DeeAnna
is a sweet and lovely woman who is married and has 2 small boys
Aaron and Ashton. When she was able to work she was employed
in housekeeping at the U of M intensive care ward.
Normally wide eyed and cheery, her left eye has not been functional
since surgery.
In this photo she is trying to keep both eye open. Dee keeps
her left eye closed because to open it makes her disorientated
and sick to her stomach.
Dee is only 28. |
Our Sweet DeeAnna has been diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma.
Here is a description of this rare cancer...
Chondrosarcoma is a cartilage based tumor and is in a
category of cancers called sarcomas. Chondrosarcoma is a rare
cancer that can affect people of any age. Chondrosarcoma is
considered to be a rare form of bone cancer.
Even more rare are chondrosarcoma located in the skull base,
spine, rib cage, or larynx. Complete surgical ablation is the
treatment, but sometimes this is difficult.
Proton therapy Radiation can be useful in these rare locations
to make surgery more effective.
Dee's tumor started at the front near her left eye and went
to the back of her head in her skull base and is very close
to her spinal cord. She has had surgery (at the U of M Hospital)
to remove what they could and now she needs to go to Boston
for Proton Therapy.
In Dee's case the Proton therapy will also help to minimize
the damage to her brain stem and spinal cord.
Proton therapy is of interest because of its ability
to accurately target and kill tumors, both near the surface
and deep seated within the body, while minimizing damage
to the surrounding tissues. For this reason, it is favored
for treating certain kinds of tumors where conventional X-ray
radiotherapy would damage surrounding radio-sensitive tissues
to an unacceptable level .
|
This photo shows part of her scar from surgery.
She is healing, but has a long road ahead. The incision started
at the front top of her head, then travels down the side of her
head, over her ear then to front of her ear. |
DeeAnna had terrible
headaches for 2 years prior to being diagnosed. Her tumor was
quite large starting near her sinuses and continuing back to the
base of her skull.
Because the remains are near her brain stem, the Proton treatments
are her best and safest option. |
