Calling the little white army!

 

“There are women who make things better... simply by showing up. There are women who make things happen. There are women who make their way. There are women who make a difference. And women who make us smile. There are women of wit and wisdom who- through strength and courage- make it through. There are women who change the world everyday... Women like you.” - Ashley Rice

 
Mom went to the hospital for chemo today, but she was refused her cocktail! It turns out that Mom's white blood cell count was too low and the chemo would make the situation worse. She also discovered that her iron is very low again and she needs another blood transfusion. She went back to the hospital this afternoon to get the new blood, but there was some sort of issue with antibodies, meaning that new blood had to be ordered in for her. She will be getting two bags of blood tranfused tomorrow (Thursday), which means another 6 hours of hospital time. Thank goodness Nana is going to keep her company!

Mom said her trip back to the hospital this afternoon was far from wasted, though, as she arrived at the same time as a special delivery. The Cancer Society does its daffodil drive this week, and my wonderful coworkers all pitched in to buy 30 bunches of daffodils that were delivered to the Selkirk Hospital chemo ward on behalf of Mom. What a wonderful coincidence that she was there to see them delivered! Pictures were taken and will be posted as soon as they arrive in my inbox.

Another special delivery arrived for Mom - some pictures of one of her dearest friends, Piper Alexander. Piper was always there for Mom. Before she built her beautiful home, she would go down and stay at the family cabin on the weekend, often by herself. When she arrived, Piper would come racing to help her unload the car, and he would help her carry in wood ... literally. When Mom dropped a piece of wood, Piper was right behind her to pick it up and follow her in the house with it. Often, Piper would stay for sleepovers and was a warm, snoring bundle of joy to keep Mom company. When Mom wasn't at the cabin, Piper made it his mission to watch over the place, leaving giant footsteps in the snow and "spraying" the edges of the property. Who is this wonderful, magical Piper? A wondeful dog. A true and loyal friend. His Mom sent some pictures of Piper, as he is now too old to come for many visits, but she thought seeing the photos might remind Mom how much Piper loves her, so thank you Cindy! Thank you so much! And, Piper, you are an angel.

Still as handsome as ever! Mom's friends come in all shapes and sizes (and species)!

Oh, the self-restraint! Don't you just want to smooch that nose?

We will keep you posted with Mom's progress. She is more tired than usual at the moment, but is hoping the transfusion will help with that. She told me she plans to be dancing by the weekend! Wouldn't that be a great photo?

Much love to you all.

I'm watching you, Wazowski

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Mom has started Cycle 4 of chemotherapy, and she, as always, is in good spirits. However, her energy is really low again and her eyes are quite swollen. The low energy is due to her low iron count, so we may be looking at another blood transfusion. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The chemo is killing cells, so it is doing what it is supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, it is killing a lot of healthy cells, too, which is what the blood transfusion will replace. I know I have been donating as much blood as they'll take from me! We figure between me and Bri and our friends, we're close to replacing what Mom is using. It's the least we can do. (For those of you who haven't donated blood before, perhaps I can convince you by telling you that you get to have sweets after and the calories don't count! Chocolate donut, here I come).

The swollen eyes is a reaction to the chemo, and Mom is now on new drops, which seem to be working in bringing the swelling down. With her amazing sense of humour, Mom says her swollen eyes make her look like Roz from Monsters, Inc. We beg to differ! (Although Mom does an amazing impression).

 

A steady stream of visitors has kept Mom company the last little while. Lisa and Judy brought the two little miracle munchkins out to see Mom. She was beside herself when she got to hold the two little boys. She fell in love instantly. They look like they didn't mind her so much, either.

 

We won't even to try to guess who is who! But there is one proud Great Auntie Laurie in the middle

Mom's dear friend Jane came out for a visit and was dragged into the St. Patrick's Day spirit.

 

 

Sean made a delicious meal for Jane's visit. He has now figured out the trick to the salty taste Mom has been experiencing, and he has made it a personal challenge to make her a wide variety of meals that allow her to enjoy her food and not feel like she's licking a block of salt.

 

At the end of Jane's visit Auntie Dee came to stay, and her and Mom have been keeping busy. First order of business was to honour the Malone Irish roots and celebrate St. Patrick's Day (thanks for the hats, Niki). They even got me involved!

 

It seems that the Prairies decided to welcome Auntie Dee home (as she now lives in Toronto) by dumping an obscene amount of snow on us! But Auntie Dee has not forgotten her Prairie-girl roots, and she trudged her way through the snow to check the septic tank.





Hmmm ... how's it look down there?

Eek! We better call Big Mike!















Mom has also been getting some exercise, as her and Nana have been walking down to feed Bri-Anne's cats - Cole and Noodle - for the past week. Even walking a few doors down is a challenge, but Mom is not letting it get the best of her. While the first couple of days were a struggle, she kept going, and now she is finding it easier to walk there and back (except after the huge dump of snow!).

 

The breathlessness is still present, and it is something that slows Mom down, but it doesn't slow her down much! She is spending lots of time with friends and family, helping me plan my wedding (she has such fantastic ideas!), kicking multiple butts at Words With Friends, babysitting her grandcats, and focusing on getting well.

 

The comments left on the blog and the emails you all send to Mom are such a source of strength for her. Thank you so much for reaching out and letting her know how much she means to all of you. So often, we don't take the time to tell someone how important they are or how they have impacted our lives. But many of you are taking the time to do that for Mom, and it means the world to her. It really makes a difference. When she has a down day, she can go back and read the many warm thoughts that are sent her way.

 

Some tests are coming up that should give us an idea of where the situation lies now, and we are all hoping for some good news. Please keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers, as you are in hers.