Introduction

Welcome to my blog about my mom, Loretta, and our journey through learning of her cancer and treatment.

Just a little background. Mom is 61 and hadn't been to a doctor in about 18 years until this past June 2011. The reason for this is due to the surmountable cost of insurance, even when your spouse has insurance it can be cost prohibitive.
So, Mom finally got approved by JPS in June and it was a good thing too, she had Basil cell carcinoma on the bridge of her nose. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor and plastic surgery reconstruction. She also has high blood pressure and Thyroid problems. We thought she was finally getting the attention she was missing and was going to be OK. Boy were we mistaken.
Mom started having some abdominal pain the first of January 2012. After talking with her and the pain getting worse, she finally agreed that she needed to go to the clinic or ER.
The following blog posts chronicle the events since then. Future posts will continue to explain treatment, issues concerning her condition and general comments.
I appreciate you taking the time to learn about what it means to be diagnosed and this type of cancer. Mom has been a trooper so far, she says "I'll beat this".

Monday, April 2, 2012

Chemo treatment update

4/2/12 - Monday
Ok, I know it's been a long while since I last posted any updates or info.
So 3/21 was Mom's first chemo treatment and surprisingly enough, she tolerated it very well. Of course she was tired for a few days afterwards, but she also doesn't know how to "slow down"...
The following wednesday was her second treatment and again, she did very well. She's been making the twice a week trip to the bowling alley to visit with their friends, but last Thur night she stayed home. She said she was really tired.
Mom still has a lot of spunk, but she's still loosing weight. So much so that her doctor has prescribed Carnation protein drinks. Problem is, she's on Coumadin and can't have vitamin k. The carnation drinks have quite a bit of vitamin k in them. No need to worry, I have her all set up with Herbalife protein shake mix and some added soy protein powder. Neither of them have vitamin k. She loved the chocolate/banana shake I made up for her tonight.
Tomorrow is her chemo day, but this is her off week. She will resume these 21 day cycles next Wednesday.
Monday 4/9 is her radiology consultation. She missed last weeks appointment. Since she missed her appt, I've taught her how to use her smartphones calendar for appt's.
On a side note: I bought mom & Kent (dad) matching magnetic bracelets.
Mom reports that her tumor pain has decreased since wearing it and dads pinky finger (arthritis) doesn't bother him anymore. I don't care if it's subliminal or real, her having less pain is worth it.
Later....

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