Update on Mom

Sorry for the delay, but it's been a rough few days. Thank you all SO MUCH for the prayers and uplifting messages. You have no idea how much it means.Truly.

So, let me fill you in and catch you up...
Monday: Mom in a lot of pain, visited with Dr.Helmer-Found out her platelet count was severely low and was told she cannot continue with treatments (chemo) until she and the platelet count became stronger. Without treatments, she was told that she had 6 months to a year. With still trying to figure things out-Dr.Helmer wanted a bone scan done and then come back for the results on Thursday. Doc gave her something amazing (a patch) to take care of the pain.

The past few nights I kept thinking about what the doctor said and how she could not continue treatment until she got stronger. This worried me. Treatments are what have been keeping her alive, as far as medicine goes.
Here's the thing...
Mom has been weak for some time now and not getting any stronger. Not only are her platelets low, but she's also anemic. She has to have blood transfusions a few times a month.
With both of these things, it's like they're fighting one another.
Producing and also destroying- Therefore, no chance of getting stronger, which would lead to no more treatments.
This conclusion was all I could think about last night. I could hardly wait to hear what the Doctor figured out and what the (bone) scan results would show.

So, Thursday was when we received the toughest news yet...
The bone scan showed evidence of the progression of the disease & bones.
Not only has it grown, but it has also gone into the bone marrow.
With this news, Mom asked, "I'm not getting any better, am I?" Doctor Helmer then replied with, "No, but then again, you haven't been on regular treatments either."

This was exactly what I feared. Without her regular treatments, she wasn't going to get better. What next? Where do we go from here?

Well, The Doctor explained the issue of her platelet counts and it allowing her to continue treatments.

First he said, with the way things are progressing now and with the cancer now in her bone marrow- Without treatment, we are now looking at 3-6 months.

My heart sunk as I looked at my mothers face when the doctor said that. Tears began to fill me eyes, my throat tightened. I quickly swallowed back those tears, straightened my spine and remembered that if there were any moment that I needed to be strong, now was the time. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her as the doctor kept talking.
Doctor Helmer then began to talk about other options. Well, the only other option (right now) is to put her back on Chemo.
With that, there are risks due to her platelets being low. These risks involve minor to major bleeding and could even cause a stroke.

At this point, we're forced to do something to get this under control.

"We're going to take the bull by the horns," Dr.Helmer said.
"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead and let's see if we can turn this off and add some time"

With all of this said, Mom and the doctor are choosing to go with chemo. Even with the risks involved.
The doctor said that if this didn't work, then we will try something else.

Man, I've never seen my mother so down. The ride home was completely silent. I didn't know what to say...
When we arrived home, mom went straight to her room and shut the door.
I opened the door, in hopes I could comfort her, but then she asked me to leave. She needed some time. Fair enough.
I went to my room and began to pray and seek scripture. I prayed for the right words to say. For strength- Not only for now, but for the next few months. I prayed for peace and for mom not to give up now.

Today we begin chemo. The doctor said that the side effects (if any were to show) would happen 3-5 days after chemo.
Let's pray that there are zero side affects and that her body takes to the chemo. What an amazing miracle that would be, eh?

Friends/Family, please continue to pray with me. Let's be the prayer warriors that we're called to be.

I don't know what else to do but pray.


Philippians 4:6-7

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