Hannah update

So, I guess the blog is now HANNAH'S, ha! Anyway, just thought I'd update you on her condition.

In a word, she's doing GREAT! She still has pain, but it's diminishing a little (just a little), and she's getting around much better -- she no longer touches the wall to maintain her balance when she's up and about. She's probably doing too much, though, like doing household chores (I swear, I'm not making her do that! I keep telling her to "rest").

Today she took her first full-fledged shower and washed her hair -- "You can't imagine how good I feel," she said afterwards. And really, you can hardly see the surgery scar when she's got her hair fixed.

Her friends stop by every day. Last night, a good friend came by and the two girls barbecued and made dinner for all of us -- and they did the dishes afterwards! Today another good friend came by to spend the day with her.

And she keeps saying she's going to her brother's high-school graduation on Sunday (we'll see).

So, yes, everything's ducky, thanks in large measure to everyone's prayers and support. So, thanks again! We DO appreciate it!

Until next time,
P

Hannah's home!

Yes, she's home and sleeping peacefully in her own bed. She's still on pain meds, but is getting a little better each day.

She is so glad to be home, and we're so glad she's here! I'm gonna baby her like crazy!

So thanks again for your prayers and support -- they are definitely helping!

Until next time ...
P

Hallelujah!

OK, people, God is great (all the time!) and we got some really good news tonight: Hannah's tumor was benign -- NO CANCER! -- and she's coming home days early -- tomorrow, in fact!

She's still in pain, and doesn't yet walk so good, but she's gotta be on "bed rest" for FOUR WEEKS, so that means no "going out," but instead taking it easy, hobbling around the house, watching TV and movies, and eating bon-bons until she's got her strength back. (Hopefully, her doting parents won't drive her crazy!)

But I saw her tonight, and she's doing pretty well, a little better each day, so we're happy beyond belief! I carted home some of her "stuff" tonight. She's got zillions of cards, about eight flower arrangements, cookies, candy, videos, balloons, four or five stuffed animals, and several gift bags with all sorts of presents! Thursday night, she had 12 friends in her room until midnight, when a nurse came in and said, "Um, visiting hours were over at 9:00." So I guess she's not suffering too much ...

But she's so brave and upbeat, I'm so proud of her and can't wait to get her home!

Thanks again for all the prayers, cards, and good wishes! We love you all!

Until next time,
P

Weathering the storms

OK, I know I haven't blogged in awhile -- TWO WEEKS, to be exact! (Sheesh!) But you know the saying, "When it rains, it pours"? Well, the Ross family has been weathering a !*#! MONSOON!

My 20-year-old daughter, Hannah, had brain surgery last Tuesday! Yes, that's right -- BRAIN SURGERY! (Photo at right shows her scar, right behind her ear. She took these pictures herself, with her computer, to post on Facebook!)

A few days before I went to Florida, she accidentally hit her forehead while on a cleaning binge and it bled like crazy, so she and her dad went to the hospital to get it checked. Well, they did a CT scan to be safe, and then called them into the room with the pictures up on a computer and said, "The bump on your forehead is fine. But this -- and they pointed to a little 2 cm "spot" in her cerebellum, in the back of the head -- shouldn't be here."

The hubby and Hannah knew about this before I went to Florida, but elected not to tell me until I got back. I will be forever grateful for that.

So, we ended up with a neurosurgeon who told us we had two options: he said he could "take it out safely and with few risks" if we do it now, or we could wait three months and take more pictures to see if it grows. Hannah said, "Take it out," which turned out to be the right choice because when they got it out, they said it's definitely a tumor but they don't know if it's cancer or not. They're checking. But a followup MRI showed they "got it all."

Anyway, I've been sort of a nervous wreck, especially on Tuesday, but I'm better now that I know Hannah's OK. She's still in a lot of pain (which is normal, says the doc), but it should start getting better in a day or two. (See forced smile at left. She is awesome.)

But here's the thing: we feel like it's a BLESSING that Hannah hit her head. Otherwise, the tumor would have been undetected until who knows when (she had no symptoms whatsoever), and the ultimate surgery likely would have been more complicated and risky. So, thanks be to God, who is definitely taking care of us, big time.

As for me, I had chemo #7 today, I walked a mile or so afterwards, and I'm not feeling too bad. A little tired, 'cause my white blood cell count is pretty low, so I've elected not to visit my daughter at the hospital today. But we talk on the phone, and she's got ZILLIONS of friends visiting, and calling, and texting, so hopefully that's keeping her spirits up.

Thanks for your prayers and concern! So far, so good ...

Until next time ...
P

Chemo #6, check

So, another chemo day today, which I thought would go fast 'cause I actually got there 10 minutes early, but no dice ... It was a LOOOOOONG day, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (from the time I left the house 'til I got home), basically because they were "backed up" at the lab, so I had to wait awhile, and then it took awhile for my chemo to "arrive" at the "pod" (the room where I get the chemo), so I had to wait more than hour there (sigh).

But my labs were good, and I got to see Dr. W-G, who says I'm doing really well. We talked about having just two more chemo days left, so I asked her: "Will that be enough?" At this point, she doesn't know for sure. (But she DID say she thinks I'll be fine.) That's the "standard treatment," but if I'm doing well and want to do two more months, she can arrange that, she said.

So I'm going to "think on it" awhile, and wait until I'm further along to make any decisions (so I can monitor blood tests, talk to docs, etc.). I really don't want to do more chemo, I just want to make sure I have the "best outcome." So we'll see ...

I also got a new prescription for "Mary's Magic Mouthwash," which I'm sure is like the other mouthwash I had in the fall for my mouth sores. But this time I've just got some "thrush" starting on my tongue, so they want me to swish with this stuff four times a day to keep any mouth issues under control.

My daughter, Hannah, came up to sit with me awhile today. She brought me lunch, a beautiful pink calia lily (see photo at right), and a card that I couldn't read at the hospital, in front of everybody. She had written all these wonderful, tear-jerking things inside the card, and I started to read it but felt my eyes watering, so I had to put it down before I became a weeping mess. I told her I'd read it at home, and she understood. So I read it on my way home, in the car (only at stoplights) and it is beautiful. (And I've read it over and over at home, and still, it gets me all emotional.) What did I ever do to deserve this kid?

Anyway, I feel fine, no tingly fingers today, so I'll bid you all adieu ... Ooh, speaking of other languages (and countries, like Germany, my homeland), I finished my book today, Those Who Save Us, by Jenna Blum. Awesome book -- about a woman who does what she has to do to save herself and her daughter during the Holocaust -- and I'd recommend it if you're looking for something to read.

Thanks for checking on me!

Until next time ...
P

Side effects

So I noticed I haven't written in a week, and thought maybe I should write something. So, how about an update on how I'm faring with the chemo?

Generally, I'm doing very well, working full time and not feeling too tired. But there are a few little, shall I say, "annoyances," that I can't wait to get rid of. And that won't be until after my last chemo on May 28 (a national holiday on Running Creek Drive in Ballwin, Mo.).

So, here's a list of the chemo side effects that are a tad bothersome:

• sensitivity to cold. It's now mostly in my fingers, but even today -- a week after treatment -- if I touch something cold or even put my hand in the freezer, yikes! The tingly, pins-and-needles feeling is exceptionally annoying and so I feel compelled to warm up the hands as soon as I can by wrapping them around a hot coffee or even laying them on my car's dashboard that's been baking in the sun on the parking lot. Surprisingly, I can handle ice cubes in my drinks just three days after treatment, but this cold-fingers thing seems to last forever.
• nausea. But I STILL haven't used the high-powered anti-nausea pills that are in my purse, "just in case." My nausea -- usually on the first four days after a treatment -- is very mild. Sometimes I take a compazine, sometimes I don't. I'm grateful it's not worse.
• sore mouth. Don't panic -- I don't have the horrid, nickel-sized mouth sores that I had in the fall when I was doing the chemo 24/7 for five weeks. But my tongue, especially, is a little sore most of the time. I've got a mouth rinse (that I didn't have in the fall) called "Prevention" that's specially made for cancer patients. It helps, as do salt-water rinses. So it's not so bad.
• "tired eyes." I wear soft contact lenses, and sometimes my eyes get watery or dry, and just plain "tired" feeling. It helps to close them for a minute or two.
• bloody nose. It doesn't actually bleed, but when I blow it, there's usually a little blood on the tissue (TMI? Sorry!). And right now I've got a sinus thing going on, so I'm blowing pretty often.
• thin hair. I've been assured by Dr. W-G that my hair will NOT fall out in a major way. The chemo mixture I'm getting -- or maybe my menopausal age (ooh, I hate typing that!) -- are making it thin a bit, but I shouldn't go bald. But at any given time, there's always at least one or more long strands on my clothing, so I'm trying not to brush it too much or be too rough when I wash it.

Anyway, virtually ALL of the above side effects are supposed to go away after I stop the chemo, so hurray for that! And, as I said earlier, this really isn't so bad.

I've got a piece of child's artwork (see above) that says "God is with us," and shows lots of everyday people with God "in them." It's from a children's art contest/show, and is on display at work, along with lots of other pieces. I really liked it, so I got permission to copy it.

But here's the thing: I feel like God IS with me, especially now that I'm going through cancer treatment. So, really, nothing can be that bad, can it?

Thanks for checking on me.

Until next time ...

P

Chemo #5, check

Another chemo day, and I wasn't supposed to see Dr. W-G, but I brought her a souvenir from Florida (a little bag/magnet with some sand and tiny seashells that says "Andrea's Beachfront Property"), so of course she came out to the treatment room to say thanks!

I had to wait awhile for my lab results because the medical staff wanted to make sure my liver enzymes weren't too high. Two weeks ago they were pretty high, but today, after four days in Florida (and a daily glass of wine, sanctioned by Dr. W-G), the liver enzymes were HALF what they were two weeks ago! So I was good to go with the drugs.

Hannah was with me, and my Psycho Sis called from Florida, and I was able to watch some "Scrubs" episodes that made me LOL, so treatment went pretty fast. "Fanny" is back, and again, I'm feeling fine. Walked two miles with my saintly sister after I got home. And my injured eye is totally healed -- no red at all!

Three chemo treatments to go!

Thanks for checking on me.

Until next time ...
P