Nelly's Fight for Life
Donation protected
2018 May 15th, Mom was hard at work on the night shift in the ICU as an RN when the pain hit. Mom never complains of pain because she's the strongest woman I know. The pain was so unbearable her coworkers had to take her to the ER. CT of the chest showed a mass that was suspicious for malignancy and lymphadenopathy that was most likely metastasis. On May 21, lung mass biopsy confirmed she had lung adenocarcinoma. While waiting for her medication to be delivered, mom started having headaches, nausea, and vomiting. On June 10th those symptoms were so severe and she was very uncoordinated that we decided we had to go to the ER. Her CT scan this time showed that the lung cancer had spread to her brain and the swelling was getting so bad she had a midline shift in her brain (the right side of her brain was trying to move to the left because of the increased pressure). She was admitted to the ICU, ironically she's been an ICU nurse for as long as I can remember and is the department that she very much enjoys working in. On the 13th of June, she underwent craniotomy with mass removal. They performed DNA testing on the brain mass and her oncologist informed us that it was a result of the lung cancer spreading to her brain. Surgery was successful and a few days after mom was able to be transferred out of the ICU and was moved to the floor where she had physical therapy. She passed and was in high spirits ready for discharge and ready to battle the lung cancer.
Mom's nausea, vomiting, and the dreadful headache went away. We were all so relieved. Mom went home on June 17th from the hospital. Appointment was made with the radiation oncologist so we can begin Cyberknife (radiation) to target the smaller tumors in her brain that the neurosurgeon was unable to remove. A few days before mom's July 3rd appointment with the radiation oncologist, we noticed she was getting cross eyed and her eyes were really very dry. She also said her right leg was weak, so weak she couldn't lift it. Just not long ago she was about ready to dance!
On July 3rd, we met her radiation oncologist and that was when we learned she had leptomeningeal disease (LMD) or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC). We need to be aware of this disease. According to Medscape: LMD/LC is a rare complication of cancer in which the disease spreads to the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. LC occurs in approximately 5% of people with cancer. Time stopped here. Not the news we were hoping for, but mom is going strong. She’s the strongest woman I know.
Mom was no longer a candidate for Cyberknife because the cancer was now surrounding her whole brain and her spinal cord. She underwent a total of 14 days of whole brain radiation and lower spine radiation combined. They warned us she would have some confusion due to the radiation and it happened when her partner in life (my dad) was admitted to the hospital for surgery (when it rains it pours). Dad was always by her side and it was as if her world got scrambled when he wasn't there.
LMD has taken a tremendous toll on her. It has affected her sight that she has recently had to have both her eyes sewn shut in an effort to save her sight as much as possible from the rapid deterioration she had been going through. Unfortunately this cancer has also affected her ability to eat such that she can no longer chew nor swallow solid foods and therefore she has been relying solely on a liquid diet which has caused her to lose a lot of weight and necessary fat needed to even sit or lay comfortably.
The sole breadwinner for herself, Dad, and the many people she cares for back home in the Philippines, this woman who is as strong as they come, who has lovingly cared for hundreds of people throughout her career, who is an inspiration to many and a source of enormous strength to her family and friends now has had to endure the unimaginable. This is the fight of her life and she is facing it head on.
The goal is to help mom not only with her medical bills and continuing care but to help her get back home to the Philippines, to her beloved Sipaway Island, before the time comes.
Any little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Mom's nausea, vomiting, and the dreadful headache went away. We were all so relieved. Mom went home on June 17th from the hospital. Appointment was made with the radiation oncologist so we can begin Cyberknife (radiation) to target the smaller tumors in her brain that the neurosurgeon was unable to remove. A few days before mom's July 3rd appointment with the radiation oncologist, we noticed she was getting cross eyed and her eyes were really very dry. She also said her right leg was weak, so weak she couldn't lift it. Just not long ago she was about ready to dance!
On July 3rd, we met her radiation oncologist and that was when we learned she had leptomeningeal disease (LMD) or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC). We need to be aware of this disease. According to Medscape: LMD/LC is a rare complication of cancer in which the disease spreads to the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. LC occurs in approximately 5% of people with cancer. Time stopped here. Not the news we were hoping for, but mom is going strong. She’s the strongest woman I know.
Mom was no longer a candidate for Cyberknife because the cancer was now surrounding her whole brain and her spinal cord. She underwent a total of 14 days of whole brain radiation and lower spine radiation combined. They warned us she would have some confusion due to the radiation and it happened when her partner in life (my dad) was admitted to the hospital for surgery (when it rains it pours). Dad was always by her side and it was as if her world got scrambled when he wasn't there.
LMD has taken a tremendous toll on her. It has affected her sight that she has recently had to have both her eyes sewn shut in an effort to save her sight as much as possible from the rapid deterioration she had been going through. Unfortunately this cancer has also affected her ability to eat such that she can no longer chew nor swallow solid foods and therefore she has been relying solely on a liquid diet which has caused her to lose a lot of weight and necessary fat needed to even sit or lay comfortably.
The sole breadwinner for herself, Dad, and the many people she cares for back home in the Philippines, this woman who is as strong as they come, who has lovingly cared for hundreds of people throughout her career, who is an inspiration to many and a source of enormous strength to her family and friends now has had to endure the unimaginable. This is the fight of her life and she is facing it head on.
The goal is to help mom not only with her medical bills and continuing care but to help her get back home to the Philippines, to her beloved Sipaway Island, before the time comes.
Any little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nestly Yap
Organizer
San Jose, CA
Nestor Yap
Beneficiary
