File this under "Best News Possible."
My mother is in the hospital for another chemo treatment. She spoke to my sister yesterday and my sister relayed this message to me.
She told me that Mom's doctor used, "The 'R' word."
Remission.
She'll get a few more monthly chemo treatments just to be safe. For now at least it looks like the cancer really is gone. Now all we need to do is make it stay gone.
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Mom Update
As mentioned earlier, my mother spent some time in the emergency room today. They didn't find anything wrong with her. They did a test to check her respiration and it came back clean. They did another test to see if she might have a blood clot and she might, but they didn't find anything specific so they discharged her. She'll keep an eye on things and if her breathing becomes difficult again she will go back to the hospital. For now though, it looks like all is well.
Thankfully.
Thankfully.
Good News and Bad News
Good news first. On the musical front, my 2011 RPM is completely tracked. I just finished putting leads onto the last couple of songs. Corners were cut, scratch tracks were used (including one really bad one on the last song), intonation is terrible, playing is sloppy, but next stop is mixing.
Now the bad news, that makes me feel terrible for even considering that the good news exists, and makes the good news so utterly inconsequential that I am embarrassed to have even considered it, my mother is in the emergency room.
She had some shortness of breath. Her GP is worried about chemo-induced blood clots so she's been sent to the ER to have her oxygen checked and to see if there has been any clotting. It doesn't sound like something that would be all that big a deal, but given the extended circumstances I think everything could be a big deal. I'm nervous.
Now the bad news, that makes me feel terrible for even considering that the good news exists, and makes the good news so utterly inconsequential that I am embarrassed to have even considered it, my mother is in the emergency room.
She had some shortness of breath. Her GP is worried about chemo-induced blood clots so she's been sent to the ER to have her oxygen checked and to see if there has been any clotting. It doesn't sound like something that would be all that big a deal, but given the extended circumstances I think everything could be a big deal. I'm nervous.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Back to It
Let me preface this one by saying emphatically that I am ridiculously out of shape. Okay? We know that, right? I don't have to qualify anything else in the post now that we know that I am in fact, a fat ass.
Right.
Oh the pain! The Pain! My step-daughter's mini-birthday party/family cookout was a hit on Saturday and I am still paying for it. Jen did some major cleaning around the house on Friday before I got home from work. She did great. On Saturday morning she went out to do all of the shopping and I stayed home to finish the cleaning. That included sweeping and mopping all of the floors and mowing the lawn. My legs may never be the same. I did the lawn first and even before I was finished I was finding little things like, ya know, walking to be difficult. By the time the guests started arriving I had reached a point where getting out of a chair could cause me to shout in pain. Most of Sunday was just as bad. Today is better, but not that better. My legs, my back, my arms. PAIN!
Okay, on to less painful (slightly) things.
Why, oh why, are the Bruins and Lightning not playing game two tonight? Doesn't VS. generally have a Monday night game on their schedule? What? The? Hell? There are only two series left, and we have to add in extra days? I don't get it.
What I do get is that if the Bruins continue to play the way they played game one they are going to be golfing before the weekend is over. They sucked on Saturday. Just. Sucked. Patrice Bergeron may in fact be just as important a piece of the Bruins puzzle as I knew he was. I was afraid of that. Let's hope he comes back quickly.
In happier news, how about those Red Sox, huh? Finally up to .500 at twenty wins and twenty losses. What does it say about the American League East that we are still only three games out of first place? What does it say about the New York Yankees that they got swept by a last place team who can't get it's head out of it's ass (figuratively) like the Red Sox? I think it might be a clue that the Yankees Suck! hehe sorry, Boston fans have to work that chant in to everything they do. Jen and I are going to the game tomorrow against the Orioles and I expect to hear the Yankees Suck chant at least once.
Oh, did I mention we're Fenway bound tomorrow? (yes, I just did) Our tickets are in the non-tall people section which means Robbie's going to have to find a standing room spot, but expect a few pictures either way.
Finally, and far and away most importantly... in fact the only thing in this dumb post that actually is important... Mom's kidney is back to normal and she goes back onto the chemotherapy starting today. One step closer to beating the cancer! Beat that Cancer!
Right.
Oh the pain! The Pain! My step-daughter's mini-birthday party/family cookout was a hit on Saturday and I am still paying for it. Jen did some major cleaning around the house on Friday before I got home from work. She did great. On Saturday morning she went out to do all of the shopping and I stayed home to finish the cleaning. That included sweeping and mopping all of the floors and mowing the lawn. My legs may never be the same. I did the lawn first and even before I was finished I was finding little things like, ya know, walking to be difficult. By the time the guests started arriving I had reached a point where getting out of a chair could cause me to shout in pain. Most of Sunday was just as bad. Today is better, but not that better. My legs, my back, my arms. PAIN!
Okay, on to less painful (slightly) things.
Why, oh why, are the Bruins and Lightning not playing game two tonight? Doesn't VS. generally have a Monday night game on their schedule? What? The? Hell? There are only two series left, and we have to add in extra days? I don't get it.
What I do get is that if the Bruins continue to play the way they played game one they are going to be golfing before the weekend is over. They sucked on Saturday. Just. Sucked. Patrice Bergeron may in fact be just as important a piece of the Bruins puzzle as I knew he was. I was afraid of that. Let's hope he comes back quickly.
In happier news, how about those Red Sox, huh? Finally up to .500 at twenty wins and twenty losses. What does it say about the American League East that we are still only three games out of first place? What does it say about the New York Yankees that they got swept by a last place team who can't get it's head out of it's ass (figuratively) like the Red Sox? I think it might be a clue that the Yankees Suck! hehe sorry, Boston fans have to work that chant in to everything they do. Jen and I are going to the game tomorrow against the Orioles and I expect to hear the Yankees Suck chant at least once.
Oh, did I mention we're Fenway bound tomorrow? (yes, I just did) Our tickets are in the non-tall people section which means Robbie's going to have to find a standing room spot, but expect a few pictures either way.
Finally, and far and away most importantly... in fact the only thing in this dumb post that actually is important... Mom's kidney is back to normal and she goes back onto the chemotherapy starting today. One step closer to beating the cancer! Beat that Cancer!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Let's Go White Blood Cells!
The last two days I wasn't feeling very good. Today I am a little better. Still very tired, but not as bad as I was yesterday morning. Unfortunately, Jen and both kids are now feeling less than 100%. Jen and I need to be better by Sunday so that we can go to Easter Dinner and not get my mother sick. The kids need to be better because those lucky little people are going on a cruise to the Caribbean! Everyone get better, right now!!!
As for my mother, she is temporarily off of the main chemotherapy drug, methotrexate. She went into the hospital for a dose of it but there is something happening in her kidney that needs to be watched. They don't know if it is actually related to the chemo or if it may be related to her having a borderline case of diabetes. Whatever it is, she's off of it for the next few weeks. If whatever level it is is better in a few weeks she will go back on the methotrexate, but at a lower dose. The good news is that the doctors told her the tumor is small enough to be negligible, but they need to keep going with the chemotherapy in order to keep it from coming back.
She hasn't had any side effects from the chemo. Maybe this is the first one. Maybe it's unrelated. Whatever the cause is I don't know, but I do know that I was feeling really upbeat and confident about the whole situation and now the nerves and paranoia are creeping back in.
Just cut the crap, all of you. Everyone get better. Right Now!
As for my mother, she is temporarily off of the main chemotherapy drug, methotrexate. She went into the hospital for a dose of it but there is something happening in her kidney that needs to be watched. They don't know if it is actually related to the chemo or if it may be related to her having a borderline case of diabetes. Whatever it is, she's off of it for the next few weeks. If whatever level it is is better in a few weeks she will go back on the methotrexate, but at a lower dose. The good news is that the doctors told her the tumor is small enough to be negligible, but they need to keep going with the chemotherapy in order to keep it from coming back.
She hasn't had any side effects from the chemo. Maybe this is the first one. Maybe it's unrelated. Whatever the cause is I don't know, but I do know that I was feeling really upbeat and confident about the whole situation and now the nerves and paranoia are creeping back in.
Just cut the crap, all of you. Everyone get better. Right Now!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Mom Update
My mother had an MRI yesterday. Today she got the results. The tumor is still shrinking. Her doctors expect that one more cycle of chemo should eliminate what's left of it. She's being admitted today to start the next cycle.
Fantastic news!
(still keeping my fingers crossed)
Fantastic news!
(still keeping my fingers crossed)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Quick Mom Update
My mother has been in the hospital since Monday and I haven't gotten a whole lot of news. A few minutes ago I started feeling really paranoid and snuck off to call my father.
All is still well. She had her Methotrexate dose on Monday and she is still side effect free. She was just being hooked up to her Rituximab IV when I called. That's the drug she gets on an outpatient basis on Wednesdays. Again, still side effect free.
Oh Happy Day!
The only issue she's having is that she is a little anemic. I don't recall seeing that mentioned in any of the articles I've read recently, and she has been a little low on the blood counts in the past so it may not be related. Still worth checking into though.
All in all, still going great. Fingers crossed that it continues.
All is still well. She had her Methotrexate dose on Monday and she is still side effect free. She was just being hooked up to her Rituximab IV when I called. That's the drug she gets on an outpatient basis on Wednesdays. Again, still side effect free.
Oh Happy Day!
The only issue she's having is that she is a little anemic. I don't recall seeing that mentioned in any of the articles I've read recently, and she has been a little low on the blood counts in the past so it may not be related. Still worth checking into though.
All in all, still going great. Fingers crossed that it continues.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Third Chemo Drug
I finally got the name of the third chemotherapy drug my mother is taking. I had been told a couple of times, but it is a mouthful and I needed to actually see it written down before I could wrap my brain around it.
So, along with the Methotrexate and the Rituximab, we now have Temozolomide. I like the sound of this one. It messes with the tumor's DNA and kills the cells dead. No messing around with other chemicals that the tumor needs, this goes right to the source and kicks its ass. Thank you.
Based on the wiki article there aren't a lot of side effects, mostly just vomiting. That might explain why my mother has also been put on an anti-nausea medication on top of everything else.
I saw my mother briefly yesterday. She looked tired, but she had just finished cooking boiled dinner for 14 people. That would wear anyone out. She still hasn't had any side effects to any of the treatment. Fingers crossed.
Today she is being checked back into Mass General for her second Methotrexate treatment. She'll be in the hospital for four days. They give her the drug and then monitor her while they wait for it to pass through her system. It's a nasty bugger.
We continue to be hopeful that the chemotherapy treatments knock this tumor down to nothing, and we continue to keep our fingers crossed.
So, along with the Methotrexate and the Rituximab, we now have Temozolomide. I like the sound of this one. It messes with the tumor's DNA and kills the cells dead. No messing around with other chemicals that the tumor needs, this goes right to the source and kicks its ass. Thank you.
Based on the wiki article there aren't a lot of side effects, mostly just vomiting. That might explain why my mother has also been put on an anti-nausea medication on top of everything else.
I saw my mother briefly yesterday. She looked tired, but she had just finished cooking boiled dinner for 14 people. That would wear anyone out. She still hasn't had any side effects to any of the treatment. Fingers crossed.
Today she is being checked back into Mass General for her second Methotrexate treatment. She'll be in the hospital for four days. They give her the drug and then monitor her while they wait for it to pass through her system. It's a nasty bugger.
We continue to be hopeful that the chemotherapy treatments knock this tumor down to nothing, and we continue to keep our fingers crossed.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Another Hospital Visit
Mom had a hospital visit scheduled for 8:30 this morning at Mass General. Given how much my father loves driving in Boston traffic I'm guessing they left the house at 6:00. I kinda don't blame them.
She is having a chemo treatment today. I don't know which drug. I think it's Rituximab, but I'm not sure. It's just an outpatient thing. They'll plug into her IV port, give her the dose, probably hang out for a while to make sure everything goes well, probably have some of the numerous doctors working on her case come by for a check up, then she'll get to go home.
Monday is her next inpatient visit. That will be a four day stay. Let's get through this one before we worry about that one. Not that I'm worried about this one, just that I'm worried about everything. When I hear some news about how it went today I'll share it. Until then...
Fingers crossed.
She is having a chemo treatment today. I don't know which drug. I think it's Rituximab, but I'm not sure. It's just an outpatient thing. They'll plug into her IV port, give her the dose, probably hang out for a while to make sure everything goes well, probably have some of the numerous doctors working on her case come by for a check up, then she'll get to go home.
Monday is her next inpatient visit. That will be a four day stay. Let's get through this one before we worry about that one. Not that I'm worried about this one, just that I'm worried about everything. When I hear some news about how it went today I'll share it. Until then...
Fingers crossed.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Mom Update
Here's a quick update on my mother. As stated yesterday, I was on the phone with my father discussing how now that Jen is feeling better we are more or less the only members of the family besides him who are not either sick or out of town when I overhead my mother in the background asking Dad to ask me if there was a Legal Seafoods near us.
Back story: The last time we saw my mother in the hospital she let it be known that she really, really wanted a baked stuffed lobster. Like... really wanted one. So we talked about trying to get her one. My sister sort of took the lead but due to other circumstances nothing happened.
So Jen and I ran with it. We called Legals and ordered a baked stuffed lobster for take out. We picked it up at 4:00 and took it to my parents house. My mother was thrilled. She devoured the whole 2.5 pounds of shelled goodness. She thanked us a bunch of times, but we were really happy to help out.
As for her health, she was really good. No really noticeable confusion. Her memory was fine. There were no side effects from the chemo. She was fine. Her only complaint was that she hasn't been able to wash her hair because of the stitches closing up the biopsy incision.
We went over again today and she seemed tired, but otherwise fine. She and Dad had gone food shopping and I think that wore her out a little. Again, no side effects, no memory problems. We were very pleased with how she is holding up.
She goes back to the hospital on Wednesday for a treatment. It's just an outpatient thing. They'll give her the meds and send her on her way. Then a week from tomorrow she will go back for another dose of Methatrexate. She'll be admitted for four days for that one.
Fingers crossed that she continues to respond well to the chemo, and that the side effects continue to stay the hell away.
Back story: The last time we saw my mother in the hospital she let it be known that she really, really wanted a baked stuffed lobster. Like... really wanted one. So we talked about trying to get her one. My sister sort of took the lead but due to other circumstances nothing happened.
So Jen and I ran with it. We called Legals and ordered a baked stuffed lobster for take out. We picked it up at 4:00 and took it to my parents house. My mother was thrilled. She devoured the whole 2.5 pounds of shelled goodness. She thanked us a bunch of times, but we were really happy to help out.
As for her health, she was really good. No really noticeable confusion. Her memory was fine. There were no side effects from the chemo. She was fine. Her only complaint was that she hasn't been able to wash her hair because of the stitches closing up the biopsy incision.
We went over again today and she seemed tired, but otherwise fine. She and Dad had gone food shopping and I think that wore her out a little. Again, no side effects, no memory problems. We were very pleased with how she is holding up.
She goes back to the hospital on Wednesday for a treatment. It's just an outpatient thing. They'll give her the meds and send her on her way. Then a week from tomorrow she will go back for another dose of Methatrexate. She'll be admitted for four days for that one.
Fingers crossed that she continues to respond well to the chemo, and that the side effects continue to stay the hell away.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Nothing New
I have nothing new to report on the Mom front. All I know is that she got home yesterday. She will have to go back again in a week or so for her second Methatrexate treatment. That will probably be three or four days (I think) in the hospital. That drug is heavy duty shit and it has to be flushed out of her system before they will let her out of their site. (I can't use the word "flush" in that sense without mentally being transported back to college when I programmed in C and had to use the fflush() function. Flush that buffer. Sorry, interlude over.)
So tonight is supposed to be a fun night. The kids' school is having a movie night. They are showing Megamind (which I haven't seen yet) in the cafeteria... or something. I'm not up on the details. We bought four tickets (two from each kid. We share the wealth that way, ya know?) and we were all looking forward to going...
And now my step daughter has strep throat again, and Jen's flu bug made a roaring come back last night. It may just be me and the little man. I hope everyone is well enough to go.
So tonight is supposed to be a fun night. The kids' school is having a movie night. They are showing Megamind (which I haven't seen yet) in the cafeteria... or something. I'm not up on the details. We bought four tickets (two from each kid. We share the wealth that way, ya know?) and we were all looking forward to going...
And now my step daughter has strep throat again, and Jen's flu bug made a roaring come back last night. It may just be me and the little man. I hope everyone is well enough to go.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
On a Happy Note
I just received word from my brother that my mother is on her way home from the hospital at this very moment.
Fingers very much crossed.
Fingers very much crossed.
Mom's Coming Home
Assuming the numbers come out all right today, my mother will be coming home for a while. They have a value that represents the amount of methatrexate in her system. When that number hits 0.20 she can go home. It was 0.33 yesterday after being 2.something on Monday.
She will need to go back to the hospital in about a week and a half for her second dose of methatrexate. That being the nastier drug, needs to be monitored by the hospital. Her other chemo drugs can be done on an outpatient basis.
I think this is a good thing, but it also concerns me.
On Monday evening she was still pretty confused. There are a lot of things that she remembers clearly that never happened. What if she continues to be this confused while she's home alone with Dad? What if Dad falls asleep one night and Mom decides she's going to go visit her sister who lives next door... when neither of her sisters have ever lived next door. What if she walks outside and then can't figure out where she is? What do we do then?
We all feel the same way about this. My father included. So when the topic of discharge came up he spoke to the doctors about it. He was told that in most cases the patients confusion decreases when they are at home in their normal environment. They expect that to happen in my mother's case. The doctor was convincing enough to alleviate most of my father's anxiety on the issue. I wish I had been there to hear it too, because hearing it second hand is helping, but not that much. I am really worried about the next few days.
Fingers crossed.
So two weekends ago we were unable to visit my mother in the hospital because Jen caught the flu. Last weekend it looked like I was coming down with it too and that pretty much screwed us again. This weekend, as we just found out minutes ago, my step daughter has strep throat again. We can't catch a break.
She will need to go back to the hospital in about a week and a half for her second dose of methatrexate. That being the nastier drug, needs to be monitored by the hospital. Her other chemo drugs can be done on an outpatient basis.
I think this is a good thing, but it also concerns me.
On Monday evening she was still pretty confused. There are a lot of things that she remembers clearly that never happened. What if she continues to be this confused while she's home alone with Dad? What if Dad falls asleep one night and Mom decides she's going to go visit her sister who lives next door... when neither of her sisters have ever lived next door. What if she walks outside and then can't figure out where she is? What do we do then?
We all feel the same way about this. My father included. So when the topic of discharge came up he spoke to the doctors about it. He was told that in most cases the patients confusion decreases when they are at home in their normal environment. They expect that to happen in my mother's case. The doctor was convincing enough to alleviate most of my father's anxiety on the issue. I wish I had been there to hear it too, because hearing it second hand is helping, but not that much. I am really worried about the next few days.
Fingers crossed.
So two weekends ago we were unable to visit my mother in the hospital because Jen caught the flu. Last weekend it looked like I was coming down with it too and that pretty much screwed us again. This weekend, as we just found out minutes ago, my step daughter has strep throat again. We can't catch a break.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Visit
We went to visit my mother at the hospital last night. She's taken two of the three chemotherapy drugs and so far no side effects. Fingers crossed that continues.
She had a couple of instances of confusion and memory problems. She insisted that she was visited by people she wasn't visited by. She insisted that one of the hospital rooms she'd been in during this stay used to be her mother's apartment. She had a hard time listing off the grandkids by age.
The hospital staff has given her a couple of criteria that her body has to meet in order for her to be released. They told her that it might be possible for her to go home during the day, but come back at night. That seems a little odd, but she is showing signs of a condition known as sundowning, which is where patients with memory issues often see their symptoms get worse at night. All of the things we saw were after the sun went down, and probably weren't there at all earlier in the day.
We'll see what happens.
Fingers crossed.
She had a couple of instances of confusion and memory problems. She insisted that she was visited by people she wasn't visited by. She insisted that one of the hospital rooms she'd been in during this stay used to be her mother's apartment. She had a hard time listing off the grandkids by age.
The hospital staff has given her a couple of criteria that her body has to meet in order for her to be released. They told her that it might be possible for her to go home during the day, but come back at night. That seems a little odd, but she is showing signs of a condition known as sundowning, which is where patients with memory issues often see their symptoms get worse at night. All of the things we saw were after the sun went down, and probably weren't there at all earlier in the day.
We'll see what happens.
Fingers crossed.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Chemo: So Far So Good
My mother started chemo yesterday. The update I got today from my sister was that everything is fine so far. No side effects. She's very tired, but otherwise nothing.
My relief is immense.
So far, so good.
My relief is immense.
So far, so good.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Distractions
I don't know if everyone does this, but I try to distract my self from worrying about stuff I can't control. If I think about something else for a while it takes my mind off the fact that I can't do anything to help my mother with her illness.
I haven't finished my RPM project. I still have two rhythm and three lead guitar parts to record and then I have to mix the whole thing. I have another second shift day coming at the end of the month. I should have the 2011 project done by then, so I will try and use the time to finish up the last few songs from the 2010 project. After that I think it will be time to more or less retire my ADAT recorder and move on to Garage Band on my swanky new MacBook. I think I might invent a project to learn how to use Garage Band (or to fudge it so it can handle my work flow) by taking a few songs from each of the three finished RPM things (assuming '10 and '11 get finished... they will) and rerecording them. The kids have also expressed an interest in trying to record some music with me. That will be fun to do, but I want to know what I'm doing with the software first.
The Bruins have won seven games in a row and have moved into second place in the Eastern Conference. Last night they beat, and beat up, the team they are fighting for second place with, Tampa Bay. Lots of bad blood brewing between the two teams. It looks like the trades and the longest road trip of the year and Tuukka Rask suddenly not sucking all happened at exactly the right time.
The real news, however, is that my mother's PET scan did not find any other tumors. That makes me very happy. The bad-news-that-wasn't-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been, finding out that the tumor is lymphoma, plus the good news that the steroids have reduced the size of the tumor, plus the good news that the PET scan, made yesterday a pretty good day as far as news about my mother is concerned.
Today she's having a port put into her stomach. That can't be good, but if it makes getting through the chemotherapy easier then let's do it.
Fingers crossed
(maybe I'm not doing so well with the distractions after all)
I haven't finished my RPM project. I still have two rhythm and three lead guitar parts to record and then I have to mix the whole thing. I have another second shift day coming at the end of the month. I should have the 2011 project done by then, so I will try and use the time to finish up the last few songs from the 2010 project. After that I think it will be time to more or less retire my ADAT recorder and move on to Garage Band on my swanky new MacBook. I think I might invent a project to learn how to use Garage Band (or to fudge it so it can handle my work flow) by taking a few songs from each of the three finished RPM things (assuming '10 and '11 get finished... they will) and rerecording them. The kids have also expressed an interest in trying to record some music with me. That will be fun to do, but I want to know what I'm doing with the software first.
The Bruins have won seven games in a row and have moved into second place in the Eastern Conference. Last night they beat, and beat up, the team they are fighting for second place with, Tampa Bay. Lots of bad blood brewing between the two teams. It looks like the trades and the longest road trip of the year and Tuukka Rask suddenly not sucking all happened at exactly the right time.
The real news, however, is that my mother's PET scan did not find any other tumors. That makes me very happy. The bad-news-that-wasn't-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been, finding out that the tumor is lymphoma, plus the good news that the steroids have reduced the size of the tumor, plus the good news that the PET scan, made yesterday a pretty good day as far as news about my mother is concerned.
Today she's having a port put into her stomach. That can't be good, but if it makes getting through the chemotherapy easier then let's do it.
Fingers crossed
(maybe I'm not doing so well with the distractions after all)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Relatively Good News
This afternoon's telephone update from my father was chock full of relatively good news.
First and foremost, the pathology results came back and the thing in Mom's head is in fact lymphoma. While that in and of itself is really terrible news, it is also good news in that we've been told since day one that lymphoma is the most treatable of all of the possible diagnosis. So while it is really bad, it's also pretty good.
Confusing, eh?
She had her PET scan. No word on what it told them. We're hoping the cancer has not spread to any other organ. Fingers eternally crossed on that one.
Now, for the really good news. The steroids are successfully shrinking the tumor. Thank you steroids! I will never bad mouth Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens again! (just kidding, I'll rip them at every possible chance)
While the steroids are just a part of the treatment, they are used to reduce the size of the tumor and thus reduce the symptoms. I consider this small success to be the first really solid good news we've had since she woke up dizzy on Presidents Day, Monday February 21, 2011. As some Canadian guy once said, one little victory. Right?
She is going to have an operation tomorrow to put a port somewhere into her stomach. They told my father that this was for IV treatments. After that, the chemotherapy can start on Saturday. There will be three drugs administered over a 28 day cycle. She will have to be in the hospital for the Methatrexate. We're wondering weather or not she'll be able to receive the other drugs on an outpatient basis.
Fingers crossed.
First and foremost, the pathology results came back and the thing in Mom's head is in fact lymphoma. While that in and of itself is really terrible news, it is also good news in that we've been told since day one that lymphoma is the most treatable of all of the possible diagnosis. So while it is really bad, it's also pretty good.
Confusing, eh?
She had her PET scan. No word on what it told them. We're hoping the cancer has not spread to any other organ. Fingers eternally crossed on that one.
Now, for the really good news. The steroids are successfully shrinking the tumor. Thank you steroids! I will never bad mouth Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens again! (just kidding, I'll rip them at every possible chance)
While the steroids are just a part of the treatment, they are used to reduce the size of the tumor and thus reduce the symptoms. I consider this small success to be the first really solid good news we've had since she woke up dizzy on Presidents Day, Monday February 21, 2011. As some Canadian guy once said, one little victory. Right?
She is going to have an operation tomorrow to put a port somewhere into her stomach. They told my father that this was for IV treatments. After that, the chemotherapy can start on Saturday. There will be three drugs administered over a 28 day cycle. She will have to be in the hospital for the Methatrexate. We're wondering weather or not she'll be able to receive the other drugs on an outpatient basis.
Fingers crossed.
Another Day
Monday's commute was three hours long. Today's was only two. I got stuck behind an accident on 93, a train on North Street in Tewksbury. (it was a loooong train) At least three buses, including one that stopped in front of the school it was heading to in order to pick up the student who lived across the street. Finally, the stupid key took five minutes to get out of the stupid ignition.
My mother has her PET scan today. I think it will be starting shortly. Let's hope the cancer hasn't spread. They always say that its best to catch cancer early, but we have no idea if we're early or late or what. This might give us a clue.
Of course we still don't have the pathology results from her biopsy, so we're not even 100% sure it is cancer. Her doctors are all saying they are pretty sure. I think the words, "90%" have been used. Also one doctor, who hopefully does not have a gambling problem, said if he were going to place a bet he would bet it was lymphoma.
Still... 10 days... we should know for sure, right? They expect the path results today.
Fingers crossed.
My mother has her PET scan today. I think it will be starting shortly. Let's hope the cancer hasn't spread. They always say that its best to catch cancer early, but we have no idea if we're early or late or what. This might give us a clue.
Of course we still don't have the pathology results from her biopsy, so we're not even 100% sure it is cancer. Her doctors are all saying they are pretty sure. I think the words, "90%" have been used. Also one doctor, who hopefully does not have a gambling problem, said if he were going to place a bet he would bet it was lymphoma.
Still... 10 days... we should know for sure, right? They expect the path results today.
Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
I was Right
Maybe I should have been a doctor... hmmmm... Or a fortune teller.
I was right about two things.
The PET scan is being done to see if the cancer has spread. Also, the chemo hasn't started yet because they are waiting on the Pathology report from the biopsy.
I figured those were the reasons, but having my father tell me that that's what the doctors told him makes me feel smart.
What would make me feel really smart is that I say that chemo starts Friday and it actually does.
Fingers crossed.
I was right about two things.
The PET scan is being done to see if the cancer has spread. Also, the chemo hasn't started yet because they are waiting on the Pathology report from the biopsy.
I figured those were the reasons, but having my father tell me that that's what the doctors told him makes me feel smart.
What would make me feel really smart is that I say that chemo starts Friday and it actually does.
Fingers crossed.
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