So, apparently I've been on a bit of a hiatus, but I'm back (and I'm rad, giving you something that you've never had)... I know some of you got that whether you want to admit or not.
I've got some fantastic new post coming in the near future ( their gonna make you jump, jump...) sorry, I had to. Make sure you check back often!
*Update*
Mom had her second chemo yesterday. She's exhausted, as you could probably imagine, but she's doing well. I was able to take the baby over to see her the other day. It was so great to see them together. E wasn't quite sure about the no hair at first, but then apparently decided that anyone who has the same 'do as her, can't be too bad. Ugh, I'm gonna be taping bows to E's head forever it seems.
Sorry for the crazy Kris Kross references tonight. Hopefully all my early 90s people will appreciate it.
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Sunday, December 27, 2015
That crazy holiday feeling
What a crazy couple weeks we've had in our house! I'm pretty sure we didn't stop going for 2 weeks straight! We've passed around the head cold and stomach bug, and now it seems to be making round 2. E has now fussed for 2 days straight and A has been wound so tight from candy and the Christmas high, it's a good thing she has a week more off of school to recover!
Over a couple days, we somehow manage to have 6 different Christmas events, one of which was at my house for the first time this year. We usually have it at my mom's house, but she's been so sore, there was no way she could do all the cooking and cleaning to get ready. So, I got my first chance to host. I suppose it went ok, since everyone ate the ham I made (first time cooking it) and noone has called telling me they got food poisoning! Only a couple little mishaps I could do without next year...
I was unloading the clean dishes from the dishwasher so I could put the dinner dishs in there and while putting the silverware away I noticed one didn't get all clean so I put it in the sink. As I brought my hand back, I cough my finger on a knife I had washed earlier and left in the dish drainer. Leave it to me to find a way to get hurt putting dishes away. Needless to say, I was off dish duty for the rest of the night. Ironically, the next morning I opened a beautiful set of wolf gang puck knives. My family wouldn't let me open them just yet!
Tomorrow starts the next chapter of my mom's journey. Her and my dad will be leaving their house around 7am to head to Roswell for my mom's first round of chemo. She is actually looking forward to it. The doctor has said that it should help her feel better. Her arm is so swollen from the clot and the fact that the lymph nodes aren't working properly. Hopefully the doc is right. She'd be doing so much better if her arm wasn't weighing her down. She jokes all the time saying she needs her own TLC show "Life with my 600 lb arm". Anyone out there want to set that up for us? We're a fun bunch, I swear!
Back to work tomorrow! It will be a nice break from the crazy!
Back to work tomorrow! It will be a nice break from the crazy!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Diagnosis and Prognosis
Monday was the day... the day we were waiting for and not waiting for at the same time. The day we knew could change our world forever. The day the world turned upside down.
It's just a number. A simple number, but that one number has a way of changing everything. The four words that accompany that number feel like they come straight from the Devil's mouth itself. Merely a sentence to most... until it is your reality. Four words and a number you are never truly prepared to hear.
"It's stage 4 breast cancer"
This became our new reality Monday.
I went to work like normal, knowing that mom had her appointment at Roswell that afternoon. I wasn't as nervous as I had been the last time she went up, I expected she would just get her chemo schedule and be on her way. Boy was I wrong. I called her when I got out of work since I hadn't heard from her, thinking maybe they got tied up or stopped to grab a bite to eat. There was no answer, so I just went about my routine of picking everyone up. I picked up baby E from the sitter and then grabbed DH from work. I then stopped to get A at school and missed my mom's call. Since I was driving I waited the whopping three minuets it takes me to get home and called her as I was walking in the door. She said they were still in Buffalo and had just left Roswell. I asked how it went and got the response... "not good...". A long pause followed that, at which point I prompted with "and..."... and that's when I heard the dreaded sentence:
"It's stage 4 breast cancer"
If I didn't know any better, I would have thought my heart dropped right out of my body at that minute in time. I immediately started having a panic attack but tried as hard as possible to keep it together and get all the facts I could.
The doctor informed her that she would be getting a port to receive her chemo treatments through now and that they would schedule that for as soon as possible. While this is not the diagnosis we wanted to hear at all, but the prognosis isn't as awful as you first think it is. She wasn't given only months to live or anything. The doctor stressed that she had years. While there is no cure for this, it's all about managing it. There is no cure for diabetes, but people live long, full lives with that disease. I am sure we will have mom here for a long time. It's probably more likely that she'll go out from old age or will wear out her welcome, (if you will) before this takes her from us.
I've cycled through a gazillion different emotions in the course of four days and am so beyond greatfull for the support my frinds and family offer. I have no idea where we would be without a great support system.
To my mom's close friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there to support her. We're at the very beginning of a very long road, and will need all the support available. Continue to pray or send happy thoughts and know that while it's not always easy to express it, she is so thankful for the love and support. A few kind words in a message or card have a way of making someone's day a little brighter.
It's just a number. A simple number, but that one number has a way of changing everything. The four words that accompany that number feel like they come straight from the Devil's mouth itself. Merely a sentence to most... until it is your reality. Four words and a number you are never truly prepared to hear.
"It's stage 4 breast cancer"
This became our new reality Monday.
I went to work like normal, knowing that mom had her appointment at Roswell that afternoon. I wasn't as nervous as I had been the last time she went up, I expected she would just get her chemo schedule and be on her way. Boy was I wrong. I called her when I got out of work since I hadn't heard from her, thinking maybe they got tied up or stopped to grab a bite to eat. There was no answer, so I just went about my routine of picking everyone up. I picked up baby E from the sitter and then grabbed DH from work. I then stopped to get A at school and missed my mom's call. Since I was driving I waited the whopping three minuets it takes me to get home and called her as I was walking in the door. She said they were still in Buffalo and had just left Roswell. I asked how it went and got the response... "not good...". A long pause followed that, at which point I prompted with "and..."... and that's when I heard the dreaded sentence:
"It's stage 4 breast cancer"
If I didn't know any better, I would have thought my heart dropped right out of my body at that minute in time. I immediately started having a panic attack but tried as hard as possible to keep it together and get all the facts I could.
The doctor informed her that she would be getting a port to receive her chemo treatments through now and that they would schedule that for as soon as possible. While this is not the diagnosis we wanted to hear at all, but the prognosis isn't as awful as you first think it is. She wasn't given only months to live or anything. The doctor stressed that she had years. While there is no cure for this, it's all about managing it. There is no cure for diabetes, but people live long, full lives with that disease. I am sure we will have mom here for a long time. It's probably more likely that she'll go out from old age or will wear out her welcome, (if you will) before this takes her from us.
I've cycled through a gazillion different emotions in the course of four days and am so beyond greatfull for the support my frinds and family offer. I have no idea where we would be without a great support system.
To my mom's close friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there to support her. We're at the very beginning of a very long road, and will need all the support available. Continue to pray or send happy thoughts and know that while it's not always easy to express it, she is so thankful for the love and support. A few kind words in a message or card have a way of making someone's day a little brighter.
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