Audrey's Story
On July 12, 2010, the nurses wheeled Audrey around to the Aflac Cancer wing of Scottish Rite. I remember passing the sign that said "Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders" feeling like I was having an out of body experience.
A CT scan revealed an "abnormal mass" was attached to her right ovary. Fortunately, most ovarian masses in children are benign. We stayed in our hospital room for 4 days until her scheduled surgery to remove the tumor. I held her in my arms and cried for her, and she never realized I shed a tear. Even though everyone was confident the mass was benign, I still couldn't wrap my mind around what was happening to our sweet, baby girl.
On July 16, 2010 the bombshell dropped. Dr. Woods and his PA came into our room while Audrey was recovering. They brought their own chairs and asked if we could talk. At that point, my heart sank. He said the preliminary pathology results came in and Audrey did indeed have cancer, ovarian germ cell tumor, specifically endodermal sinus tumor. In fact, Dr. Woods revealed that Dr. Glasson, Audrey's surgeon, had removed a 3 lb. tumor from her right ovary. I just couldn't fathom that my 49 lb. daughter had been carrying something that heavy in her stomach. I looked over at my precious baby and wondered why and how.
The next day my husband and I met with Audrey's two oncologists. They walked us through the details of the next few months of our lives and immediately started making plans for chemotherapy, ports, and numerous medications. Our heads spun as we had to take in the details of the ordeal our daughter would endure. We were initially told Audrey would only need four rounds of chemo. Those rounds would all be in-patient.
All four rounds were completed in October. Audrey had another CT scan after completion, which revealed that her cancer had originally spread to her lymph nodes. Her original tumor was so large that it obscured the view of the two cancerous lymph nodes. She immediately had a biopsy and confirmed her cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. They were removed and we prepared for two more rounds of chemo.
I never realized how much children with cancer have to endure. Audrey was constantly getting her port accessed, blood drawn, antibiotics, blood transfusions, vomiting, and hair loss. My sweet, spunky girl would lay nearly lifeless in her hospital room fearing one tiny movement would cause her to vomit. She'd go without food or drink for days.
Sadly, Audrey attended 3 funerals in eight months. They were friends she made while in treatment. These 3 friends went through every available treatment, but it wasn’t enough. Their cure couldn’t be found. Web MD states, “A review of the literature in 1979 prior to the widespread use of combination chemotherapy, found only 27% of 96 patients with stage I germ cell endodermal sinus tumor alive at 2 years. Over 50% died within a year of diagnosis.” Fortunately for Audrey, past cancer research saved her life! It has been one year since her diagnosis, and we’re thankful to announce she is cancer free! Praise God for organizations such as CURE that help give children the research needed for a fighting chance. We pray for many more years of health and happiness in her future!
Tami Arrowood