The best present!

Today is Hadley's birthday. But even better - she got her cast off today! 

At 8 a.m. we were ready and waiting, but we didn't really know what to expect. So, here is my best summary of the events that took place.

First they sawed it in half on top and bottom. Then they cut through the gauze with scissors and then pried it apart with a metal tool. And the last step is the most important one: Wash it! 

After the cast was off, they took x-rays for 1 last look. They take the x-rays and within 5 minutes they show you them on an iPad. Pretty cool! 

Her bones are growing well. Now she just needs to build up the muscles in her arm for basketball season.

VA and Dr. J

We went to see Dr. Jeong Friday (Sept. 23). Mom's blood work shows her white blood cells and platelets dropped a little. At this point, they should go up, so we were concerned. Dr. Jeong says "It's ok. Looking month to month, it's on an upward trend." And he's right, compared to 1 month ago, her numbers are slightly up, but compared to 2 weeks ago, they fell. 

The next bone marrow test will be early November, and she will start back on the chemo pills November 15 and take them for 15 days. Between now and then she will have her blood checked and hopefully get some more strength back.

Who you callin' Shirley?

It's a face-off. Who has more curls?

Haden vs Grandma

Haden does not want his hair cut. He's growing it out so he will resemble Luke Skywalker as he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Halloween is serious business around here!

Grandma does not want a haircut, either. Her hair is coming in thicker... and curlier! It was straight as an arrow before and now its got some wave to it.

Just call her Curly Shirley!

Mom went to the Cancer Center for blood work yesterday (Monday). Although her numbers are still low for a normal person, they are doing great for her. She is getting a little stronger every day.

The next thing we are looking forward to is getting to see Dr. Jeong next week and Hadley gets her cast cut off on Sept. 26, her 11th birthday. She's got less than 2 weeks to wait!

Hadley had her sports physical this week. She is 58" tall. 

I am 58.5" tall and Mom (Grandma) is 59" tall. 

Is it any surprise Hadley is trying out for the basketball team? 

Where does her height come from? Her dad is 6'2" and her great-grandpa (his mom's dad) is 6'5". However, her great-grandpa on our side (Virginia's dad) went by the nickname "Shorty."

Genes are crazy things!

A hospital visit of a different kind!

We found another Tough Chick in the family! On Sunday morning, while riding her bike, Hadley (age 10) took a spill. She actually broke both bones in her forearm. The ER put her in a temporary half-cast - they say those are better for swelling.

No one is more apt to change than kids. Hadley was surfin' the net by 5 pm! 

On Monday we went to see Dr. Kolb, the orthopedic doctor, and he said Hadley's bones were aligned, but bent 20 degrees. She would have surgery on Tuesday to straighten out the bones. 

He thought he would just be able to press on them and bend them into place, but every time he pushed, they moved. He ended up making an incision and putting a tool in her arm to keep two bones aligned while he bent the other two. Yikes! The good thing is that they gave her gas to knock her out and gave her the IV once she was out. 

Hadley woke up with a pretty, purple cast!

And it was all just in time for school to start that Friday! Hadley wanted some stylish slings, so we made a stop at the fabric store to get some "cool" material. She made 4 slings for her arm. Haden has been helping out by hooking Hadley's seat belt and holding her ice cream bowl so it doesn't slide all over the place. What a nice brother!

Hadley can't crochet very easy, so she's hung up her crochet needles for 6 weeks. Grandma may need to give her a refresher course when that cast comes off. As for homework, she broke her left arm and she's right handed so no school work shall suffer!

Bone Marrow, FISH and PCR?

On Aug. 12, we went to the Cancer Center for blood work. Mom's white blood cells were still down .1 but the red blood cells and platelets were both up. That darn chemo is still stirring around in there! On Monday the 15th Mom will start the chemo pills again twice a day for 15 days. In 15 days we go back to the Cancer Center and Dr. Jeong will tell us what the next steps are. This is the start of the maintenance chemo. It will involve the pills only - no liquid - and last 2 years. 

The good news Dr. Jeong shared was that the FISH test came back ok. With this type of leukemia (APL), the bone marrow, FISH test and PCR test is what they watch. So far the bone marrow and FISH tests have been good. Today they sent away the first PCR test. Her blood is still recovering and Dr. Jeong will evaluate it again in 1 month (the middle of September) and decide when Mom should start resuming normal activity.

They will keep doing the bone marrow samples every 3 months and she will keep taking the cumidin until October. That darn blood clot will take about 3 months to completely go away. Stay tuned for the maintenance chemo plan coming soon!

And the results are in

The reason Dr. Jeong did the bone marrow test was because Mom's numbers kept dropping. Her last chemo was June 23, so her body has had time to react and start getting it out of her system. However, her blood numbers had been dropping instead of getting better. Dr. Jeong was concerned with this. And you can tell he was concerned. You can tell his thoughts not only by what he says, but the expressions and the "pause of thought" he makes when trying to answer your questions. He never said he was concerned or worried that the leukemia had come back, but we knew he was in deep thought about it.

The test showed her bone marrow is still affected by the chemo. It is trying to recover, but that chemo is strong stuff. There are NO cancer cells. Whoo-hoo! We all did a sigh of relief. Dr. Jeong admitted he was "very concerned" with how her blood was doing. He looked at the report Friday morning when it came in and said he was "very happy, very relieved" at what he saw. Well, we are too!

So, her bone marrow is still recovering and it may take it awhile. Dr. Jeong is going to give it more time to heal and then talk about the maintenance chemo. The blood clot in her leg is going away. She will have to be on blood thinner for about 3-6 months (it's a pill - not those shots!) - that's how long it takes the blood clot to completely go away.

Excuse me while I hit the floor...

Today Mom went in for another bone marrow test. What exactly goes on when they take this sample? Well, we wondered the same thing, so Mom asked Dr. Jeong if I could stay and "watch." I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to watch, but curiosity won out! So, please, enjoy this bone marrow aspiration from my point of view. (Don't worry, nothing shown will make you queezy - I would have hit the floor if I saw anything like that! ...and Mom only moon's Dr. Jeong, not the camera)

These are the slides that Dr. Jeong will put the samples on.

The prep: the kit on the right is full of all the tools Dr. Jeong will use. See that big blue handle - that's the  needle that goes into the bone. Dr. Jeong pushed and twisted with all his mite to get that sucker in.

They put Mom in twilight. She had an IV (and a sore hand...the nurse blew the vein the 1st try) instead of using the port. Once the nurse started the medicine, Mom just talked and talked. Apparently her mouth  didn't want to go into twilight!

Dr. Jeong was getting all his tools in order, and Mom just kept talking.

"How many bone marrow's are you doing today?"

"Did you have a good visit with your family?"

"How was your dad, did you have a nice visit?"

"Is your mother still living?"

"Will they ever come to America?"

"How many bone marrow's do you have today?"

Dr. Jeong finally stopped answering the questions, but she kept on asking them. At one point the nurse told her to relax and take a little rest. Mom's answer to that was "If I'm still talkin, don't poke me!"

It was pretty comical. Mom doesn't remember any of this. She doesn't remember asking any of those questions - and can't believe she was asking such personal questions. Dr. Jeong had just returned from Korea where he had been visiting his mother and father, so I guess Mom wanted to make sure he had a good trip.

He never did say how many bone marrow tests he was doing today.

Eventually the room got quiet and Dr. Jeong did his thing. He pushed and got that needle through the bone. Then he pulled out the needle and stuck several smaller needles in and took out some blood. Above he is squirting the sample on the slides and then putting a smaller sample on each of the remaining slides. This is the part where I excused myself before I hit the floor. That was a big needle and lots of blood! 

Here are the finished samples on the slides.

These little cups had their own experiment going on. It is testing to see how fast the blood clots. See the chunks floating around... those are blood clots. Mom has been on a blood thinner for almost 3 weeks to get rid of the blood clot in her leg, so they wanted to see how quick her blood would actually clot.

Rise and shine! It's time to go home. This is nurse Kevin. He has been with us for all the other bone marrow tests and the Power Port. We're getting to know Kevin pretty well!

That's it. Then they kicked us out. 

I hope you enjoyed this step-by-step bone marrow aspiration. It's not exactly like what you'd find in the medical books, but it's close! We should have the results on Friday.

Baby, it's HOT outside!

Today Hadley and Haden got to spend some time at grandma's house. 

Hadley and Mom got some quality crocheting time in. Mom has been crocheting lap blankets for the Veterans (she's using camouflage yarn - they are pretty neat!) and Hadley is making a practice blanket in hopes to graduate to a big afghan someday. You'd never guess it was 98 degrees outside the way these two crank out the blankets!

Haden asked Mom to make a leash for his stuffed cat, so Mom crocheted him one. It has a handle on one end and a loop on the other. Pretty fancy for a stuffed cat!

Thank goodness for the fat!

What's worse than this photo of a shot you have to stick in your belly?

How about a refill on shots to stick in your belly! That darn blood clot just doesn't want to say goodbye. Mom's belly is black & blue and purple, too.

Peach Fuzz. That's the best I can do!

Even though the last chemo treatment was only 1 round, it was packed with punch! Over the last 2 weeks it has really done a number on Mom's skin. There's the usual dry mouth, but this time her skin has decided it doesn't like chemo and has produced an itchy, dry, bright pink rash on her arms and legs. Her arms are the worst. They area a red/pinky color. Remember when ET (the Extra Terrestrial) was lost in the woods and they finally found him by the river-- he was a weird, pinky color. That's the color of Mom's arms (Mom would rather be compared to the color of a fruit or a flower, not a being from outer space).

Friday we went to the Cancer Center for blood work and to see Dr. Jeong. They had trouble getting blood from her Power Port. The nurse kept stabbing and stabbing but she couldn't get it. She thinks the port may have tipped on it's side. That's no good! Finally, she was able to get it. Now, I have done well with all this needle and blood mayhem over the last 4 months, but all that stabbing and blood oozing finally made me queasy. Mom didn't look too hot, either!

Her right leg has been swollen for 2 weeks (it has gotten a lot worse this last week). Dr. Jeong sent her to the hospital for a sonogram to see if they can find a blood clot. The problem is, her platelet count is still low from the chemo, so he doesn't know if he can give her any blood thinner to get rid of the clot.

Sure enough, it's a blood clot. Dr. J decided to go ahead with the blood thinner. That means 2 shots in the belly everyday. And they are "self-administered." Yikes!

Although Mom doesn't remember all the trials and tribulations of the 1982 Extra Terrestrial, in the end, he was ok. He phoned home, had some Reese's Pieces and finally got rescued. Surely this chemo will rescue Mom from cancer!

...and there is a fruit comparison I can make: Mom's got some hair growing in her head. It did not fall out this round, so it's been growing since the end of round 3. It looks like peach fuzz on a Georgia peach!

What a day for a Relay

Marla invited Mom out to the 2011 Relay For Life on June 24-25. Marla's team is "M&M" for Marla and her Uncle Max. Dr. Jeong and Dr. Srirartna were there showing their support. It is amazing how many lives are touched by cancer. The Relay raised over $540,000 for cancer research. 

And, that's a wrap!

That's it. All done. No more. Today Mom had her LAST chemo. 

It was 102 days ago when she had the first dose. It looked like this - a huge syringe with bright orange liquid. Today was less scarier than that first round, and a lot more hopeful. We still have questions, but not like 102 days ago. As I go back and read this blog, I realize how far she's come. These past few months have been filled with a lot of uncertainty and what-if's. Her mind has been through just as much as her body has, and both will feel the aftermath of this disease for years to come. 

So, where do we go from here? This is Sabrina. She was the nurse who took care of Mom during that first bone marrow test, and she gave the last dose of chemo today. It was sad to say goodbye to the nurses at the Cancer Center, like a bitter-sweet farewell. They have taken such good care of Mom over the last 3 months, it's hard to believe we won't be sitting in those recliners anymore. But it wasn't goodbye, it was "see you later!" 

Mom will go back in 1 week for blood work and in 1 month Dr. Jeong will do another bone marrow test to make sure all is well. She will remain on the chemo pills for 1 year. During that year they will do periodic blood work. So, June 24, 2012 she will take her last chemo pill. On June 24, 2013, if there have been no signs of the cancer, there is a very high rate that it won't come back. 

That seems like a long time away - 2013. But it will be here before you know it. I will continue to update  this blog, but just like Disney World, there may be longer wait times during certain times of the year. Don't fret, check back the next week and I'm sure the grandkids or firm administrators or relatives or dear old friends will give me some good content to blog about! Thank you to everyone who has sent their love over the last 105 days (it's been 105 days since her diagnosis, 102 days since she started chemo). Mom has really missed "the people" in her life, so hopefully over the next 30+ days she will slowly be able to start some normal activities! 

And that's a wrap!

A Perfect Stranger

Do you recognize this lady? This is Marla Behrends. She was featured in an article in the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper last week. So, why am I telling you all this? Well, the title says it all: she's a perfect stranger! 

When Mom was diagnosed with Leukemia back in March, our whole world came to a halt. We had so many questions and so little knowledge of what was going to happen. What was chemo? What happens to you? Do you feel the side effects immediately? And so on. 

One day that first week, a lady called Mom's hospital room and Aunt Judy answered the phone. She said "My name is Marla Behrens and I just went through leukemia. If Virginia wants to talk, just have her give me a call." She left her phone number and left it at that. I remember thinking "Who calls up a perfect stranger and offers to discuss their medical history?" I found that very strange, but soon I'd change my tune!

Day after day, the doctors and nurses came in to the hospital room with a list of medicines, treatments and procedures they were going to do. Every time we asked "How will she react?" They all answered "I can't say - everyone is different." That got pretty annoying pretty quick! So, one day Mom decided to pick up the phone to get some answers ...from a perfect stranger.

Verizon earned their pay that day! That phone call connected 2 soon-to-be cancer survivors and turned a scary, medical nightmare into a realistic, optimistic journey. Marla shared a lot of the things she had went through and some tips that got her through.

Mom and Marla talked several times over the weeks ahead, and Marla came to visit Mom in the hospital. Although their leukemia was a little different and their treatments were a little different, their journey was very similar. She was exactly the thing Mom needed... a stranger - and she was perfect!

Thank you Marla!

No news is good news

Sorry it has been awhile since I updated the blog. The good thing is that not a lot of "excitement" has happened. Mom has been recovering well from round 3 and getting stronger every day. She did have to go in and get platelets and red blood cells June 3. She had to be at the hospital at 1:00 p.m. They sent her to pediatrics - that's right, you read it right... pediatrics- and put her in a room. Since Same-day-service closes at 5:00 p.m., pediatrics does most of the after-hours blood transfusions. Mom says "They've got geriatrics in pediatrics!"

It took 8 hours and 15 minutes to get 2 bags of platelets and 2 bags of red blood cells. That made for a long afternoon. Since then, her strength comes and goes but her numbers have been getting better and better.

She will have round 4 on Thurs., June 23. It's only 1 treatment and it is back to the orange chemo. It should be like round 2 as far as intensity, so hopefully it will be somewhat of an easy ride. Don't get me wrong - nothing is "easy" about any of this, but the side effects were lesser on round 2 so that's what we're hoping for in round 4. Keep your fingers crossed!

Time for another stop at jiffy lube

Mom's a pint low. She's got a reservation at same-day-service tomorrow to get topped off.

Translation: Mom has lost a pint of blood and has to go to the hospital tomorrow to get some new blood. 

So, how does she get a pint low? She hasn't cut herself or been bleeding-- so how does she lose blood? Aunt Judy answers all these perplexing questions: Everyday you lose red blood cells, and the chemo has been killing them off at a rapid rate, so when they checked it today they saw that she is low. 

A picture is worth a thousand cheers!

There are more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. 

One out of every six people over 65 is a cancer survivor, and 1.4 million were diagnosed more than 20 years ago.

Hug your cancer survivor today!

Yellow and blue make green - not just ziplock!

Ziplock used to bank on the idea that if the general public buys their baggies and can see the seal change from blue and yellow to green, they know IT'S SEALED! 

Well, today we got a lesson in a similar color-merge phenomena. Blue Kool-Aid (aka blue chemo) +  tinkle (aka: your pee) = green tinkle (green pee). The nurse told Mom, "Oh yea, did we tell you yesterday that this blue chemo may turn your pee green?" 

I realize, that's a little too-much-information, but just when you think you are getting in a routine and can anticipate what's coming next, your pee changes color!

On a super-good note, Mom's bone marrow test came back clear of cancer cells. Whoo-hoo! One more treatment of blue kool-aid on Wednesday and round 3 is over. We aren't sure what these side effects will be... only time will tell.

Smurf juice or blue kool-aid?

There is something very strange about this picture. Blue liquid, of any kind, should not be injected into any one's body! The nurse called it Smurf juice and Dr. Jeong calls it blue kool-aid - either way it's just not right!

Down to the last drop! This is Heather, she is a nurse at the Cancer Center. Today it was her job to get every last drop of blue kool-aid into Mom's veins. Even she admitted the blue stuff is just weird. At $1200 a dose, we better get it all. Anyone have a to-go cup?

We go back tomorrow and Wednesday and then round 3 is over. This chemo has about the same side effects as the orange kind, but it takes a little longer to set in. Just as Mom was growing a little peach fuzz on her head, we go and kill it again. O-well, at least it will grow back-- and some of it was brown, not all gray!

Another pain in the butt!

Look at the party going on here! Today (Friday) they are doing another bone marrow sample. The needle that's blue on one end and green on the other is the one they poke through the bone to the bone marrow, then stick the others in the center of the blue one and extract the bone marrow.

Here are the slides they place the samples on. There were 9 slides all together. That's a lot of samples!

The procedure went well (better than the IV did). The nurse started an IV, but drew blood instead... lots of blood. She stuck the other hand and got it, but hit a nerve when she did. Mom felt a shooting pain down her middle finger every time she bumped it... luckily the nurse didn't ask to see what finger, mom would probably of shown her!

We should have the results Monday. Dr. Jeong says he's "100% confident it will come back free of cancer cells." But he would like to make sure. Cross your fingers!

Blue Kool-aid anyone?

Today I took a picture of the needle they use in the port. I think the needle is HUGE! Mom always looks away, so she has never seen it. I think it is about the size of an old diaper pin. It has yellow "wings" on the sides like a butterfly. She's finally got the knack of the numbing cream, so it doesn't hurt much anymore (unless they stab twice-Ouch!).

We met with Dr. Jeong today. He said round 3 of chemo would start May 23. This one will be different than the first kind of chemo. Instead of orange, it's blue. Mom asked the name of it and he said "Blue Kool-Aid!" She will take the chemo pills for 14 days, just like before, and have blue chemo Mon., Tues. and Wed. That will be round 3. The side effects are low blood count and dry mouth, but it's not as hard on your heart as the orange kind was. So, hopefully, she should get through this round like she has round 2. They will do a bone marrow test Friday just to keep an eye on it. Dr. Jeong thinks she's doing just fine. Round 4 will be 1 treatment of blue chemo.

Dr. Jeong explained the path of this cancer. She has APL type 3 (a version of AML). The first thing is to get the cancer cells gone from the bone marrow. That's what the first chemo did (the orange one). Next is to get rid of all other cancer cells floating around in her body. That's what the blue chemo will do. Once done with the 4 rounds of chemo, we wait 1 year and do chemo pills as a maintenance treatment. If the cancer would come back, it would do so within 2 years. So, we'll mark 2 years on the calendar and have a party for our survivor!

As summer peeks around the corner, enjoy the sunshine and think of Mom if you wet your whistle with some blue kool-aid!

Happy Mother's Day

What a beautiful day. The sun was out, and so was Mom. Although the thermometer reads 98.6, she still is running a bit of Cabin Fever. She's been cooped up inside for many days, so today she took a field trip to Granny's house. Pictured here are 4 generations: Hadley & Haden....Wendy....Virginia....Granny. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there from us 3 mothers here! This is (right to left) Wendy and her mother's (VA) mother (Shirley). Today was the first day in a long time Granny didn't have to pack a lunch. Instead, Mom came to her. She's been taking Mom lunch everyday since i-don't-remember-when---and I don't mean a deli sandwich or McDonald's. It's been roast and meatloaf and potato salad and homemade spaghetti. She's been eating like a southern belle!

Tomorrow Mom will go to the Cancer Center for blood work and to see Dr. Jeong. Fri-Sun (today) should be her bottom-out time. Although she gets tired pretty quick, she's feeling pretty good. This round of chemo has been nothing like the first one. Her mouth is dry, but no sores and tongue issues this time. She hasn't been too dehydrated, just tired. In a couple weeks, she'll do round 3. Dr. Jeong said he would do another bone marrow biopsy before the next round of chemo just to make sure everything is doing what it should. 

I hope everyone had a happy mother's day. And maybe we don't need to wait for mother's day to roll around every year, maybe we can hug our mama's any day of the year... because you never know what's around the next turn!

Scouts honor-

Monday was 2.4 (2nd round, 4th treatment) and the end of round 2. This week Mom has been a little more weak, and her mouth is starting to get dry. Somewhere between Friday-Sunday is when she should hit bottom. Last time it put her in the hospital, so lets hope she fairs better this round. Dr. Jeong says she's doing good and is right on track. Friday she will call and check in with the nurse at the Cancer Center and if they think she is too dehydrated, she will go in for a bag of fluid.

We discovered so many helpful items after round 1, and she's proactively using them now. The mouth spray, gel, medicated toothpaste and sponges on a stick are helping. Hopefully her mouth won't get as bad as it did the 1st time. Just like any good Boy Scout, always be prepared!

A bad hair day?

When all this started I said there would be good days and bad, some days we would laugh and some days we would cry. Today we are going to laugh... at that hat! It's made out of yarn that has frizzies off of it (Most people make scarves out of it). It's funny because at first glance, it looks like her hair. When I first saw her today I thought "Didn't your mama ever tell you not to stick your finger in a light socket?"

In the hat's defense, when you hold it by itself, it looks very expensive and it's very warm. She also has a tan one with different colors weaved into it. Maybe it won't resemble her hair so much.

Today was 2.2. (We are starting to get hip with the lingo – 2.2 means second round, second treatment) So, Friday will be 2.3. It went pretty well. She used more cream on the spot they stick the needle, but it still hurt when they poked it – but not as bad as Monday. I took in an iPad in so she could read some e-mails. Doesn't she look sporty and high-tech?! 

People are doing all sorts of things to pass the time. Reading, sleeping, working on laptops, talking on the phone, eating McDonald's, talking with the friend/family who is with them, and some just talk amongst themselves. In this room, there are probably 20 recliners all side-by-side lining the perimeter of the room. 

Today it was a full house, only a couple empty chairs when we got there at 1:00 p.m. Some people had been there since 8:00 a.m. and some only an hour or two. As I looked around the room, I noticed no pattern, no similarities, no reason to group all these people together. Cancer doesn't care your age, gender or race. Doesn't care if you're a mother, daughter, brother or only child. And most of the people had their real hair! 

But that's only because most people couldn't sport a hat like Mom!

April showers bring May flowers

I hope everyone had a good Easter! This year our celebration was full of firsts. I cooked my first ham and made my first batch of au gratin potatoes. Hadley made her first plate of deviled eggs and Mom DIDN'T do any dishes for the first time! The Easter Bunny left some chemo pills instead of jelly beans this year. She starts taking 8 pills a day for the next 14 days.

We had a quiet lunch and the sun peeked out enough for an egg hunt. Then the kids helped plant some flowers in Mom's planters. That was enough to wear her out and need a nap!

Today (Monday) we went to the Cancer Center for chemo. We didn't really know what to expect - the first chemo was all done in the hospital. She had the mediport (or Power Port for all you car-buffs out there) put in last Wednesday and they said it would be ready to use today. The incision is above the port, so they weren't poking in that area. She has some cream to put on 1 hour before she gets to the Cancer Center. It is suppose to make it numb so it doesn't hurt when they poke the needle through. Well, we are still learning about how all this stuff works and here is what we learned today: You can't use too much cream! 

The nurse asked if she had put the cream on and Mom said yes. So, the nurse said "on the count of 3 you'll feel a prick." One, two, three... Oh, that was a prick all right! Mom's eyes got real big and she opened her mouth real wide - but nothing came out. I think it took her a minute to catch her breath. The nurse asked "Does it hurt?" With white knuckles gripped on the chair arm and a tense voice she said "Yea, more than I expected!"

Everyone keeps saying that port is so much better... but we have yet to experience that. We are hoping Wednesday is a little better. There was a lady in the next chair getting treatment and her daughter was with her, they were both about me and Mom's ages. The mom said "Mine hurt the first time, too. The trick is to goop the cream on real thick, then it don't hurt! I didn't even feel the poke the second time."

The rest was pretty easy, she got a small bag of nausea medicine and a bag of fluids. While the fluid went in they gave her the chemo in the syringe. This time the syringe was about half the size it was that first time in the hospital (see that post and photo). Dr. Jeong said this was less-intense, so I guess that means less of it. She can already feel her mouth drying out from the chemo pills, but this time we are armed with gel, sponges on a stick and mouth spray!

We'll go back for another treatment Wednesday, so stay tuned for Wednesdays update to see if more cream does the trick!

Did we take a wrong turn at Jiffy Lube?

Here is what we did today: We went to Same Day Service and got a Power Port put in. They sealed it with super glue and said come back if we have any problems. They took the old hose out and patched that hole, too. Now, doesn't that sound like we took the car in for repair? 

Well, we didn't. We went to BroMenn Outpatient Surgery (they now call it Same Day Service) and they put in a mediport (they call it a Power Port).  They made a small cut and stitched it on the inside. They put glue on it from the outside to hold it together. As for the old hose, that's the picc line she's had since March 16 - they took that out because they will use the mediport from now on.

The surgery went well. It was cold in the pre-surgery room, so they let her keep her sock hat on. She was in recovery for about 45 minutes. Once she woke up and could stand up, she could go home. 

It all reminds me of a 15-minute oil change! But I think that visit will be a little more than $19.95.

A little mental floss

Here is Mom and Dr. Jeong (aka: VA and Dr. J)! This has been one heck of a journey and you never know quite where the next turn will take you, but you just hang on for the ride! We have really gotten attached to Dr. Jeong. Every time he comes in to talk with Mom, in the hospital or in the Cancer Center, he gives 110% of his attention. He answers any question ... from Aunt Judy's big-word medical-terms to my hand-gesture "thingy" descriptions.

Now, we did have one little discussion this past week regarding certain activity Mom could (or couldn't)participate in. Mom has been feeling better and better every day - but that doesn't mean we get to over-do anything! Her cousins get together every couple of months just to hang out, walk down memory lane and have a little quality time. Now, I call that a party, but Mom calls it an "intimate social gathering of family" (I wish I had thought of that when I was in high-school ... Mom, I'll be back later, I'm just going to an intimate social gathering of my classmates!) So, we let Dr. J make the call.

Since her blood numbers were continuing to go up, and if she was getting cabin fever, Dr. J said she could attend- just make sure no one had been sick recently. So, Mom and Aunt Judy and about 6 of their cousins had a nice little get-together. Mom's rule for the night was No huggin', No kissin', No cryin' (I think those were her rules for me at my social gatherings back in the day)!

So, all's well that ends well. This has been a physical journey just as much as it's been an emotional one. Seeing family did her mental health some good, and will help her to get stronger. Thanks everyone for all the e-mails and cards. Those help the mental health, too!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) she will go in for outpatient surgery to have a mediport put in. She will get her chemo through that for the next 3 rounds. Monday (the 25th) she will start round 2. Dr. J said this one will not be as intense as the first one... and we all know Dr. J is always right!

Through and through

So far, this week has gone well. Mom is resting and healing and getting a little stronger each day. We went to the Cancer Center for a check-up and to talk with Dr. Jeong about the next round of chemo.

She still has the picc line, but it decided to get infected, so they treated it and will take it out soon. Next week she will go in the hospital for outpatient surgery and have a mediport put in. It's a small, round ball put under the skin, right below the collarbone. She will get her chemo through that and they can also draw blood from it. The picc line has a catheter sticking out, and she has to wrap her arm when she showers so it doesn't get wet, and there are 2 ports where they stick the needles in that flop around all the time. Everyone says she will like the mediport so much better because, once healed, you don't know it's there. It's less trouble for the patient vs a picc line.

The following week, Monday April 25, she will start chemo again. Mon, Wed., & Mon. she will go to the Cancer Center for treatment (Sat - she'll go to the hospital as outpatient). This round should be a little easier on her. We're hoping it is!

Before, she was weak and couldn't seem to get any strength built up. This week, she gets tired, but she can rest for a bit and then have some energy. It's weird how your body reacts at different stages - what's actually weird is that she functions at all considering what her body has been through... and what's been through her body!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles

Is that Ringo Star? 

Oh, it's Mom and Chad (Wendy's husband). Can you tell who is wearing a wig?

Tricked you again, they both are! Those wigs are pretty convincing... and pretty entertaining!

Let's hit the open road!

The steroid sure kicked in! Mom is getting her strength back, and Dr. Jeong has released her. It's time to head home! 

She will go to the Cancer Center to have blood tests Mon, Wed, and Fri. In 2 weeks she will start another round of chemo. They say the first round is the hardest on your body, we hope that's the case!

She is still very susceptible to germs. Thank you to all the family and friends who have sent cards and e-mails. She really enjoys getting the mail everyday and having some contact with the outside world. It's hard for her now to be so "locked up," but she knows it will only last a little while, then she'll be back on the social circuit!

Peek-a-boo

Here's a sneak peek at my biker-chick mom. Isn't she cool!

Her hair is falling out pretty quick. She's still very weak but Dr. Jeong thinks she will go home Saturday.

The other day she was talking to Hadley on the phone and Hadley said "When I'm sick, I want my mom." Mom told her "Me, too!" 

Granny has been up to visit every day. She brings food to try and tempt Mom into eating (sometimes it works!) These last couple days she has helped her with a shower. Who would think their 78-year-old mom would still be giving their kid a bath?  :)

Her blood numbers are still going up every day, that's a good sign! Friday they started her on a steroid to help her get stronger.