My mom has cancer.

[rhino_50]

Sorry to here about your Mom. Best wishes And prayers For your family. Rhino50

 

[Jesselee]

let mom know im praying for her. hang in there man

 

[Mike Ellis]

Good luck and may God bless your Mom. Tell her to hang in there!



If you or a sibling can go along with her on her visits to the docs, take along a tape recorder or a notepad and jot down what the docs say. After a while it all starts to run together, especially for the one fighting the battle.



The family often thinks there is nothing they can really do to help, but truthfully it helps a lot just to tell people you love them and you're there for them - it's like chicken soup for the soul.



Speaking of chicken soup, there is one of those "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books specifically geared toward cancer patients, reading it can really pep up the determination level seeing that other people have been in the same boat too... .

 

[bmoeller]

Thanks again everyone. Surgery is tomorrow at 10:30 AM.



Mike- The tape recoder is a god idea. I will look for the book.

 

[bmoeller]

Will be here at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center (Loyola University Health System)-



http://www.luhs.org/svcline/cancer/index.cfm

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Bummer!!! Will pray for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

 

[bmoeller]

Update

Well, we were in the Russo Surgical Pavilion actually, not the other building.



They didn't start sugery 'til noon. Took about 2 1/2hrs, then took another 2 1/2hrs in the recovery room before we got to go up and she mom. Would've been sooner, but they needed to find a room for her first.



Overall, it went smoothly. They didn't even need to give her any blood, lost very little. The ovaries had to come out, the "fat pack", and the stuff that was on her bladder and intestines peeled right off. The surgeon said that it didn't appear to have spread elsewhere that he could see. She'll still need to have chemo, though, to make sure.



For just come out of surgery, she looked pretty good, considering. She had a smile on her face when she saw us.



They're thinking she'll be home Thursday or Friday.

 

[Mike Ellis]

Sounds like excellent news bud! Outstanding... !

 

[Tony T.]

Tony

 

[Rescue Ram]

Glad to hear it went well. You all are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[loncray]

Excellent news - great to hear!

 

[DHorton]

Awesome news! We will still keep her in our prayers for a quick recovery and cancer free future.

 

[bmoeller]

Thanks, guys.



Mom is doing really good. Almost doesn't need the pain meds (stronger than Tylenol stuff) anymore, other than she takes one before bed, so the pain won't keep her up at night.



She was back up to see the doctor on Tuesday for a check up and to setup the chemo treatments. He said that she has Stage 3 cancer (4 is pick out a casket, you'll need it). BUT, since the cancer didn't spread, which it normally does with Stage 3, and they got it all, they will be able to treat her as having Stage 2.



They said she has a 70% chance to live another 5yrs. If she makes it past that without problems, she could be home free.



The first chemo treatment is Tuesday. She'll have a total of 6, spaced 3 weeks apart.



The chemo does worry her some. She knows a couple of people that the cancer didn't kill them, but the chemo killed their heart. Does sound like she won't the really strong stuff, though.