Life Just Took a Sharp Turn

This year continues to be the "gift" that just keeps on giving. If you visit here on a (semi)regular basis you know that this year has brought a LOT of things for my family to deal with. As of yesterday we've added one more.

Cancer.

I received a diagnosis of endometrial cancer yesterday. It is early stages, what they call 1C. Still, my oncologist (yes, I have one of those now) is not wasting any time. I got blood work and an EKG before I left the hospital yesterday. I am scheduled for a total hysterectomy on August 27. My pre-operative appointment with my PCP is next Friday. I am waiting for them to call and tell me when they schedule me for a full-body CT scan.

Whew.

The scan is important as it should show whether or not there is cancer anywhere else. If there is, my treatment schedule will change as I will have to do chemo before surgery. My doctor doesn't think this is likely, but we have to check. If the scan shows nothing then I will just have to have some radiation after the surgery.

It's kind of weird how life is the same today and yet totally different.

I spoke to my work and told a few people there. The HR person wasn't in today so I still need to see her and figure things out. I will have to be off at least 4-6 weeks.

My husband is being very supportive, an absolute rock and has already asked for the days I have the surgery and follow up off. 

My daughter is doing what she does best, talking about it with all the family and digging and researching online. 

My mom still has her hands full with my stepdad and can barely manage that. Her stress levels have been on the rise again since he came home a week ago. I know she cares and is worried, but she doesn't have it in her to be supportive right now.

My sisters-in-law and nieces have circled the wagons and come out in force to offer support. I have to admit it's kind of surreal reading the family texts and it's all about me and my health.

I haven't gone "public" anywhere else. My daughter asked if I was announcing it on Facebook. I told her no, not yet, anyway. Maybe I will when I have a better idea of how things are going to go.

I'm not afraid. I trust the Lord to take care of me. Still, I'm kind of over 2026 at this point.

I will be using the blog to chronicle the journey. 

Currently

I am

... mentally preparing myself to go back to work tomorrow. Why is it that the days leading up to vacation are weeks long and the actual vacation passes in the blink of an eye?

... vacation was wonderful. We all enjoyed it a great deal.

The kiddos love the water and waves!

On the giant swings at the Chincotiki bar and grill.

Showing the safe way to hold a crab.

Exploring a sandbar during an eco cruise.

This girl LOVES crab legs!

One of the beautiful sunset shots of the ponies my daughter captured. 

Our daughter and her family.

All of us at the LOVE chairs by the bay.

Another beach day.

Our daughter with a horseshoe crab in 2004.

Our granddaughter with a horseshoe crab in 2026.

A beautiful sunset on the island. Our daughter shared this
one to the Chincoteague Facebook page and got over 700
likes the last time I looked.

... looking for my next read. I read My Killer Vacation while on vacation. 

... still watching The New Girl and Tim is trying to give me a fear of bridges by watching Engineering Disasters.

... listening to the A/C and Oliver's meows and purrs (he has been very needy and glued to me since we got home).

... no cooking happened today, but tomorrow there's fresh corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cantaloupe, and honeydew to fill the menu. We stopped at a farm market I love on the way home yesterday.

... my stepdad has been home for a week now. So far, so good. Mom seems to be handling things okay for now and he is definitely doing better than he had been. They have nurses, wound care people, and physical therapists coming in most days so that helps.

... I go back to work tomorrow, but am off again on Tuesday. Tim is taking me to Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh to meet with a GYN Oncologist. It's related to the tests I had done back at the beginning of the year. The tumor they saw then has grown to about 3cm. They don't think it's cancer, but it probably needs to be removed and it's in a tricky location. My regular GYN doesn't do "tricky" surgery so off to the specialist she's sending me.?

... we'll be celebrating our daughter's birthday this Saturday. How can it be 34 years? Next week our granddaughter will turn 7.

... giggling at these.

Currently

On this second Wednesday of July, the temperature is still a warm, humid 76 degrees at 10:00 p.m. After a very cool and wet June we have been experiencing a very hot and humid July...still very wet. We've had nearly 5 inches of rain in the last 5 days. The forecast includes several rainy days ahead.

I'm not reading anything at the moment. I've been too busy this week.

On the TV you'll find episodes of The New Girl. I didn't watch it when it was on about 10 years ago. I'm finding it mindless and funny. Exactly what I need at the moment.

The only thing I can hear (other than the TV) is the A/C. It's been running nearly constantly. I can hardly wait to see our next electric bill.

Not a lot of cooking going on. We are mostly trying to use up leftovers or eating simple, quick meals. We have to get the refrigerator emptied out.

Why do I have little free time this week? Why are we emptying the frig? Because we leave Saturday morning for vacation! My time is being consumed by getting ready...laundry, packing, arrangements, etc.

I'm a little worried about leaving as my stepdad is, as of now, coming home on Saturday. He seems to be doing okay for now. The pain is under control but his doctor won't refer him to the pain management clinic until they see him in person. Mom's scared because he's come home twice before only to go back to the hospital within two days. It doesn't help that while he's been doing great, when he was going to get back into bed this afternoon he announced that he "isn't sure he can do this." I hope he will make up his mind about that before he comes home and Mom told him he has to be sure because she can't do it if he doesn't think he can help. If he makes that choice, I guess he'll have to go into long-term nursing care at the home.

Even with the situation, I'm excited about getting away for a week. We are traveling with our daughter's family so I'm also praying there's no drama on that front. Peace is what I am needing.

With the Fourth over, there aren't any celebrations here until our daughter's and granddaughter's birthdays at the end of the month. They will be 34 and 7.

I'm thankful for all of life's little blessings.

Giggling...

Currently

I am

Reading... My Killer Vacation by Tess Bailey.

Watching... The 'Burbs on Peacock.

Listening... to the A/C and AGT.

Eating... the grands were here to go swimming as soon as I got home. Mom and Dad went running errands and out for dinner. We ordered pizza.

Thinking... about alllllll the things. My mom and stepdad, the whole dang family's health issues, the entitlement attitude one so often runs into in the younger generations these days, Tim's bad mood (heat or depression?), vacation, work, and the client who passed away this morning (Something is rotten in Denmark...he was only 32. He'd had pneumonia for several weeks. The family he lived with kept having excuses why they didn't take him to the doctor. So shocking and sad.)

Feeling... a bit defeated.

Celebrating... America's 250th birthday, of course!

Enjoying... honestly, not much in my current state of mind.

Thankful... tomorrow is another day and God is still on the throne.

Giggling...

A New Day, Another Plan, and Some Thankfulness

I'm still not sure what happened this afternoon to send Mom over the edge, but she ended up at my daughter's house bawling out her stress and frustration. You don't do that in front of my daughter unless you are ready to release the hounds, so to speak.

My girl is nothing if not well versed in medical things and a defender of the underdog. Put those two things together and you've got a natural born advocate. Within a short time she had talked to an administrator at the hospital and had Mom on the phone with the administrator, too. It was a less than satisfying conversation.

I learned of all of this on my way home from work. By the time I got home my daughter was waiting for me and off to the hospital we went with Mom's blessing. It took a bit of doing, but we were able to meet with the hospitalist...who, a lifetime ago, was one of the young men I had the pleasure of teaching as a youth leader in church. Our families were very close at the time and he and his siblings were like my own kids. He was able to calm my daughter down and explain things very clearly. He talked with us for about an hour and I feel much better about things.

My girl still has some reservations, but since he ordered the CT-scan she was ready to fight to have done, she is feeling a bit better about things. I am glad my stepdad is in good hands.

I also learned today that Mom and my stepdad have decided he will go to a nursing home for a couple of weeks before thinking about going home. My stepdad thinks it would be better for Mom. It's Mom that is being the more stubborn of the two. She just doesn't seem to be able to admit that caring for him at home would be too much for her right now. Everyone from family to her doctor to my stepdad's doctor agrees she is entirely too stressed right now. She needs to take care of herself, too.

So, that's where things stand today. I am very thankful my daughter is at home and able to fight for Mom since I have to work. I am thankful for the doctor and his genuine concern and care. I am thankful Mom and my stepdad have decided to be reasonable. I'm thankful the CT-scan will be done just so we can be sure nothing serious is wrong with his spine. I'm thankful for all of the concern and prayers from you.

Update

For those paying attention and/or praying for the situation with my mom and stepdad I thought I'd post a quick update.

Zero answers have been found to explain his pain. Based on how things went today, physical therapy recommended he be moved to skilled nursing care...so a nursing home. He is not having that. He flat out refuses to consider it. He wants to go home.

After speaking with the hospitalist and the social worker, it's been decided he will come home in palliative care. That's not the same as hospice. The goal is to keep him comfortable and improve his quality of life by addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. It also provides support and help for family members. You do not have to be in an end of life situation to receive palliative care.

The social worker will begin the steps to get the ball rolling tomorrow. We'll see how long it takes and how it goes. At least it's a decision that seems to make Mom and my stepdad relatively "happy." 

Currently

We're enjoying comfortable weather this week. Our high temperatures will be staying in the 70's and the lows will be in the 60's or below. Tonight it's expected to cool to 48 degrees! Chilly for this time of year, but a relief after last week's hot, muggy weather.

I read The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Susan Patterson and James Patterson. I loved it. I started reading it yesterday afternoon and finished it before I went to bed. Obviously, it's not a difficult read, but it was very enjoyable.

Still binge watching Leverage: Redemption on Prime. I don't know what I'll watch when I finish it. I think I have two seasons left.

Our granddaughter was here earlier. She was entertaining us by dancing to Eian Rivera videos on YouTube. He's the guy that travels around to different Walmarts and Sam's Clubs to make people smile with his dancing.

I didn't eat anything for dinner tonight. Tim had smash burgers our daughter made on her Blackstone.

Tonight I'm thinking about...my stepdad, who came home Friday and went back to the hospital last night. He can't seem to manage the pain when he is home so they have him in for observation, but he is not "admitted" so Medicare probably won't cover it. Mom's calling the insurance tomorrow to see if they will. Once again they are getting the runaround and no answers and nobody there seems to know what anyone else is doing. So, I'm worried about him, but also Mom's state of mind.

By the way, Mom saw the PA at our doctor's office today and she starts physical therapy for her back on Saturday.

Also, I had an MRI today. Since they were unable to do the biopsy on the spot in my uterus back in February, I went for another ultrasound last month and according to it, the spot has grown. Chances are I'm going to be looking at a hysterectomy at some point in the not so distant future, but it will be after vacation!

I'm feeling rather frustrated with doctors, hospitals, insurance, and all things medical.

The only celebrating going on right now is the company picnic this Friday at work. It will have a western theme. If you are my friend on Facebook you can expect to see the post my work puts up. I can share that and not violate any privacy laws.

I'm thankful for my emotional support coworker/work bestie who keeps me sane, that I can still find things to laugh about and things to be thankful for, and that at the end of the day I know that no matter how things seem I can rest in knowing that God is in control.

These tickled my funny-bone.