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Cancer and chemo: Mom chose the hard road instead of
abortion
Editor's note: Melinda Stoor will participate June
10 in the "Relay for Life" race sponsored
by the American Cancer Association, an overnight event
for the family of a cancer survivor. According to the
Relay for Life Web site, it is a chance "to
celebrate survivorship, remember those who lost their
lives to cancer, and raise money for the fight against
cancer." Stoor is helping her office at America
First Credit Union get involved in sponsoring the race
in Ogden. Anyone can help volunteer by contacting a
local chapter of the American Cancer Association.
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By Brooke Barker
May 11, 2005 | She was so sick
that she didn't have enough energy go back to
bed from the master bathroom after vomiting. That's
when Melinda Stoor decided to see her doctor.
"The doctor told me I was pregnant. My
husband and I thought we were done having children,"
she said.
The real surprise for the Melinda, Bob and their
family was yet to come. The weakness never went
away, and it got to the point where Melinda couldn't
walk up the stairs or talk on the phone without
running out of breath.
"I went back to my doctor and he said it
was just a cold," Melinda said.
One problem: it didn't go away. |
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma's four main stages
Stage I: the lymphoma is only in one lymph node
(neck, underarm, groin, etc.), or only in one
other area of the body outside the lymph system.
Stage II: The lymphoma is in two lymph nodes
above or below the diaphragm, such as the neck
and underarm. Stage II can also be when the cancer
spreads into the tissue near the lymph node.
Stage III: The cancer spreads into nearby organs
or the spleen. This stage can also be when the
lymphoma is both above and below the diaphragm.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread to the spinal
cord, liver, brain or bone marrow. This stage
can be characterized by the lymphoma in an organ,
away from the infected lymph node. It can also
be when the cancer has spread into two or more
organs outside the lymph system.
More information on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can
be found at: American
Cancer Society. |
"So I went back again, and he decided to take an X-ray,
and have a pulmonary specialist downstairs look at it,
after he got back from lunch," she said. Melinda went
back to work and received a phone call almost immediately.
"The doctor on the other line said you either have
a really bad infection, or you have cancer," she said.
When Melinda was told she might have cancer, she went
to a recommended cardiologist the next day. He told
her to go straight to the hospital. She went to the
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in
Ogden.
On Dec. 9, 2001, Melinda was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin
lymphoma. It's a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic
system. It is the fifth most common melanoma cancer
in the United States. According to the American Cancer
Association, more than 56,000 people will be diagnosed
with non-Hodgkin in 2005.
The risk of developing non-Hodgkin increases with
age. The odds are one in 50 that a person will get this
cancer in his lifetime. Around 20,000 people are expected
to die from non-Hodgkin in 2005.
The risk factors for non-Hodgkin include exposure
to radiation, HIV, obesity, exposure to chemicals used
in pesticides and herbicides, immune deficiency for
people who just received transplanted organs and genetic
abnormalities.
When Melinda was diagnosed, her cancer had progressed
to a stage IV. The cancer was in her left lung and cancerous
fluid surrounded her heart. She was told to schedule
the doctor of her choice for an abortion.
"What do you do at a time like that? Pull out your
book of providers and look for an abortion specialist?
I wasn't even given a choice," she said.
Melinda didn't want the abortion.
The Stoors had a friend who worked in a Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit at Mckay-Dee Hospital. He knew a doctor who
specialized in neonatology. The doctor took care of
the baby, and the other doctors were in charge of Melinda's
cancer. She didn't need an abortion.
Stoor started chemotherapy on Dec. 27, 2001. She was
16 weeks pregnant. At this time, her baby's organs were
mostly developed and would be protected from the chemotherapy
treatments. Her oncologist in Ogden prescribed the CHOP
method.
CHOP stands for four chemotherapy drugs: cyclophosphamide,
doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone which are all
used together to help fight cancer. According to the
Huntsman Cancer Institute Hope Guide on its web page,
cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and vincristine are all
drugs used to kill cancer cells. Prednisone is used
to help control all the side effects of the chemotherapy
drugs. Prednisone is the same drug used to control arthritis
and allergies. This treatment must be repeated every
month.
Three weeks after beginning her chemotherapy treatments,
Stoor suffered from reversible hair loss.
"I had my hairdresser come over and we shaved it all
off," she said. "To this day, I think Gary, my youngest
son, thinks that when women are pregnant they lose their
hair."
Melinda had three children at the time: two boys,
and one girl. Jessica, the oldest, had her 12th birthday
that January. Melinda attempted to take her bra shopping
for the first time. However, her first bras were coming
from Victoria's Secret.
"I wanted to make her birthday special. Twelve is
a time when you need your mom, and I hadn't been there
for her as much as I should have," she said.
Jessica didn't want to go bra shopping, especially
with a mom who's bald and pregnant.
"I had to get a sales associate to talk her into coming
in, before mall security was called over," Melinda said.
Well, Jessica got her bras, and her mom grew her hair
back.
The community, at this point, had discovered that
Melinda had cancer.
People from different religions approached Bob on
the ski slopes during the Olympics, and let him know
they were praying for his wife.
Fremont High School donated a camcorder to the Stoor
family. The school wanted the family to be able to save
memories, in case Melinda didn't make it.
Luckily, Melinda made it, and the family can enjoy
the memories from Christmas, birthdays and other family
gatherings. The only thing about Melinda that changed
in the movies was her belly getting bigger and hair
growing back.
She gave birth to a premature son, Aaron, on April
15, 2002. Today, he is a happy, healthy little boy,
who doesn't understand everything his mom has been through.
He loves soccer, and can kick the ball over anyone's
head that's watching him.
Chemotherapy ended in May 2002, and she hasn't had
any relapses since then.
"I've learned to appreciate time with my family more.
I try to organize a time to be with them. My having
cancer, helped make our family stronger," said Melinda.
"It's nice to see her doing things she likes and wants
to again," said Bob.
MS
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