My mom had her surgery on Tuesday and went home on Saturday, May 22nd to start her 6 weeks of recovery. On Sunday afternoon she had noticed a drip coming from her nose. It was enough of a drip that she was constantly wiping her nose with a tissue. This was one of the warning signs that the neurosurgeons had warned us about. This drip could be spinal fluid leaking from the surgical area. We took mom back to the U.of Ia.emergency and after a few tests they re-admitted her. Mom felt good enough that she insisted I stay with my dad that night. So I drove back to Williamsburg to be with dad.
We drove to the hospital the following morning. Mom had a rough night. They scoped her nose looking for leaking fluid, had x rays done,and inserted a lumbar drain in her spine. This was done to take the pressure of the surgical area and let the spinal fluid drain fromher lower spine. She couldn't keep her eyes open and was nodding off every couple of seconds.
The following is an update from my brother and sister on the afternoon of May 25th. They have moved mom to intensive care. She is being tested for meningitis. She has a urinary tract infection. She had a breathing tube inserted as she was breathing very few breaths a minute.She is on alot of antibiotics.They believe she is responding to their voices as they see her wiggle her toes and her eyelids.
Dad starts his chemotherapy on Friday.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Weeks Before
A few months ago my mom noticed her vision was getting blurry. A visit to the optometrist confirmed that something was causing her to have blurred vision. My mom was then scheduled for tests at the U. of Ia. hospital in Ia. City. The test revealed a brain tumor. The tumor was growing and pressing on her optic nerves, thus the blurry vision. The tumor had also begun to wrap around the pituitary gland on the left side of her brain. This tumor was no stranger though.
In 1972 mom was diagnosed with her first brain tumor. The surgery to remove the tumor left my mom without the sense of taste or the sense of smell and many medications to take on a daily basis. Nineteen years later the brain tumor returned. Advanced surgical procedures since 1972 aided in the removal of the tumor. Again my mom recovered. Nineteen years later the tumor returned again. Many factors were considered on the removal of this tumor. Surgery or radiation for months? Was my mom well enough for either option? Age. Recuperation time. All of this was happening as my parents were being told my dad has cancer. Mom elected to have the surgery. If everything goes well she would be out of the hospital in a few days.
Mom had her surgery on Tuesday, May 18th. We arrived at the hospital with the surgery scheduled at 8:00. She came out of surgery around 3:30 and everything went as planned. The Dr. told us they had removed most of the tumor and relieved the pressure on her optic nerve. The 20% of the tumor that remained was around the pituitary gland and unable to be removed.
After a 3 day recovery in the hospital, mom will be going home for 6 weeks of recovery. And going home to be with dad.
In 1972 mom was diagnosed with her first brain tumor. The surgery to remove the tumor left my mom without the sense of taste or the sense of smell and many medications to take on a daily basis. Nineteen years later the brain tumor returned. Advanced surgical procedures since 1972 aided in the removal of the tumor. Again my mom recovered. Nineteen years later the tumor returned again. Many factors were considered on the removal of this tumor. Surgery or radiation for months? Was my mom well enough for either option? Age. Recuperation time. All of this was happening as my parents were being told my dad has cancer. Mom elected to have the surgery. If everything goes well she would be out of the hospital in a few days.
Mom had her surgery on Tuesday, May 18th. We arrived at the hospital with the surgery scheduled at 8:00. She came out of surgery around 3:30 and everything went as planned. The Dr. told us they had removed most of the tumor and relieved the pressure on her optic nerve. The 20% of the tumor that remained was around the pituitary gland and unable to be removed.
After a 3 day recovery in the hospital, mom will be going home for 6 weeks of recovery. And going home to be with dad.
The First Few Days.
On Saturday,May 1st, my dad was taken to the emergency at the U.of Ia. hospital in Ia. City. He was having unbearable chest pain. My first thought was that he was having heart problems. Dad had undergone a multiple by pass surgery a few years back. There was even a surgical needle left in his heart after that operation. Dad was admitted that day and tests were scheduled.
My brother called me at 10:00 the next night. He said ,"dad has cancer, it's in his lung and his bones". We talked for a few minutes and I told him I would be at the hospital in the morning.
The next morning I arrived at the hospital and went to dads room. He was being given numerous painkillers and narcotics to try and ease the pain. Some of them worked at reducing his pain but had side effects. Morphine seemed to help, but left dad in a delirious state of mind. The next few days were all about pain management. Not so much of this, a little more of that, etc. Dad had numerous tests throughout the week and a biopsy of his lung was scheduled for Thursday. We were hoping for positive results but also trying to prepare for negative news as well.
The biopsy results confirmed our worst fears. Dad has terminal cancer in his left lung and in his spine. The cancer has also caused numerous vertebra to fracture from his neck downward. A series of radiation treatments were scheduled to help relieve some of the pain.
On Saturday afternoon we took my dad home.
My brother called me at 10:00 the next night. He said ,"dad has cancer, it's in his lung and his bones". We talked for a few minutes and I told him I would be at the hospital in the morning.
The next morning I arrived at the hospital and went to dads room. He was being given numerous painkillers and narcotics to try and ease the pain. Some of them worked at reducing his pain but had side effects. Morphine seemed to help, but left dad in a delirious state of mind. The next few days were all about pain management. Not so much of this, a little more of that, etc. Dad had numerous tests throughout the week and a biopsy of his lung was scheduled for Thursday. We were hoping for positive results but also trying to prepare for negative news as well.
The biopsy results confirmed our worst fears. Dad has terminal cancer in his left lung and in his spine. The cancer has also caused numerous vertebra to fracture from his neck downward. A series of radiation treatments were scheduled to help relieve some of the pain.
On Saturday afternoon we took my dad home.
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