Fighting GBM With Gretchen Palmer
On Mothers Day, 2019 we found out that our Mom, Gretchen Palmer, had a brain tumor. She has been diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), which is a very aggressive brain cancer that needs to be met with even more aggressive treatment.
Before the surgery she was feeling off balance while biking, didn’t quite have her normal strength, and had a droop in her smile. For those who knows our mom, Gretchen, none of that is normal! Her and our father, Terry Palmer, are the epitome of an active Sun Valley couple that have always been the golden standard for heath in our family. They continue to be great role models and it is our goal to get back to our normal Palmer family adventures as soon as possible.
Our Mom quickly underwent testing to confirm that it was indeed a malignant tumor, and that it needed to be removed. We decided to move forward with a craniotomy as the doctor was confident that would be the next best step without knowing exactly what type of tumor was present.
The surgery was a success and they were able to get a complete resection and remove 99% of the tumor. During the surgery they found that the tumor was attached to the middle cerebral artery which caused a minor stroke. They said that she would recover from the stroke symptoms and is already on a great road to recovery. She is walking, talking, and moving well again and is blowing the nurses away at our rehab facility in Boise. She credits her Body Pump class and says “they have no idea how far I can go”. While they might not know how strong she is, we all do, and we are ready to support her through whatever treatment will get her back in the mountains, back on her bike, and living the active life she loves. You would not believe the progress.
Though this is the largest hurdle our family has faced, we are confident and remain positive that we can beat it together. Gretchen is not average and will absolutely not take an average outcome. Our family is remaining positive and keeping the humor with Mom, who continues to be the strongest of the bunch. Our motto is, "Faith Not Fear." We have faith that Mom is strong, faith in our doctors and the medical community, and faith that we will come out on the other side with the support and love of our friends and family.
Over the next few months Moms treatment will be a standard chemoradiation based in Twin Falls. Our goal is to stay as close to home as possible without compromising quality of care. From there we are exploring all other possible treatments and will continue to utilize our wide reach of connections to some of the top doctors and facilities in the nation. We are exploring clinical trials and secondary treatments and are happy to learn more if you have any experience or research results to share.
It is not always easy to ask for help, but with friends and family like ours we know it will be flooding our direction no matter what. If you are able to donate to help towards medical bills, medication, travel, treatment, food, and anything else that comes up during this process, we are incredibly grateful for your support. As many of you know medical bills start to quickly add up along with other expenses that come along with this journey. Any amount will help and we are very appreciative for your donation.
Currently we have two options for contributing to our cause. Go Fund Me , for anyone who would like to contribute online or with a credit card, or The Bald Mountain Rescue Fund for others who would like to send a larger check for a tax-deductible donation.
Go Fund Me - https://www.gofundme.com/gretchenpalmer
The Bald Mountain Rescue Fund, an Idaho 501(c)3 nonprofit, is available for anyone who prefers their contributions to be tax deductible. BMRF donations are accepted by check only, and may be mailed to PO Box 370 Ketchum, Idaho 83340, or dropped off at the law office of Brian Barsotti in the Greyhawk Center on Picabo St. in Warm Springs during business hours (it's advisable to call first, (208) [phone redacted]). Please make checks payable to Bald Mountain Rescue Fund, using the memo section to refer to Gretchen Palmer. [Note: Any variation of this language is fine, as long as it identifies Gretchen.]
With love from the Palmer family,
Grayson, Bergen, Teagen, Terry, and Gretchen.
