You know you have been in the hospital too much when...

So  today was another “cancer” experience with mom. It started with dad taking mom to the clinic to get her port put in, the procedure went well and there were no problems. Now she is blessed to have a new accessory!!! I relieved dad so he could go back to work around lunch time, I brought mom lunch and a gift from her small group, a kindle!!! Maybe next week she can stay awake long enough to read it. She was beginning to get tired and wanted to sleep, so I left and went home. 3 hours later I got a call from dad saying she was ready to be picked up and that she is a little out of it and someone will have to stay with her until he got home. Well, when I got there, her friend Jan was with her and filled me in that she had been nauseous so they gave her some really good meds, which made her really sleepy and a little loopy. This brings me to today’s funny story. You know mom has been in too many hospital recently, because when she sat up to leave she slurs “make sure you get my clear plastic bag with my clothes” and Jan and I are like “huh”? Then mom looks down at her clothes and goes “ohh I am wearing my clothes”! Mom has been so used to wearing hospital gowns and having to change. I thought this was a funny story and I am sure there will be more to come.

We are hoping that mom will be one of those few who don’t get any side effects but I am going to bet if there is a symptom to get, mom will get it!!! But we can all pray!!! We hope that mom has a great week and she will be back again doing it next week with a new concoction of drugs! Stay strong mom, you’re are doing awesome, God, friends and family are with you at all times!

Halfway between Earth and Heaven

I just love how you truly can’t plan anything in life, it is full of surprises! I thought about this as I was flying to meet my mom and I was halfway  between Earth and Heaven. It was a beautiful sight as I looked out the plane window looking at a “thunderhead” as Brian calls it, lighting up the clouds with lightening. It was the first time ever viewing this at eye level and it was beautiful. The clouds were so light and fluffy just like cotton candy! Within 24 hours from the previous day I was taking care of my girls and going about my day, but when I got the call from mom asking if I could fly up the next day to be with her for her procedure, because dad had to go back to work. I got off the phone and quickly called the people I know I can always count on. Just like I thought they were more than happy to help me out and I had the girls taken care of for the 2 days while I would be gone. The Burbrinks gave me their free flights and within 24 hours I was landing in St. Louis.

I now sit in the waiting room saying prayers of thanks for a seemless  procedure. I hope the next 48 hours are uneventful and we fly home safe on Saturday afternoon. The procedure mom had done was to block the blood flow to the right side of her liver so that the left side regenerates. We need specific prayers that it grows at least 9% within the next 6 weeks so she can fly back and get the “ Major” surgery, in which they will take the tumor and 2/3’s of her liver out. With that procedure she will be in the hospital for at least 10 days.  We are hoping that there will be enough family to rotate days and keep her company. Sean and Oma will hopefully come for a few days and dad and I will be there.

I do just want to give a shout out to Barnes Jewish Hospital and to their fabulous doctors and nurses. I was walking down the hall this morning and I was soooo happy. I got such a great feeling that this IS THE PLACE! I know great things will come from this place. Mom did a fabulous job researching and I am so glad she went for a second opinion.

So let’s get our cheerleaders going to keep mom lifted up and continue to stay positive. She has been soooo brave!! I just know her liver is going to grow fast and healthy!!!!

Second Opinion

Just a real quick update: Mom and Dad are both going to a hospital in St. Louis to get a second opinion today, she will meet with the chemo doctor at 1:00 and the surgeon at 2:30. Please say some prayers at these times. She hopes that she will have the feeling on which hospital to choose for her surgery and chemo by the end of the day. Everyone have a blessed day and I will hopefully have another update by the end of the day!!!

Update

Sorry it has been a few weeks, I went on vacation and have been extremely busy catching up!! I will try to do my best at explaining the updates to the best of my ability. SO while I was away mom had another stent put in her liver and they went ahead and put one in her pancreas so she wouldn't get pancreatitis. She also saw a geneticist and found out she has Lynch Syndrome which pretty much means she has a much greater risk of getting colon cancer and a few other cancers. So she went and had a colonoscopy yesterday and will find out results in 5-10 days. Since mom has Lynch Syndrome this means us kids have to have colonoscopies done every year as well and we have a greater risk of getting one of those cancers!!! Oh Joy!!!

This week mom has set up a visit to the Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for a second opinion next Tuesday and a third opinion on Wednesday to visit the Cancer of America I think in Oklahoma??? Hopefully Wednesday she can make a decision and hopefully get back and start chemo Thursday or Friday and then do her surgery at one of the 3 hospitals!!!

Once again it has been a very tough, trying and emotional week for mom. Constant phone calls to doctors and hospitals and then waiting on phone calls back along with mixed messages!!

Specific Prayers: Please pray that her cancer still is contained in a small area, that God gives her the right doctor and hospital choice, patience and healing.

To lighten the mood, my story for today is just a thankfulness of the most amazing mom anyone could only WISH for! As a little girl, only my mom could tuck me in, she would lay down with me in bed and read me a bedtime story. I can still hear her yawning in my ear. Before I knew it she was fast asleep!! I am not sure when she would sneak away but I would always find her by morning because I would sneak into her bed and put my cold piggies on her legs and sleep with her until morning!!  I love you mom! Stay strong, God will send some great answers to us next week. Keep your head up high!!