- T
My name is Marlo Stanley. I am a single mom of three awesome children, Lexxy (3rd year in college), Chris (middle school) and Laila (daycare)! I am active in my church (LIFE Church Ministries in Brooklyn Park, MD) I am 2nd in charge of our food pantry and yes I love it! I have been on my job for the last 15yrs and I can honestly say that I enjoy what I do and I love to smile.
For the rest of my life, I will never forget Friday February 13th, 2015! Why you ask???? Because that's the day that my doctor told me that I have cancer.
This all started sometime around July 2014 during a kickboxing workout. I felt a pain on the right side of my thigh, almost like a strained muscle kind of pain. So, I decided to take a little break from the kickboxing thing and started icing/heating it over the next few weeks. Well in no time, August 1st comes around, my pain was still there and I had a 2 hour drive home from work. I decided to call my mom to ask if she could stay with the kids because once I got into our hometown I was heading straight to the ER. And that's exactly what I did. After several hours and an X-ray, I was diagnosed with bursitis! Which means that I had inflammation in the muscle located on the outside of my right thigh. I was then given a shot of tramadol and instructed to ice/heat my leg, stop working out for the next 2-3 weeks, stretch, take it easy and follow up with my primary care or physical therapist. I did just what the doctor ordered and in no time my pain was going away.
Fast forward through back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and very busy work schedules, the pain was still there. It had gotten better at one point, but what I didn't notice was that I had developed a habit of popping a few Ibuprofen for the pain and started walking with a slight limp, noticed by my mom and several of my coworkers. I followed up with my primary care doctor and after her examination she decided that our next course of action would be getting an MRI. The scheduled date of the MRI just so happened to be on Friday the 13th. While walking back to have the examination, they told me that my results would be sent electronically to my doctor within 24-48 hrs. The exam was over and the radiologist says, "I need you to go and see your doctor today." My reply, "But I don't have an appointment for today." She says, "She's waiting for you to bring her this disk of your results!" At this point I'm not sure what to think because I was told something different prior to the test. My mind is everywhere: is my muscle torn, has the bursitis turned into something else.
I arrived at my doctors office and the receptionist says, "Hi can I help you?" I said, "I hope so. I was told by the radiologist to bring this disk to my doctor and that she would be waiting for me!" She reply's, "Well I'm not sure why she would have you bring the disk because the doctors laptops don't read them. Normally they will send the results electronically. Please have a seat and let me find out what's going on." Two seconds later she came back and said that the doctor will be right with me. Shortly after, the nurse escorted back to room #2 and seconds later in came my doctor. She sanitizes her hands, she walks over to me and says, "Marlo, it's not what we thought it was. It's CANCER! From the looks of the MRI you have a very large and aggressive tumor on your right pelvis." At that moment I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Who's life is this? Like I remember asking twice if she was sure that she was looking at my results. Life as I knew it would now and forever be changed.
After meeting with my 1st oncologist he told me that he didn't specialize in my type of cancer, Osteo-sarcoma( bone cancer), which was very rarely found in adults. He knew just the doctors that I would need to see though, who just so happened to be in Washington, DC. at Washington Medical Center.
I met my surgeon 1st. We discussed the type of cancer that I have (of course my 1st question was how did I get it, his reply: "Just your luck.") and how rare it is. He compared my August 1, 2014 X-rays to my X-rays that he took in March 2015 and my how the tumor had grown! Remember in August I was told that it was bursitis! So the plan was to have 3 rounds of chemotherapy, then surgery and another 3 rounds of chemotherapy. The surgery would consist of removing my right pelvic bone along with the ball and socket on my femur bone. Here's the kicker, nothing would be put in to replace the bones that were being removed! My only question "Will I be able to walk?". He said, "Yes!", with such conviction in his voice. He proceeded to say that once the scar tissue healed in the place of where my pelvic bone used to be, then that would act as my foundation. Still puzzled by the news and the explanation of the surgery, I vommitted in the exam room, then I cried. None of it was making any sense.
Then I met my chemotherapist and he explained the schedule. Every 21 days, I would be checking into the hospital (Washington Hospital Ctr in DC) on a Friday then being discharged on Monday. Over the 4 days, the chemo would be running the entire time. Chemotherapy is the devil! I had every side effect they named, from hair loss, bleeding gums, dark fingernails, thrush, ringing in my ears, metallic taste when I ate and my taste buds changed. You name it, I experienced it. I also had my 1st blood transfusion during chemotherapy, so if you donate to the Red Cross please continue to do so, and thank you!
I had successfully completed 3 rounds of chemotherapy and the June 3rd surgery date was here. After 12hrs of surgery the doctors successfully removed the tumor, which turned out to be the size of a cantaloupe! After spending 5 weeks in the hospital recovering from the surgery, I was then headed to the Rehabilitation Center to learn to walk without a right pelvic bone.
After 6 weeks at the rehab, I continued physical therapy at home and started my last 3 rounds of chemo. Prior to the start of round 4 of chemotherapy, which started on September 4, 2015, I found out from my doctor that I have two spots on my lungs that weren't there before. At this time they are too small to biopsy so we will not assume anything. The plan is to have another scan done after the 5th round of chemotherapy and re-evaluate.
I'm telling my story to whomever will read it. Feel free to share it with your loved ones, friends and family who may be moved by my story and willing to assist me. I'm not sure how much longer I will be out of work, but I am seriously in need of financial help. My income is a very small amount at this time and my debt and on-going expenses are large. I do have health insurance but the out of pocket expenses, hospital bills, prescriptions, transportation cost and just trying to maintain living for my children has been trying while out of work on disability.
Had it not been for my family, friends, and co-workers I wouldn't have made it this far. Thank you all for the prayers, love, and financial support that you've given me thus far.
If you are moved to help financially, please give any amount that you are comfortable with. Small contributions will all add up in the end.
Thank you in advance for your prayers, support, and your financial donations.
For the rest of my life, I will never forget Friday February 13th, 2015! Why you ask???? Because that's the day that my doctor told me that I have cancer.
This all started sometime around July 2014 during a kickboxing workout. I felt a pain on the right side of my thigh, almost like a strained muscle kind of pain. So, I decided to take a little break from the kickboxing thing and started icing/heating it over the next few weeks. Well in no time, August 1st comes around, my pain was still there and I had a 2 hour drive home from work. I decided to call my mom to ask if she could stay with the kids because once I got into our hometown I was heading straight to the ER. And that's exactly what I did. After several hours and an X-ray, I was diagnosed with bursitis! Which means that I had inflammation in the muscle located on the outside of my right thigh. I was then given a shot of tramadol and instructed to ice/heat my leg, stop working out for the next 2-3 weeks, stretch, take it easy and follow up with my primary care or physical therapist. I did just what the doctor ordered and in no time my pain was going away.
Fast forward through back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and very busy work schedules, the pain was still there. It had gotten better at one point, but what I didn't notice was that I had developed a habit of popping a few Ibuprofen for the pain and started walking with a slight limp, noticed by my mom and several of my coworkers. I followed up with my primary care doctor and after her examination she decided that our next course of action would be getting an MRI. The scheduled date of the MRI just so happened to be on Friday the 13th. While walking back to have the examination, they told me that my results would be sent electronically to my doctor within 24-48 hrs. The exam was over and the radiologist says, "I need you to go and see your doctor today." My reply, "But I don't have an appointment for today." She says, "She's waiting for you to bring her this disk of your results!" At this point I'm not sure what to think because I was told something different prior to the test. My mind is everywhere: is my muscle torn, has the bursitis turned into something else.
I arrived at my doctors office and the receptionist says, "Hi can I help you?" I said, "I hope so. I was told by the radiologist to bring this disk to my doctor and that she would be waiting for me!" She reply's, "Well I'm not sure why she would have you bring the disk because the doctors laptops don't read them. Normally they will send the results electronically. Please have a seat and let me find out what's going on." Two seconds later she came back and said that the doctor will be right with me. Shortly after, the nurse escorted back to room #2 and seconds later in came my doctor. She sanitizes her hands, she walks over to me and says, "Marlo, it's not what we thought it was. It's CANCER! From the looks of the MRI you have a very large and aggressive tumor on your right pelvis." At that moment I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Who's life is this? Like I remember asking twice if she was sure that she was looking at my results. Life as I knew it would now and forever be changed.
After meeting with my 1st oncologist he told me that he didn't specialize in my type of cancer, Osteo-sarcoma( bone cancer), which was very rarely found in adults. He knew just the doctors that I would need to see though, who just so happened to be in Washington, DC. at Washington Medical Center.
I met my surgeon 1st. We discussed the type of cancer that I have (of course my 1st question was how did I get it, his reply: "Just your luck.") and how rare it is. He compared my August 1, 2014 X-rays to my X-rays that he took in March 2015 and my how the tumor had grown! Remember in August I was told that it was bursitis! So the plan was to have 3 rounds of chemotherapy, then surgery and another 3 rounds of chemotherapy. The surgery would consist of removing my right pelvic bone along with the ball and socket on my femur bone. Here's the kicker, nothing would be put in to replace the bones that were being removed! My only question "Will I be able to walk?". He said, "Yes!", with such conviction in his voice. He proceeded to say that once the scar tissue healed in the place of where my pelvic bone used to be, then that would act as my foundation. Still puzzled by the news and the explanation of the surgery, I vommitted in the exam room, then I cried. None of it was making any sense.
Then I met my chemotherapist and he explained the schedule. Every 21 days, I would be checking into the hospital (Washington Hospital Ctr in DC) on a Friday then being discharged on Monday. Over the 4 days, the chemo would be running the entire time. Chemotherapy is the devil! I had every side effect they named, from hair loss, bleeding gums, dark fingernails, thrush, ringing in my ears, metallic taste when I ate and my taste buds changed. You name it, I experienced it. I also had my 1st blood transfusion during chemotherapy, so if you donate to the Red Cross please continue to do so, and thank you!
I had successfully completed 3 rounds of chemotherapy and the June 3rd surgery date was here. After 12hrs of surgery the doctors successfully removed the tumor, which turned out to be the size of a cantaloupe! After spending 5 weeks in the hospital recovering from the surgery, I was then headed to the Rehabilitation Center to learn to walk without a right pelvic bone.
After 6 weeks at the rehab, I continued physical therapy at home and started my last 3 rounds of chemo. Prior to the start of round 4 of chemotherapy, which started on September 4, 2015, I found out from my doctor that I have two spots on my lungs that weren't there before. At this time they are too small to biopsy so we will not assume anything. The plan is to have another scan done after the 5th round of chemotherapy and re-evaluate.
I'm telling my story to whomever will read it. Feel free to share it with your loved ones, friends and family who may be moved by my story and willing to assist me. I'm not sure how much longer I will be out of work, but I am seriously in need of financial help. My income is a very small amount at this time and my debt and on-going expenses are large. I do have health insurance but the out of pocket expenses, hospital bills, prescriptions, transportation cost and just trying to maintain living for my children has been trying while out of work on disability.
Had it not been for my family, friends, and co-workers I wouldn't have made it this far. Thank you all for the prayers, love, and financial support that you've given me thus far.
If you are moved to help financially, please give any amount that you are comfortable with. Small contributions will all add up in the end.
Thank you in advance for your prayers, support, and your financial donations.