Who are you calling a success story?!

"Your body hears everything your mind says" - Naomi Judd

It has been a very anxious few days as we waited to hear the results of Mom's latest scans. With her feeling so weak lately, there was some concern that maybe the news would not be what we so desperately wanted to hear.

As we sat in the hospital room waiting for the doctor, we talked and tried to pretend everything was normal ... but it wasn't. Our lives haven't been normal in quite some time. When the doctor joined us, he started off by apologizing for running a bit behind schedule, saying that there had been some catastrophes he had to deal with. Mom's eyes got really big, and she said, "I hope I'm not one of them!" He smiled at her and said, "No! You are one of our success stories!"

Mom, Bri, and I all let out a collective breath we didn't realize we had been holding. He began to give us the results of the scan: everything was looking good. Some spots in the brain remain, but they are quite small, and there are no new ones. The neck looks clear. The spots in the lungs have gotten smaller. All of this was great news. However, a shadow on Mom's liver showed up on the scans. The doctor was not overly concerned, saying it could be a number of things and that another test will be needed for follow-up. When we inquired further about it, he tried to alleviate our worry and said we really won't know anything further until after the test. He also pointed out that Mom previously had spots on her adrenal gland (that we knew nothing about) that have since disappeared. The body is a marvelous thing!

While this news set us back for a minute, we realized after the meeting that the doctor's focus was on the lungs and on arranging the next step of treatment. We're taking this as a good thing.

Radiation is the most likely next step. Mom has responded really well to chemo, and it seems that the cancer has shrunk to a size that it can be targeted with radiation. However, we won't know the exact plan until our next meeting at the beginning of June.

Mom had more blood taken to see if she needed another transfusion, but her levels were good, so it seems the tiredness is still the effects of the chemo. We're hoping that will subside in the weeks to come.

As an aside, I feel like I have given you the facts in the paragraphs above, but I'd like to take a moment to try and explain to you what the feelings are like. I bet some of you reading this are thinking, "What do you mean you're not worried about a spot on the liver?" I get it. I would have thought that myself a few months ago. Here's the thing. We have to live for small victories right now. When we first got the diagnosis, the doctors were not very positive. Mom has fought like an alley cat and has surprised these experts. The lump in her neck disappeared. Her spots are shrinking. When the doctor says a shadow on a scan could be any number of things that are not cancer-related, we hang on to that. We have to. Mom's victories together have been monumental, but we can't think big picture right now. We think moment-to-moment because that is what is manageable.

The doctor said Mom is a success story. That is what counts. That is what will get us through the next stage of Mom's journey to wellness. She is a success story. She is a warrior. She is tough as nails. I know a lot of you had Mom in your thoughts the last few days and were sending positive energy her way. It was felt! All of us really appreciated the support. We took you all with us into that meeting. Thank you!

Hugs

So long, chemo!

 

“Hope is the thing with feathers – that perches in the soul – And sings the tunes without the words – And never stops at all” – Emily Dickinson

Mom is done chemo! Well, for now anyway. There was a slight hiccup when she went in for her final round. Her levels were slightly low, so she needed another blood transfusion to top her up. Chemo was put on hold for a week while Mom's levels improved after the transfusion. She successfully finished her last prescribed round.

Chemo was a trial. It really tired Mom out. The salt taste stayed with her throughout her chemo, which made her appetite suffer. Also, the swelling she experienced around her eyes remained, but it did start to disappear near the end of treatment.

I think what is really starting to get to Mom is the fact that she always needs to be doing something with the cancer - either going to treatment, or fighting her chemo-taste buds, or dealing with extreme exhaustion. The illness does become all-consuming, as everything she does is affected by it.

There are a couple things Mom is doing to try and focus on something other than cancer. Now that it is nice out, she is able to putter around her yard. She gathered some wood in her yard. A couple wheelbarrows full took her more than two hours, but she did it! She was so proud of herself. As well, she is able to wander down to the water, which she is now doing frequently because she spotted a crows nest high atop one of her many trees. Unfortunately, the crows are scaring away many of Mom's tiny woodland creatures (Chippy has not yet made an appearance, the Purple Martins have moved out of the condo, and the Bunny family has moved house). However, a pair of woodland ducks has toughed it out, and Mom has been able to get some wonderful photos of her feathered friends.

Bri and I are kept up-to-date on all the happenings with the woodland creatures (on an hour-by-hour basis), and with her new obsession, we have decided that Mom is starting to resemble Snow White!

Another thing that is keeping Mom's mind off the Big C is her amazing friends - human and animal alike. She had a special visit from a large group of girls, all of whom she went to high school with! She so enjoyed the visit.

It's not 1973 anymore!

 Mom had another visit from a very special friend from way back. Cathy Kelly came out to spend the afternoon. Many laughs were had. Mom makes the very best of friends. She is incredibly lucky.

Mom and Cathy Kelly catching up

There was one visit, though, that had Mom in tears. Uncle Randy (Herner) wanted to surprise Mom and pick up her beloved Piper (the lab with a heart of gold mentioned in previous blog post) and bring him for a visit. Mom and Piper had not seen each other in about 6 years. Before Piper moved away, however, they spent every weekend together. The lovely and wonderful Alexanders (Cindy and Gary) let Uncle Randy pick up Piper. I was at Mom's to catch the visit on camera. Mom was thrilled when she saw Uncle Randy pull up. She was quite looking forward to a visit. When Uncle Randy opened the door and Piper - old, gray, and a little bit deaf - ran through the door and rested his body right against Mom's legs, she burst out sobbing.

     

An old friend come for a visit! Piper has bad hips, is going quite grey and has trouble hearing, but he knew Mom, and he was beside himself when she started petting him. Piper is a special soul. His visit, arranged by Uncle Randy and the Alexanders, had Mom smiling for days. It was hard to get a good picture because they were both so happy to see each other that they couldn't stay still!

For those of you who know Mom well, she is not much of a crier. But tears were streaming down her face as she bent over to pet her trusted old friend. Piper's tail was wagging so hard it nearly knocked both of them over. After a quick detour to eat the cat food, Piper was by Mom's side, resting his head in her lap. He gave me some loving, too, but he only had eyes for Mom.

Uncle Randy's kindness in picking up Piper for a visit and the Alexanders awareness that Piper, although their dog, has touched so many lives is amazing. Thank you so very much to all of them for their thoughtfulness and caring. Hugs to you!

Mom's visits have rejuvenated her, and she'll need it. She goes in for her CT scan this week. The doctors are scanning her head, neck, chest, and abdomen. We will get the results next week during a meeting with the doctors. At that time, the doctors will advise as to the next course of treatment, and Mom will continue on this journey to wellness. We all hope that the doctors will once again be surprised and pleased with Mom's progress.

We will keep you posted, and I do promise that the entries will not be so far apart from now on. Many of you have shared that you appreciate being kept up-to-date on these pages, so we will make sure there is news here for you to read.

Please keep Mom in your hearts and in your prayers as she undergoes this next round of testing. Your support has helped Mom work miracles already, so let's keep it going!