Doyle Family Fund

Update, February 7, 2022 - written by Lauren 

After an agonizing wait, I finally received a call with the biopsy results today. The leiomyosarcoma has metastasized to my breast.

I’ve asked the U to send all the scans and pathology down to Mayo. I now need to wait for the oncologist/sarcoma team to review everything and let me know their recommendations. They have already let me know that they would like me to set up a consult with a breast surgeon, so those steps are in motion. However, once again, the wait could be gruesomely long for all of this to unfold. 

I don’t know what lies ahead, but I am terrified and full of intense grief. This is not a typical presentation for LMS metastases. The breast MRI was only done because of my family history of breast cancer. A shallow victory, knowing it may not have been caught so soon otherwise. But it doesn’t seem to matter much now that it’s metastatic…

We appreciate all the prayers, love, and support you might be willing to send our way. My heart and spirit are broken. I will continue to fight, continue to move forward… one terrified step at a time. I am holding these guys tight, as it’s the best reminder that I’m still here, and why I will continue to do everything I need to in order to be here with them as long as I possibly can.

2020

The Doyle family has faced an unbelievable amount of hardship since Lauren gave birth to their beautiful daughter Sloane Evelyn on October 31, 2019. Just prior to discharge the following day, routine newborn testing revealed that Sloane had some undiagnosed congenital heart defects. She was rushed via ambulance to the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital and needed open heart surgery when she was just 5 days old. Sloane was diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta, pulmonary hypertension, as well as a few vessel abnormalities. With continued medications and oxygen therapy, she was able to go home when she was 3 weeks old.

Amongst all of this, Lauren had emergency abdominal surgery on November 17th to remove an abdominal mass that she found soon after Sloane was born. Although the tumor looked benign on initial exam and tests, the final pathology showed cancer: leiomyosarcoma. This is a very rare type of soft tissue cancer, and was located within a fibroid that was detached from the ovaries and uterus (even rarer).

Fortunately, Lauren’s surgery and further imaging showed no signs of metastatic cancer. However, since this type of cancer can be unpredictable and aggressive, the oncology team has recommended a round of chemotherapy to kill any potential microscopic cancer cells that may have been left behind after the surgery. Following 4 cycles of chemo, repeat imaging will be done to make sure no new masses have developed.

Lauren has been receiving scans every three months since finishing chemo in spring 2020. A recent scare in October 2020 showed a spot near her bowel. Further biopsy and PET scan both came back negative. But during Lauren's March scan, the spot has since grown and her oncologist feels that this might be a cancer reoccurrence. Given its' close proximity to her left kidney, she is meeting with urology to discuss a joint surgery with her gyn-onc and urology team. Surgery will be scheduled very soon.

Please keep Lauren, Brandon, Mason and Sloane in your prayers <3 

The family is extremely grateful to everyone for your ongoing assistance and outpouring of love!