This is all a little transfusing

 

“Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.” - Napolean Bonaparte

It has been a week of ups and downs. Mom is still achingly, overwhelmingly tired. Some days it is very hard for her to even get out of bed. The doctors determined when she went in for chemo on Wednesday that her iron levels were too low. They decided against an injection because they needed the iron levels to replenish quickly - the shot wouldn't cut it. They booked Mom in for a blood transfusion this morning (Thursday). To be clear - this is not anemia. Mom's iron is low because the chemo is killing good and bad cells. Two bags of blood were transfused over five hours. Mom says she plans on being quite "frisky" (her word, not mine) by Saturday.

Between chemo and the blood transfusion, Mom has spent the last couple days cooped up in the hospital (with her little trooper Bri for company), so she is quite looking forward to wearing pajama pants and curling up in front of her fireplace all day tomorrow. The swelling in her eyes has gone down quite a bit and she can now read, although the gel mask she has been wearing on her eyes makes her look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! (I was not permitted to take any pictures).

The swelling was concerning the doctors, so Mom went in for a CT scan. These days, we seem to prepare for the worst when it comes to getting test results, so we were not prepared for what we were told when the CT scan came back. Are you ready for this?! Not only are there no problems with Mom's eyes (the swelling is due to the drugs, and like I said, it has already started to subside with no intervention), but the spots that were on her brain have "markedly improved" and no new lesions have formed. Basically, the treatment is making a difference. The cancer in Mom's brain is getting smaller. It's a small victory, but it feels enormous! I am so proud of my Mom. She said she was going to beat this thing, and she is giving it everything she has.

It has been a little trying for Mom in that with the weather starting to warm up a bit, she is still cooped up in the house because she is just too tired to do much of anything. However, a couple good things have happened. 1) Duck Dynasty season premiered (I don't know that I have ever heard her giggle like that! Uncle Cy is a saint in my book for making my Mom so happy). 2) Mom's girlfriends have been sending cards, flowers and coming to visit. The wonderful Cec came from Texas to stay for a few days, and she kept Mom busy (with a much-enjoyed trip to Gimli, for example) while at the same time making sure she had everything she needed. Colleen, Sally, Dar and Niki make Mom's day when they come out for brunches, lunches and martinis. 3) Jason and Danielle visited Mom and made her a gourmet meal of (are you ready for this?) mini beef wellingtons, tomato watermelon salad with feta, herb and garlic rice, roasted butternut squash, vanilla butter poached asparagus with pan fried pickerel with a grapefruit berre blaunc, chocolate mousse with strawberries and balsamic vinegar. Woo! Mom hasn't been eating a lot because the chemo drugs make everything taste salty. Jason and Danielle did their research and prepared foods that counteracted the salty taste. Mom really enjoyed it and ate more than she has in a long time. Mom is very lucky to have two amazing chefs in the family. Scott and Jason are helping us find foods that Mom can enjoy eating.

Another thing that has been keeping Mom somewhat occupied is helping me prepare for my wedding! That's right, folks. You can all close your mouths now. Sean and I got engaged last month. Mom knew about the whole thing and didn't breathe a word. Sean asked her for her blessing, and now we are planning an intimate fall wedding at her place on the lake.

So, with everything that has been going on with Mom's journey to wellness, it has been a little confusing (or "transfusing," if you will). One minute we're getting good news about CT scans, the next we're hearing that the injection won't work and a transfusion is necessary, but what we have to remind ourselves is that this is working like it is supposed to. Mom is fighting everyday to get well. And that would make anyone tired.

 

Good news and birthday candles

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’” - Mary Anne Radmacher

It has been a busy few weeks for Mom. Chemo treatments have fallen into a steady routine. As routine as chemo can be, anyway. Mom loves the nurses in the Selkirk chemo ward - they are friendly, helpful and compassionate. Besides chemo, Mom has had visits from friends and her Aunt Bea was in from Vancouver visiting for a few days. Many games of Scrabble were had!

Mom also had a surgery in early February. She got a port put in her chest to speed up the process of getting blood drawn and chemo drugs put in. When she was explaining it to a couple friends, she laughed and said, "Now they can just plug me in." She recovered well from the surgery and now chemo days go much faster.

The chemo doctors requested a meeting with Mom to touch base about her treatment, so she went to the Selkirk Hospital where she was able to link up for a video conference with her doctors in Winnipeg. It really is a great way to keep everyone connected without Mom having to travel far to do so. Her chemo doctor was very interested in how she was finding her reactions to the chemo drugs after two full cycles. Other than being extremely tired and food tasting terrible, she has been experiencing very little side effects. The doctor said, "The chemo seems to be working and you seem to be doing very well." The three of us went silent and then all broke out in smiles.

Cancer doctors are very good at what they do, but they are also very hesitant about offering too much hope. Any news is always couched in terms of "but we have to see" or "while that looks good, we'll need to check so-and-so to be sure" or "it could mean nothing." There was no qualifier here. He simply said, it "seems to be working." Now, we know that is far from meaning she is in the clear, but it is the first real good news we have received, and we grabbed on to it and enjoyed it! Mom is responding to the chemo, and that is good news. Her lump on her neck has pretty much disappeared and her breathlessness is improving.

While the chemo has been kicking ass and taking names, it has also wreaked havoc on Mom's body. Her iron levels are extremely low, to the point that the doctor is a bit concerned. This means she will most likely have to get an injection and, if that doesn't work, a blood transfusion. We asked if there was anything we could do to help bring up her iron levels (Sean bbq's a mean steak), but the doctor explained it like this: "You can have all the raw materials in the world, but it doesn't matter if the factory is closed." So, Mom is not producing the iron like she should; her body needs a little help. I'm hoping it doesn't get to the point of needing a blood transfusion, but I have myself booked in for an appointment to give blood, just in case! We can all do our part - Canadian Blood Services always needs more donations.

The third cycle of chemo starts in a few days, and Mom's blood is always checked before the chemo is administered, so we should know then what her iron levels look like. In the meantime, she is resting and trying not to get too frustrated with sitting still. She has been fairly entertained in the last little while. Bri-Anne's birthday is coming up quickly, and as is Bri-Anne's tradition, her birthday celebration is a week-long event known as Briannapalooza. It started this weekend with a get-together at Mom's house, with Bri's favourite dinner (spaghetti), presents and cake. It was a blast. Mom was laughing so hard she was crying. Here are a couple of pictures:

Smooch!

Who's the photo bomber in the back?!

Can't have Briannapalooza without a Bri-Anne!

It was great to have a recharge before Mom starts the next cycle of chemo. Cancer is powerful. It can do a lot of things, but since Mom is so positive about everything and refuses to let cancer control her life, I thought it would be appropriate to share a list we came across of things cancer CANNOT do.

• it cannot cripple love
• it cannot shatter hope
• it cannot corrode faith
• it cannot destroy peace
• it cannot kill friendships
• it cannot suppress memories
• it cannot silence courage
• it cannot invade the soul
• it cannot steal eternal life
• it cannot conquer the spirit

As a parting thought, giving blood can save a life and help sustain those in need of healthy blood to continue to fight diseases such as cancer. If you are interested in donating blood, you can call 1-888-2-DONATE or visit www.blood.ca.