So I know I said I would update yesterday, but time got away from us. That happens these days. Thankfully, things have slowed down, and my mom's health is headed in the right direction.
Okay, so I'll try to pick up where things left off last week. Be ready - this will be a long one :)
Tuesday - The fam showed up, and I left the hospital for a couple of days to rest and refresh. After being with Mom 24/7 for over a month, not seeing her for 2 days was kinda hard. I wanted to see in person how she was doing. The family was great at keeping me updated, and their reports were this: pain is under control, she's looking better, feeling better, no vomiting or diarrhea, and the external swelling is getting better.
During the time I was gone, my mom did have what I consider a major procedure - the docs placed a picc line from her arm to her heart through a vein to give her the nutrition she needs. They figured out that her bowels (intestines) are still VERY inflamed. After she was released from the hospital the prior week, they had told her she needed to eat, eat, eat to heal. Well, that was the problem. She was eating, but her bowels were so swollen that the food wasn't getting through very well. That was causing much of the pain. The intestines were so swollen that only liquids could get through easily; anything else was getting stuck...trying to get anything solid through would indeed cause a ridiculous amount of pain. So they now ordered a picc line, through which she would get all of her nutrition. They also restricted her diet to clear liquids. She's to 'eat' (drink clear liquids) only for pleasure since her nutrition is coming through the line.
So once they started that and she had passed the solids already in her body, she began to improve. When my brother & I returned on Friday to spend the day with Mom...I just can't begin to tell you the difference we saw in her. The external swelling had gone down, her pain was in control, and she was smiling - that was the biggest deal to me.
Family stayed with her once again on Friday night.
I returned to the hospital Saturday morning to take over the duties again seeing as the plan was for her to be discharged on Monday. We did have a bit of a bad pain episode on Saturday night, and for a bit I began to really get discouraged. I told my brother something like, "...I think it's me...when I'm around, she's in pain and all this crazy stuff happens. When I leave, she does so well...I may need to watch from far away..." Of course, I knew it wasn't true, but you start to doubt truth and believe all kinds of lies sometimes when things look really ugly. Okay, maybe you don't, but my human nature did show itself on those rough, rough days.
What took place that night was the same thing as before - food trying to get through the bowels. Some doctor at one point had told my mom that it was okay for her to go on a 'soft food' diet, meaning they were allowing solids. Well, this was a day that neither one of her main docs was around. It never should have happened. As soon as the solids were (very painfully) through the intestine, she was much better. So back on the clear liquid diet once again. The downside to it - for the first time in months, my mom has an appetite...but she can't eat. Ugh! Note to self: NEVER take eating for granted.
Easter Sunday was a pretty good day. Of course, she was very tired, but overall she was okay. We're all super happy about the picc line because it means my mom is getting exactly what she needs, which she probably didn't even get before all of this. The downside to it is that she wakes about every hour or so to use the bathroom (from the liquids going in). So not only did that keep her up, but as soon as she would begin falling asleep after coming back to bed, the nurses were in to check vitals or give her meds. So annoying...but I know it's their job.
Monday (release day) I could tell Mom woke up feeling ...not as great as Sunday. My aunt, Janet, came early to help during the discharge, and she, too, could tell Mom wasn't doing so well. After our own process of elimination, we narrowed it down to this one pill they were giving her - a 'bowel motivator.' It's this dumb 'lil pill that they said was so the bowels wouldn't just be sitting there. You know what, though? We were reading the literature on it, and it says something like, "...if you have any intestinal obstruction or tumor...DO NOT TAKE." HELLO! After she was able to release some of the pressure caused by the pill later that day, Mom did much better. We left the hospital in the early evening and headed to my uncle Phil and aunt Janet's place. We'll actually be staying with them until the surgery. They have a one level house that is way more comfortable than the trailer, and my mom said it was time to come here.
So what's happening now?
Through the course of the week, Mom has looked better and better each day. Her swelling is completely gone now - GREAT NEWS! The only downside to that is how skinny she is. She has in fact lost some weight (is at 94 lbs), and you can tell it. Tia Janet, though, gave her a new haircut today that filled her face out (doesn't look as long and skinny). Her eyes also don't look as dark from being 'sunken in.'
Mom had a doc appointment on Wednesday, during which he showed us a chart basically of her nutrition level just before, during and after her treatments. I was shocked to see how low she got before actually improving. She bottomed out almost at the lowest number on the chart. She's not yet back to normal, but she has improved by leaps and bounds and mountains and skies. If I get a chance to one of these days, I'll scan and post the chart.
Why was her nutrition so low? Practically speaking it was the chemo and radiation treatments. More specifically...there was a lot wrong, but one of the main things was her extremely low albumin level. Google albumin to read about how important that protein is for our bodies. At the hospital they gave my mom some albumin intravenously, and you could see the difference in her body almost immediately. When I figured out how albumin works, I realized why her swelling wouldn't go down.
So today we went out to run and errand and to see my aunt Estrella (who by the way is doing much better for those who have asked about her). We stopped for ice cream on the way back, and yes, Mom had a little. It was sherbet, and she's allowed a little. She didn't even eat a 1/4 of the child-size cup, but she'd also eaten some hard candy earlier. Since she hadn't really consumed much sugar, we believe it was the cause of some nausea (which until now had been pretty silent for days) she felt later on in the day and in the early part of the evening.
I can't think of much else right now...it is getting late, and good sleep can be a luxury these days. :) Not to worry, though...
Thank you all so very much for praying and keeping up with us as we journey through this chapter. I think I failed to mention how God answered our prayers in terms of:
- healing of the sores in Mom's mouth
- external body swelling - completely gone
- pain - this has been pretty well managed. They say she'll have a bit of pain until after the surgery, but on a scale of one - then, they'd like to keep it between one and three. Mom's pain has remained in the one and two category for the most part. There are times when it rises some, but it's usually brief, and we're narrowing down the causes.
- energy level - Mom has been moving around like I haven't seen in a LONG time. We're cautious with her, taking her recent fall into consideration, but she's up and around and walking a bit now.
- appetite - it's almost sad that Mom's appetite is back because she can't eat solid foods yet. She's craving, yes CRAVING many things, and it's hard to tell her no. Sure, she could cheat, but the thought of the pain that comes with food going through the inflamed bowels keeps her from it. Let me say it again: NEVER take eating for granted...
...much less...
...so many things...there are so many things we, I, take for granted on a daily basis. This journey has caused me to appreciate so many everyday things - eating, drinking, walking, LIVING without pain, being able to sleep not just on my back but in so many different ways, being able to sleep period, brushing my teeth without all kinds of painful sores, sitting, a body that functions properly, using the facilities painlessly, so much more. I think daily, I'm reminded of at least one more thing that I take for granted and should appreciate more.
Thank you, Lord, for my good health. I thank you that in spite of the challenges my mom is having, You love her and have never, ever left her side through all of it. You care about her more than anyone here on this earth, and I believe you hurt when she does. I don't understand why certain things happen to certain people. I don't understand all of this...I don't know that I understand any of it. BUT I do know that You are faithful. Your ways are higher than ours, so I won't attempt to understand all of it. Help me to learn what I should. Help my mom on a daily, hourly, momentary basis. I thank you for the grace you give her every single day to walk through this fire. Please help those we love who are also battling and fighting the fight of their lives - you know of whom we speak. In Jesus name, amen.
...but when I get to heaven, I think I'll still have a few questions for ya...
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