When you're diagnosed with advanced cancer, you get scanned every 3
months to find out the state of the disease...whether things are
spreading, shrinking, stable or unchanged. And every time, it's just as
nerve wracking. A few days ago, my mom started having shooting pain when she took a deep gulp or burped. She'd put her hand to where her stomach is. The worse is seeing your mom have pain or discomfort. It's a reminder of disease, of what it could or could not be, another tight, relentless squeeze in your heart.
PET/CT scan scheduled tomorrow, June 26 at 8:15am. Appointment with Dr is the following day, June 27 at 10am. And then we take it from there.
Just praying with all my heart, the new chemo is working, nodes are shrinking, vanishing, blasted into oblivion, and the pain...that's it's something else- pain from tumor shrinking, heartburn, hernia, anything but disease progression. If you've stumbled upon this blog, please send positive vibes our way. My mom's name is Nora.
I am sending positive thoughts your way....! To you and your Mom, Nora. I am on this blog because I had my stomach removed five years ago due to the CDH1 mutation. When I was a child, in the 70s, I lost my Mom to stomach cancer and then as an adult, I watched her sister, my aunt, die of the same disease. That was 6 years ago, and she was 60 years old. Even though she was VERY conservative, we also found some medical marijuana for her to use to help with the nausea and the low appetite. When I would go to her house to help her, I would make ANYTHING she asked for. I remember one time it was lime jello, "whipped the way grandma used to do it." I had no idea what she was talking about, but you better believe I did it! She also went on a kick where she only wanted chicken noodle soup from Panera and I went and got it sometimes 3 times a day for her. When she wanted me to pot her roses for her, I did it. When she wanted me to grab an umbrella and walk in the rainstorm so she could watch because it was so beautiful, I did it. When she wanted to talk or cry, I listened. When she wanted my sister to sleep next to her when she was scared, she did it. We tried to help her any way we could. In the end, hospice came and they helped us help her by helping us be better caregivers. It sounds like you are doing a tremendous job for your Mom and I guess I just wanted you to know I'm pulling for her, and for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. You and your family have been through so much. It's amazing how much you're willing to give of yourself when it comes to love.
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