Whatever it takes.

While I was home the goal was to do whatever it takes to make her feel better and just relax and enjoy herself.

This included pedicures and manicures....

But it also included some unwanted things...hair loss. 

A couple of years ago when someone else very close to me battled cancer I offered to her that I would cut my hair and donate it to locks of love. Anyone who knows me, knows that my long hair has been my thing, it's my look. Well solidarity won over and this was the result...

My lovely roommate also joined me in haircuts. She is my support who listens to me while I am stuck in Virginia always on the phone getting updates from everyone and pacing because nobody else is taking care of her the way I would, so she said she couldn't let me do it alone. We both took off about 6 inches.

I would have done more, or shaved right with her, but one I had to fight with my mom to do it anyways, but also it is my family's private burden, and anything more drastic and I'd have to explain to everyone where it came from, and that is only something I want to share when I feel comfortable with it.

The funny thing is that I know have the "Lisa Haircut".

Happy Easter

It will take me a feel days to get caught up from the days that I was gone, but I promise I will because a lot has happened since then that simply must be shared. I will warn you now, some of it might be a little bit ugly, but some of it is amazing.

We had a lovely Easter dinner together as a family, and just tried to enjoy the little bit of time that we got together for the weekend.

"Bond"ing

Today I stumbled upon this Blog, Family "Bonding" Time and I couldn't help but read for an hour. This couple is amazing both going through serious bouts with cancer together while fighting to be there for their 18 month old daughter. The wife has breast cancer too so some of the things she is going through are similar to my mom and she is pretty much right on the same time frame as my mom.

Their blog spoke to me because of one specific part:

Don't get me wrong.  If I had the choice for Nathan and I NOT to have cancer, I would take it.  In a heartbeat, I would take it for Sadie's sake, for our parents and for all those people who love us and worry about us.   We didn't choose our diagnoses,  but we do choose to be in a state of gratitude.  There is too much love and healing coming our way not to feel blessed.    

I have said these same type things all along, is that while this situation is horrible, we have been SO blessed by the love and support of our little community. So, thank you. 

Florida or Bust

Just a fair warning, I am Florida bound tomorrow evening as of 5 pm! This may or may not reflect in the amount of posting I do, but there will be a full update when I get back, and since I'll be there to encourage her maybe my mom will muster it up to post.

I am thrilled to be going home to spend some time with her and try and lift her spirits and I have a few surprises up my sleeve and there will be plenty of pictures.

We're Outta There

I suppose when you face something that you know you need to anticipate many difficult days with, you try and celebrate the milestones no matter how big or small.

Today we are shouting for joy over the fact the she is now OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!

We don't know what will happen in the days to come, or the next time she has to receive a chemo treatment, but those are not what is important to focus on at this moment. What is VERY important is that she is no longer dependent on being in the hospital, so we are going to focus on this moment.

The Florida count down is 3 days and some odd hours, and I have a flippin cough STILL left over from that bout with the flu a month ago. Which is awful not because I sound disgusting to be around(although the annoyingness of sounding like I have the plague is a factor) but because I really can't be around her with this. I don't feel sick, but it is important to be very careful with germs so my first stop on my tour de Orlando will be the doctors office and possibly to get a doctors mask to cover my cough.

We may be spending the whole week at the house, but all I'm sayin is it is better than spending the week at the hospital!

Bianca

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

From the moment we learned of her diagnosis the first steps was to figure out a game plan for how life was going to continue in our house and who would help her. The most obvious choice was my brother, Omeed.

We all knew it would come with challenges, he is twenty, a college student, and busy with his life of friends and being young and has never had to have responsibilities of this nature.

However, despite all of that he is one of the most compassionate people I know. There have been plenty of times when I have been hurting and in his attempts to comfort me I could tell he was taking on part of my pain. Sure it may come off awkward because he doesn't know what to say, but he listens and he cares. He is so loving that every time I have spoken to him since I have moved to Washington he insists on telling me he loves me before he'll hang up. Yes even in front of his friends.

So yes he is loving and compassionate, but lets not forget the challenges we already discussed. Twenty. College kid. Life with friends.Without the details lets just say it was a rocky start.

I am here today though to tell you that the kid who I knew was full of compassion really is. He has been there this week rushing from school and work to home all hours of the day to care for her.

This week he has cleaned up puke without being asked. Been her cheerleader to make her drink to the point that he said he was holding the cup up to her lips to make her drink. He has driven to appointments. Made phone calls to everyone she has ever known. And spent most of his Friday night in her hospital room.

Through all the things he has done in his life to this point or will ever do again, not a single thing would make me more proud that the devotion he is now showing to her.

Bianca

8 Days Later...

Eight days after getting her first full chemo treatment on April 7 my mom is now in the hospital. About two and a half days after the treatment she became very ill saying that her body was just heavy and achy, then came the nausea, then came the vomiting a few days after that.  Which is really where the problem came in, because she became severely dehydrated so after begging to go to the doctor because her body hurt they hooked her up to an IV and she felt better for a little bit until the vomit set back in.
Thursday evening after a quick call to the on-call doctor by Mrs. B informed us that this really is not normal, because at first we contributed it to being the first treatment(the actual first time she was hooked up to a chemo drug it was Herceptin only, which is known for not having as strong of side effects as the other parts of her "cocktail") however as the days went by it was clear this was not normal. Every time she even had a sip of water she would complain of cramps in her stomach.
Yesterday morning after an early trip to the doctor they admitted her to the hospital to keep her and monitor her. We have not gotten a clear answer as to WHY it has been this bad, because the one thing that has been made to us clear to us is that it SHOULDN'T be like this. In the afternoon they moved her to a more permanent room, but we have no idea for how long.
From the pieces we have been able to put together(because I guess maybe for liabilities purposes the doctor can't say as much) is that they were trying to treat it aggressively and she perhaps received too much. 
It is hard not to be able to be there to take care of her, but my Aunt Sheila drove up for the weekend to help since she was admitted, Omeed is there with her, and in just a few more days I'll be there too.

Bianca