THE GIFT OF HOPE!!

These past couple of months I have been resting and healing my body for Phase #2. All the different tests and tasks have been performed: MugaScan (to check the performance of my heart!), PET Scan (to check if the cancer had not metastasied to any other organs of my body), blood work (necessary to check all white and red blood cells,platelets...) and countless other tests... all OK. I even had a Port put in my chest, this is where the infusions will take place. My blood pressure has been running very high lately (190/110!) so I've been visiting my Dr. frequently! As of Monday it was 160/90, she gave her OK to begin (darn it!)

Today is C-day... CHEMO to CURE the CANCER !! Today at noon I will be sitting in a recliner (relaxing!!) with an IV dripping this RED poison (Adriamycin) into my body! Cyclophosphamide will also accompany it with Benadryl and a variety of other "wonderful" drugs to combat nausea and vomiting.The side effects must be SO BAD when your oncologist hands you three different RX scripts to fill just for nausea! One of them costs $410.00!! (for just 3 pills!) Merck is making a fortune with us cancer patients...is there a generic for EMEND!!

A couple of weeks ago I went to my first meeting at GILDA's CLUB... they were so welcoming and supportive. It is filled with a loving community of people who have been touched by cancer who understand what you are going through! When you enter their red doors it feels like home and they already feel like an extended family! They even have a teen group which Madison is enjoying. I left Gilda's with a generous and loving feeling... the gift of HOPE!!

My bag is packed (my Chemo bag that is!) and I'm ready to go (ha,ha!!) I packed everything I thought would come in handy to distract me from the inevitable: cell phone, book, journal, lunch, water, hard candy, gum, apple, banana, granola bar, sweater, extra shirt, Billy Graham's "Hope for each day", more anti-nausea meds, my prayer blanket (from Joanne), fingerless mitts and of course my knitting! Not bad for someone who doesn't want to go! Maybe I'll sleep through it all (don't I wish!) Please say a prayer and remember me today as you go about your busy day. While in the Infusion/Chemo room, I will be praying for all the little children who are going through Chemo today also ... now that is courage!!

God has a plan for all of us... His perfect plan...

"Whenever you face a trial of any kind, consider it nothing but joy".

James 1:2

Home Sweet Home!

Today is truly a beautiful day- I am home! I has been 19 days since my diagnosis on October 27th. With the love and support from my children and Mami's home cooked meals I will begin to heal.

Even though I do not have all the results until the pathology report comes in. I do know that God guided the skilled hands of my doctors into performing a miracle!

Since I am still in quite a lot of pain, I will be resting/sleeping most of the time... I will post as soon as I can.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS!!!

Day After Surgery

My mom is in quite a lot of pain today. I quess the anesthesia wore off. The nurse took the IV off her, which is good! She is alert again today and doing well. She ate breakfast this morning, but didn't have as much of an apetite as last night. She got: oatmeal, a bagel, a muffin, soy milk, yogurt (which I ate), cereal (which my grandmother ate), but she didn't eat it all. She tried to get food with a lot of fiber. She is now taking a sponge bath (the nurse is giving it to her) All is well.  :)

~Madison

Surgery Results

My mom is doing well. She was done with her surgery at 12pm. She is now in her room. She is awake and alert. She has an IV on and has not eaten yet. I just wanted to inform you all.

~Madison

Update: Surgery

My mom went into surgery at about 7:50am. I saw her before she went in and then we went out to breakfast at a nearby coffee house. It was a nice place. The surgery should take 2-3 hours and after every procedure the doctor will come out and talk to us.
~Madison

The Day of the Surgery

I'm in another waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. My mom is having her sugery today at about 7-7:30am. I am here with my grandma, Steven, and Jason. We have been here since like 5:30am. I woke up at like 4am (well I never really fell asleep) it's hard to sleep in a city where there are taxis beeping horns at all hours! It's definately true that this is the city that never sleeps! My mom just went in to get some pre-surgical procedures taken care of. I'm not sure what they are actually doing.

Before we got on the floor that we're on now we got a little lost. (Really Lost!) We were told to go on one floor, then when we got there, they told us to go to another floor. I realized how big the Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital truly is! There are so many different elevator lines.(A,B,C...) and different floors for each one.(So confusing) So now I'm just waiting and waiting and waiting! My mom wanted to thank all of you for your kindness & support! I will write another post as soon as I get some news.

~Madison

The Day Before Surgery

While my mother is in the hospital I will write what is happening at the moment. Right now I'm sitting in a waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital and my mom was just called in by the nurse. Today she is going to get radioactive mapping done. (I think that's what it's called) but I'm no medical expert. Anyway her appointment was supposed to be at one, but she was taken in early. I'm here with my grandmother, my brother Steven, and my other brother Jason is on his way. I realized that almost every person in this waiting room has some kind of cancer. So I will try to keep you all updated. :)

~Madison