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
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