Imelda Cadena - Brain Cancer Battle

It is with deep sorrow that my father, sisters, and I (Patricia) must share with friends and loved ones that our dear mother and loving wife, Imelda Cadena, has been facing difficult health challenges over the last several months. In late 2023, she began experiencing sporadic headaches. Her headaches quickly became a daily and ongoing occurrence. On February 13, 2024, she had an MRI of her head. A few days later, she learned that she had a tumor on the right-side of her brain. This was a shock to all of us.

After a consultation, a decision was made to surgically remove the tumor. On March 10, 2024, the sisters journeyed with our mom to a hotel nearest to the hospital. Her arrival time was 6:00am the next morning so it only made sense to not make the early morning drive to Madison, WI on surgery day. It was a girls’ slumber party chock full of giggles, singing Happy Birthday while applying the “special surgery soap”, and snacking on pan dulce. On March 11, 2024 at UW Hospital, our mother underwent a 6-hour surgery to remove a 3.8cm mass from her brain. On the way to the surgery, mom was confident, faithful, brave, and hopeful.

Dad and sisters waited impatiently in the lobby. We nervously ate from Leticia’s picnic basket of goodies; we shared funny stories about our mom; we watched the early stages of March Madness on an i-Pad; we made word search a competitive game; we stared at our smart phones; we paced back and forth; and we waited some more. Our greatest moment of relief was when the medical team called us back to see her. We had no idea how to feel, what to say to one another, or how to calm our nerves. We all knew the possible complications after a major brain surgery. There were real possibilities that she’d lose her memory, lose movement on her left side, lose speech capabilities, anything.

When we walked into her room, my father said, “Mamacita.” She immediately perked up and smiled. What a miracle! She called us all by name, recalled recent events, and moved both arms. YES! The next morning was an absolute display of resilience. When we arrived at her room, she was sitting up in her chair, smiling, and eating breakfast. The nursing staff was astounded by her strength and quick recovery. They were more amazed with her ability to talk, and talk, and talk. This lady has stories for days. If you have a chance, ask her about the post-op MRI where they called her Patricia throughout the entire session.

The MRI showed that a majority of the tumor was removed; however, a small piece was left behind. This piece was no bigger than the tip of a pinky finger’s nail. The surgeon made the decision to not remove that piece as it was just too close to her short-term memory and left-side movement areas of the brain. Mom spent 4 days in the hospital with the most incredible staff. During her stay, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists visited her regularly. They were quickly impressed with mom’s determination. My mom’s go-to question to the therapists was, “Where’s my gold star? I’m a rock star!” She graduated to an acute rehab center where she spent 9 days improving her endurance and balance. Thank God! Initially, we thought that she may need to go into an inpatient rehab center for up to 3 months.

Throughout her healing and significant progress, there was always a twinge of anxiety as we awaited the biopsy results of the tumor. The day we transported her to acute rehab, we learned mom’s diagnosis. We heard, “Grade 4 glioblastoma” and our hearts dropped to our bellies and our words were trapped in our throats. This is an incurable and aggressive stage 4 cancer. The doctor we met with used a phrase that we will never forget, “It always comes back.”

Mom has been in the comfort of her own home and keeping up with her therapy since March 24, 2024. On April 9, 2024, we learned after a one-month follow up and MRI, that mom’s tumor grew back to at least the same size in one month. This could certainly be why she has been complaining of headaches since she returned home. After a long day of appointments, a treatment plan has been put in motion. Because mom is not a candidate for chemotherapy due to a certain molecular marker she carries, she has elected to begin radiation therapy in 2 weeks. She’ll have 15 treatments over a 3-week period. The goal of the treatment is to support a high quality of life for as long as possible.

Mom has always said from the beginning that she will fight and not give up. She stays positive and prayerful. Mom is committed to building up her stamina and improving her strength before her first radiation session. She is putting the outcome of her diagnosis in God’s hands and believes in the healing power of our Lord. She is particularly drawn to the song, In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible). Give it a listen.

Our mother and family ask for your prayers during this time. She has also been very touched by the greeting cards she has received. If you could find it in your heart to send her a card or two of encouragement, we’d appreciate it. She loves reading them! More care will be needed as time goes on. My sisters, dad, and I plan to care for her in our childhood home. Gift cards to Walmart, Target, Costco, Piggly Wiggly (yes, I said Piggly Wiggly), and KwikTrip would be appreciated but not necessary. If there are other ways that you’d like to contribute or help, please reach out.

Send a private message here if you need her address.

We will continue to use this platform to update everyone as we walk this journey with her.

Forever grateful for our querida wife and mother,

Mateo Cadena and the Cadena girls (Maritza, Patricia, Leticia)