Home, Week 16

Mom's white count wasn't high enough on Monday for her to get chemo, and then her hemoglobin wasn't high enough on Wednesday for her to get chemo, but chemo was able to happen today. Mom's a little tired, but happy. The new anti-nausea pills are still working, so that's a blessing.

I pick up the moving truck tomorrow to move my things into storage. Moving is soooo not fun. Luckily, I have wonderful friends in Florida that will be helping me move things into the RV and the moving truck.

Brooke and Joel packed up her things, as well as the things they got from his family members up here, and will be heading out early tomorrow morning to get to San Diego.

Mom is going to her niece's wedding tomorrow (congratulations Shelly!), so she's looking forward to that. She's on her break now from chemo, so time will tell if she just needs the one week off, or if her body needs more time to recover. Round two down. God bless.

Home, Week 14.5, Chemo Round 2

So since chemo was bumped from last Friday to today, I bumped the blog (temporarily) to Mondays. We should be back to Fridays in a few weeks. Mom had hydration and chemo today, and lab results. Her CA-125 is down to 1330! She is also trying a new anti-nausea pill that's working great to help her deal with the chemo drugs. So things are looking up. She said that her count going down so much (340 points after one treatment) made all the hydration and shots worth going through. We're all very hopeful.

John and I started out on the road today. It'll probably be a six day trip to FL since I'm the only one driving, but we'll be back before the end of the month. I'll keep the blog going though, by talking to Mom while we're gone. Until next week, God bless. =)

Home, Week 13

Mom has had hydration every day this week too, as well as shots to increase her white count, red count, infusions of platelets, and infusions of blood. She's getting stronger now, feeling back to her somewhat normal self, but she's definitely not strong enough for chemo. She may be strong enough this next week, but as that's July 4th, if she does get chemo, it would be the following Monday.

I (well, John and I) head out for Florida for about two weeks on the 7th. It will be a whirlwind packup and move, as his doctor doesn't want him gone for too long, in case something happens. Thank goodness I have great friends out there that are willing to help me move DOWN three flights of stairs (the same friends that helped me move UP those same three flights last year), so John can just kick back and "supervise". =)

Brooke is planning her move for the weekend of the 19th, so if John and I are able to do the traveling and the move in two weeks, we'll be crossing paths like ships in the night. The good news is, if we do take a little bit longer, Mom's sister-in-law will be here to hang out and make sure she's taken care of.

That's about it for now, there's still more shots and hydrations planned for this weekend and next week, so we'll just see how long things have to go. Keep Mom in your prayers, she needs all the strength she can get to fight this cancer. God bless.

Home, Week 12

Mom has had to get hydration every day this week, plus shots to get her white counts up, something to get her red count up, and platelets as well... it really was too early for her to start chemo, but the cancer wasn't going to wait for her to get strong enough to really fight it, so the treatment is kicking her butt. She's still in good spirits, just sleeping a lot.

I got my first CA-125 screening done, and the results came back. I'm at a 9, so I'm Mom's goal. =)

John and I moved into the house today, and put the RV in storage for a few weeks. We'll still be able to go to FL to pack up my apartment, but it'll be an even shorter trip now, just two to three weeks, and the doctor wants him back closer to the two week mark. A learning lesson for you, don't run in flip flops, ankles get shattered that way.

We have to get the house put back together from the tenting we had done... our neighbors were nice enough to house our food and plants for the week. It will be a good opportunity to go through the things we do have and see what needs to go.

Relay for Life is tomorrow. We're signed up in Dublin, and I'm just picturing the three of us (and John's dog) getting in there... Mom in her wheelchair, me pushing her, John in his wheelchair, pushing himself, and Dudley (John's dog) leading the pack. Makes me laugh just thinking about it. =)

I think that covers things for now. Mom has shots both days this weekend to work on her white count, and hydration on Monday, so we'll see how things are from there. Wish us luck, and keep us in your prayers. =)

What Are You Worth? Quote

I just saw The Bucket List. Great movie. In the opening of the movie, Morgan Freeman is narrating, and talking about how people measure the sum of their life's value. A great line, and one I feel really applies to Mom, is that you measure the sum of your life's worth by the people that measure themselves by you. If that's the case, then Mom's life is beyond measure.

Home, Week 11

Mom had chemo today, just the one drug that shouldn't make her nauseous. She hasn't been feeling too good this week, and she's dehydrated, so she'll be going for hydration for the next five days, as of now. Once the house is settled back down from being tented, we can get started on the things the nutritionist recommended, and that should hopefully keep her from getting dehydrated.

John (my boyfriend that came out here with me), shattered three bones in his ankle today while running in flip flops after his dog. He gets to have surgery next Thursday so pins and plates can be installed, and I've convinced him (wasn't too hard) that it would be easier to have him stay at the house with Mom and I while he's recovering. We'll be burning the flip flops in effigy, and I'll be doing any and all driving for him (it was his right ankle) until he's recovered.

Everything happens for a reason, and I keep praying for serenity and strength for me, and for relief for Mom. Time for me to go take care of my other patient now (just call me Nurse Liv *smiles*), so until next week, or the next drama, God bless.

Home, Week 10.?

I'm not sure how the pattern of nausea will go with this chemo, it's a little too early to tell. Mom would have been fine on Friday if we had been on the anti-nausea meds right away, and she was fine yesterday. We had some family visitors, so there was some excitement going on, and she was a little slow to start today, and has been blah and a little nauseous (not throwing up) today. So the pattern may be two days after chemo, she feels icky. If that's the case, then we'll adjust the chemo schedule accordingly.

We're getting the house tented (counts the days) next Monday for termites. It'll be easier to get this over and done with now, that way Mom can move on to the rest of her plans with the house. We'll all be required to stay out of the house for 2.5 days, but Mom will be staying out of the house for 4.5 days, just as a precaution. The gas they're using won't leave a residue or linger at all, we just need to either move out or properly seal up any food or things that go in our mouths (toothbrushes), as well as the house plants. Things are already set up for all of this to take place, and we all have places for us and the food/plants to go while we're out of the house, but I figured this would save Mom from telling everyone she talks to about the house. =)

My friend John has been a HUGE help through all of this. He's helping Brooke and Mom get Brooke packed up and organized so she can make her move, he's been taking care of things around the house that need to be done, and he's been a huge support system for me since we've been out here (middle of December, can you believe it?), and now for Mom. He gives great hugs. :D

Keep Mom in your prayers, the strength of all your prayers has been a total blessing, and she's felt the love and received strength from them, so thank you, and God bless you.