U of M

November 28, 2011   

On the Eve of December another post on the blog before the month long process of the stem cell transplant.  Wednesday, we go to U of M to go through the battery of tests from CAT scans to bone marrow testing.  We are hoping that all goes smoothly and that the day is not a drag for her.  I will learn how to give her her chemo on the 27^th of December.  I believe that we will also get a better idea as to when she goes in the hospital, if she can receive visits, phone calls, flowers, etc.

She had a beautiful Thanksgiving with family all around.  She watched the youngest grandchildren bake cookies and the baby Reuben roll around on the floor.  Chip helped dad put up some outdoor decorations and we enjoyed  listening to each others stories of years past.

Here is trusting that her neuropathy will diminish and any side effects will be minimal.

Last chemo

What a ride…. the last couple of months with the chemo, physical therapy etc. and still we prevail.  As we sat in chemo, today in our cozy little corner of the world, we watched as a patient was helped from their wheelchair to the recliner to receive their chemo or blood or what have you and we found that just a short few weeks ago, we were there.  My mom was dependant on those around her for her basic needs and now, she is more independent, more confident and more capable of taking care of herself.  We are truly blessed with how her progress has made her more like she was before the diagnosis.

Now, she waits until the end of the month when she goes through the testing for U of M and then the harvesting of the stem cells and the ultimate hardship on her body…the mega doses of chemo.  I think the isolation will be the hardest part.  We go through that at the end of December so prayers are most requested then for the healing and no infection to be introduced during that time.

Mom has said that some people are asking what they can do to help.  They are requesting gift cards for gas or hotel stays while they are at U of M.  I think the gas cards are the best and money for the hotel would be the best for them.

We are so blessed that this has been a fairly smooth transition for her and that her body has not reacted negatively to the chemo except for the neuropathy.  Praises, praises.

Almost done

So far, so good.  We went to GR for chemo, my mom, my aunt Teresa and I on Friday. The ride over was very nice.  The weather still a little on the gloomy side, but it was a pretty nice day overall.  Mom is still having quite a bit of pain from the chemo drugs which causes her hands, feet and legs to burn and ache.  It is not a very nice feeling.  Most of the time it can be controlled with a med, but the med she was taking seemed to be making it all worse.  They switched her to a pain med and that has taken some of the edge off, but not completely gone.  The worst part is that when chemo is done, it is not guaranteed to go away. 

It was very nice to have my aunt here to help mom with things around the house.  She wrapped presents and put some decorations up and just spent time with her.  I am sure my dad appreciated the time away as well.  This way he doesn’t feel so guilty when he has other things to do but wants to make sure that she is taken care of as well.

Friday will be her last chemo treatment before going to U of M.  She goes on December 12 for all the testing to be done.  Then, right after Christmas, it all starts.  She has one day in which she has to have a chemo shot every hour on the hour and immediately following, she goes to the hospital for her month long stay.  I am a bit scared and excited that she may be nearing the end of this part of the journey.  Hopeful that it will be a long span in between when we will have to go through any of this again.

Prayers for less pain, endurance, and strength.

Round three

October 23, 2011

Round three over and we are still amazed at how well mom is doing.  After talking to several people and recalling the cancer patients we have heard  about in the past, I think how you react to your treatment all depends on the type of cancer you are afflicted with and the course of treatment that you are prescribed.  She has been very fortunate not to have to deal with the sickness and the hair loss.  I think that is one of the hardest things to deal with when you are fighting for your life.  You are so sick trying to fight it that you begin to wonder which would be worse.

So, when the next round of chemo is done it is the beginning of the tests to see where she is and if she is a candidate for the stem cell transplant.  After the conference call with U of M, it looks like all of this may take place during the holidays.  Once they confirm that her cells are in the best shape for a harvest, they will do that and then the week following, she will go in for the month long stay at the hospital.  I believe that during this time she cannot have any visitors because her body will not be able to reject any sickness or virus’.  Dad will be her caregiver and will stay with her during this time.  It will be really hard to know that she is in the worst shape ever and me not being able to help her or my dad with any of it.  I believe that will be the time when I will need to pray the hardest.

Counting the blessings

October 14, 2011

It seems like it was so long ago when mom couldn’t do the simple things for herself.  I was just saying to her today how blessed she truly is.  Since the initial diagnosis and the chemo treatment it seems her side effects have been pretty minimal compared to all we have heard from other cancer patients and their families.  Constipation, a little swelling of her feet and the burning sensation in her hands and feet seem to be the biggest hurdles she has had to overcome.  She has been very fortunate that she has not experienced the vomiting and major hair loss those before her experienced.  Lately she has been a bit more tired than before, but overall she is doing quite well.

The report from the Dr. Zakem this Tuesday was that her blood work is fine and the abnormal protein seen in her blood before has decreased.  So, with a few more treatments she will be done with chemo and then prepare for the tests she will have to go through to see if the cancer is in remission enough to proceed with the stem cell transplant.

I am just so thankful that she is more like her old self.  She is walking along much faster now and quite able to do for herself.  I think the only thing I have noticed that has changed about her appearance is her legs are getting thinner and her pants are getting saggy.  It doesn’t seem she is losing weight, just shifting where it goes.  So, while her tummy hasn't done any shrinking, her legs are getting to look a little twiggy.  I told her she reminded me of great grandma.  We had a good laugh about that one today.

Continued prayers for her continued good health and that dad will also gain some strength and take care of himself so he can continue to care for her.

Halfway there!

September 30, 2011

Well, another end to a chemo treatment with positive outlooks and blessed results.  Thankful for the blessing of no horrible side effects, mom continues to do well with the treatment as planned.  We are almost half way through the chemo treatments with next week being her week off and I think mom and dad are going to try to make a little color tour up north.

Her continued positive outlook amazes me and with some regained strength, she is no longer using the walker and gets around pretty good with a cane; just to make sure she is remaining steady.  Her left side still bothers her some, but she is able to get through each day with the minimal amount of pain killers. 

I think during her week off of chemo she gets a little depressed because, I believe, she misses the human interaction.  During her on weeks, she gets out and can at least interact with people which we all know….mom is a people person.

Thankful for all the continued prayers and thoughts.

Head in the sand

September 21, 2011

There are times in my life where I get a real pit in my stomach.  Sometimes I think it is too much coffee, but the older I get, I realize that it is probably stress and me being on overload.  Other times it is because I do not want to face certain truths.  I will tend to gloss over things that I am afraid of.  When mom says she is feeling depressed, I think to myself, “Nah…she is just having a bad day.”  I try to talk her into “not” feeling that way.  It is my belief that if I don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist.  The proverbial head in the sand stance has been my motto for a long time.  I don’t like to admit this, but guilty as charged.

So, I am trying to face these realities; that with the cancer and all the other things going on in my everyday life, mom could have some depression.  Another thing that I cannot fix but by listening and being there, I can make it better in some way.  She has increased her Prozac and I am hoping that will help her through this stage in her life.  Dr. Zakem said on Tuesday that her blood counts are good and that she is doing well with the treatment thus far.  She started her second round of chemo this week and has taken the flu shot to ward off any illness that can be prevented.  He also said that her immune system should be okay but to be cautious around those who are sick.

Tomorrow I will be to spend some quality time with my mom and try to be a better listener and not quench the pit in my stomach by dismissing her feelings.

Thank you for the prayers that have been helping her with any nausea and horrible side effects she could be experiencing.