​Since going on hospice, there have been no big events to write about... no doctor visits, no scans, no falls or injuries... just a slow general decline in mom's overall health.

She is not in much pain, but she is completely bedridden at this point.

We got word from some of mom's friends in Amarillo who had been checking on her house that one of the sheds on her property had been broken into.  We decided that it was best for me to make a trip up there to remove all the personal items(photos, financial records, etc.) and any valuables to remove any temptation.  It was a long but productive weekend and most of that was due to my cousin Linda driving in from Albuquerque to help.

Hospice has been very helpful.  The people have been great, and unlike a normal doctor visit, they don't feel rushed. They spend the time to answer questions and since they are here more frequently they are noticing the small changes and respond better.

She didn't sleep well last night, so today is a low energy day.  It's tough on days like this because she seems so weak and frail, but I have seen a good night's sleep completely re-energize her. 

My cousins Nancy and Linda are back for another visit in a week, and we are trying to get my niece Amber down for a visit.  

All for now, 
​Keith

We decided to put off chemo because the 2nd round really knocked her down, and my hope was that she would get stronger and we would resume the treatment, but that is not going to happen.

We had a followup meeting with her oncologist, and her recommendation was to abandon chemo all together and consider hospice. 

My mom's marked decline in health since April was a sign that the chemo was doing more harm than good.  When I brought her down from Amarillo, she walked through the door, and for the past month she has been confined to the bed.  Walking even a few steps is a struggle for her.

We had a preliminary meeting with hospice on Monday to learn more about the program and yesterday we signed the paperwork.

By entering into hospice, your focus shifts from fighting the cancer and prolonging life to just managing symptoms of the disease and maximizing quality of life in the remaining time.

The oncologist said that she 'didn't have weeks to live, or years, but likely several months'

It was tough to hear, but mom had been preparing herself for it.

She will remain with us for as long as possible, and hospice with be coming by several times a week to assist with anything we need.

​That's all for now.

Mom was just not bouncing back well after the chemo dose... even when we lowered the dose this last time.  When I brought her down from Amarillo, but needed a cane to get around, and for the last month she has mostly been confined to the bed and being wheeled to her doctor appointments.

The overall weakness is probably from a combination of things, but we really need to get her back on her feet before another round of chemo.

Cousin Linda is coming for another visit on Monday and it will be a lighter week with only a couple doctor visits.

All for now.

So the 2nd round of Chemo (a lower dose) hit her pretty hard and it's taken her longer to bounce back.  She is also dealing with a new issue, swelling in her right leg and foot.  They ruled out a blood clot, which is good, so that means lymphedema... not super serious, but it needs to be addresses.  We have an appointment with a specialist next week, but we are trying to get that pushed up.  The swelling has affected her sleep which really knocks her out the next day.

On a good note, I have been so busy dealing with mom's physical health that I have not been following up on her financial stuff.  She was managing it until the chemo knocked her down and she stopped paying her bills... :(  I asked my brother to wrangle that and he is getting her back on track.

The good news is, he resolved her long standing feud with AT&T and got her phone service turned back on.  Feel free to give her call.  If you would like to call and don't have her number, send me a message on FB.

We were scheduled for another round of Chemo this week, but we have decided to push it off until she gets stronger.  She can only walk about 6 feet before getting out of breath.  We are doing physical therapy, but there is not much to work with once the chemo hits you.

​All for now.  Have a great holiday.

Another busy week with doctor visits every day. In general, all of her test number were improving, but the struggle continues with the her eating and drinking. The low calorie intake and not getting enough fluids is taking it's toll.   

Mom was cleared for a second round of chemo, but we decided to go with a lower dose.  It's definitely hitting her harder this time.

From where we are at today, I don't think a 3rd round would be good unless/until she starts eating better to build herself up more.

We started on a 2nd appetite stimulant this week, but we're not seeing any positive results yet.

We are scheduled for an out patient procedure tomorrow to exchange the drain tube in her kidney, but they may cancel it or keep her based on her condition.

I will try and get get an update out again by tuesday or wednesday.

The 4th day after chemo is supposed to be the peak for the effects of the drug and after that, the she should be feeling the effects less.

The good news is that the effects were mild and manageable.  She only had minor symptoms of neuropathy in her feet and one leg... not pleasant, but it could have been a lot worse.  Today, the leg is not bothering her and the feelings in her feet was noticeably less.

We also had family over and that did a lot to improve her spirits.  She joined us for meals, ate more, and was generally more active during their visit.  

Her sister and niece are coming for a visit this weekend, so we have that to look forward to also.

Only 2 doctor visits on the calendar this week, and I for one am glad for the lighter schedule. 

The new meds are helping and we are hoping to get an additional prescription this week to assist the chemo in fighting the cancer.

​All for now.

Yesterday was long, but uneventful... which is a win in my book.

My cousin Linda made it to town last night and Nancy get's in today.

Today we had a heart appointment and we are waiting to start the blood transfusion.

So far she is not feeling the effects of the Chemo and the extra blood should give her a boost too.  Looking forward to a long weekend without doctor appointments and catching up with family.

I was hoping to get a post up earlier in the week, but I haven't got much down time lately.

The good news is that we start Chemo in the morning, and we got some new meds that seem to be helping with pain, sleep, and mood. They aren't magic pills, but things are improving.  Appetite is still a struggle.

The not so good news, blood levels are down again... so more transfusions on Friday... and she had a minor fall this morning. 

Fortunately, I was home and nothing was broken... but we are going to have to be a lot more careful going forward.  The doctor said a serious fall or broken bone would be something that she probably couldn't recover from.  :(

Yesterday was a good day, Nick and fam came by and hung out for a couple hours.  She ate a real dinner and was in good spirits.

With the Chemo, she will feel progressively worse for 5 days and then she will start to recover.  It's a 3 week cycle.  One week to knock you down, two weeks to recover and then start over.  

We have family visiting for the weekend, plus, the blood transfusion should give her a boost to get through this first round.

All for now.

 I was hoping after getting out of the hospital last Saturday that we could get back on track and get ready for the Chemo which is starting next week, but we've had some tough days. 

Her overall attitude has really gone down since leaving the hospital.  We have seen a parade of doctors and a full schedule of labs and scans and it's starting to take it's toll.  She's stopped watching TV (which has always been on) and she is interacting with us less, preferring to stay in her room. Trying to get her to join us for dinner has been unsuccessful, and she is spending most of her time sleeping.  :(

There is a real reason for her to feel down, but having a positive attitude as we face the challenges ahead will help a lot.

The biggest problems that Mom's facing as we go into Chemo is a lack of nutrition and dealing with the pain. Dialing in the pain meds hasn't been easy, and Mom's been struggling with a lack of appetite for months. She's lost almost 100 pounds in the last 6 months... but it's becoming all the more important because she's losing a lot of strength and the Chemo is going to knock her down more.

We met with a new primary care physician(PCP) yesterday, and had our Chemo training class.  We had to push back the PCP back 90 minutes because getting her up and out was really hard.  He gave us a couple new prescriptions that will hopefully help with mood and appetite.  We started on the new pills last night, and I am hounding her to drink these prescribed nutritional drinks...

Monday we are getting the Chemo port installed.  We have to be at the hospital at 6:30am.  Thursday we get the first dose of Chemo, and we have family visiting on the weekend.

All for now, hoping to have a better week.