July 9, 2010

Another visit and now only 5 more radiation treatments to go. mom's neck is looking very red, first glance and one would think it's incredibly painful. It's not as painful as it looks on the outside - it's the pain on the inside that matters. The outside of the neck will continue getting redder and looking more and more like a burn. It itches but mom's been great and hasn't scratched - she'll fan it and we put cream on it every single day, several times a day.
We pretty much have our routine down. Mom and Dad together are able to give mom her morning food through the tube. 80 cc's of water, followed by 2 cups of nutritional supplement (80 cc's at a time) in to the tube. Followed by 80 more cc's of water. that's pretty much it. Then around noon I crush all of the medications in to a fine powder, mix it with water and set that aside. Get a container of fresh water to flush the tube well, and 2 more cans of 'food'...water, half of the food, medications, water, rest of the food, water...check the tube to make sure its clear. reverse the tube flow for a few seconds - flush with more water. clean the end of the tube - put the stopper on, clamp it, and it's done. the medications take affect pretty quickly. If pain pills are involved like they are today she is out within 30 minutes.
She is feeling very tired and she doesn't like that. who would. I spend a great deal of my time resting because of my disability but i'm used to it. Mom - she's not used to that. she is always up in the morning around 6:00, doing housework, running errands, cooking food, taking walks...now she does none of that except that waking up part. But that's ok - the doctors and nurses say it's normal and she'll be feeling pretty fatigued in the next couple of weeks. But it's almost at the finish line...light at the end of the tunnel.
Next week is the last week of chemotherapy. Tuesday will be the longest day, then wed and thurs...radiation friday and a shot to boost the white blood cells...then rest for several weeks.
your cards and letters and emails have been so wonderful. You have stuck with her this entire time! You haven't grown weary or bored with the updates and you let her know at every step she's being thought of. THAT is a blessing and THAT is how you get through this...every day...step by step.
God bless each and every one of you.