Can I just say ….brrrrrrrrrrr – it’s mighty cold here in Texas!
Well, all the hoopla about a huge ice storm coming turned out to be incorrect. While we did have some icing on the bridges and overpasses (along with some patchy spots) here and there …all and all it was uneventful.
The nice thing was mom’s radiology team called before we left the house this morning and told us to stay home, be safe and stay nice and warm and toasty. I thought that was a very nice thing to do. Most of the time they tell you that you could have skipped coming after you’ve already made the white-knuckle journey!
Mom is having a great day today, I spoke with her this morning and she was just relaxing and enjoying a quiet afternoon – it’s good to have those kinds of days.
Tomorrow we start week two of radiation. I’ve calculated the days set aside for treatment and we should have the last radiation on February 12th – just in time for Valerie’s Day …I mean Valentine’s Day. ;)
We have gotten a lot of wonderful messages and they have all been passed on to mom. We thank you all for you kindness, words of encouragement and for keeping us all in your thoughts and prayers.
Take care of one another…and for those of you who need to…stay dry and toasty.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Week One is Done
Okie Dokie!
We have week one of radiation under our belts! Friday was the last day and it's a good thing since we are expected to have a really big winter storm here. And for those of you that are not familiar with Texas, winter storm here usually means ice more so than snow. And while I would take mom anywhere she needs to go, we are not slipping and sliding our way to Medical City! I have this fear of sliding off one of those overpasses and plummeting roughly a hundred feet to my doom – hey…it could happen, so better safe than sorry. ;)
Friday was the completion of our first week of radiation. Everything went well and mom was having a great day. It’s amazing were and when you sometimes cross paths with people from your past.
Once mom was through with her treatment, she came out to the family waiting area and told me that she had run into her oncologist who treated her for breast cancer back in 1998. Talk about being a small world!
Mom said that she and Dr. Gilbert chatted for awhile and he asked how she was doing. She gave him the condensed version of the past five months and he asked her if he could sneak a peak at her chart. Mom said he scanned though it reassured her that she should see some good results at the end of her treatment.
When dealing with cancer, doctors never really say “everything is going to be fine” or “you will be okay”, which I understand because you never really know what will happen, especially when you are dealing with anything higher than a Stage 1 cancer. But as far as Dr. Gilbert’s comment, I think for my mom that was just about as close as you can get to saying to saying “everything’s going to be fine.”
We left Medical City anticipating that we would probably skip Monday’s treatment and take a radiation snow/ice day. I had to swing by the store and get the basics before the bad weather set in and asked mom if she wanted to come along.
I swear to goodness sake, that woman is at the top of the “Who’s Who” list for The Colony. We could not make it from one end of the store to the other without people stopping and asking how she was doing. Those that know about the cancer just lit up when they saw her and those they didn’t know gave her a hand squeeze or hug when she told them. I think it does a lot for her psyche to get out and about again and visit. The woman is a true social butterfly!
She gets stronger by the day, even though radiation makes her tired. I suggested she set aside a specific time every day, just an hour or so, to take a power nap or just lie down and recharge. Now, for those of you that know my mom, she will tell you that she doesn’t “do naps” because she thinks they are for old people. News flash! Val takes a power nap every now and then and I told her if it made her feel better, I would be more than happy to nap along with her at my house! Now that’s sacrificing for the one you love, people! ;)
Things are moving along in a positive direction. This month she is going to take me up on an offer I made before Christmas – to take her to a Woman’s Cancer Support Group meeting. They meet once a month for coffee and fellowship and I think it would be really good for her, and now that she’s not doing the chemo, she said she is feeling better and would like to go.
While I would like to think that I could be all things to all people – it’s just not so. There are certain things that I can not identify with and that is having cancer and moving through the treatment plan. I have done all that I can do, but I think mom still has some healing to do on the inside. I know during some of our conversations, she sometimes still asks why she had to get cancer twice. One may never really know the answer to that question, but I think it would be extremely helpful to be able to sit with other survivors and at least ponder the question.
That’s our update for the week and now we are going to hunker down and brace for the lovely ice storm that is headed our way!
As my mom always says, “be kind and loving to each other” and know that your prayers are being heard and your kind thoughts are being felt.
Love to you all and thank you for your continued support!
(And don’t make fun of my early morning artwork…I hadn’t had my first cup of coffee and without Photoshop, I was working with limited resources – dried up makers! ;)
We have week one of radiation under our belts! Friday was the last day and it's a good thing since we are expected to have a really big winter storm here. And for those of you that are not familiar with Texas, winter storm here usually means ice more so than snow. And while I would take mom anywhere she needs to go, we are not slipping and sliding our way to Medical City! I have this fear of sliding off one of those overpasses and plummeting roughly a hundred feet to my doom – hey…it could happen, so better safe than sorry. ;)
Friday was the completion of our first week of radiation. Everything went well and mom was having a great day. It’s amazing were and when you sometimes cross paths with people from your past.
Once mom was through with her treatment, she came out to the family waiting area and told me that she had run into her oncologist who treated her for breast cancer back in 1998. Talk about being a small world!
Mom said that she and Dr. Gilbert chatted for awhile and he asked how she was doing. She gave him the condensed version of the past five months and he asked her if he could sneak a peak at her chart. Mom said he scanned though it reassured her that she should see some good results at the end of her treatment.
When dealing with cancer, doctors never really say “everything is going to be fine” or “you will be okay”, which I understand because you never really know what will happen, especially when you are dealing with anything higher than a Stage 1 cancer. But as far as Dr. Gilbert’s comment, I think for my mom that was just about as close as you can get to saying to saying “everything’s going to be fine.”
We left Medical City anticipating that we would probably skip Monday’s treatment and take a radiation snow/ice day. I had to swing by the store and get the basics before the bad weather set in and asked mom if she wanted to come along.
I swear to goodness sake, that woman is at the top of the “Who’s Who” list for The Colony. We could not make it from one end of the store to the other without people stopping and asking how she was doing. Those that know about the cancer just lit up when they saw her and those they didn’t know gave her a hand squeeze or hug when she told them. I think it does a lot for her psyche to get out and about again and visit. The woman is a true social butterfly!
She gets stronger by the day, even though radiation makes her tired. I suggested she set aside a specific time every day, just an hour or so, to take a power nap or just lie down and recharge. Now, for those of you that know my mom, she will tell you that she doesn’t “do naps” because she thinks they are for old people. News flash! Val takes a power nap every now and then and I told her if it made her feel better, I would be more than happy to nap along with her at my house! Now that’s sacrificing for the one you love, people! ;)
Things are moving along in a positive direction. This month she is going to take me up on an offer I made before Christmas – to take her to a Woman’s Cancer Support Group meeting. They meet once a month for coffee and fellowship and I think it would be really good for her, and now that she’s not doing the chemo, she said she is feeling better and would like to go.
While I would like to think that I could be all things to all people – it’s just not so. There are certain things that I can not identify with and that is having cancer and moving through the treatment plan. I have done all that I can do, but I think mom still has some healing to do on the inside. I know during some of our conversations, she sometimes still asks why she had to get cancer twice. One may never really know the answer to that question, but I think it would be extremely helpful to be able to sit with other survivors and at least ponder the question.
That’s our update for the week and now we are going to hunker down and brace for the lovely ice storm that is headed our way!
As my mom always says, “be kind and loving to each other” and know that your prayers are being heard and your kind thoughts are being felt.
Love to you all and thank you for your continued support!
(And don’t make fun of my early morning artwork…I hadn’t had my first cup of coffee and without Photoshop, I was working with limited resources – dried up makers! ;)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
3 Down 22 To Go
We’ve had three radiation treatments as of today. Things are going well and mom is doing fine…a little tired, but fine.
We met with her radiologist, Dr, Macko today and she said so far, so good. Mom had x-rays the first two days and Dr. Mack explained today that the reason they do that is so she can verify that the radiation’s trajectory is being aimed at the places she mapped out in our “meet and greet” visit.
That’s kind of cool that even though the doctor’s not there, she knows exactly what is going on.
Tomorrow, I will be passing the baton to my brother, Andy. Because radiation is five days straight for almost a month, he is going to take mom a few days out of the week. It’s been a long five months and with school starting on Monday, it’s helpful to have a back-up – even the best of us needs a break every now and then. I know mom is ready for a few days without doctors and/or appointments. But once this is all over and done with – Vegas, baby…Vegas!
All in all it was a good day today. We stopped at a little European coffee shop today for a panini and a cup of joe and then did a little shopping.
Be kind to one another and blessings to you all!
We met with her radiologist, Dr, Macko today and she said so far, so good. Mom had x-rays the first two days and Dr. Mack explained today that the reason they do that is so she can verify that the radiation’s trajectory is being aimed at the places she mapped out in our “meet and greet” visit.
That’s kind of cool that even though the doctor’s not there, she knows exactly what is going on.
Tomorrow, I will be passing the baton to my brother, Andy. Because radiation is five days straight for almost a month, he is going to take mom a few days out of the week. It’s been a long five months and with school starting on Monday, it’s helpful to have a back-up – even the best of us needs a break every now and then. I know mom is ready for a few days without doctors and/or appointments. But once this is all over and done with – Vegas, baby…Vegas!
All in all it was a good day today. We stopped at a little European coffee shop today for a panini and a cup of joe and then did a little shopping.
Be kind to one another and blessings to you all!
Monday, January 8, 2007
First Day of School vs First Day of Radiation
Today was our first day of radiation! I found a certain irony in the fact that in a couple of days, I will be starting my spring college semester. I was hoping to have finished last semester, but with mom’s surgery and the chemo, I just was not in the mood to worry about school or to really focus for that matter.
So I picked up my little lima bean at 9am. Our scheduled radiation time is 10am, Monday-Friday and the hospital is about 25 minutes away – if I have a clear path down the Tollway. ;)
As a loaded her into the car, I started to think about all the similarities that the first day of radiation and the first day of school have. Mom was all dressed up with a nice little sweater, her beanie cap and make-up. Much like school, you want to make a good impression on the first day!
So we are driving along and she gets a little misty. I am sure it was nerves, not knowing what to expect and the anticipation of meeting the technician, again …very similar to the first day of school (I think I cried every first day of the new school year until I was at least 7!) Now, every now and again, I have to remind my mom about how far she has come. I don’t think she fully appreciates the magnitude of the situation. She was diagnosed with Stage IVa endometrial sarcoma, people. Basically, since the cancer had spread to the bowel, it was considered an “advanced cancer.” Only 3% of this stage of cancer is caught early enough to really be impacted by treatment. The only other stop on this crazy train was a Stage IVb, which means that the cancer has spread to other organs throughout the body. So sometimes I have to break out the tough love speech and remind her of that fact, combined with major surgery and chemo and the fact that you did all that in your 80th year – heck yeah you are a walking miracle …and as my people would say (as unlady like as it is) hey …cancer …. vaffanculo!
Once I smacked her around a bit (just kidding) and we got to the hospital, we were good to go. My mom’s technician came out, took her by the hand and off they went. While I was waiting in the “holding tank” for my mom to come back, I started to talk to some of the other folks around me – it’s amazing the kind of kinship you can build with others in a brief amount of time.
Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom walk through the double doors, with her little beanie cap on, giving me the thumbs up and grinning ear-to-ear …and for the first-time in a few months, I lost it in public.
The first day of radiation is much like my first days of school when I was a youngster. My mom always dressed me to the nines, drove me to school, held my hand, walked me to the door and made sure I was comfortable with the teacher before she left me. And at the end of the day, when the school bell rang and I ran outside to go home, she was always the first face I saw – waiting their with open arms and smiling from ear-to-ear …asking how everything went and admiring that macaroni necklace or scribbled self-portrait, as if it was done by Picasso himself. (As a matter of fact, she still has all that stuff.)
Oddly, the exact things my mom did for me thirty years ago are the same things I am doing for her as she works her way through each treatment.
Today, when my mom finished radiation and came down that hallway smiling ear-to-ear…I had a revelation. With tears running down my face, I got it! - This was her macaroni necklace – getting through her first radiation treatment. This was her moment to shine with confidence because she did it.
You have a lot more “macaroni necklace” moments in your future mom and I will look at each and every one of them as if they came in a blue Tiffany’s box – precious and beautiful!
Because the Longo/Conley girls never end the day on a serious note, we stopped off at Starbucks for a Dolce Cinnamon Latte and a cranberry scone …and fought off the paparazzi.
Enjoy the photos of the day and know that we love each and every one of you and thank you all for your continued prayers and support.
See you tomorrow…same bat time….same bat channel!
P.S. - Note in the last picture...I spy something white and fuzzy - We have follicle sightings a month after her last chemo! ;)
So I picked up my little lima bean at 9am. Our scheduled radiation time is 10am, Monday-Friday and the hospital is about 25 minutes away – if I have a clear path down the Tollway. ;)
As a loaded her into the car, I started to think about all the similarities that the first day of radiation and the first day of school have. Mom was all dressed up with a nice little sweater, her beanie cap and make-up. Much like school, you want to make a good impression on the first day!
So we are driving along and she gets a little misty. I am sure it was nerves, not knowing what to expect and the anticipation of meeting the technician, again …very similar to the first day of school (I think I cried every first day of the new school year until I was at least 7!) Now, every now and again, I have to remind my mom about how far she has come. I don’t think she fully appreciates the magnitude of the situation. She was diagnosed with Stage IVa endometrial sarcoma, people. Basically, since the cancer had spread to the bowel, it was considered an “advanced cancer.” Only 3% of this stage of cancer is caught early enough to really be impacted by treatment. The only other stop on this crazy train was a Stage IVb, which means that the cancer has spread to other organs throughout the body. So sometimes I have to break out the tough love speech and remind her of that fact, combined with major surgery and chemo and the fact that you did all that in your 80th year – heck yeah you are a walking miracle …and as my people would say (as unlady like as it is) hey …cancer …. vaffanculo!
Once I smacked her around a bit (just kidding) and we got to the hospital, we were good to go. My mom’s technician came out, took her by the hand and off they went. While I was waiting in the “holding tank” for my mom to come back, I started to talk to some of the other folks around me – it’s amazing the kind of kinship you can build with others in a brief amount of time.
Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom walk through the double doors, with her little beanie cap on, giving me the thumbs up and grinning ear-to-ear …and for the first-time in a few months, I lost it in public.
The first day of radiation is much like my first days of school when I was a youngster. My mom always dressed me to the nines, drove me to school, held my hand, walked me to the door and made sure I was comfortable with the teacher before she left me. And at the end of the day, when the school bell rang and I ran outside to go home, she was always the first face I saw – waiting their with open arms and smiling from ear-to-ear …asking how everything went and admiring that macaroni necklace or scribbled self-portrait, as if it was done by Picasso himself. (As a matter of fact, she still has all that stuff.)
Oddly, the exact things my mom did for me thirty years ago are the same things I am doing for her as she works her way through each treatment.
Today, when my mom finished radiation and came down that hallway smiling ear-to-ear…I had a revelation. With tears running down my face, I got it! - This was her macaroni necklace – getting through her first radiation treatment. This was her moment to shine with confidence because she did it.
You have a lot more “macaroni necklace” moments in your future mom and I will look at each and every one of them as if they came in a blue Tiffany’s box – precious and beautiful!
Because the Longo/Conley girls never end the day on a serious note, we stopped off at Starbucks for a Dolce Cinnamon Latte and a cranberry scone …and fought off the paparazzi.
Enjoy the photos of the day and know that we love each and every one of you and thank you all for your continued prayers and support.
See you tomorrow…same bat time….same bat channel!
P.S. - Note in the last picture...I spy something white and fuzzy - We have follicle sightings a month after her last chemo! ;)
Saturday, January 6, 2007
I'm a Bad Mother
Remember how I touched on chemo brain a few posts back and I said that I thought it was contagious?
Well, I did the most horrific thing to date on Friday. After I dropped my mom off at her house (following her blood work), I decided to bring home some take-out. I just got up feeling tired on Friday and really not in the mood to cook when I got home.
My husband, James and I, have two dogs. We thought before we committed to raising another life for eighteen years, we should start slow and see if we could keep a dog healthy and happy. Now we each have a strong bond with a specific dog. My dog, Ryker tends to stay near me, while Ruger is spoiled rotten by my husband.
Usually when I get home, the front door opens and out come my boys to great me. And after a few minutes, we all go back into the house. Well, on Friday, as I worked my way into the kitchen, I assumed that my boys were behind me. As I worked my way to the dining room, with take-out in hand, I noticed a black tail go past the front window.
I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “What idiot would let their dog run loose in the neighborhood?” As I put dinner on the table, I walked towards the window and saw the tail go by again, but this time I noticed a red collar around a very familiar face – It was our boy! I had closed the front door on my husband’s dog, Ruger!
Now, let’s just say that if anything happened to that dog while it was in my care, I might as well move out and leave no forwarding address.
But thankfully, when I opened the front door and called his name, bouncing through the door he came. I felt so bad for actually forgetting to make sure that he had come in that I spent fifteen minutes apologizing to this dog. Of course, he had no clue what I was saying, but after a few squeezes of his favorite squeaky ball …all was forgiven.
There are days when I am amazed that I put my shoes on the correct feet!
(These are my boys ...my husband is the one in the middle, Ryker is on the left and Ruger is to the right - it's such a handsome little family!)
Well, I did the most horrific thing to date on Friday. After I dropped my mom off at her house (following her blood work), I decided to bring home some take-out. I just got up feeling tired on Friday and really not in the mood to cook when I got home.
My husband, James and I, have two dogs. We thought before we committed to raising another life for eighteen years, we should start slow and see if we could keep a dog healthy and happy. Now we each have a strong bond with a specific dog. My dog, Ryker tends to stay near me, while Ruger is spoiled rotten by my husband.
Usually when I get home, the front door opens and out come my boys to great me. And after a few minutes, we all go back into the house. Well, on Friday, as I worked my way into the kitchen, I assumed that my boys were behind me. As I worked my way to the dining room, with take-out in hand, I noticed a black tail go past the front window.
I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “What idiot would let their dog run loose in the neighborhood?” As I put dinner on the table, I walked towards the window and saw the tail go by again, but this time I noticed a red collar around a very familiar face – It was our boy! I had closed the front door on my husband’s dog, Ruger!
Now, let’s just say that if anything happened to that dog while it was in my care, I might as well move out and leave no forwarding address.
But thankfully, when I opened the front door and called his name, bouncing through the door he came. I felt so bad for actually forgetting to make sure that he had come in that I spent fifteen minutes apologizing to this dog. Of course, he had no clue what I was saying, but after a few squeezes of his favorite squeaky ball …all was forgiven.
There are days when I am amazed that I put my shoes on the correct feet!
(These are my boys ...my husband is the one in the middle, Ryker is on the left and Ruger is to the right - it's such a handsome little family!)
She's a Keeper
Friday was blood work day – woohoo…my mom so looks forward to that! Since she is still being treated for that pesky DVT (no signs of blockage, but they usually treat for a few months after as a precaution), we have blood drawn every week to monitor the counts/levels. Not to mention, low counts is a side effect of radiation, so we want to make sure that we have good levels before Monday.
The nurse that came to take my mom back and draw her blood was very sweet. Now it takes my mom a few minutes to “get her sea legs” once she stands up and the nurse put her arm out to give my mom some stability and off they went.
When they came around the corner a few minutes later and the nurse tried to hand her off to me, I told her …”Sorry all sales are final, no refunds or exchanges!”
Just kidding people! My mom had a great day and her blood counts were high– they are all doing their job and circling the wagon, gearing up for Monday.
Her hair is even starting to sprout. Oh wait …I forgot….hair was one of my new Italian words for the day. So…I should say that her i cappeli is starting to sprout. ;)
The nurse that came to take my mom back and draw her blood was very sweet. Now it takes my mom a few minutes to “get her sea legs” once she stands up and the nurse put her arm out to give my mom some stability and off they went.
When they came around the corner a few minutes later and the nurse tried to hand her off to me, I told her …”Sorry all sales are final, no refunds or exchanges!”
Just kidding people! My mom had a great day and her blood counts were high– they are all doing their job and circling the wagon, gearing up for Monday.
Her hair is even starting to sprout. Oh wait …I forgot….hair was one of my new Italian words for the day. So…I should say that her i cappeli is starting to sprout. ;)
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Our Ritual
So my mom and I have this ritual and it’s been going on for at least 3 months. Whenever she has a treatment or doctor’s appointment (more often than not) we stop for lunch, ice cream, coffee, shopping, whatever. She says it’s her way of doing something for me since I give up so much of my time – whatever mom! But there is no fighting her on this – chemo or not, she can still take her shoe off and smack me up side the head!
Now, we’ve been to some places that have really grown on her: Pei Wei Asian Diner, Snuffer’s (the cheddar cheese fries alone can cure what ails you) and Paciugo for Italian gelato and since her treatments are not everyday, I can still button my pants! When radiation starts, we’ll probably make Starbucks Coffee our ritual.
SO we are sitting in Pei Wei today and she looks over at me and looks a bit concerned. I asked her what was wrong. And she told me she was going to miss being with me all the time. Since, I am not the type to miss a golden opportunity to use my sharp wit … I told her, “I hear you …I’m going to miss all these free lunches. I may have to start cruising the neighborhood for old people who need a ride. This could be a pretty lucrative side business.”
That’s twice I have made her shoot soda out of her nose – it’s all in a days work!
Seriously, I told her that we would still do lunches as often as she wanted to and as long as I could comfortably button my pants! :)
The moral of this story, as I have said before, cancer sucks, but I have to say that I have enjoyed the time I have gotten to be with my mom and the opportunity to make her shoot carbonated beverages out of her nose. Her cancer has given us yet another gift, the ability to spend a lot of time together not just as mother and daughter, but as friends.
Life is good!
Now, we’ve been to some places that have really grown on her: Pei Wei Asian Diner, Snuffer’s (the cheddar cheese fries alone can cure what ails you) and Paciugo for Italian gelato and since her treatments are not everyday, I can still button my pants! When radiation starts, we’ll probably make Starbucks Coffee our ritual.
SO we are sitting in Pei Wei today and she looks over at me and looks a bit concerned. I asked her what was wrong. And she told me she was going to miss being with me all the time. Since, I am not the type to miss a golden opportunity to use my sharp wit … I told her, “I hear you …I’m going to miss all these free lunches. I may have to start cruising the neighborhood for old people who need a ride. This could be a pretty lucrative side business.”
That’s twice I have made her shoot soda out of her nose – it’s all in a days work!
Seriously, I told her that we would still do lunches as often as she wanted to and as long as I could comfortably button my pants! :)
The moral of this story, as I have said before, cancer sucks, but I have to say that I have enjoyed the time I have gotten to be with my mom and the opportunity to make her shoot carbonated beverages out of her nose. Her cancer has given us yet another gift, the ability to spend a lot of time together not just as mother and daughter, but as friends.
Life is good!
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