Post #24: News Flash!

Good afternoon everyone and a good afternoon it is!

First off, Anita awoke this morning feeling great and with a burst of energy got up, drew the blinds and started hanging up clothes! But she soon realized that she was moving a little too rapidly and had to lie down again. But and these are quotes: "Today is the best I have felt" and even better, "Today is the first day I've felt normal."

Other good news is that she no longer wakes up with that awful taste and scalelike feeling in her mouth (a result of the chemo drugs). The only "bad pain" she has had recently was the night before last when she had not had any morphine drops and she felt some bone pain in her shoulder joints. But that has gone now. Today she has a slight pain in her upper right stomach/abdominal area, but that is where the worst of her previous pain was located to begin with so it is not surprising that she would be feeling something, particularly when she has not been taking much in the way of painkillers.

Around 9:15 this morning, the oncologist's nurse assistant called to inform us that they have received the results of the blood test and that those turned out "OK. Fine." They are expecting to receive the cardio echogram results later today. At that point all of the results will be given to the oncologist for his review and analysis. After that, he should be calling us to discuss the next step. So we're moving along folks.

Mother asked me to tell you all that (subject to consultation with her oncologist in the coming days), she is going to do the next chemo-therapy treatment. She now realizes that the horrible aftereffects of the first chemo treatment, over time, went away and that she has gotten steadily better. Consequently, she feels that she owes it to herself and others to try a second time.

Cheerily, Melissa

P.S. Mother just informed me that if she keeps feeling this feisty, she is going to add her own words to this blogsite. [We're all looking forward to that!!!] And she asked me to type this: "If it hadn't been for my daughter taking care of me, as well as for the astonishing support of all my family and friends, I wouldn't be where I am today!"