Next Chemo

My mom's next chemo is on February 5th. She goes for weekly blood test and she will have chemo every 3 weeks. Thank you for all your prayers.

Mohawk Madness

Last week my mom was showing off Her new mohawk at the Bonita Park staff meeting. This week my mom’s friends surprised her by wearing mohawk wigs (made by Ilene Marsh) at the staff meeting. I'm glad my mom is surrounded by people that keep things light and fun.

My parents have the same haircut : )

My parents are both sporting the same haircut but for once my dad is the one with more hair. I love you dad and mom!

Chemo Treatment a Success

My mom's chemo treatment was a success. She did not have any bad reactions and everything went smoothly. Erna Crosby accompanied my mom to the chemo and beat her at Skip-Bo. My dad also stopped by to deliver lunch and join in on the fun. We are thankful that her body accepted the chemo and still praying for complete healing in her body.

My mom’s hair has been falling out over the last couple of days. This morning she decided to take matters into her own hands. Instead of letting the chemo making her hair fall out she went ahead and shaved it. My mom called her coworker Brenda to come down and cut her hair. Brenda trimmed and shaved it and my Dad finished off the job with a close shave. But leave it to my mom to make the situation funny. Half way through the shaving my mom decided to wear a Mohawk for the rest of the day. She got a good laugh from her coworkers when she took off her beanie. My mom also had her weekly blood test this morning. My mom informed the nurses that her hair started falling out but only on the sides. The nurses looked at her with perplexed looks until my mom took off her beanie to show off her Mohawk.

Prayers for Granny

The other night my Granny (Pat's mom) fell and broke her hip. She has had surgery and is now recovering. Please pray for her recovery and for her spirits. Her family loves her very much and prays for a speedy recovery. I also want to give a big shout out to my Aunt Kathy and Aunt Suzanne who are holding down the fort in New Mexico.

Plan B

Tomorrow my mom will be starting a new type of chemo. This chemo is in the same family as the original chemo. She will now be getting two different types of chemo every three weeks. PLEASE pray that my mom is able to handle the chemo and that the chemo does its job. We are also praying that the delay in treatment has not affected the progress of fighting her cancer.

Hiccup in the Road

Today was my mom’s second day of Chemo. The plan today was to do only one of the chemo treatments (the same as last week). Last week she had a small reaction to the chemo and they had to stop it and continue very slowly. Unfortunately, this week she had a bad reaction. The nurses immediately stopped the chemo and after discussing the situation with the Doctor decided not to continue. She will meet with her Oncologist tomorrow in Ruidoso to come up with Plan “B” that includes a different type of Chemo.

On a lighter note my mom was glad to have the company of her sister Suzanne during her Chemo. My mom got a new itouch to keep her occupied during her treatments she can listen to music, play games, and watch movies while relaxing in a Lazy Boy. Below are pictures of my mom all cozy in her chair, with her wonderful nurses Paula and Karen (they are wonderful!) As you can see Aunt Suzanne also enjoyed the Lazy Boy chair with snacking and napping. :-)

Praying

I know my mom has been comforted and is very thankful for the calls of encouragement and the many encouraging words on Facebook. So many people have asked how they can help. The most important thing that everyone can do is get as many people as we can to pray for healing.

Thank You Jesus for Friends and Family

I am so thankful for the wonderful, loving, and supportive family and friends my parents have. Dan and I left Friday morning after being there for two weeks. It was VERY hard to leave my mom because I want to be there for her. Even though I'm ready to pack up and move to New Mexico (never thought I would say that) to be with my mom, I'm comforted knowing that they are surrounded by so many people that love them. The most important support my mom has is my dad. He has the heart of a servant and he loves my mom very much. My dad is always making sure she is comfortable and is keeping the house running. It is also comforting knowing my mom has two sisters that love her and are only a couple hours away. Bonita Camp Staff has been nothing but understanding and loving. The camp staff is being flexible with her work schedule and is providing lots of encouraging words and hugs. Then my mom has the support of so many friends from all over who are calling with love and support. My family is very thankful for the blessing of a wonderful family and friends.

What Cancer Can't Do

This is a poem I saw at the oncologist’s office. My mom and I really liked it.

What Cancer Can't Do

Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit

Author Unknown

Port

My mom woke up the day after chemo felling better than she had been. She did not have to take any pain medication and she was feeling great. Later on Tuesday, December 30th she had minor surgery to put in a port. The port is connected to an artery so all her chemo and blood test will be done through the port. This also keeps the nurses from having to find a vein every time.

1st Chemo Treatment

My mom had her first chemo treatment on Monday, December 29th. My parents live out in the mountains and they usually have to drive three hours to the big city for doctor appointments. Thankfully there is an oncology center just down the road from my parents’ house and doctors from Albuquerque travel to Ruidoso once a week to meet with their patients. Several nurses run the facility and take care of the patients and administer chemo. The oncology office is very welcoming and my mom made quick friends with the nurses. My mom sat in an easy chair with a blanket and pillow and had everyone at her beckon call. They began the day by giving her pre-meds to help prevent reactions to the chemo. She had a reaction within the first 20 minutes of the chemo. They immediately stopped the chemo and gave her some more pre-meds. The rest of the chemo went great. The nurses said that from now on they will wait longer between her pre-meds and chemo to prevent another reaction. Overall the chemo went well and my mom loves the facilities and nurses.

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas. My parents had all their kids and their two adorable grandchildren home, and they hosted 34 family members. All of us kids and Dad did all the preparations to get the house ready, and we made my mom lay on the couch. We had a wonderful time spending time with family, playing LOTS of games, having a gift exchange, and eating good food. Another highlight from our Christmas was Kaelee's baby dedication. Jeff and Krista decided to have Kaelee dedicated after our family Christmas dinner. My parents pastor, Rick Hutchinson, and his wife, Sue, came and dedicated Kaelee to the Lord with all the family there. We feel very blessed with the family we have and we are thankful for the memories made this last Christmas.

My mom's Cancer is Back

A little over two weeks ago we found out that my mom's cancer is back. My mom is very special to our family and I know very special to others. I'm creating this blog to keep people updated and to get as many people as possible to pray for a miracle of healing. I will update this blog at least once a week. Here is a little summary of what has happened so far:

• Her breast cancer is back, and has now spread into her bones, lungs, and liver.
• The doctor said that the cancer is manageable but it will be a lifelong battle (praying for a miracle).
• Currently the doctor is concerned with how much the cancer has taken over the liver.
• My mom has been suffering from hip pain (cancer is in her pelvic bone) but the doctors are surprised she is not in more pain.
• They are putting her on two types of chemo that will be on a 28-day cycle. She will have three weeks on, and one week off, and every four weeks the doctor will reevaluate her process and treatment.
• She began chemo on Monday, December 29th.
• She had minor surgery on Tuesday, December 30th to have a port put in. The port is in good working condition and they will begin putting the chemo through the port instead of trying to find veins.

My mom is in good spirits and is being strong through everything. Please pray for her spirits and strength as she fights this cancer. Please pray for my dad as he takes care of my mom. Most of all, please pray for a miracle of healing of her body. I love my mom so much and I know so many of you also love her. I hate to see her go through this. We are all holding on tightly to God through all of this.