Jean Perkins
Bishop Perkins has been requesting me to send an email about my mother's current health crisis, but it has been a whirlwind of appointments and care for my parents. I received a call on Friday morning of our Summer Life Celebration from my mother's Primary Care Provider and was informed that from a recent X-ray & CT scan she had possible lung cancer.
I have been in South Carolina with her and Dad to navigate the many doctors and tests to confirm the staging of her lung cancer. The biopsy revealed that mom has Stage 3c Small Cell Carcinoma, which is a very aggressive form of lung cancer. She was scheduled to begin chemo this week that is 90% effective in shrinking the large tumor. Her breathing began to deteriorate, and she was confused so I took her to ER on Monday (our 2nd ER visit) where she was admitted and tested positive for COVID. She has AFib, a pacemaker, and low heart function, so she is in a fragile situation. They began the treatments for COVID yesterday and trying to get her sodium elevated without causing excess fluid. Today she seems to have improved a little. Please pray she responds to treatment for COVID and is able to begin chemo soon. At this point we are thankful that the PET scan and MRI of the brain reveal that it is localized to the lung. We must overcome this battle first.
I continue to stay at the hospital with her and help with her care where I am not allowed to leave, according to hospital policy. I'm thankful I can be with her, but pray I stay well. Pray for my Dad, Jerry, as well. He is having some health challenges and is home alone and unable visit mom at this point.
Pray for my only sister, Denise. She is a nurse living outside Boston and just transferred to oncology in June. Due to extensive training it was impossible for her to come, but is scheduled to come for a week in August. She is fully engaged in her care. Thankful for modern technology that makes it possible.
I appreciate your texts, concerns and prayer for mama. She is a trooper! With God All Things are possible!
Love to all!
Jean