Mom came home last night - exhausted. I spent a good amount of time massaging her feet as she slept on the couch. I hope fatigue is the worse of the side effect. I know she'll feel even worse if she loses her hair. Work literally wipes her out. Those poor feet, standing up, walking the entire day, wiping down tables, carrying trays of food. I hope that the amateur massuise in me helps reinvigorate her tired legs.
They say if you have no appetite, try eating a smaller meals more frequently. Yesterday, after work, she bought half a pound of a rack of lamb (@ $21 a pound @ Wegman's no less) and I boiled some watercress. Then a half hour later, she had some "gwey fa fun" - chinese pasta in the shape of flowers with some dried shrimp for flavor. I then washed some blueberries and plums for her to eat. She ate as though it's a chore, knowing she needs to but not feeling satisfied by the taste of the food.
My mom's health affects us all. A deep sadness because of the situation and sadness for the way our lives have changed so much. Just learned that my brother did not do well on his exams. Won't tell mom since she knows how much he's been studying. My brother tells my mom that when he achieves his Doctorate in Physical Therapy, she needs to be there. It's not a choice. She needs to be there. I think these things planned in the future help my mom keep going.
I can't imagine people who've been on chemo continuously without breaks. At the same time, I wonder if that's what kept them stable or disease free for so long. There's no clinical research to show maintence chemo makes a difference in overall survival, but at the same time, everyone's different. You follow the wisdom of the doctors you trust and essentially, your life is in their hands.
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