Lorrie McGrady
Dx AS
Well, my journey started the first week of April 2010. I noticed a small scrape and bruising underneath my belly button as I was getting into the shower to get ready for work. I just thought I had ‘bumped’ into something chasing people at work or our four kids around the house. Two days later, I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had a small blister had formed where the scrape had been. I let it go for another week and the ‘blister’ was not going away. I went to my family doctor on my lunch break and she suggested that I go see a dermatologist. I saw a dermatologist two days later and they performed a small biopsy that day and told me and my husband, Dave, that she believed I had melanoma. Two labs and two whole weeks later, I received the diagnosis as ‘late stage melanoma.’ The dermatologist had already called Wake Forest Med. Ctr. and June 1st, 2010 surgeons removed a 14 cm. tumor and 10 lbs. worth of skin and tissue from my abdomen. On June 7th I went back to Wake Forest for a follow up and a brand new word became part of our vocabulary, ANGIOSARCOMA.
I was set up for chemotherapy and radiation to start in the next two weeks. June 22nd, I was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in my left leg that put me in the hospital for seven days. Of course the blood clot delayed my treatments. One week later my oncologist set me up for a PET scan and the doctors found a 4 cm. tumor on my thyroid. I was set up for a biopsy on my thyroid and that day I was told by one of the nurses that it was most likely cancer in not so many words. August 16th, I had a total thyroidectomy and the doctor was 99% sure they removed all the thyroid cancer. 5 days after the surgery, I started 30 rounds of radiation to my abdomen to treat the AS. Oct. 15th, radiation was complete.
I now await internal radiation for the treatment of the thyroid cancer in mid to late December. The sarcoma specialists at Wake Forest “believe that chemotherapy is not the best route to go at this time.” I am anxiously awaiting the beginning of January 2011 for my next CT scan and pray for a clear scan and NED.
I am determined with prayers and positive thinking that these cancers will not get me down no matter how negative the doctors may be. I will show them what a true miracle is! I am thankful each and everyday for my angiofamily, as much as I wish it was some other thing that pulled us all together than this disease. My angiofamily as well as my hubby and four babies are what keeps me going day after day.
Lorrie’s Story To Be Continued…………….”Fight Like A Girl, Win Like A Woman!”