Biopsy

Wednesday, November 29, 2000 All that I remember about that day was sitting in a recovery room with Michael and Debbie. We were waiting for them to come back with Kelby after the anesthesia wore off a bit. Some doctors came back after awhile with some bad news. They told us in a round about way that Kelby's tumor was likely cancerous. That was so horrible to hear. The thoughts were in the back of our minds, but we hadn't allowed ourselves to go there. I don't remember much past the initial shock of that day. They had to wait for more information from the pathologist that was to take a few days. I think at that point we were in a daze, but we weren't too worried about it. The doctors there tried to make it easier on us. They tried not to make it out to be a big deal. ' When they brought her back to her room, she didn't look too good. The biopsy made her swell a lot more. Her cheek was three times as big as it was when we took her in. That was very difficult to see. They did the biopsy from inside her mouth, so there wasn't any wound on the outside. Looking back at those first few days, I don't know how I made it through. I cried sometimes, but sometimes I was okay. I knew from the very beginning that Kelby was in God's hands. That knowledge gave me the strength to withstand all that we were going through. I am so thankful that God is our support. I don't blame God. I just pray that He use this in many ways to touch many people. I already know that he has. Kelby has the spirit of a little angel. I was just amazed as I watched all the doctors and nurses at Children's fall in love with her. I think they were enchanted by her little "uh-oh". That is her favorite phrase and I guess it was very appropriate! So many people are praying for her. We were so touched through those days by everyone's kind gestures and emails. Wow, as I am writing this, it feels like this all happened a year ago, but it was only less than 3 weeks ago. It just goes to show that I was in a daze and carried through only by the grace of God.

Down at Seattle's Children's Hospital

I was anxious to get to our appointment because it was so hard to not know what was wrong with our baby. After looking at her, the doctor there thought she would need a CT scan, but it couldn't be done until later that week. She would have to be sedated to have the scan done because she has to lie very still for it. I brought up my worries about how fast it had been growing and whether waiting would cause any damage to her hearing or facial nerves. The doctor suggested that they admit her so they could do the CT first thing the next morning. I am so glad they did. The news from then on kept going down hill. After the CT the next morning they told me that the growth was in her jaw bone. It was growing inside the bone and thinning the edges. They wanted to do a biopsy the next day. Mike had been traveling for work, but they sent him home that night. Thank goodness he got to be there when the did the biopsy!

How It All Started

We were celebrating Melissa's birthday at our house on that Friday night. Zach and Debbie happened to notice the swelling in Kelby's jaw first. Michael and I hadn't noticed it at all. When I touched it, I was very concerned. It was a very hard lump. It wasn't that noticeable. I think that we didn't notice because we had seen her all the time as it was getting bigger. I took Kelby to her doctor the next day because I was worried. Of course, I didn't know how worried I should be. She was so happy and not bothered at all by it, so doctor wasn't too concerned at that time and neither was I. He thought that it could be a strange virus and that we should wait and see. He expected that if it were a virus it would be gone within 10 days. I got more and more concerned because it seemed to be growing. My thought was that if it were a virus, it would be slowly getting better. I kept checking in with the doctor. On the next Wednesday, Nov. 15, she had a slight fever and she didn't sleep that night. I took her into the Doctor on Thursday. He thought then that she might have a blocked parotid gland (saliva gland) and that an infection may be starting there. So, we started her on antibiotics. She also had a mouth sore that morning that was horrible. We still don't know if that is connected at all. The sore made her miserable and she couldn't eat or sleep the whole weekend. On Monday, Nov. 20, Kelby's doctor and I decided to have them take a look at her lump with an ultrasound because it was getting bigger. This is when I really started to get worried. The ultrasound technician said that it was a firm mass in there. He really didn't know what to make of it, but I could tell that it was something more serious than we had thought before. After this, Kelby's doctor arranged for us to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist at Children's Hospital in Seattle. We had to wait until after Thanksgiving for the appointment. Thanksgiving was really nice though. It took our minds off our worries.