Merry Christmas!

Tonight I post from the hospital. Being the newbie on my unit, I was lovingly assigned to work overnight Christmas Eve, Christmas, Dec. 26, and Dec. 28. And as I was dragging my feet through the front door throwing myself a pity party in my head, I entered to see the hospital bustling with visitors, their arms filled with gifts and food with smiles on their faces. My heart warmed, and I thought if these kids and their families have to spend their Christmas here, why shouldn't I?

My mom spent last Christmas in the hospital, and there were people who cared for her with love and compassion despite the fact that I'm sure they would have rather been home with their families. We had a scare the other day that I was sure would land her another Christmas in-patient. She was experiencing nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and all the other symptoms of a bowel obstruction. A bowel obstruction is a highly common complication of any abdominal surgery. It tends to present itself weeks after surgery when things in the gut have shifted back in to place, and for one reason or another, a part of the intestine gets blocked, twisted, occluded. Sometimes it is resolved with a less invasive intervention, but often times it requires surgical repair. Fortunately, my mother had a CAT scan that was negative for a bowel obstruction, and she also squeezed in her 5 week follow up with Dr. Nelson, and things look good. She is healing well, and probably just had a little stomach upset. Phew!

So tonight when the rest of my family is together and enjoying the holiday, I am here taking care of the kids, and I take care of them with an extra dose of tenderness and love to honor all the kindness that's been showered on us over the past year.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and here's to taking time to show those around us how much we love and appreciate them.

And while I'm feeling like a TOTAL sap, I'll share this with you too: "Transcending."

Advice from Baby Brother

For those of you who are unaware, Mom is one of many. She's the first girl, and third born of the crazy eights. Her brother Peter sent her this today in reference to her beginning radiation:

Save some money:  Just take the door off the microwave, lay it on your belly, and fire away!

Interesting strategy, eh?

Speaking of radiation, Mom had her appointment today with Dr. van Rooy and she's to begin on Tuesday Jan. 6. On Christmas Eve, she'll have another CT scan to get an accurate baseline picture of how things are doing this far out of surgery and before radiation is underway. In the meantime, she continues to be showered with the most sincere and surprising acts of kindness. Example: the woman she works through at the bank sent her chocolate covered fruit! And it's not just the food (which is delicious), it's the prayers, the thoughts, the hugs, and the laughs. We can't say thank you enough for these gestures of kindness, especially knowing that people have busy lives of their own.

Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Institute

Mom trekked to the Big Apple last Thursday for her final consult with Dr. Bajorin before commencing radiation. Marilyn R. was at her side writing like crazy, Mom was asking questions, and I was desperately trying to follow while being on speaker phone from Boston. He clearly knows every bit of evidence out there on cancers such as Mom's, but did not have anything new to offer in terms of knowledge or treatment options.

She'll have her first appointment with Dr. van Rooy this Thursday to discuss her treatment plan in detail. In the meantime, she's been beefing up her brain with all sorts of research on integrative health maintenance options. Hopefully she's beefing up her bod too, because if there is one thing every doctor and nurse has recommended, it's put on some fat reserves before starting treatment. There's a good chance radiation could cause diarrhea, and weight loss always makes battling cancer more complicated.

One interesting little tid-bit shared with us in NYC was a concept I don't think we ever considered. When Mom asked about anything she can do in terms of taking vitamins or making foods high in anti-oxidants more of a staple in her diet, one doctor made a great point- radiation works by killing cells, so take it easy on the cell-strengthening foods.

Isn't that crazy? I had NEVER even considered that! And frankly, there is very little evidence to support that taking antioxidants could ever counteract deliberate toxin exposure, but it sure is food for thought. So before and after radiation she plans to fuel her body with lots of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, but maybe during radiation she won't feel guilty if she indulges in the occasional chocolate milkshake.

After Christmas, she'll return to Sloan-Kettering for an appointment with someone in their integrative therapy department to discuss health promotion strategies. And appropriately enough, I completed my Reiki certification today, so I'll be sure to use Mom for practice. But I'm not the only one learning new ways to give back- Mom was making and delivering baskets to hospice patients with Marilyn D. this weekend. AMAZING!

Dr. van Rooy, Radiation MD

There's been nothing to report until today, hence the absence of posts. Mom met with Dr. von Rooy this morning, who was part of the panel of physicians and pathologists that reviewed Mom's case shortly after her surgery. He reinforced a few key points, none of which are new, but really sunk in with Mom today:

1. Everything about her cancer has been unusual and unpredictable.

2. Although there is no measurable disease, it is highly likely that some cancer still exists somewhere in her pelvis.

3. Radiation is the next best option at curing her of cancer.

He had done a very thorough review of not only Mom's cancer history, but also her complete past medical history pre-cancer. He was very encouraged that Mom is headed to Sloane-Kettering Cancer Institute in NYC on Thursday, and impressed that he'd received Dr. Choueri's notes from Dana Farber within days of our seeing him.

To undergo radiation is completely Mom's choice. It would involve her having 20 minute treatments Monday through Friday for 5 weeks, 25 treatments total. Her entire pelvis will be radiated, which means any side effects will be related to that area, specifically burning skin, urinary frequency, diarrhea, pelvic pain, and her blood counts may decrease from radiating bone where blood cells are produced. It's important for her to prevent infection, stay well hydrated, nourished, and rested. If her blood counts decrease, she could experience some fatigue, but no nausea or vomiting is expected. Aside from some of the potential adverse reactions, if Mom chooses to do radiation now, she can never receive it again.

Seems like a strange question to have to ask yourself: "Should I use up my radiation quota now or save it for later?"

The answer is simple enough. As Mom put it, "I'm living now!" Well said. Radiation it is.

She can begin as soon as she's ready. Her abdominal scar is healed and it's just a matter of making the first appointment to map in the form of dots where exactly the radiation will hit. Yes- it's not as she may have imagined it, but Mom will actually be getting her first tattoo. I'm a chicken, but she's joining an exclusive club with my husband and sister. Albeit, Mom didn't know about Gwennie joining the tattoo club until an accidental exposure while she was home last week- WHOOPS!

Thank you to Marilyn D. for accompanying Mom this morning, and to Marilyn R. for joining her in New York on Thursday. Will report back after her consult with Dr. Bajorin of Sloan-Kettering.

All that being said, Mom is doing beautifully. There have been no residual side effects from surgery, she is taking one day at a time, processing information, and making changes towards a positive and healthy future. Thanks for the continued support!