Relief After a Long Battle

The Story of CAROLE CHURCH

The morning Carole Church of Fairview, Utah arrived at the hospital for her double mastectomy due to breast cancer, she couldn’t fathom why her hip hurt so bad. 

After the operation, her doctor came to check on her, asking, “how are you?” After telling him about the terrible pain in her hip, he ordered an MRI to see what was going on. That was when they discovered that the breast cancer had metastasized into the bone of her hip and tailbone. 

Carole’s pain escalated quickly over the next few days and weeks. After further tests, her doctors decided to treat her L5 with radiation. Additionally, her doctors performed a vertebroplasty, injecting cement on the bone to further relieve pain and restore her mobility. To her delight, this treatment removed all her pain. 

But cancer in her L5 returned 2 years later. Her doctors decided to give her radiation treatments again, and it worked again. The pain went away. 

She was able to get back to normal life again. Until 7 years later…

When the pain returned yet again, her doctors sent her tests to the radiation specialists to see if her bone could withstand a 3rd radiation treatment. Unfortunately, the bone was too compromised for more radiation. 

Now her options were to either try chemotherapy or have very invasive surgery. Her doctor said, “if you were my wife, I’d tell you to do the surgery.”

This was Carole’s introduction to Dr. John Edwards. After consulting with Dr. Edwards and his team, they decided to move forward with the surgery. Doctor Edwards was able to remove all the tumors in Carole’s L5, and she is now, at long last, cancer free. 

“I’m thrilled with the results!”

Now Carole has a tumor marker that can be monitored in case signs of cancer return. But she’s thrilled to have her life back. After the constant worry of serious cancer for over 7 years, Carole feels a great sense of relief knowing she has no more active cancer inside her. 

“Now I can make plans for the future. I can do what you want to do. I can keep working if you want. That hope in your mind changes everything!”


To make an appointment with Summit Brain, Spine, and Orthopedics, call 385.345.3560.

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