Mom had a good Memorial Day. Joe and Michelle came out for the weekend and on Sunday had a big BBQ on the farm. Aunt Betty and Uncle John and aund Dori came along with Heather and her crew. Joe said mom had a good time and was joking with all.
I talked to dad on Monday and he told me that mom has been naughty. She tried on Sunday night to get up all on her own and use the bathroom. Well, she got as far as the end of the bed and then she fell. She has a nice bruise under her right eye on her cheek and her right shoulder is tender. Dad will never let her live it down. Mom knows it. She was complaining to me that she just couldn't do anything without the whole world knowing her business anymore. I agree, she is under 24/7 watch. Mom said she couldn't wait for someone to come and visit so she could tell them that dad hit her! Then she immediately said she couldn't do that because dad has been sooo wonderful to her. When I talked to mom and told her of our BBQ plans for Monday I told her that I had a wicked sunburn. She just laughed and said I was feeling the effects of Radiation. It is so wonderful that mom still has her wit and charm about her.
Joe Mike made the comment that it was different to see how loving and tender our dad is with mom. Growing up dad was always tough and strict. He rarely showed any emotion. Now he shows how much he loves her openly. Don't get me wrong. We always knew that dad loved mom. They kissed and held hands and all that other gross stuff kids hate. Now, however, it is tender and sweet and loving. I for one adore it. I love to see them talk in hushed low tones when they think no one is watching. It brings joy to my heart. It has also taught me to be more openly loving with my kids and my husband. What a great lesson to learn.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Unable to See
Mom is still doing well. She is in great spirits and she loves to have company and friends over all the time. She even decided to dance this last week to the country music the ladies brought over to the house. Kathy Eppich told me she loved listening to this new program they have that is sort of like American Idol. This program ends with a $1500 scholarship instead of a record deal, but mom loved it all the same. In fact it is amazing to me that my mom is still worried/concerned with me. She was telling me of all the singing and expressing her deep regret that nothing like this was available to me when I was in high school. You see, I used to sing a lot. And she just knew that I would have won. How amazing that she would be more concerned with my feelings than her own at a time like this. She also decided she was a ballerina when doing her physical therapy the other day. It is so like mom to find the fun in what she is doing.
Dad took her to several appointments this week. She saw the neuro surgeon, the eye surgeon, and had Chemo. The good news is that she is still tolerating the Chemo very well. It doesn't seem to knock her out and she doesn't even remember it from week to week. The other good news is her shunt seems to be working well and still doing it's job. We will have further details on this when the Dr gets the results from the scan. The other good news is, after her next two treatments of Chemo another PET scan will be done and we will see where we are with her cancer. (It is still hard for me to type that word or even say it in reference to my mom.)
Now for the bad news. Her eye sight seems to be hindered by way more than just the cataracts. The cataracts are bad and they can be removed, but the bigger problem lies in the brain. Imagine that, another brain problem. It seems there is some sort of interference with the connection of the optic nerve and the message center in the brain. Although there is yet a silver lining in even poor eyesight. Mom can see things every once in a while. She commented on the trees at the golf course on her way to Chemo on Thursday. She also picked out a rake handle five or six feet away while sitting on the back porch with dad the other day. So, we are hopeful that if some times the eyes work than with time they will work again all the time.
Mom of course continues to surprise dad. He was in making dinner Wednesday or Thursday night and mom was sleeping in the front room. There are two steps down from the front room to the kitchen in mom and dad's house. Joe Mike has made a ramp there so mom can get around the house easier, well at all. So dad hears a sound and turns around to see mom standing about half way down the ramp. He asked, rather alarmed, "What the hell are you doing?" And mom just calmly said, "I am coming into the kitchen for dinner." He helped down the rest of the way and she sat in the kitchen. The most amazing part of this story is that mom did not use her walker. She just decided to get up and walk and she did.
Thanks to all who help with mom. We couldn't make it through this without you. We appreciate the prayers, cards, gifts of time and of course patience on our behalf. Have a wonderful Memorial Day!
Dad took her to several appointments this week. She saw the neuro surgeon, the eye surgeon, and had Chemo. The good news is that she is still tolerating the Chemo very well. It doesn't seem to knock her out and she doesn't even remember it from week to week. The other good news is her shunt seems to be working well and still doing it's job. We will have further details on this when the Dr gets the results from the scan. The other good news is, after her next two treatments of Chemo another PET scan will be done and we will see where we are with her cancer. (It is still hard for me to type that word or even say it in reference to my mom.)
Now for the bad news. Her eye sight seems to be hindered by way more than just the cataracts. The cataracts are bad and they can be removed, but the bigger problem lies in the brain. Imagine that, another brain problem. It seems there is some sort of interference with the connection of the optic nerve and the message center in the brain. Although there is yet a silver lining in even poor eyesight. Mom can see things every once in a while. She commented on the trees at the golf course on her way to Chemo on Thursday. She also picked out a rake handle five or six feet away while sitting on the back porch with dad the other day. So, we are hopeful that if some times the eyes work than with time they will work again all the time.
Mom of course continues to surprise dad. He was in making dinner Wednesday or Thursday night and mom was sleeping in the front room. There are two steps down from the front room to the kitchen in mom and dad's house. Joe Mike has made a ramp there so mom can get around the house easier, well at all. So dad hears a sound and turns around to see mom standing about half way down the ramp. He asked, rather alarmed, "What the hell are you doing?" And mom just calmly said, "I am coming into the kitchen for dinner." He helped down the rest of the way and she sat in the kitchen. The most amazing part of this story is that mom did not use her walker. She just decided to get up and walk and she did.
Thanks to all who help with mom. We couldn't make it through this without you. We appreciate the prayers, cards, gifts of time and of course patience on our behalf. Have a wonderful Memorial Day!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sorry this one is Over Due
So I am yet again saying I am sorry for things taking so long to trickle down to the blog. I could give you a LONG list of reasons, but it wouldn't excuse my lack of diligence to inform you about mom. So, I am saying I am sorry again and I will do my best to do better.
We had an official wedding in our family on May 2, 2009. At promptly 3 something in the afternoon Joe and Michelle were pronounced man and wife and got to kiss each other until we all had to groan and they stopped. Just kidding, they were actually much to soft in their first kiss, it should have been Whopper! But, they both looked amazing and everything went off without a "hitch." (Ha! Ha!) The reception was wonderful with fantastic decorations, delicious food, an amazing assortment of candy, a kid friendly table (equipped with crayons, toys, and color books) and great music.
Heather did a wonderful job of speaking for our mom at the reception. My mom has told each of us of this snapshot of people she gets in her mind's eye of people who will be important in our lives. She has had it for each one of our spouses. I don't know about the rest of my siblings, but Bruce is caught in the act of mopping the kitchen in the the Basin City Ward Church house when Ketra and Craig had their reception there. Mom says she just remembered it so distinctly and that picture has never left her mind. Anyway, Heather expressed how much my mom loves Joe and even when she caught him with a can of Chew, which mom hates, he didn't get in trouble and even got the can back.
Derrick was an awesome best man. He gave a great toast at the reception reciting one of my favorite sayings: "You are never far apart when you are holding hands." And little Jayden was the toast of the few days together as we all cooed and loved on him. It just goes to show that life continues no matter what trials you may be facing.
On the music note, we have some very talented dancers in the grandsons. If you don't believe me, ask to see some of the video. Kyle is so talented we are all wondering where he gets his moves from. He truly dances like no one is watching. Pretty soon all ten grand kids that could dance on their own were on the dance floor cutting it up. It was so fun to watch!
Joe and Michelle took off after all the fun and had a great honeymoon in Walla Walla, WA. They did some wine tasting and other fun things in the area. They also said being newly weds had its perks. They got to taste for free. Way to use what you got to get what you want!
Bruce and my family headed to mom and dad's house after all the fun. I have to tell you that mom is a completely different person from when we went to Seattle. She can do anything she puts her mind to. And she has done it. She decided that she was going to get well enough to start making dad meals again. Although she hasn't made it yet, she thinks she has. She tried to show her independence twice while I was there by pushing her wheel chair up the ramp to the living room. Both times she got tired of waiting for Dad and me to help her into the living room. She would get a running start and then come to a screeching halt when the front wheels hit the lip of the ramp. It was fun to watch how determined she was but also a bit of a relief that she couldn't do it on her own. The relief came because I know she would do it if she could and roll backward down the thing to her doom.
Mom can track a full conversation so well that she cracks jokes at any opportunity. She had us all laughing most of the time we were there. She even tricked me into picking up a box off the floor in the kitchen and then was quick enough to come up behind me and give me a good swat in the bum!
She is a speed demon with her walker. When we first got there mom and I were visiting on the couch and she was asking me if I knew that there was a time that she couldn't even talk! That was quite an amazing thing to her. All of us kids have enjoyed long talks with mom and I think she has missed that. When she got up to go to the kitchen dad and Bruce were putting some skid plates on the ramp. I said how great that was and mom said, "Ya, your dad never lets me go fast." She was so exasperated with it that I just had to laugh.
All in all mom is doing great! We are only having one problem with Dr's right now. Her neurologist is having some licensing problems. If you want to read the entire article about it, go to the Tri Cities Herald web site. Apparently he had an affair with a patient one full year after he treated her and it lasted for several years, but he is being investigated. We are just grateful that it was not for medical reasons that his licence was revoked. It has been hard to get her into another one. There are only three in Tri-Cities counting Dr Washington. We hope to have this resolved and Dr Washington back soon.
On a brighter note, mom is going into the Cataract and Laser Surgery Clinic this week to see about getting her cataracts removed. She can't see the poor thing. I feel like she would eat better and be able to move even better if she could. Hopefully we will be able to get her in for some surgery in the next week and she will be on the mend again.
She also has Chemo this week with a Dr's consult. We are hoping to hear how the Chemo is affecting the cancer. She has had three treatments in the last four weeks and has three more than a week off. None of us can remember is it is one more three week round or not, but we will find out on Thursday of this week. She has tolerated the treatments extremely well. She even teases her physical therapist because he's cute and she wants someone to set him up with. And when you go to visit her you'll find this amazingly happy woman who is now my mom again.
Dad is doing well too. While we were there I got to spend some time with him one and one. It is so different from before. We talk now and I love it. And we don't just talk about life, we really talk. I guess that was my fault all these years. I was so busy talking to mom that I never took the time to talk to dad. We got dad a shot for his back and he says he is feeling fine. By the way, the F word in our family is FINE! None of us girls like it much. Dad has had back problems for more years that I can remember, but the shots help. Dad is amazing with mom. He helps her shower every day and gets her to eat better than anyone. He is learning how to use more than one or two programs on his computer and even how to cook! Now if we could get him a neurologist to go to life would be almost perfect.
We had an official wedding in our family on May 2, 2009. At promptly 3 something in the afternoon Joe and Michelle were pronounced man and wife and got to kiss each other until we all had to groan and they stopped. Just kidding, they were actually much to soft in their first kiss, it should have been Whopper! But, they both looked amazing and everything went off without a "hitch." (Ha! Ha!) The reception was wonderful with fantastic decorations, delicious food, an amazing assortment of candy, a kid friendly table (equipped with crayons, toys, and color books) and great music.
Heather did a wonderful job of speaking for our mom at the reception. My mom has told each of us of this snapshot of people she gets in her mind's eye of people who will be important in our lives. She has had it for each one of our spouses. I don't know about the rest of my siblings, but Bruce is caught in the act of mopping the kitchen in the the Basin City Ward Church house when Ketra and Craig had their reception there. Mom says she just remembered it so distinctly and that picture has never left her mind. Anyway, Heather expressed how much my mom loves Joe and even when she caught him with a can of Chew, which mom hates, he didn't get in trouble and even got the can back.
Derrick was an awesome best man. He gave a great toast at the reception reciting one of my favorite sayings: "You are never far apart when you are holding hands." And little Jayden was the toast of the few days together as we all cooed and loved on him. It just goes to show that life continues no matter what trials you may be facing.
On the music note, we have some very talented dancers in the grandsons. If you don't believe me, ask to see some of the video. Kyle is so talented we are all wondering where he gets his moves from. He truly dances like no one is watching. Pretty soon all ten grand kids that could dance on their own were on the dance floor cutting it up. It was so fun to watch!
Joe and Michelle took off after all the fun and had a great honeymoon in Walla Walla, WA. They did some wine tasting and other fun things in the area. They also said being newly weds had its perks. They got to taste for free. Way to use what you got to get what you want!
Bruce and my family headed to mom and dad's house after all the fun. I have to tell you that mom is a completely different person from when we went to Seattle. She can do anything she puts her mind to. And she has done it. She decided that she was going to get well enough to start making dad meals again. Although she hasn't made it yet, she thinks she has. She tried to show her independence twice while I was there by pushing her wheel chair up the ramp to the living room. Both times she got tired of waiting for Dad and me to help her into the living room. She would get a running start and then come to a screeching halt when the front wheels hit the lip of the ramp. It was fun to watch how determined she was but also a bit of a relief that she couldn't do it on her own. The relief came because I know she would do it if she could and roll backward down the thing to her doom.
Mom can track a full conversation so well that she cracks jokes at any opportunity. She had us all laughing most of the time we were there. She even tricked me into picking up a box off the floor in the kitchen and then was quick enough to come up behind me and give me a good swat in the bum!
She is a speed demon with her walker. When we first got there mom and I were visiting on the couch and she was asking me if I knew that there was a time that she couldn't even talk! That was quite an amazing thing to her. All of us kids have enjoyed long talks with mom and I think she has missed that. When she got up to go to the kitchen dad and Bruce were putting some skid plates on the ramp. I said how great that was and mom said, "Ya, your dad never lets me go fast." She was so exasperated with it that I just had to laugh.
All in all mom is doing great! We are only having one problem with Dr's right now. Her neurologist is having some licensing problems. If you want to read the entire article about it, go to the Tri Cities Herald web site. Apparently he had an affair with a patient one full year after he treated her and it lasted for several years, but he is being investigated. We are just grateful that it was not for medical reasons that his licence was revoked. It has been hard to get her into another one. There are only three in Tri-Cities counting Dr Washington. We hope to have this resolved and Dr Washington back soon.
On a brighter note, mom is going into the Cataract and Laser Surgery Clinic this week to see about getting her cataracts removed. She can't see the poor thing. I feel like she would eat better and be able to move even better if she could. Hopefully we will be able to get her in for some surgery in the next week and she will be on the mend again.
She also has Chemo this week with a Dr's consult. We are hoping to hear how the Chemo is affecting the cancer. She has had three treatments in the last four weeks and has three more than a week off. None of us can remember is it is one more three week round or not, but we will find out on Thursday of this week. She has tolerated the treatments extremely well. She even teases her physical therapist because he's cute and she wants someone to set him up with. And when you go to visit her you'll find this amazingly happy woman who is now my mom again.
Dad is doing well too. While we were there I got to spend some time with him one and one. It is so different from before. We talk now and I love it. And we don't just talk about life, we really talk. I guess that was my fault all these years. I was so busy talking to mom that I never took the time to talk to dad. We got dad a shot for his back and he says he is feeling fine. By the way, the F word in our family is FINE! None of us girls like it much. Dad has had back problems for more years that I can remember, but the shots help. Dad is amazing with mom. He helps her shower every day and gets her to eat better than anyone. He is learning how to use more than one or two programs on his computer and even how to cook! Now if we could get him a neurologist to go to life would be almost perfect.
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