Post #34: Can't Keep A Good Woman Down

Good morning all,

Well, she's off to a great start this morning. The shortness of breath did come back, but is is still less severe than the first time she got it. This morning she used John's Pulmo machine which he used to use for his asthma. It's a sort of vaporizer-with-mouthpiece contraption into which is put a liquid called Albuterol. The mouthpiece is connected to the vaporizer by a short hose and the user breathes in the vaporized medicine through the mouthpiece. She says that it has made her chest feel less constricted.

She took nausea meds and a tranquilizer this morning. The chemo has made her a bit jittery and easy to upset. So the tranquilizer is really helping that out. She has eaten so far this morning 1/2 papaya, 2 cups diluted coffee, 1/2 piece toast with butter, glass of OJ and 1/2 a grapefruit plus vitamins.

She's sitting up in bed doing crosswords. Earlier this morning we were all in her room drinking coffee, reading the newspapers together, hearing her commenting pithily on the latest news - as only Mother can do! Today at 3:00 p.m. her hairdresser, Diane, is coming over to shave her head. Although Anita was expecting the hair loss, she is sensitive about it and the way it makes her look. She wears turbans at night and during the day her wig. The hairdresser is going to bring over pictures of new styles, so Mama will be selecting and purchasing a new wig.

So off to a good start today. So far, she is weathering this chemo treatment so much better than the first. Tonight she wants to sit with us at the still-decorated-for-the-Fourth-of-July dinner table for a steak dinner! It's really heartwarming and exciting to see her enthusiasm.
What a trooper!

Melissa