It is with a broken heart that I share these pictures and the following devastating news. On April 20th, Sue decided to go to the doctor because her stomach had been bothering her for a few weeks. The doctor called her at 10 pm and told her to get to the emergency room immediately as her labs came back and weren't good. They ran more tests trying to figure out the problem and decided it was her gallbladder.
They removed her gallbladder on April 22nd and observed that her liver didn't "look" right. They said they wanted to do a liver biopsy, however, it took the back burner as her kidney levels started to skyrocket. After 9 days in the hospital, they decided to start her on dialysis since her kidneys were failing.
Unfortunately, her liver just kept getting worse, leading them to do the liver biopsy. Well the results came back on May 5th that she has amyloidosis, a rare disease that causes abnormally shaped proteins to deposit in the liver, kidneys and heart. We knew for sure it was in her liver, but weren't sure if it was in her heart or kidneys.
As a result, they ordered an echocardiogram, which thankfully showed normal heart function for her age. They ordered a kidney biopsy and a bone marrow biopsy to see if the amyloids were in the those organs. Unfortunately, we found out that the amyloids are in her kidneys, which means she will continue with dialysis indefinitely. On May15th, she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which is cancer of the plasma cells. The cancer is in her bone marrow and is the cause of the amyloidosis. The doctor said without treatment she isn't expected to last more than a week as her liver is failing.
They consulted with Mayo Clinic and started her on chemotherapy that night. The chemotherapy seems to be helping, if even just a little bit. She has an appointment with the Mayo Clinic on May 30th. Her future looks bleak. She's been confused and overwhelmed by this all. She is very weak. We are scared and devastated by this news. We don't want her to suffer. We are praying like crazy for God to heal her if that be his will.
In the meantime, my dad has been her constant. He has been by her side from 8 am to 9 pm. Dave and Lana have been amazing. Debi and Dane are there now. I was there, May 1st-6th and plan to return May 21st to 28th. Dave and Darla have been there. Scott, Melissa, Zach, Cody, Katie, Libby, Blake, and Erika have been there. Lynne, Jill, Tom, Jane, Rod and Jada have been. She is so very loved and our hearts are breaking...