So.... I've been in Philly since the 10th, havent even made it back to NY yet and the way things are looking, I won't be back anytime soon.
Mom's cancer spread to her spine and femur so she can no longer walk... The tumor on her c2 vertebrae has basically eroded the bone which the body perceives as a broken neck. The Neurosurgeon was amazed that she is even able to still move her head.
We are on an agressive radiation schedule and will probably introduce chemo sometime within the next few following weeks. It's been rough but hopefully the road will be worth traveling and mom will be in one piece again.
Thank you so much to those of you who have been following the story and asking, wishing, and praying for my mother's recovery. Though it won't be a speedy one, I truly appreciate everyone's support.
Mom's still awake so I have to go back to her hospital room now.
x0x0
(h) Lilo
Mom had her first round of chemo yesterday. Let's just say she isn't the ideal patient. She acted like a coke addict going through withdrawl for like 8 hours. She kept kicking me too lol - - supposively it was the pre-meds; the combination of benadryl and steroids that did her in. She can't remember any of it but I think that's because of all the ativan we gave her.
I've been so so tired even before we came to Philadelphia. The Cancer Treatment Center of America here is definately amazing though. Even the people there want me to go get checked out back home (they only accept people already diagnosed with cancer) for tonsillar, lung and chest tumors. When mom had her complete scans at the hospital they found a spot on the right side of her skull and her liver too. It sucks because that means she can't have radiation yet and her condition is so agressive they wanted to do both at the same time but the field of radiation has become too wide-spread.
Will update later. As the movie subtly suggests: MEDICATION TIME!
On May 1st my mom went to get an MRI of her chest because Dr. Mallon (her ortho) wanted to try to figure out why she has been in so much pain and stuff. It even looks like her rib cage is all twisted or something. Iunno, anyways...
Since we missed the 2 phone calls that day an hour after she had gone for the scan we didn't receove the results until yesterday.
Unfortunately the radiologist believes the tumor she now has is coming from the lung and causing destruction of the bones in the area.
Today we're going to go see a thoraxic surgeon at about 3:00 so I guess there will be more updates then.
Either way we are both staying positive that this isnt going to be too serious of a problem one way or another.
Until then I plan to spend more time with her and do everything around the house, in the yard, etc. so that she doesn't have to. I'm also getting intensely involved in focusing on writing my book(s). But there will be more about that later.