These are the people that are going to work their mojo to beat your cancer into remission. They are the ones that plan out the treatment plan, monitor your progress, answer your questions and even wipe away your tears.
My mom was blessed with the most phenomenal gynecological oncologist on the face of this (or any other) planet …and his staff members were not slouches either.
Dr. Alan Munoz is not only a skilled surgeon, but one of the most compassionate individuals I think I have ever met. But I imagine when cancer is your business; you have to have some pretty special gifts not only as a surgeon but as a human being.
There is a reason that this man has been named by Texas Monthly as a Texas Super Doctor and by D Magazine as a Best Doctor.
Now, having those kinds of well-founded accolades, means that you are going to be pretty darn busy in the operating room...so you better have a remarkeable staff that handles the day-to-day tasks, treatment over-view and can field the zillion questions that people are going to ask. And that is exactly what he has in Jeri Ann, Michele, Leeann, Karen and others I might not have met, or worse …might have forgotten!
Each and every time I took my mom to that office, those ladies treated her like she was the only one in their care. (Completely false because that office is jumping) While I am sure they were swamped, they always took the time to ask how she was doing, answered our questions and offered some reassuring words of encouragement and random hugs. They even had enough left over to slip a hug my way …and there were days that it was greatly appreciated!
There is a lot of love, faith and strength in that office that a patient and their family can draw upon.
Not that I wish cancer on anyone, but if you or a loved one is every facing gynecological cancer – hands down, Dr. Alan Munoz’s practice is where you want to be.
Thank you “Dream Team” for all you have done for my mom and for making this journey a bit more bearable!
Monday, January 1, 2007
Keep Us Informed
Once word got out that my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and had to go through chemo, there were a lot of phone calls and emails sent and answered.
We tried to keep everyone informed and reassure them that we were doing fine and how things were progressing. Thank the Lord for email!
Sometimes when you tell people that someone is ill, they create this mental picture that is not particularly accurate. With cancer, I think sometimes people just assume the worse case scenario.
Even though I would tell people that my mom was doing well and making great strides recovering for surgery and that we were ready to face chemo, I found that it really helped if we sent photos.
Incase you can’t read her my mom’s t-shirt, it says “my oncologist is better than your oncologist.” …and this was a week post-op – the woman is a cancer fighting beast!
Helpful Hint:
Family and friends are concerned but sometimes they won’t contact you because they feel they are being intrusive. During this time it might be difficult to respond to each and every inquiry, so you will have to get a little creative. If you can, set aside an hour a day to write an email update or blog that you send to family and friends – it helps keep them informed and can assist in alleviating some of their worries. If you can not to it yourself, have someone do it for you. People want to help during this stressful time – let them. Have them email updates or make phone calls that be structured like one of those tree calling systems. That way, no one person has to do it all …and include photos if you can.
We tried to keep everyone informed and reassure them that we were doing fine and how things were progressing. Thank the Lord for email!
Sometimes when you tell people that someone is ill, they create this mental picture that is not particularly accurate. With cancer, I think sometimes people just assume the worse case scenario.
Even though I would tell people that my mom was doing well and making great strides recovering for surgery and that we were ready to face chemo, I found that it really helped if we sent photos.
Incase you can’t read her my mom’s t-shirt, it says “my oncologist is better than your oncologist.” …and this was a week post-op – the woman is a cancer fighting beast!
Helpful Hint:
Family and friends are concerned but sometimes they won’t contact you because they feel they are being intrusive. During this time it might be difficult to respond to each and every inquiry, so you will have to get a little creative. If you can, set aside an hour a day to write an email update or blog that you send to family and friends – it helps keep them informed and can assist in alleviating some of their worries. If you can not to it yourself, have someone do it for you. People want to help during this stressful time – let them. Have them email updates or make phone calls that be structured like one of those tree calling systems. That way, no one person has to do it all …and include photos if you can.
Anything Up There
I will be the first one to tell you, that when my mom was diagnosed with cancer this time, I think I became a little more vigilant. As a family, chemo was new to us and when they started rambling off all the things associated with chemo therapy, it’s certainly not something you take lightly.
As a cancer supporter, you have to be on your toes and not be afraid to ask questions.
Case in point, when she got that little bump on her head, she not only developed a little lumpy spot but a significant bruise. Now, considering she didn’t break any skin, or have any signs of headache or blurred vision – a lot of emphasis (or second thought) was placed on that bump, other than it looked liked she went two rounds with Tyson!
But here is where the vigilance comes into play. I found that while I was in the presence of my mom, I was like a jungle cat laying in wait amongst the tall grassy leaves – silently waiting for any signs of difficulty. It’s a double-edged sword. You have to allow a cancer patient to do things for themselves – that’s what gives them hope and power to know that they are improving and kicking cancer’s ass. But you also have to be anticipatory in your thinking – always being a few steps ahead so you can spot the potential for trouble before it gets to you.
Soon after that bump on her head, I was having a conversation with my mom and I looked at her head and something in my mind, went wait a minute! For whatever reason, at that particular moment my brain decided to retrieve some information I learned in school. (You know that information that you question when you will ever use it again in your lifetime!) I recalled that a bruise is nothing more than damaged capillaries bleeding into surrounding tissue.
So why would my brain focus on that when we had more important things to consider? Because my subconscious was looking out for my mom – bleeding capillaries combined with blood thinners can not be a good thing!
I asked my mom if she had called her oncologist and informed him about the fall. She replied with a “No.” I didn’t want to scare her, but I told her we should probably make them aware of the situation, so I called.
Good thing! Because she was on blood thinners for that pesky DVT, there was a chance that those bleeding capillaries were not clotting and if they were left to bleed we could not proceed with the chemo in a few days. Her oncologist told us to take her for a CT scan ASAP.
Thankfully, everything was declared okay and my mom was told to rest for the next few days before we started chemo.
Helpful Hint:
Don't be afraid to call your health care team with any questions. You might think that you are pestering them, but they will quikcly reassure you that it is okay. There are no stupid questions and that is what they are there for. Rely on their knowledge as a vital resource.
As a cancer supporter, you have to be on your toes and not be afraid to ask questions.
Case in point, when she got that little bump on her head, she not only developed a little lumpy spot but a significant bruise. Now, considering she didn’t break any skin, or have any signs of headache or blurred vision – a lot of emphasis (or second thought) was placed on that bump, other than it looked liked she went two rounds with Tyson!
But here is where the vigilance comes into play. I found that while I was in the presence of my mom, I was like a jungle cat laying in wait amongst the tall grassy leaves – silently waiting for any signs of difficulty. It’s a double-edged sword. You have to allow a cancer patient to do things for themselves – that’s what gives them hope and power to know that they are improving and kicking cancer’s ass. But you also have to be anticipatory in your thinking – always being a few steps ahead so you can spot the potential for trouble before it gets to you.
Soon after that bump on her head, I was having a conversation with my mom and I looked at her head and something in my mind, went wait a minute! For whatever reason, at that particular moment my brain decided to retrieve some information I learned in school. (You know that information that you question when you will ever use it again in your lifetime!) I recalled that a bruise is nothing more than damaged capillaries bleeding into surrounding tissue.
So why would my brain focus on that when we had more important things to consider? Because my subconscious was looking out for my mom – bleeding capillaries combined with blood thinners can not be a good thing!
I asked my mom if she had called her oncologist and informed him about the fall. She replied with a “No.” I didn’t want to scare her, but I told her we should probably make them aware of the situation, so I called.
Good thing! Because she was on blood thinners for that pesky DVT, there was a chance that those bleeding capillaries were not clotting and if they were left to bleed we could not proceed with the chemo in a few days. Her oncologist told us to take her for a CT scan ASAP.
Thankfully, everything was declared okay and my mom was told to rest for the next few days before we started chemo.
Helpful Hint:
Don't be afraid to call your health care team with any questions. You might think that you are pestering them, but they will quikcly reassure you that it is okay. There are no stupid questions and that is what they are there for. Rely on their knowledge as a vital resource.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
It’s Just a Bump on the Head
Recovering at home was pretty much uneventful, with one exception.
During the night my mom had gotten up to go to the little girl’s room and lost her balance. Now, keep in mind we are just a few days out, post-op. When something like this happens, you get a little panicked. You’re not sure if you ripped some stitches or shook up something on the inside, so all modesty goes out the window.
My parents called my brother, who conveniently lives near by as well, who in turned called the fire department – much to my mom’s displeasure.
We wanted to make sure that she was okay and decided to let the professionals handle it. If you think she hates having family take care of her, you can imagine how it is when you have to call the professionals! :)
We are blessed to have some pretty cool fire department personnel who handled my mom with kid gloves and a liberal helping of compassion. Once they looked her over, they declared that she was okay; it’s just a bump on the head.
By the way, I could have told them my mom was fine – the woman did comment about the hot firemen in her bedroom! I told you she was a spunky hambone!
Thanks to TCFD for being there when we needed you!
During the night my mom had gotten up to go to the little girl’s room and lost her balance. Now, keep in mind we are just a few days out, post-op. When something like this happens, you get a little panicked. You’re not sure if you ripped some stitches or shook up something on the inside, so all modesty goes out the window.
My parents called my brother, who conveniently lives near by as well, who in turned called the fire department – much to my mom’s displeasure.
We wanted to make sure that she was okay and decided to let the professionals handle it. If you think she hates having family take care of her, you can imagine how it is when you have to call the professionals! :)
We are blessed to have some pretty cool fire department personnel who handled my mom with kid gloves and a liberal helping of compassion. Once they looked her over, they declared that she was okay; it’s just a bump on the head.
By the way, I could have told them my mom was fine – the woman did comment about the hot firemen in her bedroom! I told you she was a spunky hambone!
Thanks to TCFD for being there when we needed you!
Home, James
After our consultation with her doctor, we took my mom home for some much needed R&R. Let’s face it, when you are sick and feeling puny, there is nothing better than being in your own bed, surrounded by your stuff.
We said good-bye to those wonderful souls on the Angel floor and loaded my mom into the car for the ride home. My husband, James (it’s so cool to get on the car and say “Home, James) was designated driver and he did a wonderful job of getting my mom home in one piece – avoiding all the potholes and bumps in the round.
Once we got her through that threshold on Middleton Circle, she put on her jim-jams and melted into a nice, warm bed.
It’s true what Dorothy says – “There’s no place like home!”
We said good-bye to those wonderful souls on the Angel floor and loaded my mom into the car for the ride home. My husband, James (it’s so cool to get on the car and say “Home, James) was designated driver and he did a wonderful job of getting my mom home in one piece – avoiding all the potholes and bumps in the round.
Once we got her through that threshold on Middleton Circle, she put on her jim-jams and melted into a nice, warm bed.
It’s true what Dorothy says – “There’s no place like home!”
Taking the Stage
My mom’s doctor wanted to give her some time to recover and get her strength back before he discussed the treatment option.
So on the day we were scheduled to take her home, we sat down to discuss the findings.My mom’s doctor started the conversation with “I was surprised with what I found.” Even though the lymph nodes were clear, the cancer had metastasized to the bowel. A finding he did not expect to see, but diagnosed as Stage 4 endometrial uterine sarcoma.
Not what we were praying and hoping for, but what are you going to do? His course of treatment was a sandwich approach. Once she recovered enough from surgery, we would commence with chemo, radiation and another chemo.
Now even though my mom is a spunky, vibrant woman for her years, chemo is not for sissies!
We were familiar with radiation, but chemo was a whole new frontier and required certain considerations. It really does a number on one’s system.
Now, I am sure that most people would have questioned my mom’s decision to put herself through chemo. But the woman has a lot of years ahead and at least another grandchild in her future.
So once again, the family will close ranks and face this challenge like we always do – together …win, lose or draw.
So on the day we were scheduled to take her home, we sat down to discuss the findings.My mom’s doctor started the conversation with “I was surprised with what I found.” Even though the lymph nodes were clear, the cancer had metastasized to the bowel. A finding he did not expect to see, but diagnosed as Stage 4 endometrial uterine sarcoma.
Not what we were praying and hoping for, but what are you going to do? His course of treatment was a sandwich approach. Once she recovered enough from surgery, we would commence with chemo, radiation and another chemo.
Now even though my mom is a spunky, vibrant woman for her years, chemo is not for sissies!
We were familiar with radiation, but chemo was a whole new frontier and required certain considerations. It really does a number on one’s system.
Now, I am sure that most people would have questioned my mom’s decision to put herself through chemo. But the woman has a lot of years ahead and at least another grandchild in her future.
So once again, the family will close ranks and face this challenge like we always do – together …win, lose or draw.
It Was No Big Deal
While I am by no means bashful, I take my mom’s gratitude for being there for her in stride. I cringe when I hear here tell family and friends what a little Angel I am because I don’t think I did anything extraordinary – except dealing with the drainage tube.
Think back to a previous post when I said that I was not the same daughter that cancer knew back in 1998. Not only was cancer probably astounded, but so was my mom (come to think of it, so was I.)
When someone goes through major surgery, there are certain things that need to be done in order to facilitate recovery. Once again, everyone that knows me will tell you that I am no Florence Nightingale, except …perhaps my mom.
I am one of those people that happen to be a sympathetic puker and I would categorize myself under the “squeamish” heading. But something remarkable happened during this second round of dealing with cancer. I have no idea where it came from, but I am guessing the Good Lord had something to do with it - I became Superman…able to change dressings in a single bound!
Seriously, there were some things that were not pleasant, but they needed to be done. One would be amazed at how fast the autopilot kicks in. You are able to do things without thinking or cringing – which are pretty cool.
Now, it’s pretty hard for someone like my mom to rely on others to do for her. She’s a spunky little Italian who is the backbone of our family. I know it was difficult for her to be incapacitated and allow others to take care of her for a change, but I don’t think that what I did was a big deal.
A few times she had some crazy idea that she was a burden. But let me tell you how I looked at it. I didn’t feel obligated to do those things. I did them for all those years she took care of me with such love and unselfishness.
Consider it a return on your initial investment, mom!
Helpful Hint:
Trust me when I saw that there will be days that you will have no idea what or how you are going to help. There will be days when you will doubt if you can even do it or deal with it. But you will be amazed on the amount of inner strength and faith that you can muster up, at times without much effort, to do what needs to be done.
Hang in there, it will come and you will be able to get through it.
Think back to a previous post when I said that I was not the same daughter that cancer knew back in 1998. Not only was cancer probably astounded, but so was my mom (come to think of it, so was I.)
When someone goes through major surgery, there are certain things that need to be done in order to facilitate recovery. Once again, everyone that knows me will tell you that I am no Florence Nightingale, except …perhaps my mom.
I am one of those people that happen to be a sympathetic puker and I would categorize myself under the “squeamish” heading. But something remarkable happened during this second round of dealing with cancer. I have no idea where it came from, but I am guessing the Good Lord had something to do with it - I became Superman…able to change dressings in a single bound!
Seriously, there were some things that were not pleasant, but they needed to be done. One would be amazed at how fast the autopilot kicks in. You are able to do things without thinking or cringing – which are pretty cool.
Now, it’s pretty hard for someone like my mom to rely on others to do for her. She’s a spunky little Italian who is the backbone of our family. I know it was difficult for her to be incapacitated and allow others to take care of her for a change, but I don’t think that what I did was a big deal.
A few times she had some crazy idea that she was a burden. But let me tell you how I looked at it. I didn’t feel obligated to do those things. I did them for all those years she took care of me with such love and unselfishness.
Consider it a return on your initial investment, mom!
Helpful Hint:
Trust me when I saw that there will be days that you will have no idea what or how you are going to help. There will be days when you will doubt if you can even do it or deal with it. But you will be amazed on the amount of inner strength and faith that you can muster up, at times without much effort, to do what needs to be done.
Hang in there, it will come and you will be able to get through it.
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