Maxine Fieg Has Surgery

Here is an e-mail your editor received from Marsha Fieg Adams, eldest child of Maxine and Dr. Bob Whiteside.  I hope you all will sharpen your crayons and send cards and letters to Aunt/Cousin/Sister-in-law Maxine and let her know she is not only in our minds but in our hearts and prayers as well.

Hello Judy,

Would you please let the Fiegs know this:

My mom has a tumor just below her jawline (discovered very small last Thanksgiving) which was thought by all who examined it to be a salivary gland needing to be removed.  By surgery date a few months later it was as big as an egg.  When they started the surgery they realized it was actually lymphoma, the pathology report says "diffuse large B cell lymphoma." 

She had some severe post-op complications: 6 hours after she got home from the surgery, we had her in the ER, then in the ICU for 2 days, in the hospital for a week.  These were blood pressure, heart rate, atrial fib, horrible nausea problems.  Plus her neck had so much edema she looked like a sumo wrestler.

Her first appointment at the cancer center was last Friday and she will have a PET scan next week to see where else it might be.  Before we went she was determined to not take any treatment, but after talking with the Dr. I think she may try chemo and see how it goes.  The area is too risky for radiation.   We are also concerned how the chemo will affect her heart, besides the easy to vomit problem she has. 

She really does want quality, not quantity of life and has made this clear to all of the family and the Dr. If she takes no treatment, she probably has less than a year; my brother is saying 6 months in his mind.  Her oncologist has not offered a timeline.

She is not much of a phone talker but loves to get emails and cards with a little note.

I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Cousin Marsha