Love from Ladeva

Hello to my A Team!

Thank you for all your wonderful prayers and encouragement that sustained me throughout this time. I know it has been mentioned several times on the blog about the healing quilt. I would to share with those of you who do not know the full story, what it is all about.

My mother died during my senior year in high school. When our dad died, things were divided up among us. A few years after my oldest brother's divorce, his ex-wife called me and asked if I would like a quilt top that my mother had made. After some years of not doing anything with the quilt top, I passed it on to my niece. And after some years of not having it made, she passed it on to my sister Donna. Donna checked around several places and was told the quilt was too fragile as the material was so old. Donna took it to show her quilter friend, Linda Fowlkes. Linda asked Donna to leave it to see what she could do with it. The quilt came to Donna on Valentines Day of this year. Mother had sewn each small block by hand. So her friend had completed the quilt by hand stitching the quilt. It was a real labor of love. As Donna held the quilt in her hands, she prayed and asked God who the quilt should go to since there are seven of us. In her prayer time, she felt God saying to her: This is a healing quilt. Your mother covered you with her love, her prayers, and now with the her quilt. Whoever is sick will use it. When they no longer need it, they will pass it on to the next family member who needs it.

I was sharing this story at the hospital and was overwhelmed by how much God loves us. He knew when Mother died, this quilt would be held until just the right time. As I was sharing the story, this scripture came to mind.

Ephesians 3:18-19
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

I have been so blessed to have Mom's quilt over my bed. But I will also be thankful when I will no longer need it. I hope this blesses your heart. Thank you again for all of your support. I go back in about 20 days for another PET scan. Please pray for a good report.

We love you all,
Ladeva and Warren

Fair Friday

Apparently I misunderstood Mom last night. She did have to go up to Seattle for her injection today. They let her stop the nightly injections in her stomach and I thought she meant she didn’t have to get the shot today.

So, back to Seattle she went. She was nauseouss up and back, but they did not keep her waiting so that was a blessing.

She was pleased to see her nurse was Kathy (the nurse Mom has asked us all to pray can conceive) Kathy told Mom that she is following her progress and Mom told her she was praying and following hers.

This afternoon the nausea was less and she was able to eat some chicken and 7UP.
She was sitting on her bench on the front porch looking out at her flowers when I called to check in. She is super fatigued and it is exhausting to even walk across the room, but she is grateful to be outside getting fresh air.

Mom said Maria was a huge blessing to her last night. She slept with Mom and Dad said he didn’t move all night long.

Will update you tomorrow. Thank you for your faithful prayers. It is a beautiful day here in the Northwest. I’m so glad Mom could sit outside and enjoy the flowers.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend.
Kimberly and family

Home Sweet Home

Mom finished her last infusion around 3:00 this morning. They were told they would get discharged this morning, but as they were on hospital time it was not until 2:00 this afternoon.

Mom said it was heavenly getting home. Our sweet Maria is spending the night with Mom and Dad, and taking care of Mom during the night so Dad can get a full night’s rest. Mom did not sleep last night so he will appreciate the night of straight rest. Thank you Ria, we love you!
I spoke with Mom just before writing this and asked her if she wanted me to communicate anything in particular.

She said that she and Dad wanted you all to know how deeply grateful they are to each and every one of you for your love, prayer, support and encouragement. Mom says she sees you all as their “team”. She says many times when things are at the darkest, she thinks about how you are all interceding in prayer on their behalf and she is encouraged and so grateful. She said without you all she really is not sure how they would be able to face this giant.

We as her kids and family cannot communicate enough how very much we appreciate you and draw strength from your prayers. God has been so gracious to us in so many ways. He didn’t say that we would not have trouble in this world, just that He would be faithful in providing for us through it. God is good. He is providing, and giving us what we need to get through. One of those gifts is each and every one of you. Another is this blog. Thank you again John and Nichole. You are such precious blessings in my (our) life and I love and appreciate you. You are faithful in updating this at all hours of the day and night.

I didn’t get the whole story, but apparently Mom does not have to return to Seattle for the immune boosting shot tomorrow. She was tired and getting something to eat so I hurried off the phone. (Gotta feed that girl when she finally feels like eating something.) I will get more info later. That is a huge praise for her to have a full day of rest at home right after returning home.

Another giant down. Round two goes to Mom and Dad (and their team) and all the praise goes to her Creator and Savior.

With much love,
Kimberly and family.

Wednesday Update

Mama's last bag of chemo finished at 3:00am. We would have liked to start the celebration of round 2 of chemotherapy done, however just about the time it was ending Mama started having a real rough time. She could hear and understand everything that was being said around her, but was having a difficult time responding verbally.

When I got to the hospital this morning, all of her Oncology doctors were in her room evaluating her condition. They have concluded that the chemo that was given all 5 days is the one causing this side effect. They were confident that she should get better with more time. It was very unnerving for Mama not to be able to communicate. When we would ask her a question, she would just stare back. She wasn't ignoring the question, she was just trying to find her words. Her vocabulary was lost the majority of the time. Here and there she would be able to answer a question, express a thought or would reassure us that she could hear and understand everything, but was having problems "finding the words". This morning, Mama had many tears. Not tears of pain, sickness or sadness. They were purely tears of joy and gratefulness. When Mama could express herself, she would share how good Daddy has been to her and the sweet things he has done to protect her from disappointment and sadness. Daddy has been so patient, gentle, caring and loving to Mama. (Daddy, you bless me when you bless Mama. Thank you for your example of true love. I love you Daddy.) It is so heartwarming to watch the love they have for each other. As the day unfolded, the fog has continued to lift. She is now able to express herself verbally, visit and occasionally even crack a "funny" and laugh. It is so good see her smile and laugh again. Mama is weak and still doesn't feel great, but she is feeling better. Her nausea is under control and she has been able to eat and drink a little bit better this afternoon and evening. God is good and He is faithful. He has took a perfectly lousy day and turned it into a day full of goodness. Thank you Lord! It looks like Mama will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning. They are so looking forward to going home and sleeping in their own bed. Please pray for Mama's last night in the hospital to be restful and to continue to feel better and stronger. Also for Daddy to be able to get some much needed rest. Please also pray for Mama and Daddy's trip home with no nausea. On Friday, Mama will have to come back up to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance for her shot to boost her immune system. It's a long drive up and back, especially when Mama is not feeling well. The staff at Seattle Cancer Care have been so wonderful, but being there can be emotionally taxing for Mama and the smells in the building have made her nauseous in the past. Please pray for the trip to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and back home. Please also pray for no complications at home this time around and for a quick recovery. Our family truly appreciates everyone who has been faithfully praying for Mama. It's a priceless gift of love. Thank you so much.
With love,
Carmen

Rollercoaster Tuesday

As much as I wanted to tell you today was great.. I can’t. It wasn’t the worst day yet, but it was an “unfun” rollercoaster.
When I arrived, Mom was receiving another blood transfusion. She needed two units due to a low red blood cell count. Dad said she had not had a great night. She had thrown up and just not felt good.
She was extremely fatigued all day, was nauseas and just felt poorly most all day.
We got her a shower and changed her bedding and clothes. It tuckered her out, but my Mama always told me when you’re sick, take a shower and you’ll feel better. Ok. It MOSTLY works. I kept shoving food at her all day and she reluctantly ate. This evening they had to remove the double needles that are inserted into her port and replace them with new ones. The first one slid right in. The second one took three tries. It was hard to watch, but Mom was encouraging the nurse trying.
We have also found out that she is having adverse reactions to yet another anti nausea med, that totals 3. Luckily, we have another one in the hip pocket. Today phenergan is our friend.
She has four days down, another giant fell today. Praise God!
Carmen will be here tomorrow with Mom and Dad and will give us all an update then.
Thank you for your continued love and prayer of Mom and Dad.

Love,
Kimberly and family

Memorial Day

Well, Dad called this morning as I was getting ready to come up to the hospital this morning to tell me that Mom was in isolation.
Due to some adverse side affects, they thought that Mom might have a bacterial infection. Mom has been on the antibiotic for her leg infection since the biopsy was done on April 17th. They were concerned that the antibiotic had gotten rid of all the good bacteria in her stomach. This meant that we had to gown and glove up before we went into her room. We then had to change the gown and gloves if we left the room for any reason. No one could come in unless they had on this protection, and nothing could leave the room for fear of spreading a "potential" bacterial infection. Mom is on a transplant / chemo floor where patients immunities are pretty much gone.
They are very careful, and we were grateful for that.
By late this afternoon we found out that Mom does not have the infection, so we are thanking the Lord for this merciful gift today. The side effects are still present, but they are able to give her the medication to help counteract them now that we know it is not the infection they were concerned about.
It was a tough day for Mom. Much harder than yesterday, but by this evening she is doing better and eating again. She felt a bit better after some food and water. We think that is one of the keys to keeping her a little more even keeled. Her color is better and she is awake and not as nauseous.
We thank you all for your faithful prayer and loving support.
I hope to give you an even better update tomorrow. Given the fact that Mom does not have the infection, we are hopeful she will be discharged as planned at the end of the week.
Three days down, two more to go. Please continue to lift her in prayer.

With a grateful heart,
Kimberly and family

Memorial Sunday

Sunday was overall a good day for Mom! By the time that I was able to find a parking spot and get up to her room, she was just finishing up her lunch! Mom's color was pretty good, and her spirits were as well. She was getting a small window of reprieve from the nausea and severe pain. I was expecting to have a long day of discomfort, both physically and emotionally as this second round of chemo charges on. Instead we were blessed with a day of long conversations, family reflections, and sharing the goodness of God's love through all phases, courses, and twists that life may have. Dad was able to nod off for a very short and extremely overdue nap in the afternoon. I had hoped that the two of them might nap at the same time, but Mom was in no mood for napping. We talked and talked!
Much reflection and tears were dedicated to my Grandma (Mom's Mom) and the conditions that were available during that time when she struggled with a similar illness. It is very difficult for Mom to think back about what her Mother went through knowing now first hand how miserable she is even with all of the modern medicines and techniques. While this makes Mom sad, joy also surrounds her when she is able to feel of the "healing blanket" and read the messages that you all have posted on the blog. The major difference between my Grandma and Mom going through this horrible ordeal is that Mom does not have to go through this alone.
Your messages, emails, and cards have meant the world to both of them as they sit day after day in the same small hospital room with stale air and no color. They are able to read the cards again and enjoy the words and sentiments all over again. Thank you for your continued support of them with the blessings of your communications.
Lastly, I would just like to impart a small personal note that I hope helps all that know my Mother fully appreciate what a magnificent creation she is. During times of pain, sickness, suffering, and even boredom, Mom spends time praying for each of you. She asks God for his blessings of everything under the sun for you all and your families. This is because she loves you so very much and because she knows that everything that is good comes from our Lord. It is her way of bringing the two of you together. Please continue to lift this special lady up in your prayers and in words of encouragement by way of cards or the blog. As your write to her, your words give her strength. If you count her among your friends, you are truly a blessed person.
I count you among my friends sweet Mother!
Troy

Round Two Day Two

This evening, one full day of chemo has been completed and day 2 has began. This time around they have decided to give mama the methylene blue every day along with the chemo instead of at the end of day 5. It will hopefully help to prevent the build up of toxins that caused so much confusion and problems during the first round of chemo. Mama has been doing pretty well today. She is very weak and tired. They have been able to keep her nausea under control. Some of her nausea medicine makes her sleepy. The first time around, Mama tried to avoid the medications that made her so groggy. This time she has welcomed the sleep. It makes her days go by so much faster. The faster she gets these days of chemo behind her the better. We are happy to see her rest and not struggle. We are hoping the change of the methylene blue will make a big difference this time. Mama has had the best nurses. I can't say enough good things about the care here. This afternoon, one of Mama's little nurses saw her reading her Bible and struck up a conversation about the Lord. Before she left the room, she sat down on Mama's bedside and prayed for her. It was such a blessing.
Mama was able to get on the computer today to read her emails and the blog comments. I brought up their mail today and there was a handful of cards for her. Thank you to everyone for your encouragement. Mama's heart has been so blessed. Her room is beginning to fill up with cards on her wall. They make her room warmer and not so sterile white. Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers.
With love,
Carmen

Friday Night

Friday May 23rd
Today was a long day. We knew that Mom would get her second round of chemo this afternoon, but it is 8:00PM and it hasn't started quite yet. This has made for a stressful day of dread and anticipation. Dad and I were trying to keep Mom occupied with small walks and movies in the room, but it just hung over her head and got her a little stressed out I think.
We asked for a medication to calm her nerves and she is now resting peacefully.
Please pray for:

1) Please pray for Mom to have a better round this time and not have all the adverse side effects.
2) Please pray for her peace of mind.
3) Please pray that they are able to keep her nausea at bay.
4) Please pray for every nurse, Dr. and medical staff member that works with Mom for good care.
5) Pray for Dad as this is a LONG time and his sleep will be minimal at best.

We really appreciate you all and your prayers on Mom and Dad's behalf.
One day down, six to go.

With love and appreciation,
Kimberly and family

Round Two

Friday 10:00 AM
Yesterday was a better day. I got here to the hospital later than usual, (10:30 AM) and when I came in Mom was sitting up with a beautiful scarf on her head and dressed in a cute navy outfit looking beautiful and pain free. She had been a wake a lot in the night, but was in good spirits.
We ALL walked down to the "Tea Room" and had a cup of tea and visited for about an hour. We went back to the room for a bit. Mom was able to eat lunch and was not super nauseous so that was a praise. We also got good news in that the stitches from her biopsy and wash out finally got removed yesterday. She has even been able to shower the last two days. :)
We had a relaxing day and watched "Becoming Jane" the story of Jane Austin, while Dad took a nap.
We learned last night that Mom would be starting chemo this afternoon sometime. I am not sure I will have much to report other than Mom could use some prayer as she has understandable anxiety about starting again after her horrific reaction. We have not talked about it much as it was traumatic for her and us as well. S he just describes it as the most terrifying experience she has ever experienced. From her perspective. she felt trapped in or under something and was clawing and fighting to get out or tell us she needed help. She hallucinated and was terrified every time they came in the room, that they were not giving her the right meds. In a nut shell, she is dreading this and we could really use some prayer cover for her peace of mind.
Dad and Mom have been doing well and are sitting in a waiting room while Mom still can get out of bed before the chemo starts.
Another praise is that her white blood cell count was up and she no longer has a compromised immune system. She was even able to eat some fresh fruit for the first time in weeks.
I would like to ask for you to pray for the nurses and staff that care for Mom. We are on a different floor and have all new faces and new rules. We can't have our phones on in the room so won't be able to talk with many of you during the day as before. We will do our best to keep the blog updated.
Thank you for your love, care, concern and prayers for Mom and Dad, they appreciate it so much.
I have to run for now, Mom is heading back to her room. She needs her rest. She has another giant to slay. :)

Love to you all.
Kimberly and family

Wednesday afternoon update

We rely on technology so much and then email doesn't get through. This is the update from Wednesday 5.21.

Mama was able to get some sleep last night. This morning she had her surgery to have her filter removed. Prior to surgery Mama was very apprehensive about having the procedure due to her long history of complications. Mama was blessed with the sweetest nurse in pre-op and surgery that stayed at her side and did everything she could to put her nerves at ease. We asked her nurse and doctor if they would be able to access the second side of the port while she was in surgery due to the troubles everyone has had locating it and the pain involved. They were reluctant because there were no orders for it. Prior to surgery, her nurse pulled me aside and asked Mama's history. I gave Mama's medical history and was able to share with her that everything this far has come with complications. She assured Daddy and I that she would do everything to make Mama comfortable and they would take good care of her. A long story short, her sweet little nurse pleaded Mama's case to the doctor in surgery to access her port. She told him that Mama has had many complications thus far and asked that they do everything they could to make this a positive experience. Thank you Lord! Mama came out of surgery with NO complications and her second port accessed!! So many prayers were answered! God is good! Mama has been feeling better this afternoon. The C-Scans came back and revealed a blockage. We were so relieved that it was not the suspected kidney stones. She is getting medication for the blockage and will hopefully be feeling better tomorrow. The doctors will be giving the chemotherapy orders tomorrow. I suspect they will start the chemo at midnight tomorrow night. Mama is dreading her second round of chemo. The first round wasn't so kind. Please keep her in your prayers as she goes through this next phase.
Kimmy will be up here with Mama and Daddy tomorrow. I feel so grateful for such a supportive family. I'd like to give a special Thank you to our families at home for making it possible for each of us to be able to come and stay with Mama and Daddy. It's the greatest gift you could give us right now. We love you!
Carmen

Late Tuesday

Tuesday evening 11:45 PM

Mom had an ultrasound this morning at Providence hospital in Centralia to rule out a clot. None was found. She then took another ambulance ride to UWMC where she was admitted and an x-ray was done. Nothing was found.
Dad and my cousin Julie were with Mom so I went up after dinner. When I got there, they were just getting her ready to take her to radiology for a CT scan. We didn’t get results tonight, but don’t expect to until a Dr. can read it sometime tomorrow. (We hope)
Mom is still scheduled for the filter removal at 8:30 AM tomorrow. (Wed. 5.21)
Julie drove back to Fife to stay with her brother Mike. (Thank you Julie. I know today was exhausting for you. It was a blessing having you there) Carmen is at the hospital and spending the night so she can be there with Dad while Mom goes into surgery and is sleeping in Mom’s room tonight. (Hope you got a good couch in the waiting room Dad. I know how that goes.)
Mom was comfortable tonight while on the pain meds. It hurts for her to walk or get up. Please pray that we get an answer tomorrow. I know Mom is fretting whenever she has a pain somewhere else that it could be another area that cancer has taken up residence. We do not want to be ruled by fear, but it is a human reaction. Not knowing can be scary.

1) Please pray for the CT scan to reveal the problem and to present a solution.
2) Please pray for the filter removal surgery tomorrow.(Wed)
3) Please pray peace over Mom.
4) Please pray for wisdom for all medical staff involved.
5) Please pray that Mom stays comfortable.
6) Please pray for complete healing.

Thank you Aunt Donna for all your love, time and care of Mom in the last few days. She loved having you and Julie there and I know it was a comfort to Dad when he was trying to decide if he should call an ambulance or not. Two/three heads are better. Thank you also for sharing the “healing quilt” with Mom. What a beautiful quilt it turned out to be. (Long story short, a quilt was made from squares that belonged to great grandma. (Mom’s Mom) and it is not going to any one of the 7 kids or innumerable grandkids. It will be passed to the one who needs to be “covered” in love, prayer, comfort etc.) It’s beautiful and so is the thought and purpose behind the quilt. I know you felt that the Lord placed that on your heart. It is so beautiful. (Um, is it bad if I don’t want to take a turn having it?)
Thank you Julie, for your gift of love, time, service, and tenderness to Mom. You were a salve to her heart.
It was thoughtful of you to bring both the blanket and the quilt from home for her. The blanket you gave her is so soft and beautiful. Thank you for your thoughtfulness in packing it and the quilt for the hospital stay. I know she loves having a few things from home. As all of her time is spent in bed, it was a perfect choice.
Will update the blog tomorrow after the filter surgery and hopefully we will have a result from the CT scan.
Thank you for your continued prayers and love.

Kimberly

Early Tuesday

I got a call from Carmen about 3:45 AM that Dad was taking Mom to the local ER. She was having intense stomach pain and couldn’t get any relief.
At 6:30, they had decided to transport her up to Seattle to the UW hospital. They have her comfortable on morphine for now, and can continue to keep her that way if they take her via ambulance.
My cousin Julie is with them and will ride up to the hospital with Dad. I am going to wait and see what they find out and will head up there this afternoon. I will update you all as I hear more.
Please pray that they will be able to determine what is causing the pain and that she is not exposed to anything in the hospital that could make her sick. Her immunity continues to be an issue.

Thank you for your prayers.
Kimberly

Sunday

This was Mama's best day since chemo! She has been outside several times to take a stroll through her yards, looking at her flowers and getting some fresh air. Jewel's has been taking great care of her. Mama said she has been spoiling her rotten, fluffing pillows, waiting on her and taking her outside for her little strolls. This evening Mama's sister Donna came up from southern Oregon. It was a sweet long awaited reunion. There were many tears of joy. Donna has been anxiously waiting for some sinus problems to clear so that she could come be with Mama. Thank you Auntie Donna for taking extra precautions to protect your sister. Mama's mouth and throat are better and her appetite is back. Daddy was preparing a big halibut and salmon dinner tonight, so Mama was looking forward to enjoying it. To see Mama having a good was such a relief. Thank you all for your prayers. Thank you Lord for your answered prayers.
With love,
Carmen

Seattle Saturday

Today was a long day at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. We had to be there by 8:30am and didn't get out of there until just after 5pm. They had problems accessing her port again. They never did access the problematic 2nd side of the port. It was quite the ordeal. The poor little nurse was so frustrated that they couldn't get it to work for her. Mama received 2 units of blood and hydration. They were able to use the one side of the port and then had to start another temporary IV line. She is exhausted from the long day and trip, but she is doing fine. Her coloring is looking better with the new blood and hydration. Shortly after getting home, my cousin Julie (Mama's brother Frank's daughter) came. "Jewels" lives over in Palouse, WA. She drove over to spend some special time with Mama and to take care of her for a couple of days. We don't get to see Jewels as often as we would like, so Mama is thrilled to have some one on one time with her. Mama is to have her filter removed on Wednesday and the second round of chemo is scheduled to start on Thursday. Please pray that her red and white blood cell counts will recover quickly. She really needs that for this next week. We appreciate your prayers. Mama continues to get sweet cards, emails and blog comments. Thank you so much for your encouragement. Each one means so much to her, Daddy and our family.
With love,
Carmen

Sunny Friday II

Today Mama's care "plan" changed again. The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has instructed that she have no more hydration by IV. Evidently she could run the risk of being over hydrated. Her nausea meds are being switched to oral again. The port is to be used for nausea medication only if it gets out of control. Daddy will continue to give the antibiotics through her port. Her leg is looking so much better. It was a beautiful warm day today. Mama got to walk outside to see her flowers blooming. After her walk, she was exhausted. Her energy has been very low today. The Visiting nurse did a blood draw and sent the results to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. This evening the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance called and wants Mama back up there early in the morning. Her red blood cells are very low. Their plan is to give her 2 units of blood and also hydration. (This whole hydration thing gets a little confusing.) Now it makes a little more since as to why Mama was so exhausted today. Please pray that her day up at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance will go smoothly.
I'll try to give an update as when we get back from Seattle tomorrow.
With love,
Carmen

Sunny Friday

Thursday:

Mom had a bit of a better day. She had nurses out in the morning and the decision had been made to give Mom her anti nausea meds through her iv and some hydration at home as well. This is great for her and will mean she does not need to go to Seattle for that. It was overwhelming to Dad at first. He has already been stretched beyond his imagination, but this was crazy. However, he did an AWESOME job and as of this morning (Friday) was very confident. He is doing a great job and it makes such a difference to not have to load up and drive to Seattle and sit in a waiting room with a suppressed immune system. We are grateful for every single thing she can do from home. This started with a Mom's "case manager". She is a liaison between the insurance and the patient to coordinate the best care for Mom and does ultimately save the insurance money vs it happening in the hospital. It is a win/win. I never knew there were case managers, so for everyone else out there that didn't know about them either, now you do. It's a good thing. We are so grateful for these folks.
Mom slept pretty well last night and I got to bunk with her. Dad slept in the guest room so I am hoping he feels better today.
Mom goes back up to UWMC Wednesday for the surgical filter removal, then back in the hospital Thursday for the chemo to start again. Please pray for her as she is beyond dreading this and has a bit of anxiety if she thinks about it.
Thank you for your prayer and words of encouragement.
We continue to be grateful for each of you.

With love and appreciation,
Kimberly

Friends and food

Today wasn't easy, but it was full of blessings. Visiting Nurses came and taught both Daddy and Mama's good friend Judy Panco all the steps to access her port and to give Mama her antibiotics and flush the line. The case workers were able to give a lot of good advise and help. Because of their help and training, Daddy didn't have to take Mama back to Seattle today. Tonight was Daddy's first time on his own to give the antibiotic. Mama said Daddy did a good job. Daddy said Judy and Mama were good moral support. :) Judy will be Daddy's backup in case he is unable to give the antibiotic. Thank you so much Judy. That is a HUGE blessing.
Our sweet friend Shawn Apperson is a nurse. She has offered to come and give Mama her shots each night. When she gives the shots, it doesn't hurt as bad. Thank you Shawn for your gift of love and time. You are a true blessing.
Mama was able to keep more fluids and food down today. Thank you to Linda Riveness for the homemade Potato soup. Mom enjoyed it for lunch today. Thank you also to Auntie Edna for the Egg Flower soup from Ocean Sky tonight. Mama said they both tasted so good. (That's good news! Nothing has been tasting good.) The sores in Mama's mouth and throat are getting a little better this evening. She has to continue to rinse her mouth with a solution to help with the pain. The medications seem to be working better together and her nausea is also getting better.
Mama's hair was coming out in large pieces. Her scalp is so sensitive that it hurt to even touch her hair. Today Aunt Sherry went up and sheered Mama's hair off. Her head now has some relief with her hair gone. Thank you Auntie Sherry for coming up in the middle of your work day to take care of Mama in the comfort of her home. We love and appreciate you so much. Mama got a quick visit from a new found friend who is now moving to Alaska. She was very happy that she was able to say goodbye and to make sure they will be able to keep in touch. Prayers are being answered! Thank you Lord!
With love,
Carmen

Tuesday's developments

This was sent last night, but I did not check my email until this morning.

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance called this morning and said Mom needed to come back up there again today. It was another long day in Seattle and they got home late again tonight. They had her come back for another day of hydration and also to address her antibiotics further. They have decided that Mama has to have her antibiotics given through her port 3 times a day. Please pray for Daddy. Tomorrow they will be having someone from Home HealthCare coming to train Daddy to give Mama her antibiotics through her port. Daddy is very uncomfortable around that kind of thing anyway, so he is even more troubled that he has to be the one administering them. It's very scary for him. He has been doing such a great job of keeping up with all of Mama's medications and taking good care of her. Please pray for him as he is stretched even further out of his comfort zone to be able to take care of his little bride. Please also pray for Mama and Daddy to start getting good sleep at night. Mama needs rest so she can feel better and Daddy needs rest to keep up his stamina and to not get sick.
This morning Mama started loosing her hair. As a women, it is a very hard thing to go through. Mama has asked Aunt Sherry to cut the rest of her hair off tomorrow. She feels she is not able to deal with the emotional pain of loosing it in handfuls and in bed. It hurts our hearts that Mama's heart has to go through this sadness. Thank you Aunt Sherry. You are a blessing to all of us. We appreciate your prayers more than you all know.
With love,
Carmen

Mother's Day pictures

Here are some pictures from the Mother's day of Ladeva and her family.

Monday Monday

Today Mama had an appointment up at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. They got up there and found that her appointment on her hospital discharge papers was written for this morning, but her actual appointment was for tomorrow. Fortunately, they did see her since she had driven so far. They have had a very rough day. She had to move from building to building for different things and Mama is very weak and very sick. She is so miserable and has fought tears all day. The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance doctors and nurses have been genuinely caring and helpful. They found another mistake in Mama's discharge papers. Her antibiotic was written for 1/2 the dosage she needed. That contributed to why her leg was not healing properly. The antibiotic mistake has now been fixed and hopefully now she will be able to heal. Mom is very dehydrated, so they decided to access her port again and started hydration IVs. They have also given her morphine and changed her anti-nausea medication. Mama has bad sores in her mouth from the chemo. So they gave her some medicine to rinse with to help with the pain. Her blood draw revealed both her white and red blood cell count is VERY low.
We have been instructed that NO ONE is to be around Mom if they have the slightest sniffle. Anyone at their home has to scrub up when they get there and they have to continue to wash their hands frequently. Mama has NO resistance.
On a positive note, even in Mama's misery she was being our same sweet caring self. She found out through talking with one of the nurses, that she was having problems having a baby. Her and her husband had been going to fertility clinics and were desperate to have a baby. Mama asked her if she believed in Jesus and God. The nurse said she did. Mama asked if she could pray for her. Her nurse agreed. Mama prayed a precious pray over her, asking God for a miracle and gift of a little baby. It is so amazing! Even though she is so terribly sick, she is still finding people to reach out to and love on them. That's my Mama! She is a blessing to everyone around her. Thank you for your continued prayers.
With love, Carmen

Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s Day was a nice day with Mom. Today we all went to Mom and Dad’s. We cooked pork roast and baked potatoes in roasting pans in the garage so that the smell wouldn’t make her sick. She kept down half a baked potato a bite of bread and some tea. We were thankful that she was able to eat a little and sit at the table for a few minutes.
We were missing Carmen’s three boys today and we missed their sweet faces. Carson woke up with a sore throat and did not want to expose Mom to it so he stayed home. Cameron and Kale had to work, so we missed them today as well.
We took a picture with Troy and Maria’s digital camera set on timer. Ok, we took about 10 pictures, but you try getting 9 people to quite acting up for a family photo at the same time. It’s not easy.
After we all left, Daddy took Mom for a drive over to the cemetery where she cleaned off her parents gravestones and put flowers on her Mom’s site for Mother’s Day. (They live about a mile away from the cemetery) Then she says Daddy took her for a short drive so they could see some of the flowers blooming in other yards. She said it was good to get out a bit.
We are headed back up to Seattle tomorrow to see the Orthopedic Dr. that did the biopsy. She is on oral antibiotics 4 times a day until next Saturday, so we are praying that he feels she is healing nicely.
We hope you all had a blessed Mother’s Day with your loved ones and thank you for your continued faithfulness in prayer for Mom and Dad.
I am hoping to get today’s picture posted as soon as I get a copy. Mom’s the pretty one in the chair!
We love and appreciate each and every one of you.

Kimberly and family

Mother's Day Eve Update

Here is an update to change some information from the last post. It was the shot she received after leaving the hospital that causes the pain. Not the shots she gives herself daily.

Mother's Day Eve

This last couple days has been bitter sweet. Mama and Daddy are so happy to be home. The comforts of home and the peace and quiet are so refreshing after being at the hospital so long. Mom's biggest struggle has been nausea. It's a constant problem, with the level of nausea always changing. She has struggled to keep her fluids, food and medications down. Hydration is key. If she can't keep enough fluids down, the hospital wants her to come back. We would appreciate your prayers for her nausea to get under control. The shot that Mama has to give herself each day is to help build up her white blood cells. One of the side effects of the shot is it causes joint and bone pain. Her back has been giving her a lot of pain. Sometimes its hard for her to find relief. Last night she didn't sleep much because of her back pain. Tonight, I hope will be better. Daddy is so patient with Mama and continues to take good care of her. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. We are so thankful for our precious little Mama and we all look forward to a low key celebration with her.
Please pray she will be feeling good better tomorrow. Monday, Mama has an appointment for a check up with Dr. Conrad. We will keep you posted.
With love,
Carmen

Thursday evening

Mama and Daddy got home just after 10:30 pm last night. We were able to get their yard and flower beds spruced up and flowers planted before they came home. Mama had a grin from ear to ear when she came through the front door. She was so thrilled to see how their yard came alive since she was last home. Besides....there's nothing like coming home! They were able to get some rest last night. Not great sleep, but the best since chemo. They are especially happy to get some peace and quite. Mama came home with lots of meds and has to give herself shots in the stomach every day until she returns to the hospital. The shots are a little unnerving, but she pushes through the anxiety.
Mama's sisters Edna and Darlene and sister-in-law Soli came to visit and to help take care of her today. Mama was so happy to have time with them and it gave Daddy a chance to run some errands. Thank you Aunties! You were and are such a blessing. Mama has been struggling with nausea today. Her sense of smell is very heightened. A lot of everyday smells make her nauseated. (Perfume, cologne, some deodorants and hair sprays, foods, etc.) Several people have mentioned sending flowers, so please keep that in mind. Flowers with no smell are able to be enjoyed inside the house. Mama continues to enjoy your cards, emails and blog comments. She asked me to thank everyone. It means so much to her.
Mama is working extra hard this evening to drink more fluids. She's not enjoying it, but it seems to be helping to reduce the nausea. She's dreading the thought of going back for another round of chemo. This last one was not so kind. So we are praying and believing for a miracle. God is the same yesterday, today and always. His miracles haven't stopped since Bible days. Look at Kimmy & Brian's son Brittain. That kid is a MIRACLE!! The doctors said he wasn't going to make it through the day over and over again, but we prayed and believed for his healing and life. And then when Brittain lived, the doctors said his coronary arteries would not be able to go back down in size. They hoped he could wait until he was 10 years old to have a heart transplant, but we prayed and believed for his healing and his life. And then tests came back, "His Coronary Arteries appears to be normal." Thank you Lord! Brittain is now 13 years old. He is perfectly healthy, plays sports and is a active young man. Brittain is just one of the miracles God has given our family. The bible says, you have not because you ask not. Therefore, we are asking our heavenly Father to not only shrink Mama's tumor, but to remove it from her leg. Please join us in praying and believing!
With love, Carmen

Going home

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your persistent prayers. It can change things. It did yesterday. I wish I could give you a window into what it is like to see Mom and Dad at the hospital. Not in a negative way, but through the eyes of their daughter watching the way they love each other even when Mom didn't really know who we were or understand what was happening to her.
I wish you could see the Dr.'s and nurses who have worked with Mom (and Dad) over the last few weeks and have fallen in love with them in that short time. The hematocrit Dr. broke down and cried yesterday and told me that it touched her so deeply to see the way they love each other and that it was painful to watch Mom so miserable. She told me she thinks Mom is such a sweet and precious lady. She's right.
Their afternoon nurse was visibly shaken, she cried when she came on shift and saw Mom struggling. She kept lingering in the room like she hated to leave her. God is so gracious. We have had exceptional care even though we have had complications. They have all been attentive and compassionate. God has truly placed special, strong, loving people to minister to patients on the chemo floor. I could never do what they do. I am thankful to each of them, and grateful to the Lord for placing each person that walks through the door day in and day out in Mom's room.
Mom's evening was long. She slept about an hour all night due to nausea, horrible leg trembling and spasms, and just the plain simple truth that no one can truly rest in the hospital atmosphere. The noise, bells whistles and constant ingress and egress into the room make it excruciatingly long.
It is 3:10 PM. She is finally sleeping and that means she is not super nauseous. The best news? She does get to go home today. We are so relieved. The sad thing is they can't fit her in to remove the filter, so she will return at another date for removal as a day patient. Not great to have to return any time before the next chemo cycle, but God knows what plans are best, so we're going with that and we are just gonna be grateful!
She had a low potassium count so she is getting 1/2 her dose via her port, but must take the other half by mouth. Potassium is hard on the stomach so please pray that she can keep it down. To get it all by iv, would mean that an 8 hour infusion and a late night exit so Mom has opted to try it by mouth for a night in her own home and bed.

Ok, now to get specific for those of you who like to know exactly what to pray for:

1) For Mom to make the ride home without lots of nausea and sickness.
2) For Dad and family to best know how to care for Mom at home. It's a bit intimidating.
3) For Mom to be able to take all the meds she needs and keep them down.
4) For Mom to be able to eat and drink. So far we are not having much luck and it is super important that she can continue to eat and drink even when she can't stand the thought of food.
5) For her transition over the next few days at home and for good solid rest.
6) For renewed strength for her daily.

I'm sure there are many more things I am forgetting, but I'm sure they will come up over the next few days.
I am pretty sure it will be after 6PM when we get discharged, and then we will go to Seattle Cancer Care Aliance for the immune boost injection before heading home. This will eliminate the need to come back tomorrow. It cannot be administered in the hospital or insurance won't pay.
Thank you again. Will let you know how tomorrow goes and then will communicate how Mom is feeling via the blog.
In case there is a time she is feeling up to seeing anyone, I want to let you know about one more thing that is really tough for her. She has a super revved up nose right now. She can't tolerate deodorant on herself or anyone else, perfume, gum, hairspray, or fragrant lotions. She wants to go home and wash everything she brought as it all smells very strong of the chemo medicine to her. Even the nurses scrubs, she says smells thick with the chemo smell. So when she is able to see a few people, please be aware of this for her.

Thank you so very much.
You lift her up with your prayer and support.
God bless,
Kimberly and family

Yay!

Mom is doing great tonight!

She has really turned the corner tonight. She is doing so well, we have been laughing and joking and she ate jello, raspberry sherbet and a popscicle. I feel like today was just a horrible nightmare. One of our favorite nurses is back tonight until 11:30 so we are thankful for that as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers. God is faithful and hears your prayers.

We love and appreciate you!

Kimberly and family

Tuesday May 6th 12:50PM

Today is a hard day. I got here about 9:45. Mom had already been sick a few times. She was jerking and twitching from her head to her feet and seemed to not really connect with me this morning. Even though I am over my cold I did not want to take any chances so I am wearing a mask, but even so, she would look at me and look a little worried or puzzled I am not sure which.
She was in and out of a horribly fitful sleep. The Dr.'s had been in the hall when I arrived and given the fact that she was throwing up and twitching and jerking, they felt today was not the day to put her in surgery to remove the filter.
Next they brought in a blue iv med. Seriously, it is dark blue. It's called Methelyne Blue 1%. They don't know how it works, they just know that it does work. Apparently, she is having what they call a "Ifosphomide toxicity" reaction and it is causing the disorientation, spasms and jerking. It was supposed to run for 40 minutes. Mom was better in 20. When she started to come out of the haze, she was quiet and then I think got scared. She started crying and reached for Daddy and said "Read something to me." I grabbed the Bible and had marked Psalm 20 to read to her later. So I read chapter 20 and 23. It's hard to read with a mask and tears running down your face. :)
She calmed down and relaxed. The word of God does that when you know His voice. You could see her physically and emotionally rest back in His word. Thank you for your prayers. She is resting deeply now. Dad says it is a better rest than she has had in two days. The medicine has taken affect and we are so grateful.
I know Dad would never ask for it, but he needs your prayers in extra measure today. He is tired and emotionally spent.
Thank you for the cards that continue to come. I can't name each one as I haven't been here and seriously her walls are getting covered. The nurse she has today told her she has never seen a room so full and that Mom must really be loved. She has no idea.
Vern and Lila, I know you check the blog, so I will just say thank you. You touched my Dad so deeply today. It's a hard place for him to be, but thank you.
As I look at these walls full of cards I cannot tell you how much they have meant to both Mom and Dad to hear from you and to know you are all praying and sending your love through cards, blog postings, calls and family.
I apologize if I go on too much. Mom is concerned that we keep it short, but so many want to know specifics to help direct how they can pray. I hope I do not ramble on too much.
Troy said that he and Maria, the kids and Carmen went to mow their lawn and plant flowers for Mother's Day. Troy said he has been up there 3-4 times to mow and couldn't figure out why it wasn't growing. He found out last night that the neighbors on Brian Dr. have been taking turns caring for the yard. Wow. That is pretty awesome. Thank you. They live in a great community.
If there is more to update tonight, I will. If not, please continue to pray for Mom and Dad. Mom has had two saltines in the last 24 hours and we need to get her to eat if she can hold it down. Smells and deoderant, perfume and even chapstick make her nauseas so I have to figure out a way to feed Dad that will satisfy him, while not leaving Mom and keeping smells out of her room. I'll get him to eat. I haven't been here for a few days, but surely he hasn't forgotten what it is like to deal with me????

Love to all,
Kimberly

One round done

Today has been a full day for Mom.
She had started having a reaction to one of the anti-nausea medications. She would get very flushed, shake and tremble and when she would get up, be very unsteady and nearly fall. Fortunately, Dad doesn’t let her walk without him so he was there to catch her.
There was another choice of medications that worked for her but Mom really hated it because it sedates her heavily and she can’t get fully awake. But, since the other medication was having such horrible side effects, the Dr. told her he would much rather she had the sleepiness than the negative side effects, so she is back to the medication that reduces the nausea without the awful side effects and she sleeps through a lot of it.
She will be coming off the chemo around midnight tonight. She will then have an additional 12 hours that they will flush out her system with i.v. fluids.
The latest news is that the screen filter that was placed early on after the initial biopsy must come out tomorrow. They said it is a filter that is no longer needed and there is a small window of time in which it can stay in. If it goes past that window of time then it cannot be removed and will stay in the rest of her life. This could cause complications for her down the road, so they will take her back in to remove it tomorrow. When it was put in they did not have i.v. access, and you may remember they had to access through her jugular vein. Now they have the port so we are praying it will be less complicated and less painful to remove than it was to place.
They will keep her overnight again to observe and monitor her. Hopefully all will go well and she will be discharged Wednesday morning. She will then need to go to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance for a shot that will boost her immunity. It’s crazy that she can’t get it at the hospital, but I guess the insurance won’t pay for it if she is at the hospital. I know. Crazy. But, that’s the truth. So, she will have another stop to make before she gets to go home. Then, on home. I will be going up in the morning and stay the night at the hospital and help Dad get Mom to get all their belongings loaded up in the car and to get home. (Thank you to those of you who prayed for me to get over this cold. I was told to expect 10 days. It got knocked out in 5! Thank you!) Carmen will be at the house when they get home to help. Troy, Carmen and Maria are over at the house tonight getting the house spruced up and their yard looking pretty. Thank you Carm, TT and Ria! That will be so nice for them when they pull in. (I bet the rug rats are helping too!)
We will keep you posted on how she does over the next 48 hours. Please pray for her as she finishes this first cycle of chemo and gets the filter removed tomorrow. Since everything has had its own set of complications, I would ask that you pray specifically that everything go as planned tomorrow.
I know it sounds crazy to be happy for midnight and the end of chemo, but it is just another giant down. We are so proud of Mom and Daddy as they have faced this unified, and with such bravery and strength. Come Wednesday they have been in the hospital 27 days. A far cry from the “overnight” we thought it would be, but God knew they would be there that long and He has provided for every tangible need they have had. He is faithful.
We as a family, thank you again for your constant prayer, loving cards, calls, words of encouragement and blog postings. We read them to Mom and Dad daily. They are a sweet connection to outside of those four walls.

With love and gratitude,
Kimberly

Keep praying

Daddy met a man in the waiting room yesterday who's wife is here. She has the same Spindle Cell Sarcoma Cancer in one of her legs. She is on her 3rd round of chemo and the tumor is responding well to the chemotherapy and shrinking. It was so nice for Daddy to talk with him of common experiences. He has felt very encouraged. Their faith is in positive thinking. Please pray, God will use us to share His love and hope with them.
Mama didn't get much rest last night. With 7 to 8 IVs going at a time, she was up about every 45 minutes to use the bathroom. I stayed with Mama during the night so Daddy could hopefully get a full night's sleep in one of the waiting rooms. Several times through the night, he was woke up by loud individuals coming into the waiting room to visit. So unfortunately his sleep was broken also. He felt he did get a little more sleep than usual though. The chemo has Mama just feeling crummy. They have been doing a pretty good job holding the nausea down. The anti-nausea medicines make her very sleepy, so she has been napping today. Mom's hematocrit (% of red blood cells) was low, so they gave her 1 unit of blood this morning. She has no appetite, but is forcing herself to eat. She is very determined to do everything she can to remain strong as possible. She got up and made herself go for a walk down the halls. She's a tough cookie! As you can imagine, all the nurses love Mom. Even though she is feeling sick, she manages to give an occasional sweet smile and offers kind words to everyone trying to help her.
Thank you for all of the cards, emails and blog comments. They are so encouraging. The cards Mom has received cover her walls. The nurses all comment how evident it is that Mama is loved. They really have no idea how loved she is! Thank you again for your continued prayers.
With love, Carmen

Yesterday night

Two days of chemo down and three more to go to complete the first round. After the fifth day of chemo, they will continue to flush her system through her IVs for another 12 hours. Once she is through with that, they will be doing some tests. If all goes well,Mom will hopefully then get the OK from doctors to go home. Mom has slept most of the day. Her Port has been a blessing. The nurses are able to come in and change her IVs, give her meds and draw blood for testing while she sleeps. Mom has anti-nausea medication going along with her chemotherapy. However when she does experience any nausea, they have additional anti-nausea medications that give her relief. The main side effect of these meds is they are sedating. So that is why she is so sleepy. Regardless, we are thankful Mama is getting rest. Nothing sounds good to her to eat, but she is eating. Daddy is doing good. Hopefully they will both get some good sleep tonight. Thank you again to everyone for your prayers.
With love,
Carmen

Medicate and hydrate

Mom and Dad did not sleep much again last night. They are keeping Mom very hydrated and they tell her to keep eating and drinking as that helps alleviate the symptoms somewhat. The result of that is that Mom is up all night because she is SO hydrated.
The nausea had kicked in last night around 9:00PM and has been continuing steadily. When it gets bad, she can get an anti nausea med through the new iv they put back in her arm and that seems to help.
Today they will start the anticoagulation medicine through the new iv. Carmen is with them and will spend the night so I will try to update you tomorrow. Mom is sleeping now, and Dad is hoping she can catch up from the last 48 hours.
Please pray that the nausea will decrease and she can rest, although we are glad she is staying hydrated. It will make the chemo more bearable we are told.

We thank you for remembering them in prayer.

Kimberly

First day of chemotherapy

Last night Mom and Dad didn't get any sleep. Mom had quite the line-up of IV bags including her chemo to get started last night, so she had nurses in and out of her room most of the night. This morning she had a strong metal taste in her mouth, but it did subside after awhile. She was able to get a nap in this morning to help make up for being up all night. Daddy didn't sleep, but he was happy to watch Mama rest. They had a pretty good day. So far, Mom is not feeling sick. We realize this is only the first day of chemo, but we are thankful for one more day she is not sick. Thank you God!
Please also pray for Kimmy. She woke up with a sore throat on Thursday and is now sick with a bad cold or some kind of bug. (She was not at the hospital on Wednesday, so Mama was not exposed.) We hate it when we can't be with Mama and Daddy, but we aren't taking any chances of Mom getting exposed to even a common cold. She will soon have a depleated immune system and even colds could be life threatening. Kim is doing everything she can to get well as quickly as possible. Needless to say, whenever we can't be at the hospital, we are burning up the phone lines calling each other for updates all day. I know she would appreciate your prayers also.

With love,
Carmen & family

Request

Kimberly called me this morning and wanted me to share a request with all of you. This is a critical time for Ladeva in her treatment and she really needs to get some rest and concentrate on what is before her. She did not sleep at all last night and needs to sleep today. She appreciates all the phone calls, but for today if your well wishes and communication could take place through another way besides phone calls, that would be wonderful.

God's timing

The phrase of the day is “God’s timing”.

A few things happened today that were just in the nick of time. Maria was at the hospital all day (and still there as I type this at 9:15 PM. Thank you Ria. We love you.)
So, I got a full report from her.
Here it is:

1) Dad had to go home to take care of some things yesterday. Carmen was there with Mom. When he returned, he saw that Mom was not on her iv antibiotics. (He has kept a record of her ALL her meds on a white board in her room every day.)
He asked the nurses about it and they said it was supposed to be stopped. Today, Mom’s leg was hurting a bit and Dad asked about it again. The nurses thought it was supposed to be stopped, but when Dad read the orders that the Oncologist had left with him, he saw that it wasn’t supposed to be. There was some confusion and the nurses said they wouldn’t be able to verify anything until the Dr.’s were out of surgery and that could take all day. Just as they were discussing it and feeling a bit concerned, in walked a Dr. The Dr. reviewed the orders and made the call so the antibiotic could get restarted right away. Her last dose was Wednesday 6:00 AM.
What an unexpected blessing. Thank you Lord for orchestrating that!

2) They had told Mom and Dad that they would start the chemo today. They stayed in the room all day waiting and waiting for the orders. Finally this evening, an Oncology resident came in and said that he didn’t want to start chemo until he had spoken with the Orthopedic Dr. Dr. Krueger has never been in Mom’s room past 11:00AM so they were fairly certain it would get put off until tomorrow yet again. Right then, Dr. Krueger walked in the room!
They went into the hall and talked and when they returned it was a go. Thank you Lord for sending Dr. Krueger at that specific time.
So, they came into the room tonight and gave Mom 4 pre-meds to help prepare her body to receive the chemotherapy. Two of them were anti -nausea meds.
They did tell her they were able to be more specific with the type of sarcoma she has. They are calling it a high grade spindle cell sarcoma.

There are two items that we would like to ask you to pray for specifically.
1) Her side effects could be: Confusion, blood in the urine, nausea, or heart problems. They did do a check on her heart and feel it is safe enough to proceed so that is good news. We would ask that you pray for her in regards to these side effects.

2) The Dr.’s also want to restart her anticoagulation meds and will give her one via her port tomorrow. They will then monitor her for 24 hours and see if she has any bleeding from her surgical wound site. If there is no problem, they will restart the oral warfarin/Coumadin.

Please pray for these two items and we will try to keep you posted as we go along. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to know so many are lifting Mom and Dad up in prayer. Her stark white walls are getting covered over with all the beautiful cards so many of you have sent. She loves to look at them and they are covering over a particularly hideous piece of artwork on her wall of a distorted looking cat.

We love and appreciate you all.

Kimberly and family

Wonderful Wednesday

Today was a great day! Mom keeps getting stronger and has been getting out of bed on her own. Troy was up this morning and got to visit and love on Mama for a while. Daddy ran home today to take care of a few things and pay some bills. Before Daddy left this morning, we went down to the "Tea Room" for some tea and to look out over the beautiful gardens. We had a nice "Girl's day out"! We had a picnic lunch together and visited about happy things. This afternoon Mom was able to go for a few walks through the halls and down to the gift shop. We went online and shopped for some cute hats for her to wear once she loses her hair. It's been so nice to have a day without any procedures and not being poked on.
The incision from the biopsy is being monitored. They want to make sure it is ok and no more infection before the chemo begins. Her leg is not completely healed over and still is a little red. The doctors are hoping to start her chemo tomorrow or Friday. Praise God, her port is working and ready when they are. Thank you to everyone for your prayers. We feel them!
Love, Carmen