Amber’s Fight for her Life

On Valentine’s Day 2019, Amber ( Buechter) Tarbox’s world turned upside down and thus began her battle against cancer. On this day, an ultrasound revealed a large mass on her liver. It was already 6 centimeters. Three days later, a biopsy confirmed that it was liver cancer. On March 26, 2019, after a slew of tests including a CT scan, MRI, colonoscopy, mammogram, Petscan, and bloodwork, Amber had surgery to remove the part of the liver that had the cancerous mass. What was supposed to be a four hour surgery  turned into a ten hour surgery as more cancer was found resulting in the removal of two-thirds of her liver, her adrenal gland, her gall bladder, and part of the right kidney. The mass on the liver had grown to 8 centimeters in less than 6 weeks and had spread. Amber now was faced with a diagnosis of Stage 4 liver cancer. It is a very rare form that normally affects men over 50. Amber is 32. This is a very aggressive kind of cancer. Since her surgery, the cancer has moved to the left side of her body. She had more surgery to remove a mass near her ribs and within weeks after that, another mass was found on her hip. Doctors are going to wait and see if the chemotherapy she is receiving will shrink the mass on her hip. Amber needs to check herself closely, carefully, and continuously to monitor if any new tumors develop. If they do, she will have to have more surgery to remove them. Amber has started a grueling regimen of oral and IV chemotherapy ( on two weeks, off one week) for 6 months. This will be followed by possible maintenance chemotherapy for another 6 months or longer ( possibly for life). The chemotherapy has dramatically changed her life. She is constantly nauseous or vomiting and has been unable to eat or drink. She has lost 40 pounds since her diagnosis. Dehydration is a problem causing her to go in for IV fluids to get rehydrated and to fight the nausea. Amber is unable to work while all of her energy is going to fight for her life. Amber lives in Utah with her husband presently, but grew up in St. Peter’s, Missouri. She has family throughout the St. Louis area. She has been married to her husband, Grayson, for eight years. They have no children, but were dreaming of that soon.
      Those are the facts. Now, let us tell you a little something about our daughter, our girl, our heart.  Amber is our oldest daughter. She has a younger sister and brother. Amber has always been a great role-model and a typical “ oldest child”. She is very intelligent, very driven, and very hard-working. While attending Truman University, Amber’s appendix burst. She felt some pain, but did not go to the hospital for three weeks. She had work to do and she was determined to get it done. Miraculously, the poisons were encapsulated in a football-shaped sack which was carefully removed by surgeons. Doctors had never seen anything like it. Amber developed ulcerative colitis shortly after the surgery, but she didn’t let that stop her. She graduated from Truman University, taught English in France, and graduated from law school in Utah. This is one determined girl ( and yes, she will always be a girl to us). After Amber had followed her dreams, she wanted to do the same for her husband, Grayson. He had dreamed of earning his Ph.D, so she became the primary breadwinner while he pursued his dream. His dream will come to fruition in August. They were dreaming of starting a family and really starting their life. Now, their dreams have come to a halt , hopefully, just a small pause. Instead of dreaming of starting their life, they are fighting to save Amber’s. If strength and determination have anything to do with it, our girl is going to beat this and go on to live out all of her dreams. Amber dreams of feeling like herself again, so that she can do all the things she loves and that most of us take for granted.  She dreams of gardening, hiking, camping, and enjoying the beauty of the mountains that surround her in Utah. She dreams of teaching Sunday School again and helping families through her work. With your help, we can take a little of the financial burden off this young couple. The medical bills are mounting and both of them have student debt. We appreciate anything you can give, no matter how small. If you can’t give at this time, we would be eternally grateful for your prayers. God bless all of you. We will keep you posted on our girl’s progress. We are praying that Amber’s story will have a happy ending that assures all of us that “ Dreams really do come true.”  Thanks, again, for all of your prayers and donations. Hug your kids a little tighter tonight and tell them that you love them. They are a precious gift that we sometimes take for granted. We will never do that again. Our girl, Amber, has taught us that.

Ann and Mark Buechter