Hooray! Hooray!

Great News!!! 

Mom is home from the hospital!!  She had a good day complete with a visit from her Aunt Ann and Aunt Gayle from Danville.  She responded well to both parts of her chemo.  The nurses were able to give her medicine for nausea in case she needs it tonight at home.  She will go to Dr. Fintel's office tomorrow to receive a double shot (to prevent blood clotting) and then be able to rest and recover the next couple of days.  

More updates will be posted soon.  I know Mom would love to post something once she is well rested.

We wish you a happy and healthy 2009!   

Cheers to Mom and to friends and family! :)  

Pre-Chemo Spa Treatment from the Pit Crew

As you'll read from Heather's update below, Mom got a great report today and looks to start her second round of "CHOP + R" chemo treatment tomorrow, and she may get to leave Lewis-Gale in time for New Years.  

This past weekend, the "Pit Crew" gave her the Spa treatment to get her in top-notch shape.  

Heather and Trisha were on manicure duty.  They cut and filed Mom's nails, then helped wash her up and changed her from a hospital gown into her pajamas.  Mom felt a lot better after this treatment.  I cut her toenails, and I think the true definition of love may be whether one is willing to cut the toenails of another.  I mean, I teach physiology and I don't even want to touch my own feet.  Kay Hunnings - I'm with you on 

this one (see Kay's post from a few weeks ago).  

Mom is stronger now than she has been in weeks.  Yesterday she was able to get herself out of bed multiple times on her own.  She walked all the way down the hospital corridor and back, stopping only twice to rest.  She got several compliments along the way about how her cap matched her pajamas.  I believe my sister is responsible for the matching outfit.  If only they made i.v. bags in Vera Bradley pattern...

We watched football most of the weekend, and she was happy to have us all yelling at the tv and eating junk food.  This has been very encouraging, and her spirits have been really high.  Let's all hope that she responds well to the CHOP + R tomorrow and can leave the hospital.  

A Good Update from the Doctor

Today's Update...

Mom had another good Monday!  When I arrived in Roanoke this afternoon the nurses were getting ready to start her on her blood treatment.  Mom blew another vein and her IV popped out so she had to have a PICC line put in her upper left arm in order to start the treatment.  The nurse had a hard time finding a good vein, but after 45 minutest we had success!  She was a little nervous because this was the first time she was getting her monthly blood treatment from a different nursing staff.  But things went off without a hitch and she was able to relax during the treatment. 

She and I ate dinner together tonight.  We shared a pizza and she was able to eat a little bit of salad.  While we were eating dinner Dr. Fintel came in to share some news and updates.  Mom will complete her second round of chemo (both parts) tomorrow.  By the end of the day she should be able to go home.  (YAY!!!)  She is more than ready to have a change of scenery, but wants to make sure all is well before she is released.  If all goes as planned on Wednesday she will go to Dr. Fintel's office to get a daily shot to prevent blood clotting.  She will receive a double dose of the shot on Wednesday because of the holiday on Thursday.  On Friday and from everyday on she will receive these preventive shots at his office.  

We are excited that Mom may get to celebrate the new year at home!  We are hoping for the best tomorrow as she goes through another round of chemo. 

As always, we appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and love!  I am so proud of Mom - she is so strong and her attitude continues to amaze us all!  

Another Good Day

We hope each of you had a great Christmas and enjoyed spending time with friends and family.

Here is the latest news from Roanoke:

Mom had a really good day on Saturday.  She was eating really well and got up to walk around twice!  She walked from her hospital room to the end of the hallway and back.  She was really excited that she could do that much.  She held onto the handrail and had someone walk behind her with her IVs.  Also, she received new pajamas for Christmas so she was thrilled to walk around in those instead of those attractive hospital gowns.  She even has coordinating hats to match her PJ's, but this shouldn't surprise most of you.  Mom is always cute and coordinated when it comes to her outfits! :) 

I spent part of the day helping Mom open all her cards and gifts from friends and family.  She was overwhelmed at times with the outpouring of support and well wishes.  She mentioned many times that she was so blessed to have so many great friends supporting her these past two months.  Her right arm is still hurting her and she was unable to write, so I "played secretary" and together we were able to send out some thank you cards.

David and Trisha came down and we watched some football.  Mom loves this time of year and I was glad she had a crowd to watch the games with.  Although she is not up for eating tons of food she insisted that we order some nachos and pizza to watch the game!  Gotta love "Bowl Season!"

She is still scheduled to start the first part of round 2 of chemo tomorrow.  Another update to come soon!

Post-Christmas Update

Mom had a good day yesterday and got plenty of rest.  Her oncologist came by this morning and here is the latest.  

She was originally slated to start chemo today, but they want to give her body a few more days before they start.  Her right arm blood clot needs to go down a little, and her wounds can use a few more days to keep healing.  She goes back on coumadin today to try and shrink the clot in her arm, which is giving her a fair amount of pain.  She has been receiving ibuprofen for pain, but nothing else, and we are glad that she doesn't have to be on morphine.  

Mom will be in the hospital until at least next Wednesday.  She will have Day #1 of chemo (Rituxan) on Monday, and Day #2 (CHOP) on Tuesday.  If she looks stable afterwards, they will consider releasing her.  This will be her second round of chemo - round #2 of approx 6 rounds total, with each round spaced 3 weeks apart.  

She is still not eating very much, so from now until Monday she is going to try and eat as much as she can.  We are also taking her pajamas to her today so she can try to walk around a little (she hates the idea of walking around hospital corridors in a hospital gown!).  We took the DVD player that Uncle Jim got her to her room yesterday, and we'll keep her movies stocked up.  

More from the "Pit Crew" later.  

"Pit Crew" Update

Hi everyone.  We are currently sitting in mom's hospital room in Lewis-Gale.  She is doing ok today.  She managed to eat a little lunch and dinner, which is a really good thing.  She wants me to type "Merry Christmas" to everyone.  

Today we exercised our annual Christmas Eve tradition of opening presents and watching the movie Christmas Vacation.  I brought my laptop into mom's room and we watched the movie in her hospital room.  The nurses were very polite, and even said "call us when the movie is over".   It has been a fun day, and mom's spirits have been high.  We all had many good laughs as usual over "Cousin Eddie" in Christmas Vacation.  

Mom will be here for the next few days in a "holding pattern".  She does not have any major medical procedures lined up, and the focus will be to keep her on anti-biotics and monitor the clot in her right arm.  Her white count is still high, but the wounds are no longer bleeding.

To reduce her swelling (edema), they have put her back on Lasix.  This has been an adventure, because it makes her pee like crazy, and the urge comes on pretty suddenly.  Trisha, Heather, John, and I have been here all day, so we have established a very efficient protocol for getting her out of bed and into the bathroom quickly, managing her i.v. and wound-vac tubes during the process.  We have dubbed ourselves her "Pit Crew", and our time has gotten progressively better throughout the day.  

We'll keep the stopwatch going and hope to keep improving.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.  

 

Hospital Update

David, Trisha, and I are just returning from the hospital.  Here are a couple of updates for you.

While we were there Mom received another "air bed" to help with bed sores and also let her rest more comfortably.  The nurses started Mom on a blood infusion to increase her red blood count and to help her blood clot more.  She is still getting an antibiotic through an IV.  Her white blood cell count remains really high.  Her right arm is still swollen and they will not check her blood pressure or make any sticks in that arm.  

Mom made several comments while we were visiting with her that the hospital was where she wanted to be right now.  We are unsure of how long Mom will stay, but it looks like she will stay in the hospital for the rest of the week.  

Her spirits and patience remain high.  She has a great view of the mountains from her room and when we left she was enjoying one of her all time favorite movies, White Christmas, and she was ready to rest for the night.  

Thanks to everyone for your continued thoughts and support! 

We hope you are enjoying time with family and friends this week! :) 

   

Beth Back in the Hospital

Mom has returned to the hospital.  She has been on coumadin to thin her blood (due to the blood clots), but over the last few days her blood may have been a little too thin.  Her nose has been bleeding, and last night she was bleeding out of her wounds.  Her gauzes became saturated with blood, so John took her to the hospital around midnight.  

She is at Lewis-Gale in Roanoke.  Her wounds are slightly infected, and she has been placed back on i.v. anti-biotics (Maxipime).  Her white blood cell count is now too high.  I'm not sure if this is because of the infections, the cancer, or if she is still receiving Neulasta (which boosts white blood cells).  

We are bummed at this news, but also aware that this is the best place for her under these conditions.  Trisha and I are driving from Greenville to Roanoke this morning, and Heather will come down and meet us when we arrive.  

I will provide another update once we get there and have some first-hand information.  

Beth Leaves the Hospital!!!!!

Mom left the hospital today after 3 weeks!  She is down at John's house in Roanoke for the rest of the week getting much needed rest, this time without nurse interruption.  We are all so happy that she got to vacate Room 208.  

Her abdomen wound will require home-nurse care as the wound-vacuum will be placed back on that incision.  She starts Round #2 of chemo early next week.  

Is there anybody who doubts that she is tough as nails!  

Thank you all for your continued support.  

The Only Thing Better Than One Good Day is Two

Another good day for mom today - in a nutshell, here are the highlights:

• the swelling in her right arm has gone down significantly
• the tubes/catheters that help her go to the bathroom have been removed
• her wounds both look a lot better and the dressings were changed
• her white blood cell count is coming back up
• she is eating and drinking on her own
• she is not receiving i.v. nutrients anymore
• they are beginning her transition from i.v. pain medication to oral pills.  

Not bad!  

Best part: she even got herself out of bed and walked to the bathroom, and was able to walk down the hospital hallway with her walker and the help of her nurses.  

Although her white count is rebounding as expected, it is still low, so precautions are still being taken to make sure she doesn't catch something.  The swelling in her legs and feet remains, but appears to be decreasing.  We will be anxious to hear the oncologists' report tomorrow morning.  No other scheduled treatments besides "get up, eat, and keep moving".  Mom will have her second round of chemo next Monday/Tuesday.  

She is doing very well.

One Day At A Time

Beth had a great day today. To reiterate some of Heather's comments she walked for the first time in two weeks, sat up in a chair for almost 8 hours, ate some baked chicken and drank an Ensure milkshake (yummy!).

They did come in to start a replacement IV for the one that came out last night for her Heparin infusion. After two unsuccessful sticks the third time was a charm. I held her hand while they started the IV and could tell that this was not the highlight of her day. Since the IV was placed in the vein between her knuckles, I asked that they put her hand on an IV board to ensure that we didn't get a repeat of the bloodletting from last night (that's why her left hand is covered in gauze if you see her).

Her right forearm continues to show swelling from the blood clot in her upper arm but it looks much better than it did when Chris and I arrived on Saturday. It still shows signs of irritation and swelling but it is almost back to "normal" size again - a good report.

Dr. Roche and her surgeon were in first thing this morning. Dr. Roche was pleased with the reduction of the swelling in her arm and in her abdomen but noted the swelling in her legs, showing no signs of recession, "was still an area of concern". He ordered an increase in her Lasix to try and increase the fluid output. Beth asked Dr. Roche when she could go home and he noted that it would be hard for her to go home with tubes running in and out of her. But, if she could get up, move around and eat, she could increase her chances of going home.

Her surgeon came in a little later and said she looked better than she did on Friday. He ordered the nurses to begin to ween her off of her IV medications "in anticipation of her going home". Pain medications and antibiotics will be give to her orally as needed. I'm not sure what the time frame is on this but I hope to talk with Dr. McCoy in the morning to get a better idea.

As I sat with her this morning we watched 3 seconds of every channel offered on the TV several times before she settled on the Very Best Of Andy Williams Shows Christmas Special. Oh what a joy it was to watch and listen to Andy and his brothers and young Donnie Osmond (with the high voice) and the Osmond Brothers sing Christmas carols. I went right out and purchased a DVD player so Beth could watch DVDs (and possibly play the Andy Williams DVD that was available for only a $60 donation to PBS). She was into the second disc of Lonesome Dove (thanks Pappy!) when I returned this evening. (Beth would like to borrow some Christmas DVDs if you have any.)

She was in good spirits this evening and enjoyed the afore mentioned baked chicken and Ensure shake. She got tired around 7:00 and was going to bed as we were leaving. She hoped to get up and walk some more tomorrow.

Keep those prayers and cards coming, she needs them all!

From all of us...thank you.

Jim

A Great Weekend with Mom!

I am just returning to Charlotte after a great weekend with Mom!  She had a good day yesterday and she sat up for about 7 hours!  She said it felt great to sit up and move around a little bit. 

We had a little excitement when one of her IVs popped out last night.  She was sitting up in the chair talking and all of a sudden she said felt the IV come out. We called the nurses, but thankfully my Uncle Jim and Cousin Chris were there visiting at the same time.  Both are EMTs and were quick to respond and got Mom back to business in no time.  She now has a new IV line on the top of her left hand and all is well.  She was ready to get back in bed and relax for the rest of the night after that.  

As you know, my Mom is a huge college football fan.  It runs in the family so we were both still not wanting to admit that soon we would have to shift to basketball season.  Mom and I are so used to watching college football on a Saturday night, so we decided the next best thing would be to watch the Heisman Trophy ceremony.  After that was over she was more than ready to get some sleep and turn out the lights.

This morning when I arrived at the hospital I received some fantastic news!!  With the help of the nursing staff and a walker Mom had walked from her hospital room to the end of the hallway and back!!   She said it felt so good to walk and she wanted to try it again after an afternoon nap.  I am so proud of her motivation and determination!  Way to go Mom!  

Today the nurses are trying to switch some of her medicine from the IV to oral pills.  This will be a slow process, but definitely a positive step towards going home.   She is more than ready to "get the hell outta here", but her attitude continues to amaze us all!   Even the nurses have commented that Mom was the best patient they have and they wished she could teach others a thing or two! :)

Thanks to everyone who continues to support and send well wishes to Mom.  She told me today she was so lucky to have such wonderful friends.  I couldn't agree with her more! 

Mid-Day Update

The nurses were able to get mom in a chair this morning, and she is glad to be out of bed. She received a new bed this morning. Her new bed is an air mattress that will alternate air periodically so that the pressure points change. This should help a little, but she does have bed sores on her bottom, and they are causing her discomfort. The nurses are actively treating these to minimize her risk of infection.

Her white blood cell count is still very low, so she will continue to receive anti-biotics around the clock in her i.v.

She received a few pints of blood yesterday to get her red blood cell count up.

Mom has a blood clot in her right arm that is also hurting her. She is receiving heparin to reduce her blood clotting, and she will receive additional treatment to break up the clot later today. Her right arm and hand are swollen, but the swelling in her left hand has gone down a little since the Lasix.

She has a hard time opening cards, but she is glad that this blog is going. To reiterate what Kay said, if you would like to leave a comment for her, we'll get the blog comments and read them to her. I did this on Wednesday and she really enjoyed hearing from everyone. Extra points for stories or jokes that will make her laugh!

There is a small link right below this post that says "comments". If you would like to relay a message to mom, click here and type your message in the window that says "Leave Your Comment".

David has asked me to 'Blog' today - my first time - but, hey, I'm always up for a challenge! I spent several hours with Beth last evening and it was pleasant to be around her for an extended period of time.

She was actually trying to eat a little when I got there which was a very nice surprise. She took two bites of vegetables in a pot pie thing and ate some fruit cocktail. I asked if she were ready for some chicken and dumplings and she said yes, so I started on those last night. I hope she'll still have a little appetite when I take them to her this evening.

I was surprised to see that she was receiving blood, but was told by Jan Wielke (a friend of Beth's and the oncology nurse for Dr. McCoy) that this was normal for a patient on chemotherapy. Beth's swelling hasn't gone down much and her right arm is swollen and red. They performed an ultrasound on her arm yesterday afternoon, but no results were ready when I was there. I expect they'll know more today.

She is also on an air mattress pad now to help with the pressure points - the mattress is set up to rotate the air around underneath her which will hopefully help with preventing bed sores. She doesn't need anything else that needs to heal on her body. I don't think she got out of bed yesterday, but she told me she was going to do everything she could in order to get out of the hospital.

She also spent a little time looking at cards yesterday - not all of them, but a few. I believe she would really enjoy hearing comments from all of you that read this blog - say something to make her smile. She needs happy thoughts around her now.

I rubbed lotion on her legs, and yes, even her feet. I reminded her that she must know how much I loved her if I were touching her feet. (For those of you that don't know me, I hate feet and I hate for anyone to touch my feet.) Jan actually gave her a foot message which Beth seemed to enjoy.

She said she was expecting to leave the hospital on Sunday or Monday. I hope she'll be ready to do that, but she has a long way to go to get there I believe. She's very weak from being in the bed for so long and from all the meds.

Jan also said this would be a very tough week for Beth as the chemo drugs would be really working on her system. Masks and gloves are required for anyone going in her room and she needs all the rest she can get. While I was there, we talked very little and she even slept some - until the nurse came in to check her vitals. This happens every 20 minutes it seems, so it's very hard for her to get quality sleep.

Our friend is very sick and needs your good thoughts and prayers. She especially needs happy things and sunshine, so I'm very glad the sun will be shining for the next few days here.

"I'm Ready To Get The Hell Out Of Here"

When I asked mom this morning what she wanted everyone to know from the blog, that was her response! Getting back to the Beth we all know and love!

Mom looked good this morning. She was able to sit in her chair almost all day yesterday, and she's going to try and do that again today. She knows that the more she can move, the quicker she gets to go home, so that's a huge motivation for her.

Her oncologist came in this morning and he gave a positive report. Her white blood cell count is at an all-time low (still from the chemo), so no surprises there. She is more susceptible to infection than ever, so he wants to make sure she moves around a little today so that her skin on her back can heal. Visitors to her room still need to wear masks to protect her. He thinks that once her white count starts to bounce back (hopefully beginning this weekend), her wounds will really show some progress. Until then, the vacuum pack will probably stay on her abdomen wound, and they will likely change the gauze on her collarbone wound today.

She is not running a fever anymore, and the swelling in her hands has gone down some. They gave her Lasix yesterday to get rid of some of the fluid, and that seemed to work. After the Lasix, she peed 3 Liters! She'll probably beat me up after she finds out I posted how much she peed on her blog, but it's a really good thing that the fluid is getting out of her. Hooray for urine.

She was a little sick to her stomach yesterday, but today she said she may try to eat something, which she hasn't done since last week. She is still in pain especially when she moves, but she is determined to sit up again, and that's a great sign.

"Tell everybody I'm doing fine"

December 10, 2008

Mom wanted me to tell everyone that "she is doing fine, she misses everyone, and thanks for all of the well wishes".  

A good report this morning from both the surgeon and the oncologist.  The wounds in her collarbone and abdomen are looking better.  They have a long way to go before they heal, but the surgeon was happy that there was some pink color around the wound, which meant that it was beginning to get better.  However, the healing will take a while given the state of her immune system.  They put the wound-vacuum back on her abdomen incision, but have transitioned to gauze in her collarbone wound.  

Mom's white blood cell count is very low - this is expected from the chemotherapy, and her oncologist said that will make her feel crappy for the next few days.  Her white count should bottom out 7-10 days after chemotherapy, and she began chemo last Wednesday, so the timing is now.  These next few days will be crucial to keep her away from any risk of infection.  

Both the nurses and her family are now wearing protective masks in her room to keep our germs away from her.    We have to blow her kisses instead of giving her hugs/kisses, but she understands.  

She had a temperature of 102 this morning, which is obviously not good.  They are trying to get her temperature down, and if it stays elevated they will take her main i.v. line out of her neck as this would be the likely source.  The other big concern is that the skin on her backside is starting to break down since she's been lying in bed for so long.  They are worried about bed sores, and today and tomorrow it is important that she gets out of bed as much as she can.  Bed sores would be another risk of infection, which is the LAST thing she needs.  

Her nurse and I got her into her chair this morning, and she is sitting there now.  She says it's good to be sitting up, and her mood has improved a lot since yesterday.  We'll also keep up her breathing exercises to make sure that her lungs are not getting fluid.  She will also get physical therapy again today to try and minimize her muscles getting weak.  She is pretty weak, but it's really good to see her sitting up.  

No noticeable decrease in her swelling yet, and her hands look a little swollen now.  Maybe this is from all of the i.v.s in both arms.  Hopefully moving around will help reduce the swelling too. 

Her pain is significant when she moves and coughs.  She is doing a better job of giving herself pain medicine today, and she is drinking plenty of water.  Although she is still not eating we got her to drink a little Ensure yesterday by putting chocolate in it.  We'll try this strategy again today.  She will continue to receive nutrients and anti-biotics "around the clock" via her i.v. 

Her only treatment for the next few days is to try and get out of bed, keep getting anti-biotics, and keep her temperature down.  Her oncologist said that today until Friday are the most crucial days for her, so we'll keep pushing her.  

Beth's Update

December 9, 2008

[written by David]

Hello everyone.  We have started a blog to post updates on Beth's health.  We have sent out a few emails, but it is difficult to compile a list of recipients, so we are hoping this approach is better.  Thank you to everyone who has given my mom support thus far.  Here is an update on how mom is doing.  

Today marks two weeks since mom was hospitalized.  In a nutshell, this is what has happened so far.  Mom has a large cancer tumor in her abdomen.  She was diagnosed one month ago with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma after persistent swelling in her legs that had been there since late August.  Two weeks ago, she came into the hospital for a laproscopic surgery in order to biopsy the tumor.  During that surgery, her intestine was damaged, and the surgeon had to make a big incision in her belly to repair that damage.  They also put a port-o-catheter in her collarbone to give her medicine.  

A few days after the surgery, both the port-o-catheter and the incision in her belly became infected.  They took the staples out of both wounds, and have wound vacuums over each incision to keep infection down.  

Mom had her first chemotherapy last Wednesday/Thursday, and she will have another treatment in about 3 weeks.  She did really well with all of the chemo drugs.  In anticipation of some of the side-effects of chemo, mom has cut her hair off.  She was glad to be able to make this decision for herself instead of having her hair fall out on its own.  

Last Friday she had to go in for emergency surgery.  She is very swollen in her legs and belly, and that swelling was pushing some of her organs out of place and expanding her abdomen wound.  The surgery put her organs back in place, and she is still recovering from that operation.  

Today she is doing ok.  She is really tired, and is developing bed sores since she's been laying down so much.  The physicians really want her to get out of bed and sit in a chair.  She was able to do that this morning, and we will try again to get her out of bed.  

She still has a fight ahead of her, but she has a great outlook and we are counting on that to help pull her through.  One of the hardest parts for her lately is that the physicians have asked to limit her visitors to family.  This has been tough, because mom has so many people who care about her.  However, she must rest as much as possible.  Also, her immune system is very weak, so she doesn't need too many germs coming into her room.  Please know that mom and the rest of us are continually touched by the amount of support she is getting.  In time, she will be very happy to see everyone, but that time is not now.  I have been turning her phone off when she falls asleep so the ringer won't wake her up.  She is not happy that I'm doing this, but that's just the way it's going to be.  

Her bandages will be changed later this afternoon, and at that time we should get an update from both the surgeon and the oncologist.  I expect that they will both say that the swelling is still too high, and that she needs to move around.  We are pleased with the care she is getting, especially from her oncologist, who she has known for many years.  

Other than changing her wound dressings, she is on a liquid diet and is enjoying being able to drink water again.  Her pain is under control, and she is receiving nutrients via her i.v. She is also on i.v. anti-biotics to prevent infections.  

More later - thanks to all for your continued support, prayers, wishes, etc.