A sad turn of events

We had some very bad news yesterday. After the good news in Portland last week, we have been hit pretty hard. The PET scan that was done at OHSU has revealed some new lesions of cancer. It has spread to Mom's liver. As we knew in the beginning, it is a fast growing very "hot" type of cancer. The doctors are sure that it started in her lungs, then spread via the bloodstream to her brain, adrenal gland, lungs (lymph nodes) and now liver. What we are hoping now is that she can remain comfortable and pain-free. Today the radiation oncologist in Roseburg told us that the next place it can metastasize to is the bones, which can be very painful. We have an appointment on Monday, February 16th to meet with a different oncologist in Roseburg. The doctors at OHSU said not to come back to Portland, that the focal treatment will not be effective now.
Mom was given three options today: more whole body radiation, chemotherapy and/or hospice care to keep her comfortable. It was also mentioned that the physical therapy probably wasn't helping much at this point. Very sad news to a family that is really pulling together to make her better. A lot can be said for modern medicine and the latest technology, but they can only do so much. So on to Plan B which will be to spend as much quality time with her as possible. Sometimes it is hard to put on a happy face when you are feeling so down, but I'm sure that she doesn't want to see how worried we are.
Several friends, family members and aquaintances have asked me about my Dad and how he is holding up. Some days not too good. He is the one that gets to see the very worst of it 24/7. On bad days, he is the one that is there for the anger, sadness and the helplessness. I have always said how strong of a person he is and how he has always been the backbone of our family, but one man can only take so much. Mom has asked me several times to "please take care of your dad". That is her only concern at this point. She will always think of others before herself. That's my Mom.

Yet another OHSU trip....

We had a great trip on Friday with terrific news! The radiation that Mom had in Roseburg has shrunk the 2 tumors on the left side of the brain so that they weren't even visible on the MRI! They went ahead and zapped the resection site on the right side of the brain as a precaution. I guess that the place where a brain tumor is removed has the highest chance of recurring. This was a fairly short procedure. Set-up took about 45 minutes, but the actual "zapping" was considerably shorter. So....on to the issue in the lungs....

She has an appointment this Tuesday, February 10th for a PET scan on her whole body. This specialized test (Positron Emission Tomography) will tell us exactly where the lung cancer is located and if it can be treated with the stereotactic radiosurgery technique or if chemotherapy will be needed.

Again, I have to say that this is all very exhausting and emotionally draining for Mom, but she is a trooper. A bit grumpy at times, but she doesn't sleep all that good, so I guess that is to be expected. We just smile and say, "Yes, Mom."

As she continues treatment, I hope that everyone will continue to call or visit her with words of encouragement. It really helps to lift her spirits. Until next the next update...please keep her in your thoughts!