Mom is here for the second day after her chemo session Monday. She's doing great. I expect no less from a Mom who's listening well ;)
She receives two drugs called Olympta and Sysplatin by mediport every 3 weeks. As some of you might remember, she received a fabulous PET scan a few weeks ago with all mets gone except for one area in the right lung (down to 1 cm with SUV (cell activity) in low single digits). So she's cooking on chemo again to blast the mets to smithereens. She likens chemo to a pac-man chomping on the bad cells. Crazy Mom.
The plan is to do another PET on her next Monday, then take the results and pound her 2 more times past the best PET result. Then she'll have a lowered dose of another kind of chemo that can be delivered in 30 minutes. That's a definite step up from the 6-7 hours she spends at chemo now due to required meds such as Lasix needing to be administered individually.
Mom's doing fabulous here. Her appetitie is up and she's actually requesting yummy foods - mac and cheese shells, strawberries, mayo and egg sandwich (yuck!) and welch fruit treats. Of course, don't forget the ever present Clementine oranges. I finally convinced her that using Miralax twice a day is much better than Sennecot with it's associated cramps. She drinks her water when I hand her the cup too! We've got a great program running here. She stays over at my house for a peaceful day right after chemo. This week, she's with me for a second day because Dad is downtown for the morning. Mom's house, with 3 dogs, my dad, 2 birds, 6 cats, and my uncle is not conducive to rest. AT ALL!
So since I know she's going to read this :) I need to give her some props. Mom is being an excellent patient and Jackie is loving her being here. Jack has behaved this morning, being quiet while Mom napped so she's being a helper girl.
The chicks rule right now :)
1 comment:
Hi there, wonderful daughter!
Yes, I read your most recent blog. Just got up from another nap -- never knew anyone could sleep so much. BTW, Marblel
(for those who don't know, Marble is our "upstairs cat." curled up in my arms as soon as I laid down.
Jackie was a little lamb today -- good as gold and quiet as a mouse!
Clyde couldn't have been more cuddly at your house!
That day and a half at your house was absolutely wonderful. You take such good care of me -- I can't than you enough. You are quite simply a wonderful daughter.
Even when you got home today from your rad blasting by the Jedis, you were pushing my pills on me.
I just wish that everyone undergoing cancer treatment had the kind of support system I have: Dad, you and Bill, Michelle and Joey (mainly by phone because they are so far away), Steffie, Jackie, our wonderful friends, more prayer groups than anyone can count, fantastic doctors, and Zoloft and Xanax!
And it's all working! All in all, I'm a very lucky person when you get right down to it.
If I can pass along anything to all your many blog readers, it i this: don't give up hope, even when things may seem the darkest. If you want to have a "pity party," go ahead, you're entitled ... just don't let it get the best of you. There's a lot of support out there to help hold you up when the going gets rough. Just hang in there and you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The best attitude you can have is what I told my Doctor: "I plan to live intil I'm 95 -- it's your job to get me there."
Thank you again, Sweetheart.
XO XO XO XO
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