time God has given me and will in some way make my Father proud. I love you all very much. I thank you for your prayers, your love, and for putting up with me. Take care of the life God has given you. Be sure to kiss your husband. Hug your wife. Treasure your children. Thank God for the sunshine and the rain. ... I will hush now. Good night and God speed.” –Rebecca Kent