Mom and I discovered a great activity to do when undergoing chemotherapy. Dot-to-dots! They actually make dot-to-dot books for adults. Some of the puzzles in our book contain 1,400 dots! What I like best about the activity is that it does not require much mental energy, just enough to remain focused on the task at hand. It is almost like meditating. You can't think of anything but finding and connecting the dots. It is kind of like reading a comic book. Hmmmm....that gives me an idea!

The second cyle of chemo is underway! (And Mom and I are both exhausted -- not from the chemo, but from more than ten hours at the Cancer Center.) I will write more tomorrow. But for today, I just want to give you all the basics.

1. Mom is doing excellent! Her red blood cell and platelet counts are average. And, her white blood cell counts are above average! (That is VERY good news.) Also, she has maintained her weight during the first chemo cycle. That is a tremendous accomplishment!

2. Her oncologist ordered an oral diuretic this time, rather than the IV diuretic. He said that it should be gentler on her system. (During her last cycle, she was retaining too much fluid. They put a diuretic in her IV to help. But, the diuretic worked too well and she became dehydrated. She will be monitored closely so that they can find the right balance.)

3. Mom has three more days of chemo treatment this week. They are short days though, with the treatments running about two hours each. Friday she won't have chemo, but will receive another shot to stimulate white blood cell production.

4. In the next two weeks: Mom will meet with the radiologist so that they can start the battle plan for the upcoming chemo/radiation cycle. She will also have a CAT scan done to see how the tumor is responding to chemotherapy. And, she will meet with her Oncologist again.

Thank you all for the positive thinking, prayers, wishes, and all of the wonderful ways you are reaching out to Mom. Everyone is so important to her and she is very grateful for your support.

What a whirlwind of a weekend! We had lots of stuff to do before Mom heads back for another cycle of chemo on Tuesday. Saturday was by far the most exhausting day (for me anyway). Mom and I shopped until I almost literally dropped! (She was still going strong when I took her home. But, I was spent.) Saturday was even more tiring than today, and today I cross country skied, hiked with the dogs, did some housecleaning, shopped with Conrad, took him to Monkey Joes, and went out to dinner. This should tell you how well Mom is doing, because I am not a lightweight by any means.

Perhaps the most insightful moment of the weekend came when I picked Mom up on Saturday. Now that she doesn't have any hair, she needed someone to measure her head so that she can order head wraps out of a catalog she has. Naturally, I volunteered. This is what I learned.

1. Anticipation in life is almost always either better or worse than the actual event.

Remember when you were a kid at Christmas time? The anticipation of opening your presents was always more thrilling than the actual opening of presents. Likewise, when you see your mom for the first time without any hair, the anticipation is worse than reality. I don't know exactly what I was afraid of. I don't think it is a bald head, because I have seen plenty of those. I don't think it was the reality of the illness, because I have already come to terms with that. I think I was afraid of somehow my mom changing. But, in reality she hasn't changed at all. She just doesn't have any hair right now. And, she has a very nice shaped head!

2. Laughter really is the best medicine, because it allows us to move forward.

Measuring my mom's head was actually kind of funny. We learned that her head is a "small" size. So, then we decided to measure my head, just for fun. My head is "average". Then, because Lucy (the dog) wasn't keen on having her head measured, we called Dad and measured his head. Luckily Dad has been comfortable being bald for many years, because he would not be able to order anything out of Mom's catalog. His head is so large that it is off the charts! After we took care of all of our head measuring business, it was time to move forward and start the real business of the day -- shopping!

3. The sooner you can accept your new reality, the better.

Change is difficult for most people. We all have our comfort zone and the moment we are removed from that zone, things feel bad. We do not always have a choice as to whether or not we can stay in our comfort zone. But, we always have a choice in how we deal with the change. Mom did not choose cancer. And, she did not choose to lose her hair. But, she does have a choice in how she lives with the change that has been imposed on her. If you have been in her presence since the diagnosis, you can feel the strength and the sense of priority surrounding her. She is choosing to live to the greatest extent of the word. And, we are all benefiting from her decision.

Tonight while I took the kids to a party at school, Alicia shaved Mom's head. I called Mom to see how she is feeling about her new look, but she didn't pick up. That isn't unusual. It is likely that she had gone to bed already.

Alicia said that "MiMi seems okay with it." The thing that bothered her more is the hair falling out. Alicia also told me that "Mimi has a really nice head!" That of course made me laugh. And, it made me think of Mom telling me, when I was a little girl, that I had a nice head. Isn't that funny? (She also liked my ears.)

After Alicia and Mom did "the deed", they looked through a catalog and picked out hats, scarfs and wigs that they like.

When Alicia got home she told me that this is a good thing. It means we are making progress. Twenty-two years old, and already so wise -- just like her grandmother.

Here is something interesting that I learned in my reading. You may have heard that stress is a promoter of cancer growth. But, according to one study, stress itself is not a promoter of cancer. Instead, persistent feelings of helplessness (that can be associated with stress) is what affects the body's reaction to cancer in a negative way.

In this study, three groups of mice had the same amount and type of cancer cells grafted to their backs. One group of mice was subjected to inescapable electric shocks. The second group of mice was subjected to the same electric shocks, but they had the opportunity to learn to evade the shocks by pressing a lever. The third group of mice, the control group, did not receive any electric shocks. Which group of mice do you think was most successful at rejecting the tumors?

One might hypothesize that the mice in the control group would have the best success at rejecting the cancer. After all, they did not receive the stress of shocks at all. However, the group that was most successful at rejecting the tumors was actually the group who learned to reduce the stress of the shocks they received. In fact, 63% of the mice that learned to press the lever to alleviate the stress from the shocks rejected the tumor. 54% of the mice in the control group rejected the tumor. And, only 23% who had no way of escaping the shocks survived the cancer.

The reading goes on to explain that human patients who carry feelings of hope, serenity, and empowerment during their cancer treatments have slower growing tumors and have better chances for remission and long-term survival. 

(For more information on this study and the mind-body link, see chapter 9 of "Anticancer: A New Way of Life".)

The highlight of my day is visiting with my parents after work. I have always loved spending time with them. But, I never realized just how much until now. If you have a loved one that you haven't reached out to lately, I highly recommend it. Nothing is more important.

Dad bought Mom a Fiat today! And not just any Fiat. A Gucci Fiat. (That means it is a really fancy one with leather seats and racing stripes.) They are taking it up to Froedert tomorrow because Mom has an appointment to get her wig fitted. Then they are meeting Uncle Roger and Aunt Karen for lunch. It sounds like a fun afternoon to me!


I stopped by my parents house after work today to visit. Mom was wearing one of her new head wraps. She is starting to lose her hair so yesterday I suggested that she might want to start getting comfortable wearing her wraps. Mom looked very beautiful in the wrap she was wearing. She wears color well and this wrap was a nice rich red with a subtle pattern. I admire her in so many ways.

Here is a story about statistics. 

In 1982, a professor was diagnosed with mesothelioma—a rare and very serious cancer that is considered "uncurable" with a median survival time of eight months after diagnosis. After hearing this news the professor started to panic. Luckily his scholarly way of thinking kicked in and helped save him from despair. This is what he realized:

 1. A median survival of eight months meant that half of those afflicted lived less than eight months. The other half lived more than eight months. What half did he belong to?

2. The professor was young, lead a healthy lifestyle, his tumor was detected early, and he had access to the best available treatment. So, he decided that he would most likely belong to the group that lives longer than eight months. But, how long?

3. When looking at a diagram that plotted survival time of patients with mesothelioma, the professor saw that the curve had an asymmetrical shape. Half of the patients were on the left, steep side of the curve, living less than eight months. The other half were on the right, gradually sloping side, living more than eight months. In fact, some lived several years beyond diagnosis. Once again, the professor decided that there wasn't any reason why he couldn't be at the far end of the tail.

4. Finally, the professor realized that the graph that he was looking at was plotting patients that were diagnosed 10-20 years earlier. Surely both conventional treatments and our understanding of what patients can do to reinforce the success of such treatments had improved in that time. How far could the professor extend the far reaching tail of the diagram?

Steven Jay Gould, the professor in this story, died twenty years later of a disease unrelated to mesothelioma. He lived 30 times longer than the oncologists had predicted.

What is the lesson of this story? According to David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD and author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life, "Statistics are information, not condemnation. The objective, when you have cancer and want to combat fatality, is to make sure you find yourself in the long tail of the curve."

(If you want to read a more detailed account, see Chapter Two of David Servan-Schreiber's book, Anticancer: A New Way of Life.)

Today was another good day for Mom. She went to church in the morning. This afternoon Alicia and I met her at Kohls for the start of a Sunday shopping spree.

During our drive, Mom said that she wants to get some microwave dinners so that she can easily make a quick meal. That comment reminded me of a suggestion that my friend Renee offered. She said to try the Kashi dinners. So, after we dropped Mom off, Alicia and I went to Pick-N-Save and stocked up on Kashi frozen dinners for Mom (and ourselves!) After we delivered the dinners to Mom, Alicia announced that "we are the Food Ninjas!" It was the perfect comment for a good time and made us both laugh.

The best piece of news that I can offer for the day is that Mom weighed herself today and actually gained a few pounds! When she told me we high-fived each other in the middle of Kohls. Mom has been working extremely hard at keeping up with the food intake. Again, I am so very proud of her!

As I said in yesterday's post, I would like to start sharing some of the information I am learning about the cancer experience. Much of it is from books that I am reading, people that I am meeting, and my good friend Wisconsin public radio. But, the most important insight that I have gained is from simply being blessed to be a daughter to my Mom.

Mom says that in life, there are no guarantees. Sometimes that truth announces itself with a small set-back, like when the show to your favorite performer is sold out or when the person in front of you in line takes the last chocolate cupcake. Other times, the truth hits harder with the loss of a job or when a relationship turns sour. Everyday we look out into the great abyss not knowing what the future holds. Sometimes we get a glimpse. But, more often than not, we really have no idea how things will turn out. In fact, nothing ever turns out exactly as we think it might.

When I first learned of this cancer inside my mom, I feared the worst. I was so afraid that she was going to be labeled with an expiration date. And that would be that. But, in reality, our experience has not been that. We have been given the gift of hope. Granted, hope is not a guarantee that things will go the way that we want them to. But, it is what we need to get through the day. Most importantly, it allows us to keeping living life in the deepest, most meaningful way.

Last night, I awoke in the middle of the night with a terrible realization. I FORGOT TO BLOG! You see, being my mother's daughter, I have a tendency to do something not just a little, but all the way. I started blogging. So, now I have to blog every day.

My brother is like that, too. He doesn't just ride his bike for fun and exercise. He rides his bike all year long. In rain. In snow. To work. To the cabin. (Yep. He actually rode his bike once from Minneapolis to Sayner, WI.)

Because you know my mom, you have probably noticed this tendency in her. She picks a subject and learns everything she possibly can about it. Her latest interests include art history, the Civil War, birds, and any obscure historical foreign princess or president's wife of strong character. My husband Charlie always teases her about her non-fiction reading and threatens to buy her a fiction book someday.

Anyway, the reason I am telling you this is two-fold. One, because this tendency of ours is sort of amusing when it is not an annoyance to those around us. And two, because I am currently learning everything I possibly can about kicking cancer's ass. And, three... (Did I say "two-fold"? I meant three.) I plan to share what I am learning with you.

The first lesson will begin tomorrow. But, for today, since I have already said a mouthful, I just want to assure you that Mom is doing wonderful. Tonight my parents and I went to the library book sale and cleaned them out. Then we met up with Charlie and Conrad for a burger at Culver's. We had a great time, just hanging out together. Tomorrow Mom is heading to the Civil War museum. And, Sunday her and Alicia have some shopping to do. I plan to steal away and join them. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend as much as we plan to.

Today Mom and Dad headed back up to Froedert. Mom had to get an Xray of her lung and then they met with Dr. Gasparri, Mom's surgeon. He said that everything looks good in regards to the surgery she had a few weeks ago.

After work today I got to see Mom's new wig. It is really cute! The color is just slightly lighter than how she has been wearing it. I think it makes her look even younger! Next week she has an appointment to have the finishing touches done on it. It sounds like they have to fit it to her head and then they will trim it if it needs it. 

Mom still has almost two weeks before she needs to have another cycle of chemo. February 28th is the day that she reports back. I took the day off to go with her to the first marathon treatment. She has been trying to convince me not to, but she lost this one. I told her that we are going to spend the day "dancing in the rain." I am going to bring a book on paper folding, some color crayons and coloring books, the portable DVD player, and, of course, our books. And, if we have time, we may even take a nap.

Today I am going to try something new. I am going to try and post some pictures! 

This first picture is of Mom with her newest buddies. Mom's friend Ruth has been giving her frogs to remind Mom that she is not alone. FROG stands for "Fully Relying On God." Let me see if I can get this right, now. The little pink frog is Jethro. He is the first frog and was with Mom through her lung surgery. The darker green, floppy frog is Hercules. I think his job is to give Mom strength. The frog with the heart and the bow tie is Romeo. He is the latest addition.

The next picture is just the frogs. Is it possible to look at them without smiling?

And last, but certainly not least, this is the edible bouquet that Pam sent Mom. It looks even lovelier in person. You would not believe how gorgeous the fruit is. Just look at those strawberries!

Today Dad gave Mom the absolute best Valentines Day present ever. In fact, it is probably the best anytime gift, ever. He surprised Mom by joining a gym! That's right. He did it all on his own without anyone knowing. No one even suggested the idea to him, so it was a huge surprise. I am so very proud of him.

As for the rest of the day, Mom went to her aerobics class this morning. She said that her friends were all very happy to see her. And, they are making her a ceramic garden frog to add to her "Fully Relying On God" support group. In the afternoon, Mom and Charlie made a trip to Barnes and Noble. They had a good time together looking at books and talking war. (Mom is very knowledgeable about WWII and especially the Civil War. And, Charlie is interested in that stuff, too.)

Tomorrow, Mom and Dad are headed back up to Froedert. They will be taking an X-ray of Mom's lung to ensure that it is healing properly. Then, she meets with Dr. Gasparri, Mom's surgeon, to remove the stitches. After that she will pick up her wig. I am very excited to see her new hairdo!

Finally, I would like to leave you with a quote that my mom read to me today. It says it all.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Keep on dancing, Mom.

I'm not going to say how Mom is feeling today. I will let you decide.

This morning Mom received a beautiful edible bouquet from her good friend, Pam Mosher. Mom was telling me that it is absolutely gorgeous. She took a picture that I will post later when I get the photo from her. Not only is it exceptionally pretty, but apparently the fruit with it is divine. Thank you so very much, Pam!

Later Mom went to yoga class and later to book club. I didn't ask her who she went with, but I have a feeling she was hanging out with another good friend, Pat Dolan. Pat has been extremely supportive in every way and a regular bosom buddy in their retirement.

When she returned home from those activities Pat Mangi stopped by for a visit. Pat made some delicious soup that Mom said is full of veggies. A visit from a dear friend and some healing soup—Just what the doctor ordered. Bless you, Pat!

This evening Mom helped Amanda, granddaughter #2, with her homework and watched part of a movie with Dad. Her plans for tomorrow include aerobics and a date with her son-on-law, my hubby, to their favorite place—Barnes and Noble.

Mom seems to have had a pretty good day. No swelling. No dehydration. She is very tired, but that is expected. Dad drove her to church this morning. She can drive herself, but I think she is just being careful. Mom told me on Saturday that Dad is really stepping up to the plate — taking care of household chores, driving her to the endless appointments, shopping for things that she needs, and just being the wonderful man that he is.

This morning my good friend Kathy gave me a beautiful blender to give to my mom. Kathy is getting a new one and she immediately thought of giving her gently used blender to my mother. Everyday I feel so lucky to have such caring people in our lives. 

This afternoon I received a very kind email from Mom's friend Helen at hospice. She had many wonderful things  to say about Mom. She also inquired about the comment tool on this blog. After reading her email, I checked the comment tool and it doesn't seem to be working. I will figure out how to fix that and put a note somewhere visible on the blog when it is working. Thank you very much, Helen, for bringing it to my attention!

Tonight I stopped by my parent's house. Mom was talking via Skype to my brother Craig, his wife Madeline, and Mom's youngest grandchild, Eliana who live in Minneapolis. Eliana was doing a wonderful job of making "MiMi" smile. Mom was just oozing happiness listening to Eliana describe all of the activities surrounding her fifth birthday. She will definitely have sweet dreams tonight. So will I.

The day didn't start out quite as we had planned. Mom experienced dizziness last night and she suspected the reason—dehydration. When I picked her up this morning she no longer felt dizzy. But, when we arrived at Froedert they ran her vitals and confirmed—dehydration. They gave her the option of trying to rehydrate at home or to receive a couple hours of fluids intravenously. We both felt most comfortable going the IV route.

Although Mom has been working really hard to stay hydrated, and sips on water all day, the diuretic that she received earlier in the week to help reduce water retention worked a little too well. So, it may be a balancing act for a while to get her right where she needs to be.

While at the hospital today, they gave Mom a shot that will stimulate blood production. A common side effect with this medication is achiness in the bones, where the blood is created. Of course, not everyone experiences this pain and we are hoping that Mom won't. But, if she does, she has some medication she can take.

We are building up a huge stockpile of foods that Mom can graze on. She has never been a big eater, so we decided that small meals several times a day are the best. Today at Whole Foods I picked up some more superfoods. Pat Mangi suggested Almond butter, so almond butter is now part of the cuisine. (Thanks for the suggestion, Pat.) I also got Mom some protein powder that she can add to smoothies and shakes, some acai powder (Mom is not keen on fruit, so I thought the powder would be a nice option), some green tea, and bananas.

Other than today's dehydration, Mom is doing very well. Even the clinician commented on how good she looks. Kevin said the same thing today when he came home from work. As I was leaving, Mom said that she was going to take a nice nap. I am very proud of her for taking such good care of herself.

Keep at it, Mom! We love you!!

You will all be very happy to know that Mom is doing well. She is tired. Probably more tired than she wants me to believe. But, for a woman who just had three days of chemo, she looks wonderful. She had an appointment today at Froedert, but decided to reschedule it for Saturday because of the snow. Her and I will be going to the Cancer Center tomorrow so that they can give her a shot to promote white blood cell growth. Then, we are going to Whole Foods to stock up on yummy, goodness. I am looking forward to our time together tomorrow. Sweet Dreams, All.

Before I share Mom's day with you, first I would like to share one of Conrad's life rules. (Conrad is my 8-year-old son and Mom always finds Conrad's perspectives on life to be entertaining. You may, too.) According to Conrad, the 7th life rule to remember is: Never jump out of a helicopter without a parachute. I have no idea what rules 1-6 are. But, I think I better find out—soon!

Today was the last day of the first chemo cycle. Yay! Mom is still doing well, but she did have a concern this morning. As I said in yesterday's post, she was experiencing some swelling around her ankles last night. We looked that symptom up and learned that water retention can be a side effect. This morning when she awoke, her face was also swollen. She called the hospital right away and they told her not to worry, but to tell them when she came in today. When she arrived at Froedert, before they prepared her daily concoction, Mom told them about the swelling. They said she did the best thing by telling them before treatment began. This allowed them to add a diuretic to her IV. When I saw her tonight, her ankles looked much better. She was still a little concerned about her face, but I think the swelling will continue to diminish. If not, we just need to call. The nice thing about Froedert is that she has someone to call, anytime of the day, any day of the week.

Mom ordered her wig today. She said it is slightly lighter than her current color with a similar cut. I am sure she is going to look fabulous! Did you know that insurance sometimes covers wigs? Apparently it is a "prosthetic, full head scalp". (I tried to look that up online, and all I found were some Green Day song lyrics.)

Mom also purchased a couple of head wraps. I like her head wraps so much, that I am considering getting one for myself. They are actually very fashionable. And, I have always thought that women who wear head garments look very classy.

As always, I am amazed by the many wonderful people who surround us with their caring thoughts and gestures every day. Marg Pias from church sent Mom a wonderful letter today. Not only did she encourage her in this battle, but she also wrote about the squirrels eating the bird seed. It is amazing how everyday conversation can be so healing. Also, a couple of girls from work got me a sweatshirt that says "Fight Like a Girl" with a pink ribbon on it. I am so touched by that gesture that I will never forget it. I decided to give the sweatshirt to my mom, not because I don't love it. But, because my mom is the real fighter in this. "Thank You" to all of you who go out of your way to ask how Mom is doing, to send us a recipe, or to let us know when something we need is on sale. We are so fortunate to have all of you in our lives.

Drat. (That is the nice word for what I want to say.) I just spent 20 minutes writing my daily post and I deleted it! Again, Drat.

Here are the basics of my original post. Mom's second day of chemo went well. She is feeling fatigued, but that is certainly to be expected. Her ankles are also slightly swollen. She thinks that is partly due to sitting for long periods of time. Sitting is not a favorite past-time of Mom's, as most of you know. Regardless, I am going to look up that symptom in my books tonight. And, Mom will report it during her treatment tomorrow.

Mom was happy about one thing today. Tomorrow will be her last day of chemo for more than two weeks! Actually, she was happy about two things. After her treatment tomorrow she has an appointment at the Wellness Center to look at wigs. I told her that she really needs to splurge on this purchase. (Are you listening, Mom? Go all out! Get what you want!) I am a bit sad that I can't be with her tomorrow to help her decide. But, if the people at the Wellness Center are anything like the other people at Froedert, she is in excellent hands.

Today Carley sent us some wonderful recipes. Thank you, Carley! Let' see, there was a chickpea salad, granola, baked oatmeal, and chicken tortilla soup. Yum!

Mom also met with the dietitian today and received a packet of information, recipes, and nutrition advice. I told Mom to look through everything, pick out what sounds best, and we'll make it!

It seems that Mom's first day of chemo went fine. Her only complaint was being stuck in one place for six hours -- two hours of fluids, two hours of chemo, and two more hours of fluids. She also didn't like getting home so late (it was after 5:00). But, the next two chemo treatments will only be about two hours each.


When I saw Mom this evening, she said that she felt fine. The nurses told her that side effects don't always start right away. I guess the body needs a chance to be offended before it expresses its discontent. They told her that one thing she may experience tonight is a surge of energy from the steroid that she received.


Tomorrow Mom meets with the dietitian during chemo. I am most interested in the topic of nutrition because it is something that we can actively pursue. Although I can't be at the meeting tomorrow, Mom is giving the dietitian the thumbs-up so that she can talk with me. Tonight, I already got a head-start on the subject. My friend Renee suggested that Mom try Quinoa. I read that Agave nectar is better for her than white sugar. And, Mom really likes these Cliff nutrition bars that we get. So, off to the store I went. I also picked up some organic eggs and cottage cheese. Did you know that some cottage cheese has artificial color and artificial flavor? It is just crazy what they put in our food.


Alicia and Ryan are stopping over to visit Mom tonight. And, Mom's friend Ruth gave her another friend to keep her company -- a giant frog named Hercules. Another good friend sent Mom a double whammy of good luck—a small pig figure with a lady bug on his chest. It seems that pigs and lady bugs are good luck symbols in Germany. I learn something new everyday on this journey! Everyone is coming together and giving her the most wonderful support network ever. Thank you all for your phones calls, visits, cards, tokens, wishes, prayers, positive thoughts, and everything else that you are doing. I know that I don't have the inside scoop on everything that everyone is doing. But, Mom knows and it means the world to her!

The Battle Plan!

Chemo Cycle One
Tomorrow, February 7th, Mom will begin her first IV chemotherapy cycle that will consist of two cancer fighting drugs. (I will provide medication names in a later post.) Before treatment begins, she will receive fluids and an anti-nausea medication through her IV. She will also receive a steroid through the IV which will help reduce inflammation. When she goes home tomorrow, she will have an oral anti-nausea medication that she can take up to three times a day. She will be going in on Wednesday and Thursday for more chemo. On Friday, she will receive a shot in her arm that will aid her body in white blood cell production. This will be the end of IV treatments for two weeks, but the chemo will remain in her system doing its thing. Sometime during this first cycle, Mom will start losing her hair. (Don't worry though. It is only hair. It will grow back. And, we've got options.)


Chemo Cycle Two
February 28th - March 2nd, Mom will get chemo-d-up again. (I'm taking Shakespearean liberties here and making up my own words.) The second cycle will be a repeat of the first. There may be some changes along the way depending on how Mom's body responded to the first chemo cycle. Toward the end of this cycle, the doctors will run a CT scan to see how the tumor is responding to the treatments.


Chemo Cycle Three / Radiation Therapy
Although the dates have not been scheduled, yet, this phase will begin three weeks after Chemo Cycle Two began. This puts us at the week of March 19th. She will get chemo-d-up that week and receive daily radiation targeted at the tumor in her esophagus. The chemo cycle will be like the others—she will not receive IV treatments for the last two weeks of the cycle. But, they will continue blasting the tumor with radiation. As I understand it, she will receive radiation treatment Monday through Friday for the entire three week cycle.


Chemo Cycle Four / Radiation Therapy
Again we don't have any dates. But this cycle is going to look like the previous. One week of getting chemo-d-up and radiation. Two more weeks of radiation, 5 days a week.

Call To Arms!

If you have any recipes or ideas for delicious, nourishing foods that do not contain white sugar, refined white flour, artificial ingredients, preservatives, or highly processed food, please share them with me! Especially if you can think of snack-like foods that will pack a punch in terms of nutrition and calories. (Mom has never eaten large meals, but has been doing a great job eating little meals every two hours.) Think: nutritious, calorie rich, and none of the bad stuff. You can post your ideas using the comment tool below, email them to buggis1@gmail.com, or give them to Mom or me. We will greatly appreciate it!

If my calculations are correct, our family has enjoyed a live performance or movie every Sunday since Mom's initial diagnosis. First it was "Annie" at the Rhode Opera House. Then Alicia and Mom went to "Glorious" at the Racine Theatre Guild. Then, "We Bought A Zoo." Then, "Tarzan" the musical at Bradford. Today it was "Big Miracle" which is a wonderful, inspiring movie for all ages. Sundays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week!

Tomorrow is a very important day. The doctors will share with us their suggested treatment plan for kicking the shit out of this cancer. Treatment will begin as soon as Tuesday. I will post information regarding the treatment plan as soon as I get a chance. Please keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming!

This morning when I called Mom, she read me her very first poem! Who would have thought that a woman as well-read and intelligent as my mother had never written a poem before? Maybe she will let me share it with everyone on this blog. We'll see.

I met Mom and Dad and we went for a long walk with our dogs. It was a beautiful, warm February day. We all felt good after that. Mom was heading to the Civil Warm museum later. Besides Barnes and Noble, I think that is her favorite place. Tomorrow we are all going to the movies! Happy weekend, everyone.

Mom was sent home yesterday with three optional medications. Guess how many of them she is taking? Not one. Her incisions are healing nicely and she says that she has minimal pain. Don't worry though. She is taking care of herself. She rests a little. Then goes for a walk. Then rests. Then goes shopping. And, she is keeping a food diary to ensure that she has calories coming in every two hours. Perhaps most impressive, she's making sure that she doesn't strain herself by asking her family to help her with things around the house! Have I mentioned how proud we are of her?

So, what do you do when your mom is diagnosed with cancer, your husband loses his job, and you step in a big pile of dog poo at Petco? I'll tell you what you do. You wipe off your shoe, look for a new job, and tell your mom you love her.

Mom came home from the hospital today! She is strong, beautiful, and ready to fight. We are right beside you, Mom. (We may have empty pockets and smelly feet, but we are here.)

The surgery was a success and mom is doing very well! Dr. Gasparri removed the small portion of mom's lung that was of concern. Although they have more tests to run, Dr. Gasparri has said that he is 99.9% confident that the spot is not (was not) cancerous. He said that it is (was) a lymph node and could have lit up on the scans for other reasons, but not cancer. This is very good news. As far as modern medicine can detect, the cancer has not spread beyond her esophageal region. That means that the doctors will be able to concentrate her treatment on her esophagus. We will learn the details of the treatment plan when we meet with the team on Monday, February 6th. 

Dr. Gasparri also installed a port just underneath Mom's skin on her chest. This will make it easier for the technicians and much more comfortable for her to have intravenous work done.


As of right now, Mom is doing wonderful. She pulled through the surgery just like I knew she would -- like a trooper. She is drinking lots of fluids and ate a good meal for dinner. We went for a short walk down the hall and she sat upright in a chair for almost an hour. This activity only made her more eager to recover quickly so she can get back to her life. Doc said that she will likely be discharged by this weekend. Mom was perhaps the happiest when the nurses reported her weight -- as it indicated a weight gain of three pounds! She has been working very hard to beef herself up and we are all so very proud.

I will never forget my mom's parting words as they whisked her off to surgery. She had just received a "cocktail" of sorts through her IV to relax her. The medical team explained that they would administer the rest of the "cocktail" while prepping for surgery. My dad, Aunt Karen, Uncle Roger and I kissed her and told her we love her. She reciprocated the terms of endearment. Then smiled and exclaimed, "I am off for my second glass of wine!"


Finally, I would like to tell Ruth that the little pink frog that you gave my mom saw her through. In fact, he is sleeping at her side tonight. Thank you.