Debbie’s Metastatic Breast Cancer

December 26th, 2019 my mother, Debbie Marcinko was working 40 hours a week at a hospital in San Francisco, CA with 2 canes. She worked that morning and went to her doctors appointment to follow up with her MRI results.. the doctor informed my mother she had a large tumor in her right hip and the images did look cancerous. My mom was admitted into UCSF hospital that night for excessive vomiting and pain control. The doctors did multiple tests on my mother and the next day we were informed that my mother had metastatic lesions (cancer) also in her lower spine (L4, L5, S1) mid spine (T4, T5) ribs, lungs and a small bone in her left ear. Mine and my sisters worlds were entirely crushed. My mom was beside herself. We all cried together on the phone on a three way call. Our number one goal at that moment was get mom home. The next 4 days mom was getting her pain under control and well enough so she could fly home. My mom flew home January 1st, 2020. My sister and I picked her up from the airport and got ready to do everything in our power to keep our mom around with us for as long as possible. We have cried a lot. Mom spent the first few days home being with her daughters, son in laws and grandchildren. She had an appointment with the cancer center at Samaritan 1/9/20 with Dr DeBlasio. My sister brought my mom to her appointment and I met her there. Dr DeBlasio couldn’t believe mom’s condition, after viewing all of her MRI’s with us (they were heartbreaking) Dr DeBlasio couldn’t believe my mom was able to STAND let alone work 40 hours a week at a huge city hospital! The MRI showed that the tumor had eaten away 75% of mom’s right hip bone. My mom is walking around missing 75% of her right hip. :( The tumors in her vertebrae’s are also eating her bone from the inside out, they actually look hollow. The tumor ate away so much bone in her T5 that it fractured her vertebrae. So again, she was walking around for weeks with a fractured vertebrae. Unbelievable. Dr DeBlasio immediately ordered mom in a wheelchair and did not want her walking anymore in fear that she would break her back or her femur bone would go right through her hip bone. Mom met with Dr Hills, Medical Oncology right away, literally 2 hours after her appointment with Dr DeBlasio. After Dr Hills spoke with mom both doctors decided that mom was not safe to leave the hospital and they admitted her to SMC. Mom had a bone biopsy in her right hip that afternoon and was admitted about 3 hours later. Mom was put on Chemo that night. In pill form. Mom had a CT done again on her abdomen and spine the next day to compare to the ones done in CA to see if the tumor has grown in the few weeks. Which it has in her L4 and L5. 1/13/20 Mom went to her first radiation appointment to get radiation on her spine. Dr DeBlasio also told her the results of the bone biopsy, the cancer was in fact stemming from her breast cancer from 2013. Mom’s diagnosis is officially Metastatic Breast Cancer. So- with all that information, mom will continue chemo and radiation for weeks into months. Mom is no longer able to work. Mom still has bills that need to be paid. Medical bills coming in and things she still needs day to day. My sister and I try our hardest to help my mom but there is only so much we can do financially. We are asking for help for my mom. Any and all is greatly appreciated. I will be constantly keeping everyone updated with my mom and her progress. Thank you all and we send so much love out.