the one where she comes home!

My mom was doing really well until super early this morning. Ever since then, she's been in much more pain. Drinking the contrast for the CT scan yesterday created a lot of pressure that hasn't gone away. She had a fever this morning, and they thought about keeping her an extra day, but she ended up getting to come home tonight. She is still nauseated and groggy, but hopefully this will be the worst part.  

 

 

sleeping in a hospital bed

I drove to the hospital after work. They did an ultrasound and a CT because of a pain in my mom's leg. The doctors are being cautious about blood clots since my grandma and I have both had them. My dad will have to give my mom blood thinning shots for 4 weeks after she comes home. The tests came back negative for blood clots. We think a nerve was inflamed during surgery, causing the pain she feels now. I am going to sleep at the hospital tonight so my dad can go home to see the kiddos and sleep in his own bed. My mom is groggy from all the drugs, but she doesn't have pain anywhere other than her leg.  

round two

My mom's second surgery was today. It was a long day, but she seems to be doing pretty well. Lymph nodes were removed first and sent to pathology. The reports came back normal, so they were able to complete the surgery and the doctor was pleased with how everything went. The pathology reports we will get next week will tell us if chemo or radiation are necessary. We are certainly hoping for the best. Since I had to be in Provo today, I tried hard to stay busy. I had a pretty incredible experience when taking a test for my Book of Mormon class. I felt really good about the whole test, except for one question: "What are 4 lessons we can learn from Alma 31 and apply to our lives. Be specific and use examples in context."Sorry. I don't have a summary of every chapter in the Book of Mormon memorized. I skipped the question and finished the rest of the test, hoping something would come to me. Every other question was answered, but still I had no idea what to write. After a few minutes, I decided just to start writing generic principles found all over the Book of Mormon. Halfway through, I crossed everything out and started over. My brain didn't know what to write, but my hand sure did. I turned in my test and pulled out my phone. Sure enough, I had written exactly what is found in Alma 31.

 

uncle!

Pathology reports came back for my mom today. We knew the chances that a lesser surgery would be sufficient were low, but it was still a letdown to find out exactly how much needs to take place. I knew that a more invasive surgery was going to be required. I just knew. I've known since the first visit with the oncologist. I knew before my mom told me the results today. Even though I knew, I didn't realize how much I was hoping for the best until my mom told me otherwise. This surgery will result in a long recovery. We don't know just how hard it will be yet, but we are going to need some help. This is where I cry "uncle!" Remember how I live an hour away? I'm going to be spending weekends in Bountiful, but I need help. Your prayers in our behalf will always be welcome. Anyone close by who wants to let Owen hang out is a blessing from Heaven. As far as we can tell, my mom will spend most of next week sleeping as she recovers.

As hard as getting the news today was, I can't help but be overwhelmed by all the blessings. My mom is being treated by one of the best doctors at one of the best hospitals with the best machines in the nation. All three of these are conveniently close to home. We have Netflix, which seems small, but goes a long way for keeping Owen entertained while my mom is resting. We have family lending support. My dad's parents came up on Saturday to help get kids ready for school in the mornings. My dad has a great job and has been able to take time off. We will make it through this, and be better for it. I just have to remind myself that, although circumstances are out of my control, I have to have the faith that it will all work out in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. All is well. All is well.

round one

My mom had her first surgery this morning to take a large biopsy to determine how invasive the surgery on Thursday needs to be. We are hoping for a lesser surgery. The difference between the 2 is quite large, as is the recovery time. We could still use your prayers and brownies are always welcome (: P.S. Go here for the whole story