Just Me LMJ

She called me on her way home which was about 3:30 today.  I went home after work to visit her.  She is sitting comfortably in the chair.  The only problem is she can’t do anything.  And I mean nothing.  I think the hardest thing for her is to sit there all day for the next 6 weeks.

I wanted to give everyone a little more info since she can’t get on the computer.

1.  She can get up and walk but she can’t stand up-right.  She walks bent over with a pillow on her stomach for support.

2.  She  got 1 of the 4 drains removed.  The 3 remaining were replaced with smaller bags so it isn’t so much to carry around.   She has a string around her neck that holds the drains up.

3.  She has to keep her feet up when she is sitting down.  So she needs to sit in the recliner.  The problem is she can’t really get out of the recliner by herself.

4.  She has to sleep in the recliner because she can’t lay flat.  Laying flat will pull on her stomach and all the stitches.  So she will have to get use to sleeping in the recliner for a couple of weeks.

I will not comment on the new breasts.  I will wait until she can use a computer to type about those.  There is something about talking about your moms breasts that is just strange.  I have been asked many times by people.

It seems that with this surgery that her spirits are higher.  I think it’s because this is like the final piece of the puzzle.  She is getting back what cancer took from her.  I’m happy with how well she is doing.  Thanks to everyone for your support through this whole thing.  I’ll post when I get some new information.

Jeremy

My mom might be coming home today. The PA is meeting her between 12 and 2 to see about releasing her. I haven’t talked to my mom today but last night she was doing good. She was sitting in the chair instead of the bed. I’ll have more information tonight for everyone. Hopefully she will make it home. She will still need a lot of help from the family when she does come home.

Jeremy

Things are going good with my mom.  She got all the tubes that were hooked up to her removed yesterday.  She has been getting out of bed and doing a little walking around.  She is bent over when she walks so it won’t hurt her stomach.  She is supposed to start eating solid foods today and she might be able to lower the temperature in the room.  I’m thinking she will be coming home tomorrow but we will have to wait to see what the doctor says.  I’m going over there after work so I will know more then. 

Jeremy  

So I wanted to give everyone an update on my mom.  Surgery went well and lasted over 6 hours.  When I got there she had just woken up from her nap.  I thought her color looked really good.  The room is extremely hot, about 90 degrees, to keep the blood flowing.  She is really sore and wasn’t too lively.  When we were leaving they were going to have her sit up at the edge of the bed to see how she felt.  If things go well she will be able to leave either on Monday or Tuesday.   I’ll try to get more out of her tomorrow when I am there.  Let me know if you have questions.  I’ll ask her tomorrow.

Jeremy

Have you ever heard that saying? I am beginning to feel like that with my life. First I get cancer, I have surgery, chemo, all the annoying side effects but finally finish with treatment. I looked forward to a life returning to normal. I’m thinking of my reconstruction surgery. But then I have mouth pain, lose the hearing in one ear and I have a nodule in my thyroid and begin a roller coaster ride again with doctor’s appointments, medications and tests. After a diligent thryoid biopsy, they stuck me 8 times, I am now on a wait and check again in 6 months plan since they didn’t get enough tissue to make a definitive diagnosis. The mouth pain I was told was an ENT issue, and then told by my ENT was a dental issue, flared up again last week. I panic since my surgery is fast approaching so I run to a different dentist only to find out that I need a root canal but he won’t do it before my surgery. So he gives me a 5 day supply of antibiotics and I am hoping that my tooth doesn’t flare again before my surgery.

Then I am at work, busily working since I am trying to get things organized so I can be off 6 weeks while I recover from my reconstruction surgery so I can close my chapter on cancer, when I get a call from my ENT. The doctor calls me himself….never a good thing when the doctor calls himself. Remember that MRI I had, just to be sure that nothing was going on…well the good news is I know why I lost the hearing in my one ear. It seems that I have a acoustic neuroma in my ear. What is that you ask? A benign brain tumor. He goes on to tell me that the majority of these are benign and slow growing but he is referring me to a neurosurgeon and a radiation doctor. My acoustic neuroma is small, but at some point, some treatment may be necessary. He feels that for now they will just repeat the MRI again in 6 months to see how much it has grown but I need to see those other physicians since they will be involved in a my treatment. To say I was a little numb after the call would be an understatment. I am having one heck of a lumpy year (lump in my breast, nodule in my thyroid and now a tumor in my ear). I haven’t heard when those appointments with the neurosurgeon and radiation doctor will be but the ENT told me I could go ahead with my surgery….so I am.

Later this morning, I will see my plastic surgeon and finalize all the details for my reconstruction surgery tomorrow. I am very panicky (am I getting signs that I shouldn’t do this). With these latest medical issues, I have decided to leave my mediport in, which the plastic surgeon is okay with. Since I have such an IV phobia, I am prepared to beg my plastic surgeon to let me use my port after my surgery is over (they won’t put me to sleep with it but I hope they can hook it up in recovery). If he gives the okay, then when I see anesthesia I am going to let them know it is okay, then I going to call the manager of the recovery department (I know him since I am having surgery where I work) and going to beg him to have one of his nurses access it in recovery. I think I will get a note from the plastic surgeon just so I can show everybody (in case they don’t believe me).

Tomorrow is my surgery…I have to be in the hospital 4 to 5 days…I pray that everything goes well and my recovery goes smooth….

Here’s where you can help…..you have all been great…..but please send lots of prayers my way….thanks so much….I’ll post again when I can.

Love, Lori

Hard to believe May is over. It was a busy month. I made it through Jaylyn’s high school graduation and the Open House. We had quite a few people stop by and it was great to see everyone! As for me, my hearing did not improve and last Friday I had an MRI with contrast (luckily they were able to use my mediport). Haven’t gotten the results of that yet. I don’t expect it to show anything but the doctor wanted to check. My options for regaining the hearing in my left ear is to wear a hearing aid. I really don’t want to do that but may have to. I am going to give it some more time….I keep thinking that as quickly as my hearing disappeared that it might come back (although the doctor didn’t seem to think it would work that way).

I finally was able to have my thyroid biopsy, which was an experience. They don’t put you to sleep, they did numb the area, but then proceed to insert a needle into my neck (thyroid) to withdraw tissue. They were very diligent and stuck me 8 times! Unfortunately, most of the sticks resulted in only blood and no thyroid tissue…something about the thyroid bleeding…and they weren’t able to get results. After all that, I still don’t know anything. The doctor gave me 3 options….repeat the biopsy (which is what he recommended), surgery to remove the thyroid (diagnose and treat), or wait 6 months and repeat the ultrasound and possibly the biopsy. I opted for option 3…wait 6 months and repeat the ultrasound. I just couldn’t see repeating the biopsy. Worst case…it could be cancer but thyroid cancer is usually slow growing and doesn’t grow outside the thyroid…so I figure in 6 months if it is larger then it may be easier to biopsy.

Next week, is my reconstruction surgery….I have been working on a plan to get something that will block my memory of the IV stick (oral vercette??). I actually talked to the head of the Anesthesia department to see if they would use my mediport to put me to sleep and then stick the IV wherever it needs to be but unfortunately he told me that was a no go…something about safety issues….the thought of an IV stick in my leg is already freaking me out. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like next week.

I’ll post again before my surgery…I don’t know when I be able to post after the surgery, although I imagine Jeremy will post something.

My journey is not quite over so please keep your positive energy, support and encouragement coming my way! Thanks.

Love ya, Lori