Still Waiting

We're still waiting on more news from the doc's, but the news we did get is that there's more fluid on Mom's heart and lungs. It just won't go away! Dr. McHale will call with a plan tomorrow. For now? Wait.
Love,
Abby

Retraction... Thanks Nurse Shannon

So... There's a reason why Shannon should be blogging all the medical jargin...
- there's 1,000ml in 1 liter... so my math was a little off
- Mom had a pericardial window not a pericardium.
Lastly and probably most important...
- Mom was at SANford... not STANford...

Oye Vey...

any ways,
Mom's been resting a lot and trying to gain back some of her strength. She has a doctor's appointment with Dr. McHale today and we'll know more about where we go from here after she see's him. It's only been a week since her surgery (not even) and sleep is necessary for her recovery. Visitors are more than welcome; just give her a call, she would love to see you!
Thank you for your love, thoughts and prayers.
-A

CT Scan-ness

Shannon's taking Mom in for her CT Scan today.

Mom's been very short of breath lately and it's hard for her to walk even a short distance without becoming very winded.

We're hoping they'll be able to relieve some of that discomfort and get her breathing back to normal, well, as normal as her breathing gets these days.

I just got home on Tuesday from a flight home to visit (surprise) her for Mother's day - I'll post pictures a little later.

♥ a

Monday = No Fun Day

Mom went into the doctor this afternoon because she was feeling under the weather.

She's been fighting of Pneumonia (again) and she has a ton of fluid on her body (again) but mostly around her heart (Boo)!

So, Dr. Horn said the dreaded words ... and off to Sioux Falls Hospital we go!

So, Mom's on her way to spend the night in Sioux Falls - Dr. McHale was hoping that they'd get to work on her right away tonight if she got down there fast enough.

I haven't heard anything - So I'm assuming that she's there and all checked in.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers as she heads in for her 3rd stay in the hospital with this.

Also, Please put on your calendar April 3rd - there are plans for a Benefit to help Mom pay off some of the hospital bills. There will be details to come, but I wanted to start getting the word out there!
♥ abby

Options

Mom went in to see Dr. Horn on Thursday (right?) Dr. Horn said "Hosptial? Or Pills" Mom opted for pills.
She's been battling the fluid retention game again. She hates it.
The pills Dr. Horn gave her seem to be working, she's losing some - she can tell it in her face.

Dr. McHale also called her this week and said that he's got a few options for her to go over when he see's her next and that the results from California came in from her tissue sample and she responds well to two different Chemos. One they've tried, the one that made her hair go away, and he said they'd talk about it when he saw her again.

Good to have options.

Hope...with a capital H

Mom's headed home today (INSERT HAPPY DANCE HERE)

She spent the last day (Monday) at the hospital getting Lung massages and nebulizer treatments. The Doctors saw progress they liked, and by this evening she'll be sleeping in her own bed, which is what she really wants.

Thank you for your support, love and prayers,

♥a

Not So Fast

So... This morning Mom said the doc was in and told her he wasn't quite ready to send her on her way back to Watertown. He said the x-ray they took yesterday still looked too similar to the one they took upon admitting her to the hospital.

They're going to take a look at the bronchoscopy results so they know how to best treat the beast within.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers,
I'll let you know more when I do.
♥ abby

Sunday Update

Mom's doing much MUCH better this afternoon. She's been up, showered, and walking around the halls to get a little exercise.

She fell asleep during the Vikings game but maybe it's because they were so far ahead.

She sounds good and it sounds like the Doctor's are going to give her some preventative antibiotics to keep those bad germs away.

Kathy and Grandma will be driving down to Sioux Falls tomorrow to bring her home :o).

Chemo will resume on Thursday.

♥

Saturday Morning

I spoke with Tony this morning and it sounds like Mom is doing better. She is up and has showered for the day and is feeling exponentially better than yesterday. She will be staying through the weekend on some antibiotics as they are trying to take care of that pneumonia.

She will be sent home probably on Monday with some more antibiotics.

Thanks for the prayers, She really apprecaites it
♥

She's a Fighter

Mom has had a long day. She is tired, but looks as if she'll be resting well tonight.

I came across this posted by Julie on her Facebook wall and I wanted to share it with you (a little paraphrased and personalized because I couldn't copy and paste).

Dianne is a fighter, a survivor, a woman of faith.

She is a tough opponent for any challenge.

Even the big "C" is no match for you because you belong to an even bigger "C"... Christ.

He is with you and many prayers are for you as you fight this battle.

You answer me and encourage me by giving me the strength I need. Psalm 138:3

Thanks Julie,

And thanks for the prayers everyone.

♥ abby

12:30PM Update

Mom's out of her Bronchoscopy, She also got a complimentary (not) "lung wash" while she was in there.

Shannon says she's doing good, really sleepy and kind of out of it from the drugs.
She's entertaining Shannon and Tony with her random ideas of what's going on in the world around her as her medications wear off. I won't share because I don't want to embarrass her too much, but they're kind of funny.

♥

10:00 am Update

Seems like I may be posting quite a bit today.

Shannon just let me know that Dr. Hardy her Pulmonologist was just in to see her and they're planning to do a CAT Scan and then a bronchoscopy. Dr. Hardy did her last Bronchoscopy, and hopefully we'll know even more after that.

♥

Morning Update

Mom didn't have a good night's sleep as she ended up having an anaphylactic reaction to the antibiotic they had her on last night.
She was still a little swollen this morning when I talked with Shannon, but seems to be doing okay. She will see her pulmonologist this morning, and we'll know more hopefully by this afternoon.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers,
I'll keep you updated as much as I can!
Love,
Me.

Sioux Falls Hospital

I talked to Mom and Shannon tonight and it sounds like Mom is all tucked in ready to rest at the hospital.

They took her right over for a new lung x-ray so her oncologist Dr. McHale had a chance to look at it. He's pretty sure it's not fluid, but they aren't sure as of yet.

They're looking into doing a scope tomorrow I will keep you posted as I know more.

Thank you for your thoughts.

Love,

Me

Mom says Don’t worry…

I got a text message this afternoon from her that started out “Don’t worry but…” Sorry Mom, too late.

Shannon and Tony are taking Mom down to the hospital in Sioux Falls to be admitted. She’s been fighting this cold, but it seems as if it’s taken over most of her left lung. She is going, not quite kicking and screaming, but she hates laying around the hospital “being lazy all day”.

Her Oncologist, and cardiologist are both based in Sioux Falls and since she accidentally missed her appointment with Dr.McHale (her Oncologist) the other day, she was looking forward to talking with him again, and talking with her cardiologist to see what they can do about the fluid around her heart.

Please place her in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Me.

2/3rds Chemo

Mom's levels were a little low yesterday to receive her full dose of Chemo, but they gave her part of it. She was borderline ready to receive blood, but looks like her white cell count was up, so that's a plus.

The Cardiologist said that it doesn't look like there's fluid retaining around her heart, but there is some fluid in pockets, but all in all she looked good.

We're just trucking along!
♥ me

We Have a Plan

So many people have been asking "how's your Mom" ... and After the Mayo... "What's the treatment plan from here?"

Well, Mom's doing good. She's been sleepy but that's really nothing new - according to her.

She went to her doctor today and they've determine that they will do a dose of chemo once a week for three weeks, then a week off and repeat that cycle 4 times.

It will amount to about 4 months worth of chemo treatments, but ultimately it will hopefully stunt the growth of the cancer and prove to have less side effects than the last rounds she's endured.

The side effects will be minimal hair loss, loss of appetite and she will be lethargic (surprise). She figures it's nothing a good nap, a can of ensure and a wig can't cure!

We're all very happy that we have a plan to move forward with.

Thanks for your continued prayers and love,
Abby

Weight Loss Plan

Mom's procedure was successful and they've drained a liter of fluid from around her heart. Since her admittance to the hospital yesterday she's officially lost 10 pounds - all in fluid.

She seems to be doing well. Kathy & Mom have been spending time with her and as soon as they're able to go a day without pulling fluid off her heart they'll be sending her home.

She's in good hands at the May though, that's for sure.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers,

Love

Abby

Down... But not Out.

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday as I'm in DC for business.

Tony, Kathy, Shannon & Mom went to the Mayo Monday morning for Mom's consultation/examination.

Monday was a series of CT Scans and blood work, and then a break.

Tuesday was consultation, and review of above mentioned scans and blood work.

Today, Mom's being put in the hospital to have fluid drained from around her heart. There's nearly a pint floating around there, and the doctors want to get it out of there.

So, here's the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good: We have some direction, we know what's going on.

The Bad: What's going on is no picnic.

The Ugly: The cancer has spread. It started out as a few masses in her left lung, now it's spread to her right, and up into her neck. She'll be starting more rounds of Chemo to try to knock it out.

It took me awhile to get this posted, because we're heartbroken. We wanted different news than what we got, that much is obvious. Like I said... we're down, but not out!

Thanks for your continued love, prayers and support. It means the world to us.

All my love,
Abby

Scheduled

Mom got her appointment to the Mayo scheduled for September 20th in Rochester.
Kathy and Shannon are going with her and it should be a couple days of testing and waiting, testing and waiting. I told Mom she needs to book a hotel room with a pool if that's the case!

In the meantime, she'll be kept plenty busy gathering paperwork and talking with her insurance company. She's supposed to bring every detail of every appointment since diagnosis. That's a year and 4 months worth of paperwork that she will have to compile. Thankfully all of her doctors offices can help in that regard.

So here we are... playing the waiting game again... We're getting darn good at it!