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!