A Brief Update

Those of you that have been keeping up with Mom's health via this site probably know that we had an oncology visit this morning. Things went well, and Mom decided that she would like to give the treatment option Tarceva a try. Briefly, we hope this will slow the growth of the cancer without the difficulty or side effects that are so common with traditional chemotherapy. If you really want to read more about it, visit the drug's website--she has "advanced non-small cell lung cancer." The doctor also wrote a prescription for a mild painkiller which will be nice since she is beginning to complain of pain that I suspect is related to the cancer in her bones. Mom tends to be very wary of painkillers, so I do hope she will at least give this a try. It's important for her to get good rest, and she can do that best when the pain is under control.

The appointment this morning was long--it was at 11:00, and we got home around 2:00--but the nurses and doctor took a great deal of time with us, and were wonderful. They answered all of our questions, and generally were as supportive as they could possibly be. We are so grateful to be so close to Emory! It is literally a 15-minute drive for us from door to door.

Mom's spirits were a bit low after the appointment--it was draining both emotionally and physically for us all--but a haircut for her on the way home perked her up a bit. She is showering for the first time in a week as I type, and when I finish this update, I will go drain her pleural cavity again, so by the end of the day she will be in good shape--squeaky clean and breathing well! :-) We have a wonderful woman from our church bringing us dinner--she mentioned pork, chicken, twice-baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, corn pudding, and green beans. That will be great, especially after our long appointment this morning / afternoon.

Dad is doing well, all things considered. He is learning about doing laundry, cooking, and using the microwave. And they occasionlly bicker back and forth as usual, which is oddly refreshing. He is sad, though, and all of this is incredibly hard on him. However, in true "Tommy" fashion, he is holding lots of it inside. I can tell, though, that his heart is breaking for his sweet girlfriend of 60+ years, and he is sad about the thought of life without her--something I daresay he never thought he would experience. So cards for him are greatly appreciated as well. He needs TLC just as much as Mom, if not moreso.

As usual, thank you all for the prayers and support. They continue to lift us all up and give us strength.