My mom was released from the hospital on Sunday, Jan 19. She returned on Wednesday for the results and treatment analysis.
The treatments will begin on January 30. That day she'll meet with the chemo team, and that afternoon they will begin the chemo/radiation combination treatments. She'll have 28 consecutive days of treatment except for Saturdays and Sundays. She'll have to stay in Houston close to the hospital so that the docs can monitor the side effects and 'reactions' to the treatments.
She'll be staying in a friend's motor home in a nice RV park close to the hospital. It's way more cost effective than hotel or the MD Anderson housing.
Here's an excerpt from an email my mom sent out: "...with everything that has happened in the last weeks all we can say is that we thank God that He has been so good to us! He has open the doors in the place that He wants us to be, and we know that we are in His hands and that everything that happens to us is for good..."
I'm so thankful for a mom that has the big picture in mind. Sometimes things may not look 'good' on the outside looking in, but we know for certain that God has our best in mind. We may not think it's the best, but only He knows the why's of the what's.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
2nd update - 1/19/08
My mom is still in the hospital this morning. Her potassium was very low so they hooked her up to several bags. They should be allowing her to go home sometime today.
Update - 1/19/08
My mom spent all day at the hospital on Wednesday, and she was exhausted. She then had to return on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning for more. They ran an extra test yesterday, an ultrasound that would tell how deep into the lining (wall) of the colon the tumor spread.
I didn't get a chance to talk to my mom yesterday after all of it because she was still "under" when I called. Louis (her husband) let me know they'd call on their way home. The call I received was not what I expected to hear. She had to be rushed back to the emergency room because she didn't take well to whatever they did to her. She was very sick, and they had to hook up an i.v.
This is what they do know - the tumor did go through the wall of her colon and got to some lymph nodes. That means they'll have to do chemo and/or radiation before the surgery to remove the 4 inches. I don't know yet when they'll begin this process.
When they do the surgery, she'll have to go in 3 days beforehand to do all the prep. The surgery itself will take 4-6 hours, and she'll have to stay in the hospital for a week. Then she'll have to stay in Houston as close to the hospital as possible in case something should happen.
If they can save her rectum, she'll have a temporary "bag" for about 6 weeks. If not, she'll have a permanent one.
I haven't heard from her this morning to know how she's doing, but I'll update as soon as I know something.
Thank you for your prayers.
I didn't get a chance to talk to my mom yesterday after all of it because she was still "under" when I called. Louis (her husband) let me know they'd call on their way home. The call I received was not what I expected to hear. She had to be rushed back to the emergency room because she didn't take well to whatever they did to her. She was very sick, and they had to hook up an i.v.
This is what they do know - the tumor did go through the wall of her colon and got to some lymph nodes. That means they'll have to do chemo and/or radiation before the surgery to remove the 4 inches. I don't know yet when they'll begin this process.
When they do the surgery, she'll have to go in 3 days beforehand to do all the prep. The surgery itself will take 4-6 hours, and she'll have to stay in the hospital for a week. Then she'll have to stay in Houston as close to the hospital as possible in case something should happen.
If they can save her rectum, she'll have a temporary "bag" for about 6 weeks. If not, she'll have a permanent one.
I haven't heard from her this morning to know how she's doing, but I'll update as soon as I know something.
Thank you for your prayers.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Gotta Love 'Em
I don't know many people who enjoy them - tests that is. My mom is pretty tired of them, and I'm tired of them for her, but I know they're for the best...I think. So her new specialist at MD Anderson (the Cancer Center of Texas and one of the nation's best cancer treatment centers) will be running further tests on my mom this coming Wednesday, January 16 and also Friday, January 18. She'll be there all day on the 16th and for a few hours on the 18th. Not only will they run some of the tests that they've already completed (they like to have 2), but they'll have additional examinations to...do something...whatever it is doctors do.
Then on January 23 the oncology team will meet with her to give her the date of the surgery and instructions on further treatment, etc.
That's all we know for now.
It's great to have a mom with a sense of humor during these "ugh" times. She was telling me that she asked God that if He decided to heal her supernaturally to also please take away old scars from previous surgeries, stretch marks, wrinkles, etc. Isn't she cute?
Thanks again for your prayers. We appreciate you.
Then on January 23 the oncology team will meet with her to give her the date of the surgery and instructions on further treatment, etc.
That's all we know for now.
It's great to have a mom with a sense of humor during these "ugh" times. She was telling me that she asked God that if He decided to heal her supernaturally to also please take away old scars from previous surgeries, stretch marks, wrinkles, etc. Isn't she cute?
Thanks again for your prayers. We appreciate you.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
My Mom
I wasn't sure what to title this blog because as I begin to write it, I'm not quite sure where I'll be going with it.
So we found out just before Christmas that my mom has colon cancer. A specialist from Houston should be calling her within the next couple of days to schedule surgery, during which they'll remove 10 cm from her colon. It hasn't spread further, and that's a great thing! One sorta major complication is that (and sorry if I disgust you with the details...it's just how it is) her rectum is only 5 cm from where they'll be cutting, and they may not be able to save it. If that happens, basically she'll have to walk around with a bag the rest of her life. The doc said that technology is so far advanced that there is another option to the bag...but for now we're just praying that it'll all work out.
I'm sorry if I haven't responded to emails, etc...just been a bit preoccupied with this. I ask that if you're reading this that you pray for my mom and her health. I'll try to update it as much as possible and when I hear anything.
Personally...I'm just heartbroken that my mom has had to go through so much as it pertains to her health. She's been such a trooper through everything else...but I just want her to have a break. I do know, however, that God is in control. He's got the whole world in His hands, remember? Really, though, I know that He cares about her even more than I do (and that's a whole lot), and I just have to trust she's in His hands.
So we found out just before Christmas that my mom has colon cancer. A specialist from Houston should be calling her within the next couple of days to schedule surgery, during which they'll remove 10 cm from her colon. It hasn't spread further, and that's a great thing! One sorta major complication is that (and sorry if I disgust you with the details...it's just how it is) her rectum is only 5 cm from where they'll be cutting, and they may not be able to save it. If that happens, basically she'll have to walk around with a bag the rest of her life. The doc said that technology is so far advanced that there is another option to the bag...but for now we're just praying that it'll all work out.
I'm sorry if I haven't responded to emails, etc...just been a bit preoccupied with this. I ask that if you're reading this that you pray for my mom and her health. I'll try to update it as much as possible and when I hear anything.
Personally...I'm just heartbroken that my mom has had to go through so much as it pertains to her health. She's been such a trooper through everything else...but I just want her to have a break. I do know, however, that God is in control. He's got the whole world in His hands, remember? Really, though, I know that He cares about her even more than I do (and that's a whole lot), and I just have to trust she's in His hands.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)