Quick Update

This is Michelle.  My mom still hasn't given me permission to write on her blog, but we've been getting lots of requests for updates.  (She'd probably tell you that I'm going to be in trouble and that when she dies she'll come back and pull my toes.  I'll risk it.)


Thursday (5/3)- My mom was admitted to Norman Regional in order to get a CT scan to check for Superior vena cava.  Her doctor was afraid she had a restriction on her throat.  My mom's neck was extremely swollen and so symptoms appeared to match.  They kept her overnight.


Friday (5/4)- My mom's oncologist, Dr. Thorp came in and mentioned my mom was neutropenic.  That means, her white blood cell count is too low and she is at a great chance for an infection.  If she gets an infection, she has no defenses to fight it.  This was a result of the chemo she had Monday (4/30).  Since my mom had tumors that had been new and growing since she came back from MD Anderson and had started chemo here in Norman (4/9), Dr. Thorp said she felt we were going in the wrong direction and that chemo wasn't the right treatment.  However, there really wasn't any treatment available and Dr. Thorp was sending her home.  Devastating news, obviously.  


We asked if she could travel, the Dr. said no and that anyone who wanted to say goodbye should probably come to visit.  She didn't give us a time frame.


As my mom was being wheeled out she told her transporter he was selfish for being fat and smoking.  She said if he didn't go on a diet one day a week she would come back when she died and pull his toes.  


All of my mom's sister's flew in that night.


Saturday (5/5)- My mom woke up with a 103 fever.  It took my dad and I a little bit of time to get our acts together to realize what was going on, but pretty soon we had our routines with medicine and food and liquids.  Saturday ended up pretty good.  The pastors from our church came and prayed with her, and we spent the rest of the day together.  After everyone left my dad asked my mom what the highlight of her day was, so they got to process their day together.


Sunday (5/6)- My mom started out with a fever again.  She's really out of it when she has a fever.  (So we are starting to realize we need to send her to bed with IB Profen so we can prevent this)  After we got her fever under control, she was more like herself.  I think this is the day she had ice cream for breakfast and dinner.  We all watched her favorite shows together as a big family.  After everyone left this night, she piddled around her kitchen and cleaned her counters down, organized piles.  Only my mom would be bothered by a dirty kitchen.  


Monday (5/7)- I woke up around 7:20 and my mom was already up, changed outfits and washing dishes in the sink.  Crazy, but that's my mom.  She was peppy and energetic even (I think the IB Profen before bed helped as she did not have a fever this day).  This was the last day all her sisters were around.  She did really good but you could tell was a little more tired since she had her energy bursts in the morning.  Everyone left after dinner (and I must compliment the chef, my Uncle Bob made pork tenderloin, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, yum!)  Around 10 p.m. my mom started having pretty rough coughing spells but seemed under control after some meds and slept soundly.


Tuesday (5/8)- TODAY is my dad's birthday!  My mom is still coughing a lot, and we are keeping the fever at bay with more IB Profen.  A hospice nurse should be stopping by soon while all the boys are out running errands.  More to update you on later, but I wanted to give everyone an update.