Mimi's Wishing Well

This has been a most wonderful weekend! My brother Craig and his family are here and we are spending time together eating, celebrating birthdays, and eating some more! (Hey, what else is there to do when the weather is turning from icy cold to frigid?) Mom is especially enjoying the time with her youngest grandchild, Eliana. Today the two snuggled up in her comfy chair and watched two episodes of Little House in the Prairie from a DVD set that Eli got for her upcoming 6th birthday. The biggest triumph of the weekend so far was Mom walking down her basement stairs today! The chant one hears ringing through the Conrad household these days is, "Go Mimi, go! Go, Mimi, go!"

Here is a funny story that will help you to understand Mom's exceptional state of mind. Seven of us were leaving a restaurant Saturday morning. Mom was first with her entourage of family members holding doors or following close behind. As Mom was about to exit the building with her walker, a man with a cane and his wife were getting ready to enter. My sister-in-law said jokingly to Mom and the approaching couple, "Who has the right-away here?" Mom piped up, "I do!" She pointed at her walker and said, "I have four canes, and he only has one!" Everyone laughed, especially the man with the cane.

In regards to Mom's treatment, she completed the radiation treatments to her spine last Wednesday. She is not experiencing an improvement in her mobility at this time. But, she is doing a great job of figuring out how to maneuver her body in this new state. On Thursday the doctors performed a CT scan. They are checking her internal organs in the hopes that they remain clear. We will get the results tomorrow. Mom is also having blood work done tomorrow and will meet with her oncologist to discuss next steps in her treatment plan. Dr. Ritche may be recommending a course of chemotherapy.

The biggest thing that I am struggling with is keeping my fear in check. Every day I remind myself that while I cannot control the cancer, I can control how I respond to it. Lucky for all of us we have the bravest, wisest of all role models to follow -- Mom.