It's Time for the Percolator...

Mom just underwent her first week of whole-brain radiation. On Wednesday, they found she had pneumonia. They are going to continue the treatments, but this obviously adds to her already feeling weak and tired. She's on a lot of medication for a lot of different things, but my dad is taking great care of her! The title of this entry refers to my dad and brother saying she sounds like a coffee pot when she breathes - and I have to say it's true! She has a good sense of humor about it - anything to keep things light considering the circumstance.

I'm not really sure if she's been completely honest with me. When she told me she had pneumonia, she kept saying, "but don't worry, don't worry... this is nothing, it doesn't seem as bad as last time..." etc. I wasn't worried until she emphasized that she didn't want me worrying!

I'm not really sure which I would want... for her to be completely honest, or for me to live in ignorance. Which is true bliss? I suppose the only one who knows the "truth" is God - no matter when we or the doctors speculate she'll leave us. I just don't want her ripped out of my life I guess. On the other hand, a slow release can't be any less painful...

Here We Go Again...

Well, it's been a while since my last post. As far as we knew, Mom was "clean" of cancer. Her latest MRI told a different story...

To sum it up, they found two brain tumors on Monday March 21st - one in the front and one in the back. They were able to remove the front tumor with brain surgery on Wednesday March 23rd. The doctors believed that one more week may have killed her.

The second tumor makes things a little more complicated. Mom started whole-brain radiation on Monday April 11th. She will get this 5 days a week for 14 days. Hopefully this will shrink the existing tumor and stifle any other tumors from growing.

Mom is anxious about this radiation treatment. She saw her mother go through it and watched her deteriorate before her eyes - forgetting things, needing to learn how to walk again, write again, etc. Mom basically said that when it comes down to it, she will choose quality over quantity. So, if the treatments start taking a significant toll on her physically and mentally, she will stop.

Right now, she is in good spirits. She is two days into her treatment and, as far as I can tell, sounds like herself! The steroids she is taking to reduce the brain swelling have ironically caused the rest of her body and face to swell. Other than that, she seems pretty "normal." Doc says she will lose her hair, but he said that last time, too, and she didn't! Only time will tell...

So that's the update. I wish it were more positive, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Nobody can know what the future holds, all we can do is hope for the best. We've seen her beat this before...