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I am so very sorry Auntie Witch. It's so unfair, you all have been through so much already. Vibes and virtual hugs to you and your family (especially your mom!)
-------------------- "Most Jewish holidays can be summed up very simply: They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat." - my in-laws' Rabbi. Posts: 430 | From: North of Boston, MA | Registered: May 2002
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This is cut and pasted directly from my blog:
Yesterday I was supposed to stay after school for a four hour training; instead, I was greeted by Jeramie right after my after-school duty ended (darting in and out of the rain to tell kids which parent was there to pick them up, yay!) and he drug me to my classroom.
First I asked about the kids. Then I asked about mom.
"Your sister called me at about 2:30 today. Your mom was having headaches, and she went to the doctor. They did a scan and found tumors on her brain."
It was a very long drive home.
Jeramie had made arrangements for the kids to stay indefinitely at daycare until we could get them. Before I left school, I managed to get sub plans laid out, and make arrangements with my trainer and the school secretary. I had to type one note because I was shaking so badly I couldn't write. Typing didn't go much better.
Thanks to a deer, we have only one one headlight on my van, so Jeramie had driven my sister's car. We dropped it off, and I went inside. Mom was laying on the couch, my sister was on the internet doing research, and my father was watching TV. He gets very distant when he's upset. He asked if we'd gotten the girls yet, and I asked mom if she wanted us to bring them out. "Not tonight. I just don't feel like it tonight," she said.
From what Jeramie was told and what Stephanie told us, Mom had a few spots near the base of her brain, and one on the side. Mom had had a full scan right before she started chemo, and had come back clean. Since one of her chemo types has a side effect of cancer (go figure) I can't help but wonder if it was a factor. Stephanie found a website that said something about secondary tumors in the brain, and that secondary brain tumors from breast cancer had a much better prognosis than others. Apparently colon cancer is the worst. It makes sense, I guess. If the cancer travels from your colon to your brain, it's gone a lot further. (Insert joke here about how it's not that different for some people)
Needless to say, yesterday was rough. The stress brought on a lovely headache which threatened to become a migraine, which I'm now super paranoid about, between mom and my coworker (had a stroke after a week-long headache).
This morning Mom went in to the radiologist. She said something about a helmet (I'm assuming to target the radiation). The radiologist was very up-beat, and mom said he's got her feeling a lot better. She had only seen the ER doc yesterday, and I guess he had nothing good to say. Today she's much better, as am I. They're doing a round of radiation today, and she'll have 11 more, plus one "super shot" in Colombia (I'm assuming at the MU Med center) pending consultation. This is all third hand, so if Stephanie comments here with something contradictory, take what she says instead of what I say.
Thanks for all the prayers, comments, messages, etc. I cannot express how much they mean right now.
posted
Auntie, I'll keep you all in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad to hear the doctors are optimistic.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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It does sound promising. Doctors tend not to be falsely optimistic. You and your family are in my thoughts.
-------------------- Last year's goat was burned down by vandals dressed up as Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Man. They were never caught. My blog. The Adventures of the Fish O'Thwacking. Countdown: 177 days (or less!) Posts: 4926 | From: NW Ohio | Registered: Apr 2003
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Your mom and your whole family are in my thoughts and prayers. It seems especially unfair that this happened after everything you guys have been through this year and right before Christmas. Take care.
-------------------- This used to be the life, but I don't need another one. MyBandwagon Posts: 3254 | From: small town Texas | Registered: Jan 2004
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Thanks for sharing your story. Wishing you all the best. I'm sure they will take good care of your mom in Columbia, (my alma mater). I know you will be a great support for her.
Posts: 326 | From: Hawaii | Registered: Jul 2005
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-------------------- "No hard feelin's and HOPpy New Year!"--Walt Kelly Hear what you're missing: ARTC podcasts! http://artcpodcast.org/ Posts: 7581 | From: Gainesville, Georgia | Registered: Jun 2000
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"When I talked to her this morn. she told me that her dr told her that they belive they can get rid of all of it, and after that they dont think it will come back for about 6mo to a year. IF it does come back they said they can treat it and get rid of it again, they hope. I am just glad they gave her better news today, she needed a better outlook on all this. The ER dr yesterday pretty much gave her a death sentance, now you know why I dont like ER drs."
Then J told me that the ER doctor told Mom yesterday that "It can't be gotten rid of, at this point it's a matter of 'When'." Why the NFBSK would an ER DOCTOR tell a cancer patient something like that!
Pffffttt!! to the stupid ER doc who thought he knew better than a specialist and gave out his opinion instead of referring her to a more qualified specialist.
-------------------- I swear, it was funnier in my head. Yeah, I used to be pink. vanilla_pink. Posts: 2493 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2003
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Well yay for all the good prognosis and all that, but definite about the stupid ER people. I wonder sometimes if all that triage makes them leave their tact and common sense at home.
I went to the ER when I had my miscarriage. Ya know, heaven forbid it was a massive hemorrhage instead of a simple miscarriage. The ER staff there told me, "If it is a miscarriage, there's nothing we can do about it." Hmm... so does that mean you don't try? Does that mean I just sit here when there's NO ONE else who needs attention? Does that mean you don't look to see if there's a more insidious condition at work? Thanks a lot! Plus, although entirely true, what a NFBSK'ed up thing to say to someone who's just lost their baby.
The helmet thing sounds interesting. I sure hope that it all works out the way the oncologist thinks.
-------------------- They just don't make crazed, beserk robots like they used to. --Sheen Estevez, Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
If I manage to post something swipe-worthy that you would like to make your sig, you may do so with my blessing. Posts: 2486 | From: East Stroudsburg, PA | Registered: Oct 2005
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AW it's so good to hear the great news! More(((((hugs))))) and (((((vibes))))) for everyone, I'm still thinking of you all.
That ER doctor needs a good
-------------------- Me: "He's 19? Uh oh, I bought him a beer." A: "You contributed to the deliquency of a minor in drag!" "Sweet spell check: keeping drunks off the radar since 1995."- IND GodRe-AnimateGreenPorkBush Posts: 3986 | From: Illinois, jealous? | Registered: Nov 2005
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Best to all, Auntie. Sending nice, warm (63 degrees!) November vibes from Central New York. Since they're warm, they'll travel faster.
And I hope we keep getting good updates. Love to Mom, from your imaginary friend in the Finger Lakes.
-------------------- "No Biblical hell could ever be worse than the state of perpetual inconsequence." Beatrice in Dangerous Beauty Posts: 1816 | From: Cayuga County, NY | Registered: Nov 2005
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It's good that the radiologist seems more upbeat. Your mom does not thus far seem to be the type to give up so that's something else in her favor. Still sending vibes.
The helmet sounds intriguing. I wonder if it is something new.
-------------------- "Silly customer, you cannot hurt a Twinkie." -Apu (The Simpsons) Posts: 2026 | From: 10 miles South of Boston | Registered: Oct 2002
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AW, my heart was in my throat when I read the title of this thread. I am so relieved to hear that she's gotten a good prognosis. I'm sending lots of vibes down I-70.
Oh, and try to stay warm tonight! We have a TON of ice and I hear it's worse in the West. Take care!
-------------------- "How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about." --Ray Nagin Posts: 1325 | From: Missouri | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by LittleDuck: The helmet sounds intriguing. I wonder if it is something new.
She said something about a piece of plastic that they heated up so it fit her head and it had holes drilled on it, and that the lady was nice enough to cut holes for her eyes. She promised to take a picture of it tomorrow, so I'll see if she'll let me post it. I'm sure it will be interesting to see!
Thanks again for all the vibes and prayers. See, they work!
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Oh, AW, I'm so sorry your family has to go through all of this just before the holidays! I'm glad things look promising. You will all continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. Tell your Mom to have fun playing Space Invaders!
-------------------- Like every good third-in-a-series it contains a whole load of ewoks, ‘Clubber’ Lang, whey-faced Sophia Coppola, Sean Connery as the Pirate Captain’s estranged dad, a crappy CGI alien, and Richard Pryor on a donkey. -- Gideon Defoe Posts: 2211 | From: Harford County, MD | Registered: Oct 2005
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AW that's great that they can treat it. Tell your mom we love her and we are all here for her. She sounds like she's got a fighting spirit so it seems like everything will be a-okay. ((Hugs to you and your family))
-------------------- You have the Right to Remain Silent. Anything you say CAN and WILL be twisted around, taken out of Context and used against you.
All we need is love and beer. Old school metal and some holiday cheer to be happy. Posts: 711 | From: Bowling Green, KY/ WKU | Registered: Nov 2005
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