Good news and bad news..

I just got off the phone with Mom and she got the results back from her scan this week.  There is good news and bad news.  The good news is that the cancer has not spread.  They were especially concerned about her neck area because it had spread there before, but it has not spread anymore and that is very good news.  The bad news is that her tumor has grown larger and I think everyone is pretty concerned about that.  She will start radiation soon, I'm still not sure exactly when and they will try and get it that way along with yet another new dose of chemotherapy treatment.    Since radiation is so strong and hard on your body, she only has this chance of using it.  Her body will only be able to take the next 6-8 weeks of radiation and it better work!  I am praying that these next couple of months will prove successful as I am sure that they will not be fun for her living up at Stanford during the week.  I am sure she would love visitors though so if anyone has some time she will be up there Mon. through Fri.  Still also not sure of living arrangements, but will post when I find out. 

PT scan today, results in on Friday.  Mom will probably start radiation next week up at Stanford.  I'll let you know as soon as I know. I'm hoping for good results!

So last week Mom and Dad went up to Stanford again to meet with all the tumor specialists.  They were there for a very long time while the doctors checked her out, then met together to discuss what the next step would be.  I wish I could say that they were very excited at the progress and ready to get this all over with, but the truth is I think they were very concerned.  The spot on Mom's skin that they have been watching has actually gotten a little bigger and is now in a few more spots, which means it is spreading a little.  I think.  I will clarify if I get corrected on that.  They decided that she needs to start radiation right away along with yet another new dose of chemotherapy.  She will take that treatment by taking a pill everyday.  Hopefully the side effects of this treatment will not be too bad!  She will undergo 6 to8 weeks of radiation everyday except the weekends, and so will have to live at Stanford during the week.  I'm not sure who will be able to stay up there with her, or if anyone at all.  I wish I could go, we'll see.  They want to do another PT (I can't remember what it is really called, but it sounded like that) and another MRI and then start the radiation right away.  She is hoping to get a guest house at the hospital, but it is sometimes hard to get in without a lot of notice, so I hope that works out because if you know my Mom then you know she does not like to drive around in unfamiliar places by herself.  I would totally make fun of her right now and say something about getting lost, but unfortunately I am probably worse than her so I guess I better not say too much.  :)  haha  Thank you again for prayers, I know there are many people putting a petition upstairs for a quick and positive outcome.  

Happy Birthday!!

Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday, so let's hope good things are in store for her this week.  She has already started the week off wonderfully with a visit from good Oakdale friends Leslie and Mark.  They went to the beach, shopping, and dinner.  Then this coming weekend she will get to spend some time with the wonderful Karens whom everybody loves and I'm sure will only boost her spirits.  I'm so thankful for all the friends and family who have been so supportive and visited and kept things positive!  I always wish I was there, but I know my family is in good hands with so many fun and helpful people! 


Things seem to be going well lately, especially with the switch in medications.  Instead of going in once a week, she now takes a pill everyday which delivers a lower but more constant dose to her body.  Although still very tired, she says she is not nearly as utterly exhausted as she was when she was doing the combined treatments once a week.  She has been able to get out and do a few things and is feeling a bit better.  She has less than 3 weeks left and then will head up to Stanford to see what comes next.  Let's pray for only good things!

Prayers

So the rash on Mom's skin seemed to still be getting bigger and so she went back up to Stanford this past week to meet with their team of doctors and decide on a plan of action.  The entire team of tumor specialists (I think there were seven or eight doctors) met with her and examined her and went over all her past results.  She said at one point there was one doctor examining one breast and another doctor examining the other while the others watched and took notes.  Hmmm, a little uncomfortable - I think so!  But of course this is all good because it is wonderful to get multiple doctors who are all great and knowledgeable discussing together the best course of action.  They decided to continue with the chemo treatments, she has four left.  They are giving her two different doses of a treatment, which makes her extremely tired and not able to do much.  When those treatments are done, they will check her again (she goes back on the 16th of March) and then try to schedule the mastectomy, then radiation.  She will have six weeks of radiation at Stanford, so she will probably have to live there during the week as they will occur every day.  I am hoping at that point we can figure out a way to get either myself or others to stay there with her as that is a long time to be by yourself in a big city doing things that are not fun.  So we'll see when that gets closer.  

One thing the doctors tried to make clear on this past visit is the seriousness of the situation she is in right now.  I don't think any of us really realized how serious this has all been.  I know I have not.  I just figured that this was something that is not fun and pretty miserable, but necessary and that when it is all done we could go on and get back to normal.  I think I may have been wrong.  They told her that the cancer that she has is just one step beneath the level of being 100% non-curable.  They labeled her level with a letter and a number name but I can't remember any of it.  They told her it meant that her cancer is in the category of being highly incurable.   If it were to come back there may not be a whole lot they could do at that point.  So today I am asking please for the prayers of everyone in behalf of my Mom.  This has not been a fun journey but well worth it in the end to get rid of the cancer in her body.  We are all still very positive that things will be okay in the end, but there are no guarantees.  So please think of her and continue to keep my family in your prayers as you have already. 

speaking of cheering you up...

 This is how they dressed up to go pick up Lori from the airport.  Looking quite beautiful ladies!

Lynda, Grandma Kay, Jeff, Mom, Lori

Good News!

Yay for good news!  Mom was able to meet with her doctor on Thurs. and go over all her results from the PT scan she had a few days before.  The results were all good.  Her tumor has gotten much smaller and everything is looking very good and so she will continue with her treatments and do the surgery when those are all finished.  She has five more to go, so five more weeks of chemotherapy.  Now compared to all that she has been through so far, that may sound like not very much, but though she would never say anything, I think five more weeks may seem like a long time to her.  They did add another dose of something else to these treatments that she is having and she is not feeling real great!  So we are on countdown mode and things are looking good, but I think she could still use some cheering up now and then.