mom update (04.24.2006)

April 24, 2006 under Cancer, Life, Lymphoma

It’s pretty fucked up to think about how much can change within 24 hours. Yesterday, things weren’t so bleak. Today – well today is another story…

Apparently at 11PM last night, my mom’s heart stopped twice for ~30 seconds each time. It started back up on its own. The news is that her body and the constant wave of antibiotics that she’s been receiving for the past week have not been able to thwart all of the hospital-acquired infections that she’s susceptible to. Basically, even though her cancer is responding to treatment, all of her systems are becoming overwhelmed because of her compromised immune system. So to “pull the goalie” or “toss up a Hail Mary”, she’ll be getting Septra added to her cocktail of antibiotics. If blood cultures show no improvement within 48 hours, then she’ll be made as comfortable as possible until she passes away.

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mom update (04.23.2006)

April 23, 2006 under Cancer, Life, Lymphoma

After having two conversations concerning my mom within the span of two hours (one with Barry and another with my aunt Norrie in Sudbury), it occured to me that I haven’t provided an update to the rest of you. I haven’t updated this site much at all, actually. My bad. Here’s an update.

Two weeks ago, my mom was doing great. Edema was gone thanks to Lasix, she was breathing on her own and receiving physical therapy. She was doing so well that that she was moved out of the ICU and back up to the Inpatient Oncology floor to recooperate in preparation for futher CHOP+R treatments. Shortly after she was moved, she contracted a whole bunch of viral, bacterial and fungal infections. All of these infections then caused severe sepsis, edema and constant fevers. On Easter Sunday, she was moved back down to the ICU. This past week, she’s received a tonne of different antibiotics and drugs to keep her blood pressure somewhat normal. She even got a wicked drug for the sepsis called Xigris which I found out costs $5000/dose. Those of us living in countries with socialized health care should count ourselves lucky; Tommy Douglas kicks ass! 🙂

For the past few days, with the exception of some edema which will be taken care of with more Lasix, my mom has been returning to better health. The ICU doctors are saying that the antibiotics are beginning to clear up the infections, and my mom’s oncologist says that the latest CT scan shows that the CHOP+R treatment she received in March is causing the tumor on top of her left lung to recede, which is great news. The only downer is that my mom is really pissed off and bummed at being confined to a hospital bed since February 20. So to recap:

Two weeks ago = good
Last week = shitty
Now = better

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you take the good, you take the bad…

March 18, 2006 under Cancer, Life, Lymphoma

While the past two weeks have been full of excitement and highs for me, what with a new job and all. There’s also a really big low. My mom’s indolent non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has transformed into the most agressive kind. This was confirmed by a lymphnode biopsy last week.

She’s been hospitalized since February 20th; one week following her second CVP+R (Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, and Prednisone with Rituximab) treatment. The tumor on one of the lymphnodes in her neck seems to have responded well. However, a tumor on top of her left lung has grown significantly and is putting pressure on some blood vessels and drainage paths. For the past two weeks, she has been in the ICU at Grand River Hospital. Prior to that, when she was somewhat able to move around, she was on the supportive oncology floor (8th) at Grand River.

Now in the ICU, she’s on a respirator so that she can conserver her engery. She’s in a funky air-powered bed that pulses and can turn her automatically. She’s drugged most of the time and is being fed a high-protein formulation via a tube down her esophagus. Because the Lymphoma has transformed into the aggressive kind, she only has one treatment option left; CHOP+R (Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Vincristine and Prednisone with Rituximab). She got this treatment last Friday. Her oncologist said that if it works, she has a few months of rehabilitation to look forward to. If it doesn’t work…well, then I won’t have a mom anymore. Her oncologist mentioned that out of the five people that she’s treated who have had aggressive non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and were in a similar state to my mom, four didn’t make it and one lived. The one who lived was 80 years-old and this was prior to the availability of Rituximab. Either way, she’s being well taken care of in ICU (Sherry the nurse rawks!). Hopefully all turns out well and this chemo concoction does the trick. We should find out if it will kick the cancer’s ass within the next week or two.

Now you’re all caught up and know why Dena and I aren’t around much as of late.

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