Chemo

Well, things didn't go exactly as expected when I last posted. Mom's post-op appointment was moved. The doctor called her Thursday morning and asked her to come in right away. And so, she and Dave went right in.

Mom is doing okay, but the regrowth of tumors and the pain was not what the doctor expected or wanted to see. The tumor growth has slowed the healing process so even though its been a month since the surgery, she hasn't healed yet.

Mom started chemo on Friday. She'll have chemo every three weeks for five hours at a time. The process of getting chemo is not as bad as mom thought it would be, in fact she met a woman who was sitting next to her in the chemo room who also had ovarian cancer. The woman was on her sixth treatment and is doing really well. Her hair was starting to grow back, she had her appetite, she said that between treatments she was living her normal life... going to work, hanging out with friends and family.... Mom was very encouraged.

We were all prepared for Mom to be really sick the first few days after chemo. But as we are learning, Mom doesn't appear to be the text book case for anything. Friday night she was exhausted and nauseaus. Saturday she woke up nauseaus, but was doing okay other than being tired. The kids and I were over there Saturday. Mom asked me to cut her hair short, and I am happy to report that it's super cute, which is actually a total fluke. I've given about a total of 10 haircuts in my life, and 8 of them have been crap. I bought mom a diamond circle of life necklace and gave it to her before I cut her hair, thinking that if I made a huge mess of it at least she'd have a nice necklace and wouldn't get too upset with me... but as luck would have it, Mom ended up with one of my few "good" haircuts. She is expecting that she will lose her hair between now and her next chemo appointment, and she didn't want to wake up to giant chunks of long hair on her pillow.

On a tangential note, I got my hair cut short too. Mom's friend Darlene is getting hers cut short today. If you have long hair, it's hard to imagine not having it, its a part of your identity. I imagine thats true if you have short hair too, but I've never had short hair. And well, there aren't many things that I can do with or for my mom during this process, but getting my hair cut is something I can do. (I don't even know if what I just wrote makes sense, but it is what it is.)

Sunday I talked to Mom on the phone and she was really exhausted and slept most of the day. Yesterday was the worst day so far. (although I wonder if that means worse than the pain before surgery... after surgery... ever.... I don't know.) The doctor gave her a new pain killer - OxyContin - which seems to help, although it knocks her out. I spent the evening with her while Dave was at work. She slept until about 6:30 pm, had an english muffin for dinner - her first "meal" for the day - watched American Idol, the results show for Dancing with the Stars, and then part of the Barbara Walters Special, before going back to bed at about 9:30.

Dave got home at about 12:45 last night. He is exhausted too, and very worried.

I just have to believe that this is all going to get better as time passes.