{{{{{{ nashiitashii }}}}}}
I’m sorry your mom and you and your family are having to go through this.
I’m very sorry to hear this nashii. I wish you, your family and your mom strength, hope and a successful treatment.
Sweetie, I’m so sorry. I wish the news were better. I’ll keep you both in my thoughts…and you fill however much time she has left with laughter.
And Duck Duck Goose…don’t fret. You meant well.
nashiitashii - I’m so sorry to hear the news.
StG
Thanks everyone. It’s really tough right now for all of us kids emotionally, especially since my mom’s under the impression that this may not be as serious as it actually is. I’m headed down for the weekend to spend some time with her and hopefully get through to her a little about returning people’s calls. I’ve had to field at least one passing on of diagnosis information so far, and I can’t imagine I’ll get more calls from family and friends that know my number as well as hers. At this point, I’m not sure if pushing up the wedding date would help at all, but I might talk with her about it if she’s open to it. Either way, the hardest part is going to be getting her to let me tell my father; they’re divorced, and she doesn’t talk to him if she doesn’t have to. Then again, she hasn’t told any of her siblings and probably hasn’t said anything to her friends who aren’t nearby. This is going to be a rough ride.
It’s me again, with another update. I’m down here, taking care of her and trying to make sure she eats. Of course, it seems like most of what she wants is bland things that don’t have any visual similarities to the ingredients that they’re made from, so this is going to get interesting. Right now, we’re playing the pain management game, and she’s up for a round of chemotherapy on Wednesday. I think it’s starting to dawn on her how serious this is, as she’s not playing the “I don’t need any help/I’ll be fine” game as much anymore. Tomorrow I’m going to finish cleaning up the house and replacing the filter for the air conditioning; it’ll benefit her to have that done, even if she doesn’t have that much time left to live with it. I’ve also spent the last two days dealing with the repercussions of her not answering her telephone, which is “fun”; I’ve had to either calm people down or explain to them the diagnosis for the first time, and it’s always a little nerve wracking. My brothers will more than likely be down sometime soon if it looks like six months was an optimistic estimate, and it’ll be a little bit of a relief to have them around to do some of the more practical stuff that I don’t want to bring up. I’m glad they’re handling it, as I haven’t the first clue as to where to start on that kind of a paper trail.
Ah damn, nashii, I’m so sorry to read this. You and your family are in my thoughts.
I know you’re focused on taking care of your mother right now, but please be sure to take care of yourself as well.
We’re here if you need to vent, cry, or just write your thoughts.
Wow. I’m so sorry. 
You know, would you possibly save yourself some headaches (and repetition) by starting a private blog so you can share updates & pics w/friends & family? Would it be cathartic for you, and them?
My mother was with her mom when she died, it was a powerful and…um…I don’t know that “wonderful” is the word, but it was the right experience.
I’ll be 65 when my daughter and son are 25.
This is making me cry.
I’m so sorry for you, and also so glad that you’re the kind of daughter who’s doing her best for her mother. Not everybody does.
I’m willing to bet that it means everything to her, having you there. Just being there.
nashiitashii, I’ve been where you are and not all that long ago. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
Please contact your Mom’s primary care doctor and ask about hospice care. They are INCREDIBLY helpful, in ways you can’t even imagine right now.
I will keep you in my thoughts.
nashiitashii Wow. That sucks. Prayers & mojo for you & yours.
I’m going with her to the oncologist’s office tomorrow to do chemo treatment #1 as planned. While I’m there, I’m going to see if I can get a better estimate on what he thinks is going on and whether he’s got a ballpark estimate on how long he thinks my mom might last. She’s feeling better today than yesterday and seems chipper, which is good. What’s better, though, is that I got her to eat three relatively normal meals. The medication adjustment must be helping. We’ll see how things go once she’s been through a chemotherapy session or two.
in my second hand experience, it seems that the first couple of chemo sessions have fewer side effects like fatigue or nausea; it’s the later ones that become more draining. Don’t be surprised if it seems there is more significant post-treatment fatigue later on.
This might be a bit cold, but it sounds like you have enough on your plate. Can you change your mother’s greeting on her answering machine to say something like, “This is Nasha, xxx’s daughter. At this time she is dealing with a serious illness and cannot talk to anyone right now. If you’re a friend, you’re welcome to stop by. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.”
nashiitashii, I don’t know what to say to you except I’m terribly sorry about your mom. Hugs to you and your family from someone who recently walked a similar path.
I’ve gotten around to talking to just about everyone who needs to know that calls regularly, so it appears I’ve caught up. It’s really not a big deal for me to play receptionist at the house, and one of my brothers is coming down soon to handle the more practical stuff. Things are going okay, and my mom’s more chipper because of an adjustment to her medications. I’m going to be relieved of my duties within the next couple of weeks so I can get back to work, and we’ll see how things go. For now, I think I’m going to leave this thread alone and stop updating for a while. I think I’ve gotten over a lot of the emotional hurdles that this has presented me thus far, and I’m glad that everyone’s been so supportive.