Carol's Melanoma Journey to KU Med
My incredible mother, Carol Carpenter, began her battle with Melanoma in April of 2016. She underwent surgery and we all thought she was cancer free!
Fast forward to August 2017. My mom had a tumor that had surfaced on the periphery of her large scar from the first surgery. After a biopsy, the results came back as Melanoma (not a huge surprise). Doctors performed surgery on August 30, 2017 and took wider margins than they anticipated.
They were discouraged to find several more melanoma tumors under the skin that no one anticipated. The surgeon removed all that she could see or feel, but we learned from her oncologist that the margins from surgery came back positive for Melanoma. Dag-nabbit.
One option is to go ahead and do radiation, but the odds are more in her favor if we seek more aggressive surgery. Unfortunately, this kind of procedure is not possible in Wichita. Her Melanoma is acting unusually. It's proven itself to be unique, seeing as her first surgery in 2016 came back with clear margins and it still reoccurred by the original site. Her blood tests came back clear a couple months prior, but these malignant tumors have most likely been growing for a while. We have been referred to a Melanoma specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
We are still unsure of what exactly the future holds. We're not sure of what insurance will and will not cover...and we're unsure of how long we will have to stay in Minnesota, or if/when we will need to return.
My mom's place of employment of over 20 years closed in July, so she is currently unemployed. At this time, we are asking for help with travel expenses and hotel stay to make the initial week-long journey to Minnesota. We will begin our journey on October 2nd, 2017 and mom has six appointments that week.
Your thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes are much appreciated by our family at this time. Please share this page in any form! My mother is a magnetic, hilarious woman and the world is lucky to have her. Any and all help, no matter how large or small, is forever and deeply appreciated as we begin this journey to fight for her life!
