Closer To Home

Friday June 14, 2013

Well this week has been exciting...

Not really.  It's been rather difficult.

Dad took Mom to her post-op checkup in Novi on Tuesday.  She had been regressing some in the days prior to the appointment, and he was looking forward to getting some answers about what was going on.

A CT scan at the appointment showed swelling on her brain.  So much swelling that it had pushed her brain off-center a little.  The left side had a hole where the tumor had been.  Her brain swelled to fill that hole, and started putting pressure on the right side of her brain.

Post-surgery, she was taken off steroids cold turkey.  Some patients can handle that, some need to be weaned.  Apparently, Mom is one of the latter.

They promptly admitted her to the Neuro ICU.  They immediately placed her back on steriods to try to gain control of the swelling.

Obviously, we weren't prepared for all of this!  Dad hadn't packed any clothes or necessities for them to stay.  He headed back home that evening to pack some things...

Over the course of the next few days, she began to get better - slowly.  She saw Physical Therapists regularly.  At this point, she cannot walk without a walker, her speech is ok, but just not what it used to be.  Her eyesight has deteriorated - she cannot dial numbers on the phone, or text or type. 

It was a waiting game to see if the swelling would begin to subside.  And it did.

We had heard little from Dad while he was there with her.  It was a whirlwind for him.  Yesterday, I finally poked & prodded to get him to give me an update on her condition.  Through tired eyes and exhausted fingers, he texted what he could, following up with a phone call.

Basically, this is what I learned:

She is now walking with the assistance of a walker. She needs continual rehab. Today, she is being transported to Mary Free Bed (the best) via ambulance for inpatient rehabilitation for an undetermined amount of time. We are told that chemo and radiation treatments won't start until swelling is down significantly, and rehab has improved her physical limitations.

Her symptoms should improve with time and rehabilitation.

Emotionally, she's on a roller coaster ride.

She is frustrated.

She is petrified.

I could hear the pure exhaustion in his voice.  He sounded near defeat.  Every now & again, I heard hope.  He's still got it.  He'll never lose it.  One thing about my dad is he is a fighter.  He never gives up.  Never.  And this is the most important, toughest fight he's ever had to endure.  That's his best friend, his life companion, lying in a hospital bed.  And he is helpless to take her pain away.

Behind her, he stands.  Waiting to catch her, to carry her.  And down the line, stands us - his family.  Waiting to catch him.  And even further stands our friends and loved ones, waiting to catch us.  And so on...  We will endure, we will stand firm with hope for one more day, tomorrow being better than today.

She will be in good hands the whole way.  With the move to Mary Free Bed, she will be in the best place to get her well for this leg of the journey.

And she will be one step closer to home.

Let Her Heart Rest

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Well, Mom is home.  She and Dad stepped in the door yesterday morning.  There were no other episodes with her heart and no reoccurance of arythmia.

To be cautious, the cardiologist has recommended that we postpone Mom's brain surgery until next week.

Her heart needs rest.

This is completely understandable, although we were anxious to get as much of the poison out of her brain as possible - as soon as possible.  We, Mom especially, have been awaiting Friday's surgery for three weeks, preparing both physically and emotionally.

But you just can't mess with the heart.

So, we will wait, and she will rest.

I have a correction to my last post as well.  The MRI that she will have just prior to surgery will take place in Novi, where she is having her brain surgery.  I was mistaken when I wrote that she would have the MRI locally, and then have to drive to Novi for surgery.  My apologies.

So, we don't have a definite day or time of the surgery at this point.  Dad was going to call and set that up.

When she got home, he said she was a little "wobbly" and "light headed", which I suppose is to be expected.

I talked with her on the phone for a few (I was on speaker), and she sounded SO much better!  Chipper and happy to be home.  This was all good to me.

Tomorrow, I will be bringing some meals over that were made by some of my friends (and friends of Dad & Di) that will feed them while she is recovering.  Every little bit helps to lighten the load on Dad or friends who are caretaking while she is in recovery at home.  I am incredibly thankful to all of my/our friends and family for their support, prayers and meals.  My heart aches as I think of the long journey we have yet to endure - and I want to do everything for them. 

But I can't.

And it's amazing to me how people - families, friends, acquaintances, communities - pull together to support one another.

So, let's keep it up!  Thank you again, and I'll let you all know when her surgery is next scheduled for and we'll continue to pray that she stays healthy and stable enough to get there this time!