Sleep, Sleep, and More Sleep

That describes Mom's 2nd Round of treatment. And that is a very good thing. She has been much more comfortable this time around, and has slept very soundly. All the sleep has made this week go by a lot faster for her. The side effects have been much less as well. Her white blood cell count is low, but not dangerously so. Her kidneys seem to be doing fine. They reduced her dose of Cisplatin ( the specific chemo that is hard on kidneys) by 25% to help, and it has worked.
Probably the very best news is that the swelling in her lower legs and ankles has gone down a bit, and we havent noticed any additional swelling in her abdomen. She hasnt had a tap in a few weeks, and not needing one, is the best sign the treatment is affecting the cancer cells. Dr Miller told me her swelling in the abdomen region would be the number one indicator of how the treatment was working. He explained that the active cancer cells were producing all the excess fluid, and while active, they would continue to rob Mom of nutrients and limit the amount of nourishment her body could absorb. This is his greatest concern. No additional swelling means the cancer cells have slowed down. A shrinking stomach line would indicate the cancer cells are remitting. We want Mom to be able to sport a FLAT BELLY in Cancun come April 8! She will be getting a full body scan sometime in the next month to see how the treatment has specifically altered the tumors. Mom might be able to come home as early as this evening. Pray that her body remains strong. As we learned after Round 1, the week immediately following the treatment is the hardest. Again, thanks for all the cards, calls, visits, comments, emails, etc. It means a lot to all of us to know how many people truly care about how Mom is doing.
God Bless,
Boogie