I’m glad everything went well!
Some advice? If you don’t have a walk-in shower, rent a hotel room that has one for a couple of days so she can shower without fear.
I have a bath chair from when she broke her ankle years ago. I think it should be OK for her. I also have rails and handles on the bathtub for her to step over.
My dad lived another 2½ years after having his brain cancer successfully treated. Here’s hoping the best for your mom.
I’m hoping to get at least another 5 years out of her. If they did indeed get all the cancer she may live another 20 years. She just turned 72 so she’s not very old.
I glad the surgery went well. I wish for many happy and healthy years for you both.
I’m so glad things are looking up!
And thank you for sharing the news. I’m sitting here with so many various patients on my mind:
The sister of my friend’s boyfriend just moved to hospice
The same friend’s cousin is recovering from brain surgery ( embolism)
A good friend if mine’s brother had his brain surgery stopped yesterday midway through, and he hasn’t been able to get a straight answer as of this morning for what’s going on.
My father’s blood levels dropped again, and he’s scheduled for more labs next week and an endoscopy/colonoscopy soon. This is after he came within inches of dying last December before rallying. (At least HIS brain surgery more than a year ago was relatively minor to install a shunt for draining excess fluid…hmm I’m sensing a theme in my life here…)
Oh, and my sister needs knee surgery. But that should be pretty routine.
So honestly - thank you for the very timely reminder that things can work out for the best! I hope they continue to do so for you and your Mom.
I’m so glad they are sure they got all the cancer. I agree with your assessment of their communication skills.
From personal experience, I can tell you that part of the reason it took so long is because they were looking EVERYWHERE for more cancer. This is a good thing. but it is also time consuming. They have to worry about whether or not your mother had endometriosis which means uterine tissues may have traveled around her insides and they could still be susceptible to the cancer she developed. But they should have considered this before the surgery and included it in the time estimate. But yeah, communication skills suck.
Best of healing to your mom, and you, from this big surgery.
You’re right, of course. I’m so glad that they took as much time as they did. They obviously worked super hard and did an extremely thorough job. I’m going to take some cupcakes for the nurses tomorrow. I am also going to send a card to the surgeons.
Late to this thread. I am glad to hear about the operation. And you will get through it.
@FloatyGimpy I am so happy to read that your mum’s treatment finally happened and was successful. I wish you many happy years with her, doing all the things you want to do together.
I lost my mum within a year of her being diagnosed with lung cancer. It was without doubt the best and worst year of my life, but I would do it again just to have her back.
This is a good time for you to get ducks in a row. Your mom will probably be fine, I’m glad they got the cancer.
By ducks in a row, I mean all her passwords and banking information. A medical and financial POA is also great to have. A Will of course. That can all be done at the same time. We should all have those with someone we trust.
Sheesss, I needed the POA to cancel my mom’s phone. I understand, and it is to prevent some random nut from doing it. It still took the better part of a morning to do.
I have most of that done but I do not have her online banking passwords. Good idea, thank you!
My mom had 13 pages of passwords. Most crossed out with arrows pointing to other stuff. Lots of sticky notes too. It’s been a bit of a nightmare, but I have it mostly sorted out.
She’s having a pretty rough go of it so they are keeping her for a few more days. She’s been very nauseous and vomiting. I’m glad they’re keeping her longer but it means that she’s not recovering as quickly as they expected. Mind you the surgery was longer and more invasive than they expected so I guess it makes sense for her to stay there longer.
I’m happy to have her there as long as possible because it’s better for her to be surrounded by nurses and doctors with everything necessary right there.
Just in time for Halloween - here’s a picture of her huge incision!
I am glad your mother is doing well. I’m sorry I didn’t see this thread when it was first posted, but I was dealing with Mrs Magill’s second bout of cancer in two years.
In summer and fall of 2020, she noticed that she was getting winded more easily; we just chalked that up to being in her late forties. When she had her blood drawn for the annual physical, they noticed something odd. Turns out it was less getting older and more Hairy Cell Leukemia, which (if you had your choice in the Leukemia Lottery) is the one you’d want to pick. Two months of chemo, two stays in the hospital, and two blood transfusions later, she was on the mend. Fall of 2021 was a long climb back to healthy, but she made it, and no longer looked like an extra in a bad vampire movie.
This past spring, she went for her mammogram. It turned out the the areas of concern were less “dense breast matter” and more “Stage IIa breast cancer.” After the riding in the Leukemia fast lane, we were surprised at how much more slow and methodical this treatment was. We met with her previous oncologist, a new surgical oncologist, the plastic surgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a palliative care nurse. In June, she went in for a sub-total lumpectomy with Oncoplastic closure, plus a reduction and lift on the left side, so she matched. The surgeries were a long, long day, but the surgeons kept me in the loop. She began five weeks of Radiation Therapy in September (no chemo this time), which she finished up without a hitch. Also, she didn’t get super-powers, like she was hoping, unless fatigue, nausea, a very sore throat, and a highly localized tan are super-powers.
Of the two, the breast cancer was less of an ordeal, but, because she has scars and isn’t quite the same size and shape anymore, I think is a bit more traumatic.
Anyways, I’m glad your mother is doing fine. It’s a tough road, but it is navigable.
Well she’s finally home. I’ve had to drive 4 hours a day to go down to see her so I won’t miss that! Now we have about 6 weeks of recovery. It’s been touch and go since her surgery but I think the worst is behind us now. She did say that she’s never doing that again though, so if it comes back that’s it. Well she said she’d do chemo but no more surgery.
Yay! It’s a really amazing feeling when you get to bring a parent home from something like that. Hope the recovery goes smoothly.
I have a book I ordered online titled “I’m Dead, So Now What?” I have filled it out too.
It’s a place to collect all info you want your survivors, or your executor, to have. Financial accounts, passwords, where the will is, is only the beginning.There are sections for those you want notified of your death, and for example I have the info on how the let the Dope know I’m gone.
Are you a member of a church or any relgious congregation? The address and phone number.
If you want certain music played at your funeral. That’s a good one. And please, help find a good home for my pets.
An excellent idea. Of course everything would need updated occasionally.