Sonogram, results, and new regimen of treatment!

Tuesday, February 19 - My sister and niece took Mom to her Sonogram appointment in St. Joseph on Monday.  They ate at Mom's favorite steak house, 54th Street, and Mom ordered that steak that she had been craving for weeks.  She said it was delicious.  Surely the craving for meat comes from the lack of red blood cells and her body's desire to fight back and get stronger.  Steak is one of the things that she still can taste.  Usually Mom has a strong metallic taste in her mouth and says that she can't taste most food.  Her cooking is definitely suffering...way to much salt in everything!  I honestly have never known someone who misses the taste of good food as much as my Mom.  Another one of those things that is so different about us.  I swear I don't even really taste food.  For me it just fills up the empty void until I have to do it again.  Mom sure misses it though and I love the fact that she gets so much enjoyment out of the time she shares with her family over a great meal.

Tuesday my mom once again drove herself to her chemotherapy appointment.  The doctor said that the sonogram shows that the masses have shrunk considerably.  Next week her regimen will change.  She will go down for an appointment on Tuesday to check her blood levels and then she will have a different form of Chemotherapy.  This chemo will require 1 time every three weeks for twelve weeks.  Only four treatments (which Mom says will be a breeze considering the last 13 weeks)!  I fear that this treatment must be really severe since it requires so much time between treatments and such close monitoring of the blood.  The doctor has forewarned her that many patients on this therapy require additional blood transfusions.

I am trying to be positive and feel that the blessing lies in the fact that the daily radiation treatments will not begin right away.  Twelve more weeks will take us into the summer...through track season and to the end of school.  Then I can go with her and help with the driving or anything else that she needs.  I just pray that the next twelve weeks and this new regimen of treatment won't make her so sick and weak that she isn't able to function.  I have never seen my mom in that state; thank God, but have seen many other cancer patients who are.

My Mom's biggest concern continues to be that she won't be able to work.  Visiting with the customers who shop at the store helps keep her positive and gives her something to look forward to each day. There is no way my Mom could make it without the income from her part-time job.  I can not imagine how elderly people survive to pay their medical bills and drug therapies on the money from their retirements and social security.  I am not a politically minded person, but there has to be some better way to help the people who have worked their entire lives only to suffer in old age.  I hope that everyone will keep her in their prayers. 

Tenth Chemo Treatment and Blood Transfusion

Tuesday, February 12 - My mom was able to get her tenth chemotherapy treatment.  As usual, she drove herself to her appointment about forty-five minutes from home, took her routine blood test, and sat though the three hours of chemotherapy.  Mom usually follows the treatment with a Subway sandwich and a trip to Walmart when she is feeling well enough.  Somehow she turns the outing into a fun trip.  This week she has been extremely weak, and I seriously doubted that her red blood cells would allow the chemo.  She has been unable to walk even a few hundred feet without gasping for air.  Mom says she feels exhausted and she is extremely pale and tired looking. 

The doctor ordered a transfusion for the evening at our local hospital in Bethany.  Mom was admitted as an outpatient.  She had her blood typed which alone is about an hour and a half process.  When I walked into her hospital room, I couldn't help but notice how small she looked.  It is as if she is shrinking before my eyes.  The bed was raised up to high and her legs dangled from the sides. She looked almost like a child sitting there.  My heart ached because she looked so weak and almost helpless.  I wish somehow I could take some of this burden from her.

The entire blood transfusion process took about 10 hours; therefore, Mom had to spend the night.  She originally left for her Tuesday appointment at 9:30 am and didn't get back home until Wednesday morning about 8:00 am.  What a long 24 hours!  Surprisingly enough Mom's comment was, "I swear, they must have given me a teenager's blood, I feel so much stronger!"

Thank God for giving her the strength to prevail!

The Battle Rages On!

Tuesday, February 5 - My Mom has now completed her eighth and ninth chemotherapy treatments successfully!  Her blood levels have been in adequate range for the past two weeks in spite of the extreme fatigue that she has been feeling.  She still has never had a "sick" day as a result of the treatment.  She just has this tired feeling that won't seem to go away for any length of time.  Ironically; however, she says that she suffers from insomnia when she actually lies down at night.  I understand that this is a common side-effect of one of the medicines and that many of the cancer patients complain of not being able to sleep.

Mom says that one of the things she misses the most is the taste of food.  She has always been someone who loves to eat out, enjoys cooking, and loves the different tastes of food.  Now she describes the taste in her mouth as metallic.  She has taken Dr. Oz's advice to try to chew a sprig of parsley to rejuvenate her taste buds.  My Mom said that she really believes it does help. (I cannot imagine since the first thing I do is remove all parsley that garnishes the plate.)  She has started a variety of "home health food" remedies that she hopes might help her feel more energetic.  She consistently tests anemic but it has not halted the treatments thus far. 

The Oncologist has informed my Mom that she is entering her last phase of the chemotherapy treatment.  Following the twelveth treatment he will schedule a sonogram and a mammogram to check on the progress in shrinking the mass.  The Oncologist continues to explain to us that he has no crystal ball which will show us the exact path the will come next.  We believe that it will include radiation before the double mastectomy which will be followed with another round of chemotherapy; however, only time will tell for sure. 

My Mom continues to feel blessed by all of the people who stop by to talk to her about her treatment and  to see how she is progressing.  She says she never realized how many people really cared for her until now.  She has been blessed by so many people offering to drive her to treatments, surprising her with gas gift cards, children who have made lap quilts, get-well cards, and well wishes from people who know her from work.  I so appreciate the friends who ask on a daily basis, "How is your Mom?"  It is good to know that so many are keeping her in their thoughts and prayers.  I received a beautiful handmade pink scarf with a card which carried a special inscription that meant so much to my daughters and I tonight.  I cannot thank everyone enough.  Your love, prayers, and well wishes give us all strength.

"Adversity is like a strong wind.  It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." -  Arthur Golden