I'm Home, I'm Home !

Well, our hopes and dreams came through Wednesday morning. Dr. Crim's associate, Dr. Hurley gave us our dismissal papers. Other than a reminder to come back in on July 5, for post-operative check up, all's clear.

It is wonderful to be home, the dogs were so excited, but I'm a little afraid of them right now. They tend to jump (well, they are hounds!), and I'm afraid they'll hurt me. That makes me a little sad. I've always had so much fun with them.

Miss Sarah Boggs is still here, thank goodness ! I think we'll have 2 more days before she has to get back to her real life. Joe will be coming in some time tomorrow. He always tries to be here for the fireworks display. I'm not sure how long his visit will be, and Bryan will be coming in Sunday night. Our revolving door is slowly starting to work again. That's something else to be grateful for.

The Waiting Game... still in RM 663

Hm. Waiting. This is the second day of waiting. I don't think we've ever been so anxious to receive a dismissal. The doctor has been hinting around since Monday morning. Of course, there is a course of action to be taken before the goal can be achieved, but we're almost there.

The blood transfusion on Monday is the best example I have ever seen of an unpleasant situation that is necessary for a pleasant outcome. On top of the expected anxiety over having foriegn blood pumped into her veins, the nurses were havng a rough time with the IV spots. Then the transfusion took HOURS longer than expected. First, there was the vein flush. Then antibiotic... flush... blood... flush... antibiotic... flush... blood... flush... antibiotic... UGH! Poor Mom's veins are just pooped. So are her nerves.

Yesterday was pleasant, as Mom was feeling better. It was amazing to see how quickly the transfusion helped her recovery. As the day wore on, our impending impatience set in. LOL. Here is a synopsis of the day... wake up... walk... eat... walk... visit... check vitals... sit... eat... walk... check vitals... visit... walk... check vitals... eat... walk... sit... you get the picture. Mom is growing weary of the redundancy, and misses home.

It is now 9:30am on Wednesday, and we are waiting on the doctor. Hopefully for a dismissal. Hopefully...

~Sarah

Scary Times & Skylines

Tonight I'm writing from the waiting room on the Oncology Floor. There is a beautiful view from this room. Even though we are in Dallas, I can see trees for miles and miles. The skyline is in the distance, and reminds me very much of the Miami skyline from my bedroom in Ft. Lauderdale. It is funny that I should choose this spot, after admitting how the Miami skyline contributed to my decision to come here for these weeks. I love looking at skylines... they remind me of how far we have come... and how far we have yet to go. They conjure up a ton of questions that I wouldn't otherwise have considered.

While I'm looking at the Dallas skyline, I can see rain clouds passing over... at any given moment, there is a portion of the city that is completely hidden by the rain. Then everything goes clear, but only for a moment. Then another cloud passes over, and the cycle resumes. I can only imagine the amount of people inside of those buildings that are affected by these clounds. This reminds me very much of Mom's recovery.

We had a tough day today. Mom started out stronger than ever. She was already awake and was finished with breakfast when I regained consciousness this morning. Sunny times. The doctor came to visit, and informed us that Mom would need a transfusion today. She was much less than excited about this. It was as though the rain cloud was beginning to cast shadows... then the nurses took longer than expected to get the transfusion started. The catheter stayed in, despite the doctor's promise to have it removed today. At 1:30, the transfusion STILL hadn't started. The doctor forgot to mention that an order of antibiotics must be administered prior to the transfusion. Mom's IV spot went bad, and we were limited on options... resulting in several bruises and a frustrated family. The rain was pouring.

It is now almost 7pm, and Mom has finished her 1st transfusion. She is resting quietly, and says that she feels physically better than before... the sun has come out again. Hopefully it will stay for awhile this time... I'll be sure and keep you posted tomorrow...

~Sarah

Oncology Ward? Or Penthouse Suite? RM 663

In RM 673 on Saturday evening, Mom's new nurse began acquainting us with the new accommodations in what she called, the Oncology Floor. The room was a walk-in closet at best, but a bit closer to the size of a shoe box. There was barely enough room for the bed, and opening/closing the door was out of the question. Because we understood that the hospital was almost at capacity, we did not complain... but asked to be placed on a waiting list for a more spacious room if available.

As I left with a friend to grab dinner, I noticed a room being cleaned. Viola! By the time I returned from dinner, everything had been moved and arranged in what we call The Penthouse. This room is far superior to the last. We are now in a large private room, that has a fabulous view of the Dallas skyline & enough space for a cot and lots of company. :-) It's a good thing that we got moved, because Mom had lots of visitors today!

Seeing everyone really gave her a burst of energy, and she was able to get up and walk 2 times! Also, Dr. Crim has agreed to let Mom eat a liquid diet, which is a step up from the clear liquid meals of yesterday. We are already making a list of things that she wants to eat as soon as she gets clearance...

1. A warm donut
2. 2 fried eggs w/ toast
3. Watermelon slices
4. Purple hulled peas w/ cornbread
5. Seems to have slipped my mind... I'll have to ask her in the morning.

It looks like I'm going to have some serious cooking to do before returning to Florida next weekend! Lol.


~Sarah

ps. Thanks to everyone who has called, written and visited! My brothers and I are reading the emails aloud to Mom each day... it always brings a smile to her face. Thanks for the support!!!! ♥

Settled Again... RM 673

We are now settled in a new room on the 6th floor. This is the Oncology Floor, and all of the nurses are very compassionate. Mom was praised for being so motivated to move, and for choosing such a strong group of doctors. It seems that Dr. Krim is quite the celebrity around here. :-)

The room is quite cramped, but we are on a waiting list for the next available large room (we didn't even have to suggest the move, the nurses offered!). I'll say it again, this hospital is awesome.

~Sarah

Good Progress... moving today...

So, I can tell that Mom is feeling better because she is getting antsy in bed. The nurses came in this morning and let us know that today will be a big day. Mom has been promised some juice (finally), and maybe some stock. :-) I can tell that she is feeling better, because she is getting antsy in bed. lol. She slides the bed up and down, then back up again. I'm so glad that she is regaining her strength!

Also, as soon as one is available, she will be moving to a room on a less intensive floor. Hooray! She is sitting up, checking her email on her own, and has been so pleasantly surprised by all of your sweet messages.

I will make another post shortly and let everyone know where she moves.

~Sarah

SUCCESS!!! Now in Rm 319...

So, it's now almost midnight and Mom is resting peacefully. She is amazingly coherent, considering the day she has had! I'm very much surprised at how pulled together she is after the surgery.

The procedure went very well today. The doctors removed all of the colon cancer, as well as the affected lymph nodes in her abdomen (including one that was very close to her aorta!). Also, we were especially relieved to learn that the doctors were able to remove 100% of the affected part of her liver. It turned out to be 5cm! That was an especially delicate portion of the procedure... we hear that the liver processes a gallon of blood/minute! Thank God that the tumor was growing in an area that experiences the lowest blood pressure, and no main vessels were affected. No blood transfusion was needed.

There is only one small tumor remaining, that was located on a vein that was difficult to remove. We are very proud that the doctors honestly evaluated the situation and decided that the spot was too dangerous to remove. Instead, they clipped the tumor, and it will be eradicated with radiation.

After the procedure, she was transferred directly from the recovery room to her private room. No ICU. The hospital staff has been top-notch all the way. During the procedure, they gave phone updates every hour. They are all quite personable and accommodating. I couldn't be more pleased with the service, accommodations and care Mom is receiving. If you ever have a family member that is undergoing similar circumstances, I 100% reccommend Baylor Medical Center in Irving!

~Sarah

In Surgery Now...

Mom is now in surgery, and we have received a preliminary report from the doctors. Everything seems to be going as scheduled, 30 minutes into the procedure.

She has a strong support group at her side, with Dad, Bryan and I. Also, her Mom and Dad. Lenice (Dad's sister) has come to support him, along with Mindi Brown, who is very close to the family and Danelle Folowell, who is personally familiar with the battle. I feel very lucky to have such a strong support group for my mom, and also to have people who can relate to the fears of the family members individually...

Mom's Post on FlowerChat

When I showed Mom her blog, she showed me a post that she had written on her Flower Chat. Flower Chat is an online community for florists across the world to commune and talk about the business, and their lives in general... she wanted me to share this on her blog as well...

~Sarah

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On Thursday, May 24, I was notified that biopsies done on my breast had come back positive. OH MY GOD! I have cancer.

The following day I went into the hospital to have a colonoscopy. This procedure had nothing to do with the mammogram, or earlier biopsy. It was just time to have it done. The surgeon told me when I woke up that I had a tumor in my colon, and he was almost certain that it also was malignant. Twice in two days!!!!

I have since had a pet scan, which showed us that I have a malignancy on my liver, in the lymph nodes in my chest, the tumor in my colon is in fact malignant, and the breast cancer is lobular, rather than glandular, which means it is scattered.

So here I am, three weeks later. I am still numb, I'm stunned, I don't know what I am.

I will be going into the hospital next week, to have the colon cancer removed, and my colon resectioned. Thank God for modern medicine. At the same time, a second surgeon will be working on my liver.

I am looking at being in the hospital for about a week, then I will be facing 4-5 months of chemo. Followed by more surgery.

Life at the flower shop has stopped for me, for now. I just don't have the stamina that is required to be there. Thank goodness for the wonderful ladies who work for me. They are keeping the place going, and running it like it was their own. The doctors have assured us that I will be back. This is all treatable.

I have always tried to live my life by the saying that God expects great things of those to whom great gifts are given. That has always pulled me through many hard times.

A while back, someone posted the following meditation. It moved me to tears the first time I read it, and I immediately wrote it down. I have carried it with me ever since. I have been repeating it all day today, and I need to thank whoever wrote it.

"It takes patience to trust
courage to fear not
confidence to have faith
strength to be at peace"

Please keep my family and friends in your prayers. And please, please, take care of your health, get your recommended yearly check ups so that maybe you can all avoid this nightmare.

Annaleisa

Surgery Scheduled

So, are hard at work getting everything situated for Mom's surgery. The appointment has been set for this Thursday, June 21st, at Baylor Medical Center in Irving. We will arrive early in the morning, and the surgery is scheduled to begin at noon.

There are not many facts surrounding the surgery. We know that the colon tumor will be removed, and hope that the liver tumor will be removed as well. Because we don't yet know the severity of the liver tumor, it is impossible to tell whether it will be possible to remove it. The breast surgery will take place at a later date (probably November-ish).

hello?

Just wanted to see about posting to this thing.

The Cry, The Battle, & The Battle Cry.

THE CRY:
"Little Girl, we have some bad news."

My dad's voice echoes in my head. After that sentence, everything went numb... blank. When the dust settled, I had absolutely no recollection of the time between hearing those words and hearing my alarm clock. It was Tuesday, May 29. I had "lost" 5 days.

Later, I would learn that I had embarked on 5 days of uncharacteristically rash behavior. I had walked out on my job... and didn't care. I had cancelled a date with one of the most eligible 20-somethings in South Florida... and didn't care. I had stood up my friends on a slew of social events that had been planned months before... you know the drill. The point is, I had not budged from my apartment. Nobody came in... I didn't answer my phone...

A few days later, I heard the same words again... this time I remember. The cancer had not been detected early. It was not "necessarily" terminal. What kind of a thing is that to say? Although those words were meant to encourage, they stung... they stung badly.

I lost it. This wasn't fair. Not my mom. My mom, who worked so diligently to give her kids a healthy upbringing? I have no idea how my brothers handed it. The only words we were able to share on the topic were, "This sucks." The only person who could console me was my mother herself, and that was unacceptable. Because I must be strong for her, the crying had to stop. This was the cry.

THE BATTLE:
After countless hours of sitting at the desk in my bedroom, watching airplanes take off and land at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport, I knew only one thing. I needed to go home. This was unacceptable. My mother is going through the toughest battle of her life, and I am 1,500 miles away. Completely unacceptable.

My parents raised a strong, willing, and brave family. It is time for us to fight... for mom. Our enemy is one of the most feared out there, but together we will prevail. We have recruited a strong team of doctors, who will guide us through the process. They will be our strategists. My dad will be the leader. My mom the strength. My brothers and I will offer support to them in any way we can.

Even though our full battle plan has yet to be determined, our first attack has. On Thursday, Mom will have her first surgery. The cancer will be removed from her colon, and we hope that it will be removed from her liver as well. Since we don't really know how far the cancer has grown on her liver, we can't tell whether it will be fully removed.

Our second attack will be chemical warfare. Chemo. More to come on this later. This is the battle.

THE BATTLE CRY:
Since our frightening discovery, friends, family and well-wishers have come out of the woodworks. I cannot tell you how much this means to us. I appreciate all of the tidbits we are offered from survivors of cancer, families affected by the enemy, or just a simple smile that lets us know that you support our plight. You will be the fuel that keeps our battle going when we get down. This will be the battle cry.

Please, feel free to visit this blog for updates, to give comments, share stories, and/or offer support. I will update the information frequently, to make sure that everyone has first-hand information.

With this battle cry, we will win our battle and the crying will stop.

~Sarah