Mom Monday: Update #6

My mom and dad had a great time in Washington D.C. and made it back safely! Here is the latest on my mom in an e-mail update I received from my dad today:

2nd down and 4 to go......Sounds like the kind of 1st down yardage you'd want your football team to have doesn't it ? But No, it's the latest on Anita's treatment. We had infusion number 2 on Thursday March 26 and the follow up shot on Friday. There are 4 more sessions to go - one every three weeks. While we were there Thursday, friends Don and Melanie happened to also be there and stopped by to say hello. Melanie is also an inspiration for sharing her experience and research. After the first treatment Anita experienced a crash on the 3rd post day. After each treatment , she takes steroids to boost her immune system and help ward off infection. The first time she took them for 3 days and then stopped. This time after talking with the nurse, Colleen suggested that tapering off the steroids might make a difference. The Doctor revised the dosage schedule and it worked. We can't say enough about Texas Oncology staff. They really care. They listen and do all they can to help the patient suffer less and get better. Other things that also made a difference were having it on Thursday morning which means less work week to deal with after the treatment. The first one was on a Monday. With the treatment on Thursday morning and the shot Friday, she only worked half a day each day and then had the weekend to rest. We also are blessed with thoughtful friends to provide soup - Cindy we are so lucky to have your Mizo soup, and Cathy, your Momma was right--chicken noodle soup fixes everything. And then there's Wheezy out in Abilene who calls to encourage. There are prayer groups of friends and family all over lifting her up too. Thank you all. We don't tire of calls to ask how things are going. We've also been blessed to have our daughters calling, blogging, e-mailing, and coming to visit.

Last but not least...another characteristic I appreciate about my mom is her ability to make the best of a situation. Whether it's a rainy day or a chemo treatment, she always seems to find a way to look on the bright side of things and go with the flow!