A Long Day

I got to Mom's house at 4 AM yesterday. She was getting sick when I got there. We piled into the car along with her essentials; quilted blanket, pillow, and puck bucket, and got to UK hospital around 5:30. We waited, waited, and waited some more. Then we waited. Next, we got back to the room where they started monitoring Mom's vitals and tried to start the IV. Mom's blood pressure was running low again. Lots of readings around 85/50. The nurses were very, very nice and pleasant, but apparently failed "find a viable vein for IV 101" in nursing school , and continued to stick Mom without success. Finally, they called in a veteran from a different department and got it done. Next, we waited. Then they drugged Mom up with some sedatives and put the head brace on. They finished putting it on sometime around 10:00. So, for four and a half hrs they accomplished IV, meds, and head frame.

I was not prepared to see Mom in that head brace/Halo thing. It was disturbing. Sarah and I looked at each other and didnt know what to say. I kept asking Mom over and over, "are you comfortable?"because I simply couldnt believe that it was possible. She was wide awake, but sedated, and claimed to be okay. She looked like a creature out of Star Wars, sorta like Darth Vader when he takes his helmet off in Return of the Jedi. The whole frame was supported by 4 bolts that were tightened into her head. They werent screwed into her skull, but were tight enough to see small strands of blood that had dripped down from each of the 4 points in her scalp. Mom was very talkative, slurring her words, and making jokes, so I knew the drugs were working well. When I told her she looked like Darth Vader, she picked up something, pretending it was her light sabre and said, "Cancer.....you will die". Drugs are good!


Next, she had her MRI, which revealed a total of 6 small lesions. None of the tumors were more than 4 mms in diameter. Then, we waited. Having Mom wait around with that enormous contraption on her head made Sarah and I cringe with each passing minute. If nothing else, it was so visually uncomfortable. I kept waiting, expecting to see her brain start to leak out from one of those screws. Both my eyes naturally squinted as a reflex when I stared at that thing. They started the gamma knife around 2:30 PM. Because the tumors were scattered around different areas of her brain, and the position of the head brace, the gamma knife was unable to reach all 6 in the same session. We are gonna have to go back and do this all over again to get that last one. That is the last thing we wanted. I think Id rather be kicked in the crotch with a lead boot. I dont think Mom and Sarah would use that same illustration, but Im confident they really, really dont want to re-do this day again. Especially Mom, obviously. We finally got out of there around 4:30.

Mom was the ultimate trooper. She was more anxious 2 -3 days ago about the deal than she was yesterday. I know the drugs took the edge off once it got going, but even before that, she was amazingly strong. I was so proud of her. The only thing she complained about the whole day was that her butt bone hurt. Laying down flat on those hard surfaces during the MRI and Gamma Knife made her bottom sore. She doesnt have much padding back there anymore. As always, the nurses and staff fell in love with her. It is easy to do.

Like Shan mentioned, Jenn is in full fledged "plan a trip" mode, right now. They hope to get Mom out again and take her somewhere fun. Get with them if you have any inside info on good places to go.

God Bless,

Boogie