Lets Go Back in Time...

Hello everyone...it's Melissa (Brenda's oldest daughter). I recently talked to Mom about creating a "website" to keep everyone updated on her fight against pancreatic cancer. Our hopes are that this will save her LOTS of time making phone calls and talking to people that she really wants to keep updated on a regular basis but can't due to her busy schedule and her lack of energy. I hope that this will be a way that all of us can get connected and stay connected throughout her journey. SO HERE IT GOES!

Okay, so I realize that it is February 5, 2009 and I am starting the blog today...but I feel like I should go back in time a little bit to sum up everything that we have been through in the last two years now. Yes, believe it or not...it has been two years since we got the shocking news that Mom had pancreatic cancer. ITS TRULY A MIRACLE THAT SHE IS STILL WITH US HERE TODAY! She's a fighter...we all know that for sure! haha

Okay...so back in December of 06, Mom started having some medical problems resulting in me taking her to the ER. Doctors scanned her brain and neck and found some vertebrae out of place, but other than that...she was good. Or so we thought. In February 07, she switched Cholesterol meds and noticed that her skin and the whites of her eyes were turning yellow....jaundice. She went to her doctor, who sent her out to OSF on Rt. 91, who sent her directly to the ER at OSF. This is when I got the phone call at school at Bradley. It was a Monday. I asked her if I should leave right away and come to the hospital, whether they were keeping her overnight, and what I should do. She told me not to leave (of course...she wanted us not to worry and go about our normal life), she told me they WERE going to be keeping her for a couple days to run some tests to see what was wrong, but of course that she was fine. I went to my last class and then I went home to get her stuff from the house, pick up my little sister Nichole who is now 15, and head back out to OSF. Thursday we found out the news...that it was what no person or family wants to hear a doctor say....CANCER! Not only was it cancer...but pancreatic cancer. I believe doctors gave two options at this point...6 months to live or operate. Of course, ITS OPERATION TIME! Doctors wanted to operate immediately so they scheduled an emergency surgery for the next day. Family all came in from St. Louis and we all began to pray and hope for the best. Friday morning, doctors were in and out of her room. I will never forget the doctor asking if he could do anything else and she replied "Turn around so I can check out your ass!" Of course....only MY mom would say something like this when she is getting ready to go in for the biggest surgery of her life. But she knew she needed to lighten the mood in the room and thats EXACTLY what it did. So what does the doctor do? Of course...he turns around, lifts his jacket and bends over a little bit. Everyone in the room cracks a grin and lets out some laughter. Who knew that we would all be laughing hours before this surgery. :) HOURS later, she is finally taken into surgery where they remove parts of several organs...pancreas, large intestine, small intestine, liver, stomach, and duodenum. I dont think I am missing any...all i know is that they took alot out of her! BUT....the surgery was a successs! They thought they got it all. They had planned on keeping her for at least 2 weeks in the hospital to recover, but I think we were out in less than a week and a half. She is STUBBORN and a quick healer. :) Personally, I think they were probably getting sick of all her b*tching. :) hahaha We definitely missed it at home!





While I'm here though and I have the chance, I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE who came out to the hospital to visit her before, during, and after the surgery. I want to thank everyone who sent cards to her, to us, to me. I want to thank everyone who sent monitary donations to us while she was in the hospital and not working afterwards during her recovery time and chemo. Being a single mom of three can't be easy to afford! (ESPECIALLY ME BECAUSE I EAT ENOUGH FOR AN ENTIRE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM! haha...you dont believe me but ask my mom!) Thank you to all of Mom's customers who brought food for us. Thank you to Linda Bisping who sent me home one night with tons of food and the most amazing brownies ever! I dont forget these things. I LOVE YOU ALL!

After the big surgery, doctors chose to put her through 6 months of chemotherapy just as a precautionary and to lessen the chances of the cancer coming back and showing its ugly face again. Chemo actually went fairly well...well as good as it could go i guess. It was every Friday with the exception of one here and there. Obviously it made her extremely tired, but she never really got sick. EXCEPT FOR ONE TIME! She had chemo Friday and we left right after to head to St. Louis for our annual Lake of the Ozarks boating vacation. We were about a half mile away from Grandma's exit to her house and I was driving in the left lane going about 75 miles an hour when she screams pull over. I immediately get over and stop and she opens the door and pukes more than I have ever seen anyone puke. She closes the door and says shes good. Within the next mile to our grandmas house...I probably had to pull over at least 3 times for her to get sick again. Lets just say...it wasnt going to be too great of a week for her in the Ozarks. Especially since the average heat index that week was 115*. She spent most of her week inside watching TV, but she did manage to make it on the boat a couple times, even though she couldnt be in the sunlight or in the water! I dont know how she did it but she did!

Okay...so chemo ended and things were looking good. Still no cancer! Just LOTS of pills! LOTS OF PILLS! Everytime she wants to eat she gets to eat some pills too...since she cant digest her food on her own anymore! Check-ups every 3 months to see if it was back....April 25th 2008 is the day we were hoping to get new results (the day before my birthday). I asked mom and she didnt tell me much. Later on that summer...in July, she told us all that it was back. She really knew that day on April 25th but didnt want to ruin my birthday. WHAT A MOM! So August comes along...and its time for another surgery...this time its on her liver but its still pancreatic cancer. This surgery was a piece of cake compared to the last. Nurses were confused about her being in the ICU because she looked SOOOO good. hahaha My mom...lookin good?!?! JUST KIDDING! Anyways...this time she was out in like 3 days. Good thing for me because she expected McDonalds coffees every morning at like 6 AM with 8 cream and 8 sugar! That was NOT fun....BUT I DID IT! (See I can be a good daughter...AT TIMES! ;) This time doctors decided not to do chemo...I guess they figured she was good to go.

Okay...so its time for a check-up 3 months later. This makes it November 08. Cancer is back! :( AGAIN! By this time, I think all of us were starting to get a little discouraged...at least I was. And to top it all off...doctors say they cant do surgery this time. Theres "nothing" for them to do. THATS THE WORST THING WE COULD HEAR! Days passed, no new news was coming...we were going to doctors and asking them questions and they never had answers. They wouldnt tell us if chemo was an option. They just kept telling us surgery was not an option. They gave her a time frame...something we didnt want to hear...but we all knew would eventually come...6 months to a year. Wow! Alot to take in...I think we all took it really hard at first! I guess its hard to imagine being 22 and not having a mom anymore. I try not to think about it because we all know how stubborn she is and how much of a fighter she is. Shes not giving up so why should we?!?! :) Finally, we hear that there may be an option that will give us hope. The University of Chicago! She was accepted as part of a study at the University of Chicago where she will receive an injection in her right thigh every other Tuesday for as long as her body will allow. Yes...this means going to Chicago every other Tuesday! :( The drive is NOT exciting...spending 3 hours in the car on the way there, 3-5 hours at the University of Chicago, and then 3 hours driving home. ITS A LONGGG DAY! BUT...i get to spend it with my mom and all of her little sayings and actions make it all the worthwhile! haha (I will show you what i mean some other time.) In addition, if driving to Chicago every other Tuesday means that she will live longer...then lets go! I'll go every Tuesday! :)

Alright...well I am going to head out for now...Mom is home making dinner and I am heading out to work. Maybe I'll be back tonight to update you on how our first 3-4 trips to the University of Chicago went! Pretty good times!