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.