Thank you all for your prayers and concerns regarding my dad. By many requests, an update on him as well!! :>)
I saw him Monday, yes, I wobbled, crawled, strolled with my walker but made it! haha! We thought he was suppose to have burr surgery (drill holes in head to remove fluid in the brain). Ouch! So Sonia (who arrived AM) and I (arrived around noon) sat in the hospital until 8 PM just to find out many more tests and procedures were needed to stabilize him before the surgery.
Naturally this was frustrating, all of these issues preventing surgery existed from the previous week. Like the week they scheduled the surgery! So, we sat there, asking questions, giving thoughts, requesting tests.
We did sneak to the cafeteria for lunch and dinner. The first time, Sonia patiently waited for me as I rolled the halls with my walker, short of breath...obviously out of shape! Dinner was different! We found a wheelchair!! Not being a Hospital Candy Striper like myself, Sonia had me to the cafeteria in no time, we learned to go real slow! haha! The whole time, me keeping my hands and toes tucked as she hit several corners, got us stuck entering the elevator and in tight corners! But it was so nice to have a ride! I felt bad for her as she seems to never catch a break from her mommy life. When she is not with the kids, she is at the hospital with my dad, brushing his teeth, cleaning his hands, clipping his nails and feeding him. Then I show up and her lunch away from my dad and her kids is getting me from point A to B, helping me get my meals and so forth. Calgon...take her away!!
On Wednesday he appeared much more alert,but he was not. He often thought he was working or in Mexico where he grew up. It was sad and heart wrenching. He talked of the University of Michigan hospital with me and my surgery as if I was not there.
His lung was drained of fluid which is currently being tested. The doctors said there was a lot of fluid not just a little. His platelet counts continue to drop, again...still searching why. A painful bone marrow test will be done, hopefully this will provide answers. Antibiotics were given in case he developed an infection. But the edema in his feet looked a lot better! He was finally allowed to eat again, they cut his foods off Sunday,"preparing for surgery." I'm sure he was happy about that!
As soon as his is "stable" again, they will resume with surgery.
Going on five long weeks in the hospital, it's obvious he's fighting hard. I pray the fight gives him a chance to live life with quality.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A Slow Recovery
I know! I know! This was suppose to be the easy part! I read my own writings again and again! No, surgery has not been the easy part! Haha! I’m a whimp, what can I say. Anyone who is in post op for three plus hours managing pain…doesn’t handle pain well. Oh ya…not only did I come home with a walker, I am still using a walker!!! Lol! But!! …Doc Martinez AKA Eva believes they put this JP drainage pump in wrong. My actual cut is not as painful as the area around the pump. From my knee up to my hip is in constant pain and the slightest tap, or attempt to move it sends excruciating pain up my whole leg. I’m also still dealing with the horrible “hot flashes” from the disease itself. So, here I am…still sitting in my recliner, like a withered woman, lost in a cancer world! Lol! And NO, I haven’t given up and NO, I’m not sad nor bummed, just pissed they put the pump in wrong! :>)..They did! Haha
As Mike mentioned, Teresa flew in to help with the girls during surgery! She’s a gem! I love listening to her stories when she cares for the girls. They always do “cool” stuff and learn the in things with her. That includes fashion as well! You just get this warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the girls with Aunt T, a special bond that grows each time they see her! These moments assure me no matter what "ok" is...the girls and Mike will be OK!
That pretty much sums up last week!
The weekend!
Patricia came in town! Thank goodness, we had three sick kids and a daddy who was going down fast!! She fulfilled my Mexican cravings with carnitas, salsa and tamales! Mmmm, straight from Mexican Town. Now that made a happy patient!! So, there I sat, legs up on the recliner, drooling as she prepared my plate, pounds added by the bite…once again, allowing others to help me. You know, I’m getting spoiled. Then she did a “clean sweep” on the apartment. She washed and folded laundry, cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed the house! Of course, she had to pick up the toys, the beads, the papers, the clothes and on and on to do the listed. In other words….she did a “clean sweep!” Mike was so grateful as he has been working very hard keeping up with his Queen and three Princesses! She was able to escape before Elena and the girls started begging her to stay the night! The last time she “stopped” by Elena went to bed leaving a big guilt trip with Aunt Patty. Aunt Patty ended up looking for the availability of a new toothbrush! Haha
Well guess who arrived with homemade enchiladas on Sunday! Sonia! Yummy!! Bella and Sonia came by to visit on their way to see my dad. Not really on the way, actually thirty minutes the opposite direction but it was nice to see her. Even better that she had more food!! So, can you guess how much I weigh now! Lol!
Did I mention, there are some perks to having cancer! They are easier to see when you get this kind of news…
Friday I received a call from the Doc. “The pathology results are back!” Wow, that was fast! “Great news“, the surgeon got “negative margins” all the way around. For those of us lacking the cancer terminology: the surgeon cut enough out that all the “ends” of the cut were free of cancer cells! Ba Bing! They also said necrosis was 99%! ….translated to: 99% of my tumor cells were dead!! DEAD! RIP!! Chemo worked like a charm on the tumor! Ba Da Bing!! Although we knew this, I did hope for a misdiagnosis but they were still confident I have High Grade Myxoid Liposarcoma. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad!
All in all, the surgery was a success, the tumor responded to chemo and with all the luck…it killed any cancer cell intruders on my organs!! My feelings, thoughts and tears are a whole blog in itself! As soon as I can sit confortably and type, I will post my written journal. It will be like going back in time! :>)
Now…for the dilemma! I met with the Radiation Oncologist today. (Yes, I planned on doing this part in TN) My Oncologist thought I should just talk to them at the University of Michigan and compare them to the team I choose in Tennessee. So I met. I wish I hadn’t. There’s a high recurrent rate with Sarcomas and even greater with a high grade diagnosis. They believe the experience they have with radiation and Sarcoma would be far better than anyone at a non Sarcoma facility. With their experience, they are knowledge in the way Sarcomas tend to recur and spread. Knowing this, they set the radiation parameters and angles accordingly. As for the radiation prescription, it would be protocol at most places. However, they will do 7 weeks at 5 days a week here. Yikes! The thought of not seeing the girls for most of seven weeks already breaks my heart. Mikes already shedding the tears of the possibility of not seeing me or waiting on me for seven weeks!! Haha! JK! Of course, we would need help for seven weeks with the girls as Mike has to go back to work. His company has been very understanding and helpful, its our turn to understand it’s a business and we desperately need the insurance and income. :>) The side effects are not too bad for radiation. Having been through chemo and surgery, this should be a breeze. (There goes my mouth again! Like “surgery being the easy part!”) Lol! I do expect fatigue, skin irritation, muscle stiffness and possibly an open wound as a result. These are all short term. The long term is more severe but I hope to have a long life to worry about the long term later!
So…here I am, once again researching the answer. Thinking about every scenario and hoping God will guide me to making the right decision next week. My “celebration bubble” busted so soon as I was so excited to return home and recover! My writings all so inspirational, so happy, so moving…only steps from having a second chance to live a life filled with love and faith! (Soon, time will allow me to type these written journals and post for you to read. PCs are hard to find convenient) LOL!
We thank you for your continued prayers, emails/comments and gifts in many forms! We thank God for answered prayers and guiding us through the most challenging and scariest thing we ever had to face in life.
Hope to see you guys next week in Tennessee!!
As Mike mentioned, Teresa flew in to help with the girls during surgery! She’s a gem! I love listening to her stories when she cares for the girls. They always do “cool” stuff and learn the in things with her. That includes fashion as well! You just get this warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the girls with Aunt T, a special bond that grows each time they see her! These moments assure me no matter what "ok" is...the girls and Mike will be OK!
That pretty much sums up last week!
The weekend!
Patricia came in town! Thank goodness, we had three sick kids and a daddy who was going down fast!! She fulfilled my Mexican cravings with carnitas, salsa and tamales! Mmmm, straight from Mexican Town. Now that made a happy patient!! So, there I sat, legs up on the recliner, drooling as she prepared my plate, pounds added by the bite…once again, allowing others to help me. You know, I’m getting spoiled. Then she did a “clean sweep” on the apartment. She washed and folded laundry, cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed the house! Of course, she had to pick up the toys, the beads, the papers, the clothes and on and on to do the listed. In other words….she did a “clean sweep!” Mike was so grateful as he has been working very hard keeping up with his Queen and three Princesses! She was able to escape before Elena and the girls started begging her to stay the night! The last time she “stopped” by Elena went to bed leaving a big guilt trip with Aunt Patty. Aunt Patty ended up looking for the availability of a new toothbrush! Haha
Well guess who arrived with homemade enchiladas on Sunday! Sonia! Yummy!! Bella and Sonia came by to visit on their way to see my dad. Not really on the way, actually thirty minutes the opposite direction but it was nice to see her. Even better that she had more food!! So, can you guess how much I weigh now! Lol!
Did I mention, there are some perks to having cancer! They are easier to see when you get this kind of news…
Friday I received a call from the Doc. “The pathology results are back!” Wow, that was fast! “Great news“, the surgeon got “negative margins” all the way around. For those of us lacking the cancer terminology: the surgeon cut enough out that all the “ends” of the cut were free of cancer cells! Ba Bing! They also said necrosis was 99%! ….translated to: 99% of my tumor cells were dead!! DEAD! RIP!! Chemo worked like a charm on the tumor! Ba Da Bing!! Although we knew this, I did hope for a misdiagnosis but they were still confident I have High Grade Myxoid Liposarcoma. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad!
All in all, the surgery was a success, the tumor responded to chemo and with all the luck…it killed any cancer cell intruders on my organs!! My feelings, thoughts and tears are a whole blog in itself! As soon as I can sit confortably and type, I will post my written journal. It will be like going back in time! :>)
Now…for the dilemma! I met with the Radiation Oncologist today. (Yes, I planned on doing this part in TN) My Oncologist thought I should just talk to them at the University of Michigan and compare them to the team I choose in Tennessee. So I met. I wish I hadn’t. There’s a high recurrent rate with Sarcomas and even greater with a high grade diagnosis. They believe the experience they have with radiation and Sarcoma would be far better than anyone at a non Sarcoma facility. With their experience, they are knowledge in the way Sarcomas tend to recur and spread. Knowing this, they set the radiation parameters and angles accordingly. As for the radiation prescription, it would be protocol at most places. However, they will do 7 weeks at 5 days a week here. Yikes! The thought of not seeing the girls for most of seven weeks already breaks my heart. Mikes already shedding the tears of the possibility of not seeing me or waiting on me for seven weeks!! Haha! JK! Of course, we would need help for seven weeks with the girls as Mike has to go back to work. His company has been very understanding and helpful, its our turn to understand it’s a business and we desperately need the insurance and income. :>) The side effects are not too bad for radiation. Having been through chemo and surgery, this should be a breeze. (There goes my mouth again! Like “surgery being the easy part!”) Lol! I do expect fatigue, skin irritation, muscle stiffness and possibly an open wound as a result. These are all short term. The long term is more severe but I hope to have a long life to worry about the long term later!
So…here I am, once again researching the answer. Thinking about every scenario and hoping God will guide me to making the right decision next week. My “celebration bubble” busted so soon as I was so excited to return home and recover! My writings all so inspirational, so happy, so moving…only steps from having a second chance to live a life filled with love and faith! (Soon, time will allow me to type these written journals and post for you to read. PCs are hard to find convenient) LOL!
We thank you for your continued prayers, emails/comments and gifts in many forms! We thank God for answered prayers and guiding us through the most challenging and scariest thing we ever had to face in life.
Hope to see you guys next week in Tennessee!!
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