A theatrical interlude ... and then back to business

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you” - Walt Whitman

Mom has been out and about. The theatre bug in her couldn't resist going to the comedy Girls Only at MTC Warehouse Theatre. She went with her friends and sat in the front row. They laughed as the actors talked about childhood, aging and, well, just being a girl.


Sally, Niki, Mom and Darlene at Girls Only. What a great show! What great friends! And did you notice the sylin' hair?

As the women on stage made crafts out of surplus sanitary supplies and then performed the "pantyhose ballet" (my personal favourite), Mom was laughing so hard she was crying. It was a night out that let her forget, for a moment, that she has not been feeling so great.

Another night out was my wedding social. Mom looked like a million bucks and had a great time catching up with everyone.

Jane, Grandma Ruthie, Peggy, Mugga, Darlene and Lynda catch up with the Mother of the Bride

While Mom has been enjoying her time out, she has been struggling a lot with her lack of energy. Just recently, she has started to battle increasing nausea. When she finished the last round of radiation on her chest (10 treatments), she found her appetite increasing as well as her energy levels. Then, about a week later, everything seemed to bottom out. While her appetite is still there, it is hard for her to eat because of the nausea. She is finding her energy levels at an all-time low.

She went for blood work a week ago, and we were half expecting that she would need another blood transfusion, but unfortunately, the blood work showed something a little more concerning. The enzyme levels showing in Mom's liver are concerning the doctor, along with the couple of small spots that were noted on the last scan she had. The doctor has ordered another scan to get more information about what is going on. However, he thinks that Mom's lack of energy could very well be related to what is happening with her liver.

The doctor did say that it is not uncommon for these levels to be elevated as a reaction to chemo, so that could very well be the case here, but with the spots present also, the doctor has decided we need more information sooner rather than later. That scan will happen next week. Then the following week, Mom is scheduled for chest x-rays and a follow-up with the radiation oncologist to see how well the last round of radiation worked. The doctors are also encouraging Mom to keep eating, as she is losing quite a bit of weight.

It has been a bit emotional the last couple of days, as Mom had been doing so well and then this news. She feels a bit deflated, but she is also anxious to find out what, exactly, is happening so the course of treatment can be decided. She also wants to find a way to battle the nausea and fatigue.

As the quote above says, Mom is keeping her face to the sunshine. She always sees the bright side, even when she is struggling. She knows her body is fighting hard to heal, and she also knows there will be some bumpy spots along this road. This is one hell of a bump.

We will keep you posted when we have some results. In the meantime, please keep Mom close to your hearts and in your prayers.

Hugs.