Home Again!

Good news! Mom is back in her home again. Yeah!! I picked her up from Harris this morning and brought her home. We had a hospital bed and other needed accessories delivered yesterday. We also hired an agency to come and provide 24/7 care for her in her home. We are hoping they can find providers that will be a perfect fit for us. No word yet on when they will have someone ready so she is stuck with me until then. Home health nurses will also be coming on daily to administer Arixtra shots (an anti-coagulation medication) and flush her flush PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter). She is a bit confused still as to where she is. I'm hoping this will change as she re-adjusts to being home. She is tucked into her bed now and resting comfortably. No call bells going off, overhead pages or noisy voices to interrupt her REM sleep tonight. What a relief. We will start radiation again tomorrow and hopefully get back on a schedule. Pray that she will return to a peaceful state of being and the fog of confusion surrounding her will lift. Eric

Mom Update 1-27-2009

Mom was moved out of ICU and to the floor. She will likely be discharged tomorrow (I guess today? Didn't realize how late it was!). We are bringing her home this time. We decided that the nursing home wasn't taking care of her the way we had hoped they would. We went and got all of her stuff and brought it home. I have an interview in the morning with an agency that provides 24/7 care for people in their homes. Hopefully the ice storms here won't delay things. I will stay and take care of her until we find the best care givers available. Tisha lives just a few minutes away and will be able to supervise the workers when I'm gone. Pray that we can find good help and that mom will flourish in familiar surroundings and with a consistent teamof caregivers. We'll keep you posted. Eric

Mom Update 1-26-2009

Made it to Texas safely. I am here at Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth where mom is currently in the neuro ICU. Things are a little better than what we originally thought. The "bleeding" in the brain isn't really bleeding according to the neurosurgeon. The CT scan was interpreted wrong. The chemo discs that were placed there after surgery look like blood on a CT scan so it's an honest mistake by the other doctors. She still has the PE's in the lungs (pulmonary embolisms. aka blood clots) but the doctors at Harris placed a Greenfield filter in the inferior vena cava. This helps filter out large blood clots so that they don't go to the lungs. She is a little dehydrated and weak and is very confused. Her memory has really gone down hill. I think the nursing home is making her worse not better. We are going to look into bringing her back home when she is discharged and get her back to some familiar surroundings. It's going to take some work but I'm pretty sure she's worth it. (Anyone want a job as a sitter/careviver???) So, I think this is mostly good news with exception to the memory issues. No bleeding in the brain. Blood clots controlled with the filter. Getting the excellent care as always here at Harris and hopeful that we can get her home soon!

Mom Update 1-25-2009

I got a call from my sister that my mom was having chest pain and shortness of breath and had to be taken to the ER this afternoon. She has been diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lungs) and a brain hemorrhage as well. These are not good things. When there is a bleed in the brain you can't give a blood thinner for the clots in the lungs. So, she is being transferred to Harris Methodist in Fort Worth where her doctors are. I am getting on a plane and will be in Texas by tomorrow afernoon. These are difficult times for all of us. Please keep us in your prayers. Eric

Big News!

Well, it's official. We are pregnant again! We didn't think we would be announcing this so soon but life is full of surprises isn't it! We had talked about trying again and Janet had stopped the pill a few days before Christmas. A few days after Janet got back to NC from our trip to Texas she did a pregnancy test that, low and behold, was positive!

From our best estimates we thought the baby was about 5-6 weeks gestation this week. Janet has been eying that ultrasound machine in her office and kept begging me to come do an ultrasound on her. I'm like, "Let's just wait a while. We're not going to see anything for another month or so. Just be patient." Pregnant women can be a little persistent though so I decided to acquiesce and humor her yesterday.

Imagine my surprise when I was encountered with the fuzzy images of fingers, toes and facial features! "Ummm, Janet, I think this baby is older than 5-6 weeks gestation!" We both picked our jaws up off the floor and started laughing. This was no Christmas baby but more like a Thanksgiving baby. By our best measurements we think the little rascal is about 10-12 weeks gestation. Yes, almost into the 2nd trimester! This one slipped by the goalie and the whole defensive line as well (birth control pills, breast feeding, postpartum, etc.) !

We couldn't be more excited though. I can't say much for our timing! Janet's orders for separation from the Navy came across the CO's desk this week: Separation...July 31st. Baby due date....mid August! We think there is some clause somewhere that will allow us to still get maternity care but we don't have all the details yet. We've got a few other things yet to figure out as well like, "Where the heck are we going to live?" and "Oh crap I don't have a job!" and "Oh no we aren't going to have health insurance!" Little things like that. No worries though. God has a marvelous way of working all these things out. We are just taking it one day at a time and will make it though whatever comes our way. I promise pictures of baby in mommy soon.
Eric

Snow Day!

Austin experienced his first snow today. We don't get a lot of snow at Camp Lejeune so it was a nice change. It is usually just rainy and cold in January. We do get some occasional freezing rain. Today, it was good old fashioned snow. Fluffy, wet and cold! Wish we had some mountains and boards to have a little more fun.

January 15, 2009

Mom is doing ok. She has been getting some much needed physical therapy the last few days. Tisha says she is adjusting well to her new surroundings. She is making good gains with the use of her left side. Her bowel and bladder woes seem to be getting better as well. Tomorrow she takes her first radiation and chemo treatments. I think she will handle it just fine. I got to talk to her on the phone tonight which was great. She sounded like she was in good spirits and was enjoying a foot massage from Tisha as we spoke! She loves those massages! Some have asked for the address where she is at. I think this is right:
Holland Lake Nursing Center
C/O Judy Robinson, Rm 209
1201 Holland Lake Dr
Weatherford, TX 76086
(817) 613-9699

Took a few shots of the boy that I've got to throw in. Also a short video of us just laughing at Austin and having some fun. Enjoy.

Mom was transferred to Holland Lake Nursing Center in Weatherford, Texas today. Got to the hospital this morning and packed up all her stuff and the ambulance company came to pick her up. She has a semi-private suite at the nursing home. Her "roommate" just moved in today as well. They share a bathroom and a small living area and the bedrooms are private. I am hopeful that they will keep a watchful eye on her. She definately needs it!

She doesn't know where she is so she isn't depressed, which is good. We are all a bit frazzled. I semi twisted off on her nurse while I was there. That's a good indication it is time for me to take a break! The nursing home doctor wrote her for Xanax every night (at the nurses request). She has never been on anything like that before and I don't really want her to get started on it either. If she needs it that's fine but to just dope her up right off the bat is not good medicine. I guess we will just see how everything goes.

I hope we can eventually put together a team of in home private care providers so we can have her back home. If anyone wants a job let me know! Along those lines, if there are any family or friends in Texas reading this blog that would like to come and sit with her in the nursing home to give Tisha a break every now and then we would love your help. Just send me a message and I will get you in touch with my sister. Thanks again for all your prayers and support as we move through this thing called life!

Discharge Pending

Lifelong friend Wanda Smith with my Mom in the hospital


Mom was discharged from the hospital today. Unfortunately, she had nowhere to go! The way that Medicare is set up has shown to be quite prejudiced against people with brain cancer. She needs a rehab facility and 24 hour care but no facility wanted her because she is getting radiation and chemotherapy. The facility apparently gets paid a set amount per day for each patient in rehab. If you need expensive treatment like chemo and radiation while undergoing rehab they don't want you. We were turned down from two rehab hospitals because of this. Medicare won't adjust their payment allowances to cover treatments on top of rehab. These facilities would not be reimbursed for the cancer treatments mom would be getting while at their facility. I wonder how many people have faced this same situation? I can't imagine someone with brain cancer that has had a large chunk of brain taken out of their head not needing some sort of physical therapy or rehab afterward. It's so stupid and unfair.

So, to make a long story short, she was accepted at a nursing home in Weatherford, Texas. We will transfer there in the morning. We have to pay for her stay there which amounts to over $150/day and Medicare and her supplemental insurance will pick up the rest of her treatment costs. It's not perfect but it will have to do for now. They have physical and occupational therapists that will be working with her there at the nursing home. We hope that she can regain some of her basic abilities so that we can bring her home some day. Only time will tell. I'm not real sure how mom is going to take this in the morning. I think she is going to be a little depressed for a while. She really misses her home. Keep praying that she will learn how to walk and transfer from sitting to standing. If she can do this then maybe we can get her back home?

Update 4

Mom is still at Harris and recovering slowly. She is going through some of the downers of having major surgery: bladder spasms and urinary retention, constipation (then diarrhea!), and lack of sleep. She's getting pretty worn out but making improvements. We think she will start radiation and chemotherapy tomorrow if all goes well.

We still are hopeful that we can get her into a rehab hospital. We keep running into road blocks though. Lots of excuses from the various facilities are given for not wanting her. I really don't understand this aspect of medicine.

I'm heading back to NC Saturday morning. I miss my wife and child! Janet has been so supportive and wonderful through this ordeal. I couldn't devote this time to my mom without her support and understanding. Thanks Janet. I love you girl and I'll see you in a few days!

My mom is recovering well. All the IV's are out and she is hopefully going to get approved for a week of in-patient rehab this week. She has a lot of difficulty controlling the movements on the left side of her body. We are hopeful that she will be able to re-gain some of her previous use of the left side with some hard work and good therapists. My sister and her daughter were at the hospital today as well as some of mom's friends. I didn't make it to the hospital to see her today but the reports from my sister were all good from what I hear. Keep praying for her recovery, specifically that she will be able to walk again and do the little things that we all take for granted. I will keep you posted this week on any changes.

And as promised............PICTURES!!!!!!!!

Hey! Can a man get a little privacy around here! Geezz!

Jarah giving Austin gifts.

Safe in Nanna's embrace!

My grandmother, me, my mom with Austin

My little elf!


Pulling ornaments off trees is fun!

The Grandmas and the Grandkids

Jake helping with the bath

Update #2

Well, the official report came back today and my mother has what is called Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). We met with the neuro-oncologist today and she is very optomistic. Her name is Virginia Stark-Vance and she seems very good. She knows all the "famous" brain tumor specialists and really seems up-to-date with the latest and greatest therapies. She seems to think mom will respond well to chemotherapy and radiation. The chemotherapy (Temador) is a pill that has minimal side-effects, namely nausea and constipation. I don't really see any draw back to going forward with this plan as the chemotherapy will be a pill she takes each night at home and the radiation is limited to the tumor site. We also met with a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Bixler, who will supervise her rehabilitation needs in concert with her neurosurgeon, Dr. Alford, and her oncologist.
As a doctor, I can say that I have NEVER been more impressed with a team of doctors. Everyone has been simply AMAZING! My brother, sister and I are in my mom's room now at the hospital. Mom is resting comfortably. I will keep you posted on any changes. I will update the blog with some Christmas pictures soon, I promise!