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July 31, 2007
Guido Guest Blogs
There were these black dogs when we went for my walk and I did not like them, even though I like everyone:
Since I know I am bigger than them, I decided to bark my head off and scare them away:
In the picture below you can tell how mad I was because all the hairs that run down the middle of my back are standing straight up and have changed color:
Some people might think that looks neat, but it gives me a funny feeling.
After I chased that dog away, I had to run and find a place to poop. After all that barking, I guess I barked the poop to where it had to come out soon.
Luckily, I made it to my usual patch of high, heavenly grass.
That is the end of my story. I hope you liked it.
My warning to black dogs behind fences: BEWARE and BE SCARED of GUIDO DA PUG!
Posted by tami at 9:18 AM Comments (5)
July 30, 2007
Second Round Of Chemo
Mom went to the doctor today, so here is the update:
* This Wednesday she is having a CAT scan to check and see if there is still a mass in her stomach and also, to look at her bowels.
* All of her blood counts are high enough so she does not have to wear a mask while in public. Also, she can eat whatever she wants.
* This Friday she will be readmitted to the cancer center for another round of chemotherapy. She will be there until Tuesday or Wednesday. If Kevin is still getting very little fluid from her Denver Cather, they will remove this when she goes in on Friday.
*****
Now for an update on Guido:
If you don’t remember what has gone on with him read THIS post.
I know, if you don’t have a Pug or a dog, this probably sounds gross, but believe me, the people who do own dogs, will want to hear this.
He finished taking the steroid, but Kevin took him back to the vet today because his ear was red and because he had some sort of growth right by his black armpit.
The vet said he has an ear infection, which we suspected. She gave us some ear drops to take care of that. She referred to the growth as a skin tumor. She said there is only a 10% chance it will go away on its own.
So, he is scheduled to have it removed on August 15th. It will be $70 to have it removed and another $60 to have it sent to a lab for testing. We will definitely be sending it for testing. They will only use a local anesthesia and not actually make him go to sleep because the risk of complications is higher for Pugs when they put them to sleep. The vet also said that Guido has such a good nature, they will just hold him during the procedure.
This is a picture showing his skin tumor and you also get a good view of his black armpit:
I feel very bad for him. He's just a baby.
Posted by tami at 5:50 PM Comments (5)
July 29, 2007
You Can't Take It With You
An older lady in my neighborhood died 19 days ago. This is how her curb looks tonight:
Actually, it may be worse now since Kevin took this photo around 7:30 this evening and it is now 11:02.
Looking at these things makes me sad. I didn’t know the woman. I saw her walking her dog each night and she spoke to Ashley a few times, but we didn’t know her.
What makes me sad is how valuable our things are to us, but how meaningless they are to other people.
I am sure she chose that couch with much thought; thinking about how well it would go with the curtains and other things in her house. She probably spent many hours sleeping on that mattress. There looks to be a lot of fabric in her Herbie; she must have had some feeling for it or why would she have kept it?
When I was looking through my mom’s scrapbooks, I thought to myself, she is the one who put these books together and she is the only one who knows the meaning why she kept certain newspaper articles, cards or photos. Yes, I can ask her about each thing, but I would never remember everything and some things aren’t important to her any longer. We threw some things in the bin and shredded others. I believe her exact words were, “It just doesn’t matter anymore.”
It’s heartbreaking, but true. Our things matter to us and they will hopefully matter to our children, but are their children really going to care about these mementoes? Should we expect them to hold on to things, make room in their homes for things they really don’t want and are keeping just because?
Now, I’m not accusing this lady’s family of throwing out very personal items that she dearly loved. I’m just wondering, when I die, what will my kids throw away? What will they keep? Will they say to themselves, Mom sat on this couch, so I can’t get rid of it or will they do what these people did and kick it to the curb in less than a month?
Posted by tami at 11:34 PM Comments (4)
July 28, 2007
The Birds!
As we left the house today, we saw a Turkey Vulture with what looked like the remains of a rabbit between its beak.
He immediately dropped the “rabbit” when we pulled up, but stood around for a while before finally flying to the rooftop of a nearby garage. I’m sure he grabbed it the minute we left.
In the photo below you see the Turkey Vulture. The “rabbit” is the tiny grey lump in the grass. Lovely, I know ...
*****
Once again, Kevin only drained 5 milliliters from Mom’s chest. YEA!!
Posted by tami at 11:24 PM Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
The Clock Shop
Kevin has been draining mom’s Denver Catheter one time each day. The liquid he gets from her lung is measured in milliliters. Yesterday I believe he only got 48 milliliters and today it was down to FIVE. Yes, you read correctly; only five milliliters! She is praying that they will schedule to have this catheter removed when she visits her doctor on Monday.
The draining part of the daily procedure causes no pain; it is removing the dressing that is so bad. Her skin is raw where the bandage is applied and the bandage itself is super sticky - it has to be though in order to keep the area sterile.
*****
When Kevin and I went to pick up my trial pair of contact lenses, I also made a quick stop to this store on Short Street:
Not only does the man sell and repair clocks, he also sells magic tricks and supplies. It is a very unique, vintage little shop and one that I love visiting.
Posted by tami at 11:53 PM Comments (2)
July 26, 2007
Is Laughter The Best Medicine?
The following photo galleries have been updated and all new pictures have been added to the end of each gallery:
In the Scott Family gallery, pictures 198 through 210 are new.
In the McGarvey Family gallery, pictures 86 through 91 are new.
In the Vietnam gallery, pictures 32 and 33 are new.
*****
Mom is doing well at home. Today, we finished going through her old scrapbooks, cards, and letters. I got a kick out of many old letters that were written by either me or my sister, Jennifer. Now that I have kids, I can understand exactly how funny these letters must have been to mom and dad. If Kevin and I had received letters like the ones I read today, we would have closed the bedroom door and roared with laughter. That’s what my parents probably did actually.
I don’t guess boys are big on writing letters to their parents, but I do recall one letter that Andrew wrote many years ago asking if he could join the color guard in the band. His girlfriend was in the band and this was his way of getting to be with her. Anyway, I remember getting a big laugh out of picturing him on the football field, the only boy, twirling a flag. I made sure to keep it so that one day he can do exactly what I did today – laugh at himself!
Posted by tami at 11:53 PM Comments (0)
July 25, 2007
Scott Family Gallery
The Scott Family photo gallery is ready for viewing! These pictures are of my mom’s dad and his side of the family. Some pictures may be intermingled with family members from the McGarvey side of the family, but I had to decide in which gallery to place them. As there are 197 photos on 17 pages, you can imagine how difficult it was to keep all the pictures together, name them, and then put them in some sort of order (even though they are not in chronological order). I would say that well over one hundred of these photos are of either my mom or my Aunt Patt, so you can see why this gallery is so large.
As I have said in the past, please email me if I mislabeled anyone and I will try to make corrections ASAP.
Posted by tami at 11:25 AM Comments (3)
July 24, 2007
There's No Place Like Home
Mom was still sore today from her new catheter, but she came home anyway! YEA!!! We went over tonight to flush her lines, get her into some comfortable pajamas, and just talk. I love it that she is home.
Maybe tomorrow we can get her on the deck to see her sunflowers:
It felt so funny to be able to just walk out of there with her today. She was admitted on June 26th, so she was only a few days shy of a month’s stay. Since she could only walk the halls, and she only did that twice, it was almost like she was a prisoner. Granted the nurses and techs were great and she received loads of attention, still, it was like prison. I’m sure anyone who has been in this situation can relate.
She has an appointment to see her doctor on Monday. Until then, we will take it day by day flushing her lines, draining the Denver Catheter, giving her meds, and taking her temperature.
I look forward to spending more time with her.
*****
These are the earrings I mentioned a few days ago that I have wanted since Mother’s Day:
I tried taking pictures with them in my ears, but the quality wasn’t there and you couldn’t see any detail.
Posted by tami at 11:27 PM Comments (5)
July 23, 2007
Home?
Mom had the Denver Catheter placed before we arrived this morning. She was in some discomfort, but the nurse gave her a small dose of morphine every two hours. Her appetite seemed good and she talked a lot, which I always enjoy. They say she will get to come home tomorrow. I am very excited, but I’m not counting my chickens this time either. I have heard this news three or four times before. I will let you know though.
I’m sure she won’t be up to accepting visitors for a while, but she has told me how much your prayer, phone calls, cards, and emails have meant to her. She knows that she is blessed to have so many friends.
*****
Look at the awesome Alice in Wonderland cards I found:
The box contains two of each card. Kevin suggested laminating one of each when I told him I would like to put them on display, so that is what we will do.
Posted by tami at 11:48 PM Comments (1)
July 22, 2007
Another Catheter
If there is a procedure room available, mom will be getting a Denver Catheter tomorrow morning. She still has fluid on her lungs and this catheter will help drain it. If you recall, she had fluid drained from her lungs while she was in the CCU, however the fluid has built back up and will not go away on its own.
They think this build-up of fluids is the cause of the fever she gets every night. It is this fever which has caused her to remain in the hospital three days longer than anticipated. The hope is that removing this fluid will stop the fever and allow her to finally return home.
When she returns home, she will still have the Indwelling Catheter coming out near her collarbone, plus this Denver Catheter coming out from the side of her chest. The Indwelling Catheter will allow Home Health to get blood twice a week, while we will be flushing those lines twice each day and taking care of draining her Denver Catheter. I will let you know how everything goes.
*****
The McGarvey Family gallery is now ready for viewing. Please let me know via email if I have incorrectly named anyone. Also know that these pictures are in no chronological order.
There are 85 pictures on 8 pages. Mom said she does have more pictures, but we will have to look for those when she gets home. If I add new pictures to any of the galleries, I will let you know. That way, you aren’t constantly looking.
Posted by tami at 11:01 PM Comments (4)
July 21, 2007
This And That
Today I was a little selfish. Since a week before Mother’s Day, I have wanted a certain pair of earrings. Today I bought that pair plus another pair.
This is not the pair I wanted, but one I got because Kevin insisted. I’m glad he did because I love them:
I will show you the pair I specifically went after just as soon as I wear them.
*****
While we were walking Guido tonight, I noticed his cute little shadow and had to show it to you.
When we first started our walk, he was watching his shadow and I guess waiting to see what it was going to do. When it did whatever he did, he ignored it.
*****
Mom has been told for the past three days she may get to go home. We had high hopes that Sunday would definitely be that day, however I just got off the phone with her and she has another fever and feels very nauseous. They have already told her she will not come home tomorrow. This has to be depressing for her. It is for us.
Posted by tami at 10:54 PM Comments (2)
10 More
I found 10 more photos of Grandmother Scott and have added them to the Gallery. This means there are now 46 pictures on four pages.
*****
The new Harry Potter book was released at midnight tonight (Friday night ... I am typing this at 1:38 AM), so Kevin and Ashley stood in a line at Wal-Mart to get a copy. Kevin said there were at least 50 people in front of him (it’s hard to tell that from the picture below) and another hundred or so behind him.
He got a free poster and three bracelets along with his purchase:
The green bracelet says, Slytherin. The blue says, Ravenclaw and the yellow says, Hufflepuff. There were also red bracelets that had Gryffindor on them, but they were set aside for people who had stopped in earlier to reserve a copy of the book. There were only so many, so Kevin didn’t get one of those. I am happy with what we got though. I didn’t expect any freebies.
Posted by tami at 1:36 AM Comments (1)
July 20, 2007
Remission!
Based on early test results, mom is in remission. This is a rarity and means that it is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you for your prayers and please don’t stop praying as she still has a long journey ahead of her.
*****
My dad was in the United States Marine Corps and served time oversees. I am very proud of him and love this glimpse of his life in Vietnam. I hope you enjoy it too. There are 31 pictures on three pages.
Posted by tami at 11:35 PM Comments (10)
July 19, 2007
My Grandmother Scott
I have added a new photo gallery called Grandmother Scott. There are 36 photos of my grandmother on three pages. They are in no chronological order. I believe I have the names of other people correct in the photos, however, if you see a mistake, email me. As always, you may click a few times on each photo to enlarge.
I realize that my family will probably be the only ones interested in this gallery, but it was important to me to create it and have it. I still have three or four more family galleries that I am working on and will post soon.
Posted by tami at 11:23 PM Comments (2)
July 18, 2007
Another Stroll
Mom had her bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday and they told us it would take two days to get the results. Honestly, I am not expecting to hear anything until Friday or even Monday.
Today I took in our YAHTZEE game to play along with her. I have also been bringing in photos for us to look at. I plan to take different DVD’s too.
I think I will be safe in taking shorter TV shows instead of full length movies. I bought her The Golden Girls, which she loves, but never really got the chance to sit down and watch. I may take that or The Waltons. Since we spend so much time with her, it’s nice to have different activities to choose from.
Today she suggested walking around the hall, so that is exactly what we did. It tired her out, but I know she was proud of herself. She tries so hard to please everyone.
Here is another photo that will be in one of the galleries. I think she looks beautiful.
Posted by tami at 10:30 PM Comments (3)
July 17, 2007
Easy Conversation
Mom had her bone marrow biopsy this morning before I arrived at the hospital. She said it didn’t hurt near as much as last time. Thank you for your prayers!
She took a shower, sat in a chair for a few hours, and put on her make-up. We sat there together talking like nothing was wrong. It was nice, but I wish our talk could have been in her house with her healthy. It will happen though. I just have to be patient. She knows that she is in the best place possible right now and she knows that she isn’t well enough to be at home. I think that makes being away easier.
On our way home this afternoon, we saw this site on Rose Street:
Big dog, little balcony … not a good combination. The poor thing didn’t even have room to move.
Posted by tami at 11:28 PM Comments (4)
July 16, 2007
Biopsy Tomorrow
Mom is scheduled to have another bone marrow biopsy sometime tomorrow. The results from this biopsy will tell the doctor whether she has gone into remission or not. The doctor said that most people do not go into remission with their first round of chemo. That’s more likely to happen on her second round, but I am very optimistic about this first round.
Please pray for her. Pray that her pain is not as great as it was with the first biopsy. Pray for the person doing the biopsy. Pray that she is in remission.
*****
I have been very busy scanning old photos into the computer for a few new albums in the gallery. I will let you know as soon as they are ready, but here is a taste:
Mom:
By the way, Guido says thank you for all the birthday wishes. He promises to pee on Dennis’ shoe the next time he sees him!
Posted by tami at 11:50 PM Comments (6)
July 15, 2007
Pink Pup For The Pug
Today Guido turned three.
We gave him a pink Bow Wow Beanie.
He knew it was for him and wanted it bad:
Ahh, there’s nothing like the taste of a new toy:
Posted by tami at 11:53 PM Comments (6)
July 14, 2007
Over 60
One of my “senior” friends sent this to me in email and I thought it was cute enough to pass along :) I have no idea who the author is.
Drafting Guys Over 60
I’m over 60 and the Armed Forces say I'm too old to track down terrorists. (You can't be older than 35 (actually 42) to join the military.)
They've got the whole thing backwards. Instead of sending 18-year-olds off to fight, they ought to take us old guys. You shouldn't be able to join a military unit until you're at least 35.
For starters:
* Researchers say 18-year-olds think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys only think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us more than 28,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy.
* Young guys haven't lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier is a dangerous soldier. If we can't kill the enemy we'll complain them into submission. "My back hurts! I'm hungry! Where's the remote?"
* An 18-year-old hasn't had a legal beer yet and you shouldn't go to war until you're at least old enough to drink. The average old guy, on the other hand, has consumed 126,000 gallons of beer, and a jaunt through the desert heat with a beer and an M-60 would do wonders for the old beer belly. (Note there are 24 hours in a day and 24 bottles in a case...another convenient way to measure time!)
* An 18-year-old doesn't like to get up before 10 a.m. Old guys always get up early to pee.
* If captured we couldn't spill the beans because we'd forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank, and serial number would be a real brainteaser.
* Boot camp would be easier for old guys. We're used to getting screamed and yelled at and we like soft food. We've also developed an appreciation for guns. We like them almost better than naps!
They could lighten up on the obstacle course however. I've been in combat and didn't see a single 20-foot wall with rope hanging over the side, nor did I ever do any pushups after completing basic training. I can hear the Drill Sgt now, "Get down and give me ... err ... one."
Actually, the running part is kind of a waste of energy. I've never seen anyone outrun a bullet.
An 18-year-old has the whole world ahead of him. He's still learning to shave, to carry on a conversation, and to wear pants without the top of his butt crack showing and his shorts sticking out. He's hasn't figured out that a pierced tongue catches food particles, and that a 400-watt speaker in the back seat of a Honda can rupture an eardrum, and that a baseball cap has a brim to shade eyes, not the back of his head.
These are all great reasons to keep our kids at home to learn a little more about life before sending them off into harm's way. Let us old guys track down those dirty rotten cowards who attacked us on September 11. The last thing an enemy would want to see right now is a couple of million old farts with attitudes.
Posted by tami at 12:13 AM Comments (1)
July 13, 2007
More Blood
There were really no changes today but I will tell you what did happen. Mom got two pints of blood because her hemoglobin count was low again. This is to be expected with the chemo. She still has some back pain and nausea so she was given some medicine and dozed from 2 o’clock on. She still seems to be in good spirits and is doing her best to be positive. She even cracked a joke or two at her own expense.
Posted by tami at 11:52 PM Comments (0)
July 12, 2007
Chalk & Pills
Mom had another great day today. She was perkier, more talkative, sat up more and moved around more. I took a great picture of her, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want me posting it. One of her cousins visited and she enjoyed getting caught up on the family.
She ate scrambled eggs this morning. That is a big deal because she wasn’t able to eat much of anything for the past week or so.
Because of the chemotherapy she developed some sore spots in her mouth and food didn’t taste the same either. The doctor told us that it takes about a week for the physical effects of chemotherapy to wear off. Today is the eighth day since her last chemotherapy treatment, so her appetite is beginning to return.
It was sad though, here it was around lunch time and she was hungry. Instead of eating, she had to drink a bottle of a chalky substance called Barium Sulfate Suspension because she was having a CAT scan later that afternoon.
After drinking about half, the nurse brought in a pill that she needed to take. Mom said, “So this (pointing to the white liquid) hasn’t made me throw up yet, so now you’re giving me this (the pill).”
She still has her sense of humor and she cracks me up.
She didn’t end up getting the CAT scan for some time and missed dinner. Dad brought her some Chicken Mc Nuggets, but she couldn’t eat much. I firmly believe she will get better and better every day.
Deanna asked a few good questions in the last comment section and I want to address those.
• The doctor said they will look on a national registry to find a donor that matches.
• She is not in need of any blood donations at this time. I will let you know if that changes.
I appreciate everyone wanting to do something special for her. I know it’s hard to know what to do or say, and I know that you want to do something, but she is happy to know that you all are praying for her.
She also appreciates the emails that I print out and read to her. I think she realizes that she has many, many people who are supporting her.
This was the sight we saw as we left today:
It’s a different world over there. While you’re going through walkway after walkway and in between buildings, you get the feeling that you’re in another world. It’s almost like what you think it would be like to be in a domed world. I guess I’m just not used to it yet.
Posted by tami at 11:56 PM Comments (3)
July 11, 2007
Kevin Guest Blogs
I am letting Kevin “guest blog” for tonight. When you read over this you will understand why. You will probably have to read it twice actually. He said he tried to make it as easy to understand as possible, however Leukemia is complicated.
*****
Tami did not mention that her mom had a fever of 101 on Monday. They drew blood and took other samples from several locations and then, took an x-ray. We were told today that she had a very bad bacterial infection which they have taken care of. Fortunately it was caught early or it could have been “very serious". She has no immune system right now. Her white blood cell count, which fights infections, is at less than 0.1%. Killing off the white blood cells and the bone morrow is what chemotherapy does. Tami wanted to remind people that if you visit, wash your hands before you enter her room and if you are sick, think you might be sick, or have been exposed to someone who is sick you should not visit at all. We know you love and care for her and want to show your support but it is much more dangerous for Sharon if she is exposed to germs.
Today the doctor came in and had a long talk with us. We have been waiting for him to tell us the specific type of Leukemia she has. We already knew it was Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) but now we know the sub-type is Complex Cytogenetics. He said that under the French-American-British classification table it would be an M2 AML. He preferred the Complex Cytogenetics AML terminology. He also said she has a unique form of Leukemia. Sharon’s chromosome setup for Leukemia is not even documented anywhere that he could find. This does not mean it cannot be treated but that the odd chromosomes increase her risk from intermediate to intermediate/high.
Basically it boils down to a few major factors. If she goes into complete remission with this round of chemotherapy (this might include one more series of chemo within the next week or 2) then she has a very high chance of the remission lasting a long time. The doctor recommends a bone marrow transplant even if she does go into remission. The survival rate increases 20% with the transplant over chemotherapy alone.
If she cannot be brought into remission, he will still do a transplant but the survival rate is greatly reduced. That is not to say she would not recover, only that the chances are much smaller.
They are going to do another bone marrow biopsy next week. This will tell them if the chemotherapy has worked and brought the percent of Leukemia blasts (like cells) down to less than 5%. The doctor actually suspects, based on experience, that the number of Leukemia blasts will still be 20% or greater and another round of chemo will be needed (as mentioned before). He said this was common and would not be a surprise. After the second round of chemo they will do another bone biopsy and check the blast numbers. If they are under 5% then she will be in complete remission and will get to come home when her white count increases enough to be safe and no complications arise (10-25 days from the end of the second chemo).
Right now all we can do is wait and pray that she is in complete remission and that she will not need the second round of chemo next week.
Posted by tami at 11:02 PM Comments (7)
July 10, 2007
I Want To Be There
Our days now consist of long visits at the hospital, walking, and eating in between. I am letting those of you know this who may have been used to me blogging about different things. I will still write about different occurrences, however very limited happenings can arise in what we do.
We have been swimming at night twice, but it’s very hard to go from mode one, solemn and pensive to mode two, happy and energetic, but I do it for Ashley. She is such a trooper as she spends time at the hospital with us and wants to help and please her Nene as much as possible. I want her to have some fun over her summer break though, so if swimming fits the bill, I will gladly do that.
*****
Onto Mom:
She was kind of groggy today. They are giving her something for nausea which causes drowsiness, plus a pain medication for her back. I’m sure her back hurts from being in the bed most of the day. We did different things together though and we get the chance to talk a lot which I love.
Posted by tami at 9:04 PM Comments (0)
July 9, 2007
A Song For Mom
She's Got A Way
Lyrics By: Billy Joel
She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know why it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason anywhere
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know what it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way of talkin'
I don't know why it is
But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a way of showin'
How I make her feel
And I find the strength to keep on goin'
She's got a light around her
And ev'rywhere she goes a million
Dreams of love surround her ev'rewhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me, I get turned around oh oh oh
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her any way
Lyrics by: Billy Joel
Posted by tami at 11:40 PM Comments (3)
July 8, 2007
She's Up!
That is the back of Mom and yes, she was up and walked down the hallway and back. I am so proud of her! I hope to get her out and about again tomorrow.
Posted by tami at 10:25 PM Comments (3)
Pawsenclaws
Yesterday while Kevin and I spent time with mom, Ashley went with her Grandma (Kevin’s mom) to Pawsenclaws to make her very own custom bear. This company is like the Build-A-Bear Workshop, only I was informed that it is much cheaper for the same thing. The animals were only $15 each and the outfits were about $12 each.
You don’t have to make a bear either. They have cats, dogs, monkeys, frogs, and much more! In case you are interested, this Pawsenclaws is located on Nicholasville Road in Lexington inside Hobby Town USA.
Here is the bear she made:
This is a Labrador. She looks ready for a night on the town in that dress:
Ashley had a great time and she is very happy with her new babies.
Posted by tami at 7:52 AM Comments (0)
July 7, 2007
She Called Me
Mom called me at home while I was still applying my make-up.
“Where are you?” she asked.
I explained to her that we don’t normally get to the hospital until noon. She told me that she would love a small vanilla milkshake. I assured her that we would get her one on our way.
As soon as we walked through the door, she drank a small bit of the milkshake, but she was ready for me to help her with her shower. She is weak from being in the bed, so she wanted me to wash her hair.
When we were finished, she felt much better.
The nurse unhooked her oxygen, so she is off that completely and breathing “room air” and nothing is in her nose. Thank you Lord!
She started to feel nauseous around 5:00, so the nurse gave her some medicine for that. Unfortunately this was time for the dinner delivery, so I don’t think she ended up eating much.
I would say this whole ordeal has really thrown her eating schedule for a loop. She and dad don’t normally eat until 7 or so, so she’s probably not even hungry at 5:00. I pray that she is feeling better right now.
If you ever visit my parent’s house, you will be sure to find mom at the kitchen sink! This photo was taken in December of 1991.
Posted by tami at 9:19 PM Comments (1)
About A Horse
When Mom was in the CCU, we spent some time in their waiting room. At one point dad looked at me and Kevin and said, “I need to go see a man about a horse.”
Well, he is a joker and says funny things and I knew he wasn’t looking at a horse. I just thought he had seen someone he knew and went to talk to them.
Just a little while later, one of his coworkers and her mother came in to visit with him. I looked around the waiting room, but didn’t see him. I said, “I don’t know where he went.” I was puzzled because I expected to see him talking to someone.
Kevin said, “He’s in the bathroom.”
“No he’s not.” I replied
Kevin said, “Yes, he told us he was going to the bathroom.”
“That’s not what he said.” I replied thinking I knew where he really was, “He said he was going to go see a man about a horse.”
To which Kevin explained, holding his hands out in amazement, “That’s what that means.”
His visitors smiled, chuckled, and shook their heads yes.
I was never given this piece of knowledge and have no idea why it means what it means. If I heard that wording in the past (probably from dad) I always assumed he was going to talk with someone.
So, now, come on and be honest. Tell me that one of you didn’t know the meaning of that statement either.
No one tells me this stuff and they don't teach you these statements in school either!
Posted by tami at 9:37 AM Comments (2)
July 6, 2007
O2 Levels
Today when I went in, the nurse informed me that I no longer needed to wear a mask. I think that’s okay for family or people who are absolutely certain that they are not sick. Otherwise, it would still be nice for people to wear a mask if they will be up in mom’s face. I feel this way because she still has no immune system.
In the CCU, she was on 3 liters of oxygen. When I left yesterday, it was still at 3 liters. This morning, they had reduced it to 2 liters. This afternoon, they reduced it even more to 1 ½ liters. She is very close to what they call “room air”. This means she doesn’t need any oxygen at all. She will be thrilled when this happens because she is sick of having an oxygen tube under her nose. Also, she is not allowed to blow her nose because there is a risk of a nose bleed (her platelets are low). It is hard to imagine going a week without blowing your nose!
The nurse mentioned that they normally do another bone marrow biopsy at day 14. That day will come too soon in mom’s opinion, but this is the only way they can tell if the cancer is truly in remission.
One of my mom’s coworkers was kind enough to email me some photos. This is one of them:
Thank you Tonia!! I love this picture!
*****
Since we have been with Mom, I kind of forgot all about the holiday and celebrations. Before we found out about Mom, I took this picture of Guido to post on the 4th, but forgot about it. So here, he is in all his glory:
Happy belated 4th of July everyone!
Posted by tami at 10:51 PM Comments (2)
July 5, 2007
Swelling
Photo of Mom and Kevin taken around November 23, 1995
When I visited today, they had given mom Lasix because her legs and feet were very swollen.
She didn’t like this one bit.
Every hour she had to get up and use the restroom. If you don’t know, Lasix makes you urinate to rid your body of the swelling. I could tell a big difference after only a few hours, but she won’t be happy if the doctor orders it again.
The nurse removed her PICC line today. Apparently this is something they do in the CCU, but she actually didn’t need it at all since she has the indwelling catheter. It’s very frustrating to know that she went through that procedure when she didn’t have to. I think it was in less than 48 hours. I can’t even imagine how much the insurance company will have to pay for that.
Her magnesium and potassium levels were low, so they hung a bag of that to drip. She also received two units of blood because her hemoglobin levels were below 8 and they said they want them above 9.
Her immune system is shot so she cannot have any visitors that are sick or even think they may be sick. My sister just found out that both of her kids have strep throat, so there’s no telling when she will be able to visit again.
Even though we haven’t been sick, we still have to wash thoroughly before entering her wing. There are sinks before you first enter. Once we get to her room, we have to wear gloves. This is in case any of her chemotherapy seeps through her skin and on to ours. If we were to get the chemo on our skin, we could get very deathly ill. We also have to wear a face mask if we want to kiss her or be in her face.
I go in, put on gloves and a mask because the first thing I like to do is kiss her on the forehead. I like to be up close and personal.
Today she asked me to read to her. She has about five books that she reads passages from each day and she said she was way behind. I got her caught up in two of them. Maybe tomorrow I can catch her up even more if I start with that first thing.
Posted by tami at 9:54 PM Comments (1)
July 4, 2007
So Long, Farewell!
I am disappointed with Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurant. I sent them the following email on June 9th. It has almost been one month and they have never contacted me or changed their website. They will not be getting any future business from this family.
6-9-07To Whom It May Concern:
This afternoon I visited your Ruby Tuesday location on Alysheba Way in Lexington, Kentucky. I looked online about a week ago and made sure that you had a lower calorie menu because I was only interested in visiting a restaurant that had smarter eating choices.
When I saw on your website the variety of “Smart Eating Choices”, I was thrilled and decided to have lunch with you. This is the site I refer to:
As you can see, the website shows a wide variety of meals to choose from. Now, imagine my dismay when I looked on your menu today and saw none of these choices. I specifically asked the server if there was a light menu and he said, “That menu was discontinued company-wide because no one ever ordered from it.”
I was disappointed to say the least. I ordered what I thought might be a healthy choice, but when I got home and checked the nutrition facts, I was startled to learn how many calories it had.
I am writing to say that you need to change your website to reflect what is actually available. It’s not good for business if the customer cannot get what was advertized as being there.
Nope. They never contacted me, but they could have at least changed their website! Good riddance!
Posted by tami at 8:17 AM Comments (0)
July 3, 2007
Some Good News
Photo taken May 2004 of Mom and Ashley at a Mother/Daughter Banquet
They moved mom out of the CCU and back into the Markey! If you want her new room number, just email me.
When she first saw me this morning, she said, “I’ve been waiting for you.”
My heart leapt at those words. It’s nice to know that you’re wanted.
As we traveled from the CCU to the Markey, I thought about how glad we both were to be getting back there. Then it occurred to me how strange it was to be thankful to be back in the cancer center.
I hate cancer.
While the nurse helped her with her shower, I overheard her say, “Never in my life would I have imagined this.”
She was referring to not being able to take a shower without help. This whole experience has overwhelmed her and she is still reeling from the news.
But, we are happy; happy and grateful that she is no longer in the CCU and grateful that they removed her catheter. Now she has a little more freedom and a little more privacy.
Posted by tami at 9:45 PM Comments (3)
July 2, 2007
Hard To Swallow
I was able to stay with mom for about four hours today and could have stayed with her longer had she not rushed me off. She kept saying, “You need to go. You’ve been here for a long time.”
She just doesn’t understand that there is no other place I would rather be. I sat in the chair at her bedside as she laid there with her eyes closed and I just enjoyed being with her, watching her. We talked some, but we didn’t have to talk the whole time. She knew that I was there for her and that’s all that mattered.
I was able to convince the doctor to let me stay in the room while they drained more fluid from her lungs. That was a first for him, but I think I proved to him that I wasn’t going to get dramatic during the procedure.
The procedure was painful for mom and she jerked away as he did his work even after he had numbed all he could. After it was over, he told us that there are lots of nerves between the ribs and you just can’t numb every one.
I’m sure she will have to have that procedure again and I feel so sorry for her. It had to have been awfully painful for her to have jerked away and even called out.
As bad as that was though, they did it for her. They did it so that she could breathe easier and get out of the CCU and into a normal room. This will help her.
After she had her lung drained, they took an x-ray. Later someone came in and put in a PICC line. This is like the indwelling catheter that she has near her collarbone; only this was placed in her arm. The nurse had to cover her entire body with a sterile paper, so I was glad I was in the room so she would hear a familiar voice while her face was covered.
The nurses now have five places to take blood, give medicine, chemotherapy and so forth. They said the PICC line was added for chemotherapy treatments.
After the nurse placed the PICC line, she ordered another x-ray. She said they had to make sure she placed it in the right place.
She did look at me after these things were done and say, “Is there an end to all this? This is just unbelievable.”
When she used the word unbelievable, she was referring to finding out that she has Leukemia. It was only a few weeks ago that she and dad celebrated their anniversary, were eating nice dinner’s out together, holding each other at night, and kneeling at the foot of their bed praying. In an instant, everything in her life has changed.
This is hard to swallow.
Posted by tami at 10:16 PM Comments (2)
July 1, 2007
Update On Mom
Last night (6/30), mom had fluid drained from her lung via a needle in the side of her chest. She said the fluid was a nasty brown color. She said they also put a catheter in her and it was very painful. They gave her a sponge bath at midnight, but she didn’t mind having it at this hour. She did say they were too rough with her though. Mom never complains about anything to anyone, so I was surprised when she said she told them, “You’re being too rough.” I asked her what their response was (she said there were three of them). She said they didn’t say anything.
It really ticks me off that they were rough with her. I’m sure her skin is sensitive right now, but these people should know this and have a little more consideration. Mom said, “They haven’t been through this.”
Today she had another CAT scan, but I don’t know the results of that. With her not being in an actual room where I can be with her all the time, I don’t see the doctor or hear anything he has to say. When I call, the nurse will tell me how she is doing, but they don’t say anything about test results being back or anything of that sort. I’m sure they aren’t allowed, but I want some news! I am very optimistic about hearing something tomorrow though since it will be Monday, a weekday.
Posted by tami at 11:41 PM Comments (1)
Say Bye To June 2007
I am posting this early before I have visited with mom. I may post again later after seeing her. I don't know.
These are the movies we viewed in June. I can’t believe the month is already over!
6-2-07 The Queen – Let me first say that I enjoyed this movie immensely and was riveted to the screen. I had hoped to get a better insight of the queen’s life, but that’s okay. Since I kept up with the news, I knew pretty much everything the movie covered. It was surprising that this movie was just as much about Tony Blair as it was the queen. It started right before Princess Diana’s death and went through the days that followed and the actions the queen took. It ends about two months afterwards.
6-4-07 Nanny McPhee – This was a very cute, family friendly movie. The costumes and house were very colorful and delightful to the eye. As an adult, I knew how the movie would end from the very beginning; however I still enjoyed it and would watch it again.
6-6-07 The Prestige – This is the story of two magicians who worked together until a fatal error occurred one evening in the middle of one of their acts. After this event, they were mortal enemies. When one of them performs a great trick, the other has to find out how he did it at any cost.
This was a terrific movie. There was one twist after another and I think in the end, I comprehended it all. I’m sure if I watched it again, I would see points that I missed though. This is definitely worth renting.
6-12-07 Over the Hedge – One day forest animals awake after the winter hibernation to find their beloved woods gone and a neighborhood in its place. With the help of one particularly rambunctious animal, they explore human territory in order to get enough food to last through the winter. This is a great family-friendly cartoon.
6-15-07 Grey Gardens – This is a documentary covering a small part of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie’s lives. These are the cousins of the famous Jackie Kennedy-Onassis. They live in a dilapidated house in East Hampton and this documentary illustrates how eccentric they are. I found the whole thing fascinating and plan to watch it again along with the audio commentary.
6-17-07 The Devil Wears Prada – Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep star in this movie. I loved the music, the clothes, and all the color! The whole movie starts off upbeat; a kind of Pretty Woman type of transformation occurs with Anne Hathaway’s character, but then the movie takes a turn and it all becomes very sad. For such a wonderful start, it ended on a very bad note for me.
6-20-07 The Beales of Grey Gardens – This movie was made up of unused footage from the documentary Grey Gardens which I previously mentioned. I plan to watch them both again (and again and again), but I think I liked this one better than the first. Little Edie concocts bizarre fashions in both movies; however you get to see more of those fashions in this version. Also, there is more singing and a fire breaks out which adds much drama. If you watch it, don’t miss the introduction, which I think is best saved for AFTER the movie. I love, love, loved it!
6-20-07 The Forgotten - This is one of those psychological thrillers that I love. You think there will be blood or much spookiness, but there never is. Well, there is some spookiness, but no blood. Julianne Moore plays the main character whose son was killed 14 months ago in a plane crash. All of a sudden, her son’s face is missing from family photos and his scrapbooks are empty. Her psychiatrist and husband want her to just forget her son, but she can’t. She’s knows that he existed and she will stop at nothing to prove it. This movie was very interesting and there are plenty of familiar faces to see. I think it’s definitely clean enough for the entire family to watch.
6-21-07 The Da Vinci Code - I suppose everyone has heard of this movie because of the controversy surrounding the book of the same name. I had no desire to read the book, but I had heard that the movie didn’t go exactly by the book, so I thought I was safe from what I call “the Jesus propaganda”. I was wrong. I know this is just a movie, but movies can be very powerful tools used to convince people of certain ideas. Unless you are very firm in your religion, I would not recommend you watch this. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good movie and I did enjoy it, but I realize it’s only a movie.
6-24-07 Deja Vu - I had forgotten what a good actor Denzel Washington is until I watched this. He plays an ATF agent who uses a secret government invention to try and change a horrific event that wiped out over 500 people and to catch the killer. This was a great movie; very suspenseful and action packed.
6-27-07 The Illusionist - Like the movie The Prestige (mentioned above), this is a movie about a magician, but it is also a love story. If I had to advise you to rent that movie or this one, I would say rent this one. I thought it was just wonderful and would watch it again in a heartbeat. This was a very mysterious movie.
6-30-07 Borat - With mom being in the hospital and crying off and on over her all day, I was in dire need of some comic relief. This movie did not fail to deliver. In fact, I haven’t heard Kevin laugh this much during a movie in ages. This is about a man, Borat, who comes to the United States from Kazakhstan making a documentary all the while on his journey from New York to California. The movie is filled with one non politically correct word after another and even has male nudity. I don’t care though; it was truly hilarious. So, if you want a good belly laugh, watch this – just make sure the kids are asleep!
Posted by tami at 8:06 AM Comments (0)