Remembering Dave Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 My Mom, if you recall, has been battling colon cancer while Dave battles SCLC. She had her colon tumor surgery, then her liver metastasis surgery, then started chemo and got two treatments under her belt, but went to see her surgeon yesterday because of a weird feeling around her colon incision. She has a hernia from that incision and now has to have surgery to repair that, which also means stopping chemo for a few months. It seems never ending for her! To top it all off, yesterday was my parents' 48th wedding anniversary. My Dad is getting a colonoscopy today so he spent all of yestereday getting "cleaned out" and couldn't go with Mom to see her surgeon. My Dad asked me to go with her, but Mom insisted she could go by herself and everything was fine. Needless to say, she was a little upset over the news, although it is nothing life threatening, and I feel horrible that I didn't go with her. My Dad's colonoscopy is just routine, so he'd better be in good shape - no more sickness in my family for now, please! I'm sure my mom will be fine, just a bump in the road to slow things down a bit. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Unfortunately, Karen, people our age seem to fall apart physically, kinda like an old car out of warranty. Those things happen. Sounds like all is taken care of, though. My congratulations to your parents on their 48th anniversary -- they are three years ahead of us. Those kinds of celebrations are precious, so I hope they will have some time when things quiet down on both fronts to celebrate it properly. Regards. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Lamb Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Karen I agree.I think it's time for your whole family to have a no one gets sick break.You have all been thru a lot and my prayers are with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justakid Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Your poor Mom! I'll keep her in my thought and prayers! It's probably because she met me before her first chemo appt and I rubbed off on her. Damn Murphy's Law! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnyde Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Okay, Karen. Enough already. You just tell your family to get better pronto. Seriously, it has been a tough few years for all of you. Are you and your Dad the only family for you Mother or do you have other siblings that can help? I hope David is enjoying the leaves and missing you and Faith like crazy. Relax this weekend, get some energy back. You guys are always in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted October 22, 2004 Author Share Posted October 22, 2004 My Dad's colonosocpy turned out fine, thank goodness, so one less thing to worry about! Mom is doing well except for the Big D whenever she eats. at least stopping chemo for a while will give her tum tum a break. Dave is up in the mountains alone with the dogs and seems to be enjoying himself, although he said it is raining this morning. He said that just gave him a good excuse to lay around in the trailer and read and sleep, and that's not a bad thing for him to do. Ginny - I have two brothers, but they live about two hours from us, which isn't far - but one brother is, shall we say, worthless (especially when it comes to any kind of helping out) and the other brother is married with three kids and a job that requires him to work about 14 hours a day and getting called in the middle of the night all the time. He cares very much about my parents but just doesn't have the time for much help. He did take time off from work to be with my folks when they were both in the hospital at the same time, but he is also very "uptight" and doesn't know much about this medical stuff, also very "analytical" so he would worry and stress and interrogate the doctors about every little tiny thing that was obvious or common sense - so my folks and I agree it's almost better than he's not around very much! I don't mind being there for them - but I'd like for my mom to cop a break. first breast cancer six years ago, now this . . . well, this too shall pass! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berisa Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Karen, I can imagine how tired you are, how exhausted it is while all are sum up. I pray God that He will give you extra strength, both physically and mentally. Please know that God never leave David, your mom, all your family members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayos Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Yes.....it's strength of the soul that will carry you and your family through these times. You sound like a loving daughter and wife who gives of herself willingly and without regret. Bless your very, very large heart... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Karen, Its Friday night now and I hope you and Faith have been able to join Dave in the camping trip. If not, I hope he enjoys being by himself. I am so sorry about your mom. That many surgeries has to be getting to her. I hope she does well and feels better soon. Glad about your dad. Keeping you in my prayers. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted October 25, 2004 Author Share Posted October 25, 2004 Faith and I DID get up to the mountains with Dave, and had a very nice time! It was overcast the whole time and then Sunday morning we woke up to rain, but we all just snuggled up and listened to the rain. There was a little boy from a nearby campsite Faith's age and he and Faith played and played and played and played Saturday night around our campfire, they were so cute, Dave got some photos of them taking turns sitting in each other's laps (they were playfully fighting over a chair, so the little boy decided if they sat in each other's lap in the chair then they would both have the chair at the same time - good compromise - cute compromise!). On the way home the trailer got a flat tire and poor chemo-scuzzied Dave had to change it, only for the spare to go flat in the parking lot we stopped at, but it was gas station and they had air so he took it off and filled it with air and it held so we got home OK! I'm amazed that Dave was able to camp for four days AND change a tire twice! My parents took a drive to the mountains on Saturday and came by, I was so glad to see my mom feel able to leave her bathroom for that long a time! dAVE is at chemo as I type and on Wed. we see the oncologist and get the results of last week's CT scan. Karen C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 Sounds like a change of pace, a restful one at that. Good luck on scan results Wed. XOXOXOX Prayers always, MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.C. Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Karen, Late but not my fault. Hope all will come up better for your mother and husband. You all deserve a break from this sickness and hope it will be soon. Best wishes, J.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Karen, Will be looking for Wednesday's post. Glad you were able to join Dave..its the pits about the tire. At least you all were together for a while away from the everyday world. Prayers for Dave and your Mom. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen335 Posted October 27, 2004 Share Posted October 27, 2004 Karen, Just saw your posts, praying that the scan results are clean. Tossing up lots of prayers for you and your family. God is so good and hears all of our prayers. Glad to hear you had a good week-end. Please keep us posted on the scan results. Have a blessed day and also the rest of the week... God Bless, hugs and prayers, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Karen-- I haven't been on the board in a while--so I just saw this thread. Forgive me for the tardy reply. Along with everyone else, I am rooting for a break for you and your family. It's always exponentially harder to fight a war on more than one front. Glad to read about your dad and that everyone got to see the leaves for at least a day. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day--whether we are on the board or not. Melinda (and Geoff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted November 5, 2004 Author Share Posted November 5, 2004 Just a quick update. it's been an awful week. My Mom had her hernia surgery Monday and it was worse than the surgeon thought. sounds like he basically had to fix the entire colon surgery incision which is rather large. a one night stay in the hospital turned into three nights. that doesn't sound so bad, but she's had an awful time. she OD'd on demarol AGAIN and went into a total delirium for an entire day. I felt like I was losing my mom. it's all a long long story, but the surgeon and the nurses just didn't listen when we told them how she just can't do narcotics. she had this surgery in a different hospital so they didn't have her records and see that she coded once on demarol. I had the sinus infection from hell so was trying to work, hang at the hospital and make sure my mom was being taken care of, and trying to feel better. I had two complete nights in a row without any sleep at all. they finally switched her from demeral to torodol but she was still delirious. I left that evening thinking she'd be OK, came back the next morning to find her lucid but in extreme pain. I dragged the day nurse who had just come on into her room to see about getting her some pain meds. she flipped open her chart and said she hadn't had any since 9:30 the previous evening - no wonder she was in pain. I said why not? She said, oh, with torodol, the patient has to ASK for the pain meds. What? I said, ask? She was DELIRIOUS. She didn't know where she was, much less know to ASK. I was furious. More than once we had to track down the surgeon to come see her because more than 24 hours - much more - had passed since he did rounds and seen her. The hospital nurses all told me what a good surgeon he was, the best for hernia repair, and I said, well, I don't care how skilled you are, if you cut on your patient and then walk away and forget about them you are worthless in my book. anyway, just a few of many stories of the keystone cops. this hospital used to be the best in Richmond and now frankly it's the pits. no one in my family will ever go there. anyway, she's home now and doing OK except for driving my poor Dad insane and I am trying to catch up at work which feels impossible. Thanks for the prayers for my mom, she now deserves an even bigger break than before! God Bless, Karen c. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnyde Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 My dear, dear Karen, When this is over and everyone is well, you have to write a book called "My Two Years in Hell". People will think it is fiction, this couldn't possibly be real. Hope the weekend is peaceful and you have some fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Karen, Hope you have some blessed peace and quiet this weekend, and feel better. Hugs to your mom, hope she feels better and your dad can hide behind the paper a while. XOXOXOXOX Prayers always, MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Prayers still comin'. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Karen, It sounds like the hospital that I had my surgery in. I had a great surgeon that only came to see me twice post op. The fellows were unwilling or unable to give me different meds than the ones I had reacted to. I didn't have anything for pain for 3 days. It took coming home and a trip to my regular doctor to get some percocet to help with the pain. After that I was able to walk, take the deep breaths necessary to get better etc. I am sorry you had to experience it. If he really is a good surgeon, I hope you can look back on this as a bad experience with great results. I do. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 I just saw this. Karen your mom is a trooper! Saying lots of prayers for your entire family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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