Stacy Skillin
We lost our daughter Stacy on July 31, 2021, to an indeterminate Sarcoma that ravaged her body for 5 short months. She had just turned 46. She was a kind loving and hard-working mother and wife and the prime money earner for her family and at times her extended family. She loved God and trusted her life to his will and worked hard to bring his light into the world around her, that needed that light greatly. Stacy’s world revolved around her daughter that was 10 at the time of her passing. While Stacy had very little, she would never think twice about sharing whatever she had with anyone else in need unconditionally. We all love her and will miss her greatly; she lives on in her daughter and our focus will turn to ensuring her wellbeing as she grows.
We have posted this dedication to highlight the need for more research and knowledge and understanding in the medical community relative to the rare and aggressive Sarcomas. Stacy’s started developing mild symptoms of abdominal swelling approximately two months before she received her first Ct scan. That scan revealed a tumor that was 24 CM in diameter that engulfed her Liver and right kidney, it had already metastasized to her left lung. Direct biopsies of both tumor sites were inconclusive and differed greatly in the conclusions. It was not until genome testing and Cancer Type ID was processed did, we identify this tumor as Sarcoma, but the type of Sarcoma was once again not conclusive. In retrospect neither of the two probable sarcoma types identified by Cancer Type ID had characteristics of the rapid growth and aggressive nature of this specific tumor.
Palliative surgery was planned and completed to remove the primary tumor one month after the initial scan and diagnosis. That surgery removed the mass along with the entire right lobe of the liver, the right kidney and adrenal gland and the gall bladder and part of her diaphragm. A total mass of 20 pounds was removed. Following a slow recovery from the surgery Stacy underwent stereotactic radiosurgery on the two left lung nodules that had more than tripled in size from the original scan. Despite our concerns for the continued distention of Stacy’s abdomen her two oncologists dismissed those concerns as simple post-operative fluid buildup without follow up or investigation. Until her baseline CT prior to Chemotherapy identified that a new 20 CM mass had grown in the space vacated by removal of the previous mass just 7 weeks earlier. Two 3 CM tumors had grown on what remained of her liver. All intestinal cavity lymph nodes had metastasis and the primary peritoneum was so fully involved with lessons that the intestines were indistinguishable on the scan. Stacy passed away 5 days after this scan, before she could receive her first chemotherapy treatment.
Clearly the medical world has very little knowledge and understanding of the rapid growing and aggressive nature of these Sarcomas and much more research, understanding and communication is needed to help future victims of this deadly disease. It is our sincere hope that in some way Stacy’s and our loss can contribute to increased knowledge and better treatment of this disease in the future.
