Saturday, March 28, 2009

Post chemo treatment day 9

My mom is being so well taken care of at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. She's been moved to a regular room and is seen daily by her oncologist, and seen even more often by an attending physician and a fabulous team of nurses. She loves the hospital chaplin, Donna, who my mom can't wait to introduce. This weekend, my mom's sister, Donna is with my mom. Donna lives in Chicago and has generously offered to rotate in during my mom's care. This weekend, it gave my dad a much needed break.

Norma is still in the hospital because her blood counts need to be checked daily, and when they are low, she can efficiently receive transfusions. She is also there to keep her well protected from infection.

My mom's diagnosis has now been doubly confirmed by the James Cancer Center at the OSU hospital in Columbus. She has small cell carcinoma. This matches the initial diagnosis from her oncologist. Her oncologist wanted a second opinion, and so did we. Treatment remains the same, which involves several rounds of chemotherapy. She's had one treatment so far, and will most likely need 3 to 5 more. Treatment occurs for 3 consecutive days, followed by 21 days off.

Symptoms of small cell carcinoma come on quickly and the cancer is agressive. It usually appears in smokers, of which my mom has never been. Her small cell carcinoma is not lung cancer. Her cancer has a pelvic origin, which might explain the pain she was experiencing in her right upper thigh.

My mom is very resolved to keep pressing on and to focus on one round of treatment at a time. As a friend of hers said, she's way tougher than this. We think so too.

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