Prayers needed for my mom!

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for your prayers and support through these challenging times.  We have a tough road ahead of us, but with you all being there for us, we know we will make it through just fine. 

Here's a little background.  My mom (Linda Scheib) has been a real trooper through the pain and discomfort she's been feeling for months now.  After we got back from Disney (in December) she was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, which would explain some of the pain she was in.  She was given meds, but they didn't seem to help and actually the pain was getting worse.  She then was set up for a CT scan, which showed she had a mass in her pancreas.  After this news, she and my dad made the trip to Jefferson for an endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy.  After the biopsy came back, it was confirmed, my mom has Stage 3 pancreatic cancer.  The doctors then had to look into if she was a surgical candidate.  At that time she was not due to the size and location. 

So, then we were referred to Fox Chase to talk to them about getting started on chemo and radiation.  The surgeon at Fox Chase then agreed that she was NOT a candidate for surgery, and we then went to meet with a medical oncologist and radiation oncologist.   We were VERY impressed how the doctors treated my mom and how much time they spent explainng what she would be going through.  She will be starting Chemo and Radiation treatments (to be done simultaneously) on March 21st for 6 weeks.  After those 6 weeks, she will be given a "break" for the body to recover and so that the docs can check on how the tumor is reacting to the treatment.  More than likely she will be going on for at least one more chemo cycle.  We are hoping that since she is young and healthy (other than the cancer) that she will do well during treatment.  And since I live closer to Fox Chase and am not working full time, she will be staying with us during treatment.  We are actively setting up her bedroom (thank goodness we bought a house with an extra bedroom or this would have been tough!) so that she can be comfortable during this time. 

So, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  We have a tough road ahead of us, but we will do our best to keep her spirits up, and we know the girls will bring a smile to her face every day!  I will also try to keep everyone updated (via the blog) on how everything is going... so keep checking in on us!

I'm attaching a link to the Fox Chase cancer center if you want more info on pancreatic cancer.  http://www.fccc.edu/cancer/types/gastrointestinal/pancreatic.html


Pancreatic Cancer Graphics