To update briefly the past couple of weeks: Mom’s last day of radiation fell on her birthday (Oct 17) and the following scans in early November were, much to our dismay, inconclusive. While certainly not the worst news we could have learned, it is always frustrating to be left in the dark. Especially for mom who has worked so hard to stay positive throughout this experience. She has had to spend more time at UAMS than she’d care for due to various side effects of the chemo/radiation/steroid combination and most recently was admitted to the hospital for about 5 days before Thanksgiving. Since her release, she has made significant progress and it was amazing to witness the turnaround. I’m talking a complete 180! It did not come easily, but her determination is proof that hope will take you a lot farther than you could ever imagine.
Many who have shared similar experiences told us that the journey would be like a rollercoaster, but what they forgot to mention – or perhaps I just couldn’t grasp at the time – was just how wild that ride could be. Seeing mom in the hospital Sunday was when it truly hit me how fragile she is. Few things are more difficult than seeing your loved ones hurt, but I found comfort knowing that between dad, Ashley, James, and I, we always had someone at her side. Watching mom’s progress between that moment and this past Sunday was remarkable.
Overcoming that hurdle, we were expecially grateful to have our momma bear back home for Thanksgiving. We feel so blessed to have spent such a wonderful week together as a family.
On Saturday, we all went to pick out a Christmas tree and spent the day decorating the house for Christmas. It was the perfect Thanksgiving week and mom is excited for us to all be together again in just a few short weeks.
Overall, she seems to be in relatively high spirits as she continues to face this battle more gracefully than most could ever imagine. It is amazing to see the amount of love mom generates – in friends and strangers alike – and it fills our hearts to see her so happy, surrounded by the continued love and support of family and friends.
Mom started intense occupational therapy this week to help regain the use of the muscles in her left side, which have been paralyzed since mid-August. After the first couple of days, her therapist already stated that mom’s effort and overall state is significantly better than expected. We are so very proud of her already and are excited to see her achievements. Mom’s next scans will be tomorrow (Dec 4) and will keep everyone posted – hopefully with more good news! We appreciate everyone for your thoughts, encouragement, and prayers. I’m not sure we could get through this without y’all.
Until next time,
jb
Believe you can & you're halfway there. 