The news keeps getting better

Tests on the fluid the drained came back with no cancer cells. Very good news. Mom has been home for 5 or 6 days.

Mom saw the oncologist today.

He was not any where near as pessimistic as the pulmonary guy. In fact he trashed the pulmonary department at St Frances as a bunch of gloom and doomers who are 15 years behind on cancer treatment.

He said she has more time for more treatments and gave her a vitamin B12 shot which she is convinced gave her more energy. In fact, she even went out to dinner for the first time in weeks.

The next round of chemo will be with drugs the oncologist said are easier to tolerate. Neither Phil nor mom remembered the name of them, but I'll find out.

Anyway, no one is giving up.

Joshua

Into the hospital

Mom saw the pulmonary doctor the other day. The only good news is that she likes him. He seems to actually understand what it takes to be a good doctor and to treat patients well.

As for the disease: She will go into St Francis hospital tomorrow, Friday, to have fluid drained. She'll be in teh hospital til Tuesday.

As for the chemo and radiation, none of it seemed to work. The tumor has not gotten any smaller.

Mom's pretty exhausted and this was a big blow. We were sure she was getting better and the problems were jsut the side effects of the treatments. The other good news is there will be no moree side effects. Traditional treatments are over. Now the search begins for alternatives.

Joshua

Pneumonia

Phil went with Mom to the doctor yesterday. It turns out it was just about the pneumonia. They didn't really get into the cancer.
There is a "blockage" in the lung. Whether it is another tumor or scar tissue or something else is unclear. It seems to be related to the pneumonia.
Next steps: Pulmonologist next Tuesday, June 13 and then the oncologist again on the 17th. Most likely a bronchocopy somewhere in there too.
Mom's feeling lousy and frustrated. Everything seems to take so long and the answers are never clear.
When your diagniosed with your cancer you want to move quickly, to get started on treatments, to beat it. And the doctors all seem to take their time. You get in line and wait your turn. You have tests in a week or two and then more tests a week or two later to clarify what the first tests didn't. As you battle for your life the doctors seem to just run thier businesses jsut like any other business, except less efficiently. There is no concern for the stakes involved. Some doctors are better at expressing concern, but they are all so busy they jsut fit you in when they can. 'Cause they have long lists of patients and the stakes are high for all of them.

Joshua

A Different Kind of Cough

Mom's been feeling pretty lousy for a week or two now. Exhausted, though she did come in 2nd with Nehama in a duplicate bridge tournament. Coughing more than she had been, although it seemed to be a different kind of cough.

Today was her CAT Scan. They called her donctor immediately afterward to let him know she had pneumonia! Good news and bad. It certainly explains the different cough and some of the exhaustion. Of course her immune system isn't exactly at the top of its game right now. But let's face it, antibiotics beat chemo anyday of the week.

So this Monday she will go for the PET Scan in the morning and will meet with her doctor in the afternoon. That means she won't have to wait another week for results. Monday afternoon we will know if all the treatments worked.

For those of you that pray, Mom's Hebrew name is Sarah bat Malcha.

Hopefully I'll be posting good news next week.

Joshua

And the winner is...

Mom completed her second round of chemo the beginning of last week. She looks great and feels exhausted. The good news is that the only symptom of the cancer she has ever had is the cough, and that appears to be getting better.
The side effects of treatment, however, do takle their toll. She is exhausted, but regaining her strength. Next steps are scans the first week of June and then the doctor will read them and comapre to the originals on June 15. That will be the first formal declaration that all the treatments are either working or not.
Last week we had a family luncheon to celebrate my cousin Julia's graduation from WPI. Everyone agreed that Mom looked great and no one knew she was now wearing a wig, until of course, Rebecca and she pointed it out.
So that's it. It's time to sit and wait, and rebuild some strength.
More to come on June 15....

Joshua

Round 2

Well, its been a good few weeks. Mom has been feeling pretty well, it being more than 6 weeks since her last treatment. She is still fatigued, but being back in Connecticut seems to be good. She actually gets more exercise there because she has to go up and down the stairs in the condo.

Yesterday I picked her, and Mort and Beck, up and we droive forever to North Adams, MA for a shiva call. Mom's best friend in Florida, Norma Freedman, died last week after fighting cancer and heart problems for 9 years. Mom wants to know where she can go to sign up for another 9 years. Norma was a wonderful and sweet woman and we will all miss her. Her widower, Mort, is moving to an assisted living facility near White Plains, where his son lives. It was hard to see him leaving the house he shared with Norma for more than 30 years to start anew, in a new place with no old friends around.

Mom just got back from the Doctor where they walked her through the nbext round of Chemo, which starts Monday. In Florida she was on Taxol and now it will be a sister drug, Taxofere. With pills before and after the treatments, and shots a few days after. Treatments will be every 3 weeks.

Last week she asked the Doctor about taking vitamins and other natural stuff. He told her not to take anything as they don't know if it interferes with the chemo.

I am not pleased with that answer and will call him to discuss. Had he said that sturdies have shown interference, or had he said in his experience... then I would be mnroe satisfied. But I have no patience for those who say "no" out of ingorance or because they just don't have enough infomration. It is his job to study the information and give and educated opinion, and that is what i will ask him to do.

Anyway, that's it for now. My kids and I and 25 tohers including the whole family will be at Phil's house for the first seder. For those of you who are Jewish, may you ahve a meanigful Pesach and we'll see you again in the desert.

Joshua

Back to Connecticut

Haven't talk to Mom since Daniel, Nina and I left on Wednesday morning, but I am sure she is not doing so well right now. UConn just lost in overtime and will not be winning the NCAA Basketball championship this year.

We had a great time. Mom is feeling pretty well, since it has been 3-4 weeks since her last treatment. We went to both Dr's with her. Radiation oncologist said she has had all the radiation treatments she can or ever will have. He noted her cancer will probably never be operable, but still hoping it is shrinking.

It is hard to tell the progress since Mom left her original CAT scan films somwhere (either hospital or one of many Dr's), and they cannot be found.

Most importantly she has an appointment in Manchester with her new oncologist on this Wednesday. Last I talked to her she was going to fly back oin Tuesday.