Thank you to everyone for being so supportive and sweet during the last few very rough months! You have meant the world to me.
Mummy is doing very great! She is home almost two weeks earlier than expected. Mummy is eating and is even planning to walk to the end of the driveway today. All good.
As for myself, I am starting to come back to the land of the living. It is funny how when something really serious happens to someone that you love, how your priorities change. Make-up, writing thank-you notes, reading, volunteering, chatting about all things green....it all falls away. And I didn't miss any of it until today.
Today I made plans with a friend to go to the beach. It's 90 degrees today Dolphyn! I went to the food store. Called an old friend. Threw in a load of laundry. Normal stuff that I haven't had any interest in for some time. (to be completely honest, I still could care less about the laundry)
Thank you to all of my friends in the Blogspehere for reading my rants and sending your kind notes. Thank you to Ruth Dynamite my blog and real life friend for dropping by with a lavender plant to cheer me up. A special thank you to Carolyn and Dr. Martin Goodman for saving my mummy's life!
Back to living the healthy green life!
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mummy Update
Thank you, thank you to everyone who has kept my mummy in their thoughts. It has been a tough few months for her.
After having severe stomach pain, mummy went in for exploratory surgery. During the surgery the doctors discovered that mummy had stage 4 appendix cancer. A rare, intrusive cancer that isn't well-understood.
A few weeks and a few complications later we headed to an oncologist in Boston. This oncologist told us that the cancer spread throughout the pelvic cavity and chemo would be in order. The chemo would hopefully slow the cancer's spread, but it wouldn't cure the cancer.
The devastating visit with the oncologist brought us to the internet. (I officially love Google) Hubby found an angel named Carolyn who has survived appendix cancer. She actually beat appendix cancer!
Carolyn started a blog to help spread information to others with rare appendix cancer. An angel I tell you!
Carolyn said that most oncologists have no idea how to effectively treat appendix cancer so they treat it like they would treat colon cancer. It is so rare that most oncologists never see a case of appendix cancer. Just what mummy's oncologist said.
The blog outlined different treatments and even included a list of doctors who specialize in the treatment of appendix cancer. Once of the doctors was located in Boston. We were ready to travel to the ends of the earth and we only had to travel the twenty-or-so miles.
The family visited the appendix specialist and he decided that mummy was a perfect candidate for a radical surgery. During the surgery, the doctor removes all non-essential organs like the gallbladder, ovaries, spleen, etc. Every visible cell of cancer is removed. Then, warm chemo solution is circulated throughout the pelvic cavity. Theoretically, after the surgery, the cancer should be gone.
This surgery is our chance. The chance that we have been praying for.
We booked an appointment for a week from Thursday. The 22nd.
Thank you for everyone's thoughtful emails, calls and thoughts. I appreciate all of them dearly. I truly believe that all of those thoughts and prayers brought us to the appendix specialist. Please continue to keep mummy in your thoughts.
After having severe stomach pain, mummy went in for exploratory surgery. During the surgery the doctors discovered that mummy had stage 4 appendix cancer. A rare, intrusive cancer that isn't well-understood.
A few weeks and a few complications later we headed to an oncologist in Boston. This oncologist told us that the cancer spread throughout the pelvic cavity and chemo would be in order. The chemo would hopefully slow the cancer's spread, but it wouldn't cure the cancer.
The devastating visit with the oncologist brought us to the internet. (I officially love Google) Hubby found an angel named Carolyn who has survived appendix cancer. She actually beat appendix cancer!
Carolyn started a blog to help spread information to others with rare appendix cancer. An angel I tell you!
Carolyn said that most oncologists have no idea how to effectively treat appendix cancer so they treat it like they would treat colon cancer. It is so rare that most oncologists never see a case of appendix cancer. Just what mummy's oncologist said.
The blog outlined different treatments and even included a list of doctors who specialize in the treatment of appendix cancer. Once of the doctors was located in Boston. We were ready to travel to the ends of the earth and we only had to travel the twenty-or-so miles.
The family visited the appendix specialist and he decided that mummy was a perfect candidate for a radical surgery. During the surgery, the doctor removes all non-essential organs like the gallbladder, ovaries, spleen, etc. Every visible cell of cancer is removed. Then, warm chemo solution is circulated throughout the pelvic cavity. Theoretically, after the surgery, the cancer should be gone.
This surgery is our chance. The chance that we have been praying for.
We booked an appointment for a week from Thursday. The 22nd.
Thank you for everyone's thoughtful emails, calls and thoughts. I appreciate all of them dearly. I truly believe that all of those thoughts and prayers brought us to the appendix specialist. Please continue to keep mummy in your thoughts.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Cancer Cluster
Years ago there was a lot of talk in the news about "cancer clusters." Picture a map with a pin in the house of each person with cancer. Then picture lots of pins in a particular town or area. Most of these clusters are in highly educated areas. The cause of the majority of these cancer clusters is unknown. Scary stuff.
I am tossing another town into the cancer cluster mix. Holliston, Massachusetts.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am not a doctor or scientist. I do not wear white. (black is more slimming) My declaration is purely from my own, concrete knowledge.
After over a month of searing stomach pain, my mummy's doctor called with some test results. Malignant cells were found. The doctor is guessing the cancer may be colon, ovary or pancreatic.
This isn't Mummy's first brush with cancer. It isn't even her third. Her strangest cancer was the rare brain tumor that only had been documented in nine young children. This same brain tumor was found in Mummy's spine while she was in her 50's.
So many of Mummy and Daddy's friends in town have been touched by cancer. The energetic childhood friend who lost her battle with a brain tumor. The many, many friends who have battled breast cancer and won. The friend with throat cancer who moved and then the next friend developed throat cancer while living in the same house.
I'm scared.
I do my best to keep nasty chemicals out of the house. I do my best to eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I do my best to move as often as possible. What if all of us keep doing our best to live healthy only to be whopped by some unknown force?
I am tossing another town into the cancer cluster mix. Holliston, Massachusetts.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am not a doctor or scientist. I do not wear white. (black is more slimming) My declaration is purely from my own, concrete knowledge.
After over a month of searing stomach pain, my mummy's doctor called with some test results. Malignant cells were found. The doctor is guessing the cancer may be colon, ovary or pancreatic.
This isn't Mummy's first brush with cancer. It isn't even her third. Her strangest cancer was the rare brain tumor that only had been documented in nine young children. This same brain tumor was found in Mummy's spine while she was in her 50's.
So many of Mummy and Daddy's friends in town have been touched by cancer. The energetic childhood friend who lost her battle with a brain tumor. The many, many friends who have battled breast cancer and won. The friend with throat cancer who moved and then the next friend developed throat cancer while living in the same house.
I'm scared.
I do my best to keep nasty chemicals out of the house. I do my best to eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I do my best to move as often as possible. What if all of us keep doing our best to live healthy only to be whopped by some unknown force?
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