It's Over

On March 15, 2010, at 22:40, my mom passed away.

I got the call about 10 minutes later. The nurse said she died peacefully. I thank God for that.

The battle is over, she is at peace,

but most importantly, she died in the LORD--and we will see each other again.

"The LORD gives and the LORD takes away; blessed be the name of the LORD!"

Amen.

Brace yourself

Today, before getting ready and taking Julia with to visit mom, dad called me. He said mom's doctor called him and said she has deteriorated: when he went to see her, she was lying on her bed and breathing heavily. She is really weak. According to how mom appears, the doctor is giving her between hours and a few days . . . although she could always have a nose-dive at any moment. All this may be true, but that doesn't dismiss the fact that God always has the last word.

Dad has to leave a load somewhere close by Miami. He's gonna pick one up for New Jersey and stop by here on Wednesday. Lord willing, he won't be too late.

If there is one thing I hate about dealing with cancer, it's the roller-coaster of emotions. One day, mom appears as though she were almost back to her normal self; the next, she looks like she's about to go any second. Our hopes and feelings are constantly played with and teased. Now I can say, I have experienced torture, for this is what dad and I are going through.

Oh God, please have mercy on us and work quickly! . . . but again, above all else, may Your will be done.

Looking better

Just got home about 30 min. ago from visiting mom in the hospice. This is the third day mom has been there, and I must say . . . I've seen a lot of progress!

When I went to see her on Thursday (her first day there), she had not vomited at all, though she had diarrhea instead. As far as I am concerned, this is better. This means the food actually made its way to the stomach and was processed--maybe not very much, but a whole lot more than if it were regurgitated!

Since yesterday (Friday), mom hasn't had any more diarrhea! Granted, they haven't been giving her a lot of food (mostly soup, tea, ice cream, pudding, etc.), but still, that is progress! Mom seems to be one of the stronger patients there and appears as though she will be able to go back home, although I'm gonna have to wait 'til Monday to have a better idea (the doctor wasn't there today, but he will be on Monday).

I've got an appointment with the county's Department of Health to see what we can do for Julia on Tuesday. Also, I'll be able to speak with one of the social workers at the hospice on Monday. So yeah, things are picking up and we'll see what I can find out, starting Monday.

God, thank You for all You have done til now: no matter how it turns out, may Your Name be praised.

Another Turn

Mom has just been transferred from the hospital to the hospice. There, they will try to control mom's symptoms (vomiting) while keeping her comfortable. Once the symptoms have been controlled, then she can go home.

Things are not looking good at all. In the 5 or so hours I was with her today, she vomited 4 or 5 times. Every time she tries to eat, this is what happens--even when the only thing she has done is drink water, but for the water, it takes longer for her to vomit.

We were informed that the cancer has also spread to her right lung. They found a soft tissue there about 2 days ago and it was not confirmed until this afternoon. It's really getting tough--wait, make that tougher. We're looking into who can take care of Julia--another challenge in itself. Well, like a song I heard once, He's (God) never failed me yet! No matter how hard things get, I know He won't.

Yes, we're still alive . . . for now, at least

Sorry for the delay, but there hasn't been much to say or report lately.

Mom was supposed to begin her chemo today, but she's being hospitalized right now.

She had her consultation with the doctor in charge of the chemo 2 weeks ago. At that time, the doctor told mom she hasn't completely cured from the surgery yet--and she also needed to gain weight (Mom is 5ft. 4in. [1.61 m.] tall and weighed 127 lbs. [57.6 kilos] that day).

In 2 weeks time, mom lost 15 lbs. (6.8 kilos).

It has been really difficult for mom to keep food down. It's been scary.

We were told of a place in Mexico (close to Monterrey) that has a cancer treatment center. A lady from the Hispanic church in Baltimore told mom about it. This lady had breast cancer, went and stayed there for about 6 weeks, and left completely cured. We want to see if mom can go there, but she needs to survive the month first. Oh Lord God, whatever it is, may Your will be done!

It's Official

Mom has stomach cancer.

The doctor gave mom 6 months to 1 year.

We went to see the doctor for a treatment consultation today. She said if mom didn't take any treatment, she'd have 6 months to a year, but if she took chemo, maybe 1 year or 2. Of course, it all depends on how mom reacts to the treatments. She may live for a few months, she may live for a few years. We don't know.

Mom is ok. She expected the news and is taking it in stride. She has 2 requests. The first refers to her condition as her time approaches. Mom is not afraid of death, just the process. She doesn't want to be a vegetable or bedridden or suffering from tons of pain. She also wants see Julia able to take care of herself and speak--in a word, cured.

Please pray for God's will to be done, whatever His will is.

Another Storm on the Horizon

Hi guys. It's been over a week since mom returned home. Yesterday, we went to the hospital so mom could get her staples out (they used staples instead of stitches). Mom didn't want me to see, but after begging, she was reluctant and showed me her cut. I couldn't count all of them, but it appeared to be about 40 staples.

After we came home, we remembered the tests that were done on mom and I tried to call to see if the results were in. If someone answered, I was directed to voicemail: basically, I was back where I started. So we went today to the hospital (here in Salisbury) and spoke with the doctor's assistant.

Mom had cancer. It was in her ovaries as well as her uterus. Good thing is that all of that is removed. Bad thing is that mom's not out of danger. She needs to go into treatment, but the doctor has to see her to know which kind she should take (Chemo, Radiation, both, neither, etc.). Basically, since I made the assistant aware of Julia's situation, she said that mom is still gonna need help.

On top of that, I just got a call from one of the doctor's assistants in Baltimore saying that they found cancer around her stomach (in 2 out of 5 places).

It's still too early to tell, but I have been faced with a possibility I didn't want to think of: I might not return to Bogi. Also, I'm supposed to graduate this May from Southern; no idea if I'm going to that either (although that's not really important).

There are many questions, but we must wait til next week for possible answers.