After The Second Treatment

I went and visited my mom last night and she was doing really well. She was at the hospital from 11:30 AM to about 6 PM yesterday. Mom received a bunch of fluid which really makes her feel better. After she received fluid they gave her the two chemo drugs. As of now, she hasn't really had many symptoms which is great. Hopefully that continues.

Mom will get a break this next Monday. She will always get the third week off on a four week cycle. Mom may go in Monday to receive some fluid if she is not feeling well and not drinking enough. The doctors also gave her a prescription for Lortab to help with her back pain.

We are very happy that mom has been feeling as good as she has. Thanks so much for all your love and support. The next post will probably be from mom, so stay tuned...

The Day Before the Next Treatment

Sorry I didn't post an update this week. Mom had a fairly good week when factoring in that we were expecting much worse. She has felt tired, a little sick to her stomach, pain in her back, and no energy. Overall, it was a real positive week.

We are hoping that the Chemo isn't cumulative and the symptoms aren't much worse this next week. Mom will be going in to get her second treatment around 11 tommorrow and we are hoping that mom will have as good of a week as this last one.

I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow and I'll have mom write a little something this next week letting you all know how she is feeling.

First Day of Chemotherapy

Today, October 18th, mom had her first dosage of chemotherapy. She was very nervous going in because she didn't know how her body would respond. The chemo took about four hours to administer and everything went surprisingly well. Mom is feeling just fine and seems to still have a lot of energy. The doctor told her to not expect to feel this well for long. Mom should start feeling a little more tired and nauseous in the next few days as her cells start to die. We are just hoping that it won't effect her too much.

Next Monday she will get another dosage of chemotherapy. I will let you know how she is feeling in a few days. Hopefully I'll have some good news. Until then...

October 15th 2010

Yesterday, October 15th, mom had a portacath (port) placed in the left side of her chest. This power port is where they will insert the chemotherapy. The port allows for intravenous access and the medication will be distributed through the blood vessels and circulate through her body. The procedure went really well. After the procedure, mom was feeling tired and a little sore, but today she is feeling much better.

We are all hoping that mom will be feeling strong with a lot of energy before she starts chemotherapy Monday morning. Please pray for mom that her body will react well to the chemo and that everything will run smoothly.

October 12th 2010

On Tuesday, October 12, Mom and Dad met with Dr. Litton at the Cancer Center. Dr. Litton is a partner of Dr. Nibley, the medical oncologist we met with previously. This was their first meeting with the doctors since additional biopsies were taken. Dr. Litton confirmed that Mom does have cancer and that they will proceed with the chemotherapy treatments that had already been explained to us.

Mom and Dad will go to a informational class on chemotherapy on Wednesday, October 13. As we explained in earlier posts, Mom will receive the chemotherapy drugs by IV. To avoid the necessity of inserting a needle each time she has treatment, she will have a port put into her chest on Friday, October 15 where they will inject the drugs. Mom will then have her first chemotherapy treatment on Monday, October 18.

As we explained previously, one drug will take about two hours to infuse, the other drug will take about one hour. The doctor explained that Mom likely will not lose her hair, but may be nauseous. This course of chemotherapy is not as debilitating as other courses of chemotherapy.

The treatments will be once a week for two weeks and then she will have one week off. After three cycles of treatment (nine weeks), additional tests will be run to determine how the cancer is reacting to the chemotherapy.

Mom is still upbeat. I do not think anyone would be excited for chemotherapy, but it will be good to start actively fighting against the cancer.
Thanks again for all your cards, gestures of love, and prayers in this time of need! Mom is truely grateful and loves you all!

The Past Few Weeks

Sorry it has been such a long time without an update. I'll try to post something at least a couple times a week.

Mom is doing well. She has been keeping her days busy with Birthdays, spending time with the grandkids, going on drives and seeing the beautiful autumn leaves, and many other fun activities. We have been in limbo for the past week or so, not knowing what will happen next. Mom did receive a call from a physicians assistant letting her know that they did in fact find some cancer in the last biopsy and they will discuss further action in an appointment with Dr. Litton on October 12th. We are now just waiting and praying for the best.

This last week Mom has spent some time in the hospital because the bile tube was pulled out 3 to 4 inches and stopped functioning. The tube has been fixed and is functioning correctly. She will need to get the tube replaced every 2 to 3 weeks. Not a very fun process, but mom is willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

Hopefully soon I'll get mom on here and let her write a post. She would love to let you all know first hand exactly how she is feeling and how grateful she is for all your friendships and your prayers. Until next time...