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Posted on 09/23/2006 5:32:40 PM PDT by Hi Heels
From Tom, ZM's husband:
Sorry for the long silence.... It has been quite a ride.
On Monday 8/28 we met with ZM's oncologist to learn the results of the chest and abdomen CT scans. As I told you in my last update, all the news was good and we decided to switch to the chemo pill since ZMs veins were shrinking. We had great fun for the rest of the week planning how to use the time we would be getting back since she would not be sitting in the infusion room for 4 hours every Friday.
Over the labor day weekend (Sept 3,4) ZM began to have problems moving her left side and she become quiet and hard to communicate with. On Tuesday morning (Sept 5) she slipped into a near comma state and was taken to the hospital via 911 services. In the ER they ordered a brain scan and delivered the news that the cancer had spread to her brain and she had multiple tumors causing lesions in the right side of her brain, some as large as 5 centimeters. These were also causing swelling in her brain and increased pain. ZM's oncologist ordered more test and then told us that the tumors causing the lesions were inoperable. We were told that our options were to (1) simply give up and go home with hospice care or (2) try some radiation of the brain. The radiation may result in some temporary improvement or at least make ZM more comfortable.
So on Thursday (9/07) we moved ZM to a hospital in Plano, TX where she could receive radiation treatments as an inpatient. By now ZM was basically in a coma and could not move her left arm o r leg and could not even force her eyes to look to the left. That afternoon, they developed a treatment mask for her and did the first radiation treatment. After a 3 hour sleep ZM woke up able to move her left arm and leg some. A combination of steroids was prescribed to shrink the swelling in her brain. On Friday afternoon she received a 5 minute radiation treatment and following an hours sleep she woke with full use of her body, sat up in bed and pronounced herself hungry for the first time in weeks. Radiation is only done Monday thru Friday, so we hung around in the hospital over the weekend with ZM improving by the hour. The Doctors have all said they are astonished with her recovery/progress. They are now referring to her as their September miracle.
Following radiation on Monday (9/11) she was released from the hospital and I brought her home. She is 100% off the oxygen now and has had no pain medication since Thursday (9/07). She requires a walker to get around, but is getting stronger each day. We return to the hospital in Plano (30 miles each way) for radiation treatments and she continues to take the steroid to reduce the swelling. All this activity has left her with a bit of confusion, but today she tried to get on line and read some of her email.(Since she hasn't looked at email in well over a month you can imagine the stack of mail she has.)
We will continue the daily radiation treatments on Monday and Tuesday (9/26). After that she'll continue on the steroids but will return to her regular daily activities. ZM and I believe that -- Thanks to the prays and good thoughts - this is a permanent fix. However, she'll be returning to the doctors for blood work and check-ups on 10/10. Hopefully she'll get a clean bill of health at that time.
Thanks so much to everyone for the cards, emails and keeping her in your prayers.
See? OUr "treatment" is working. PLEASE keep this wonderful FRiend in your thoughts and prayers! God bless!
Bumping your sweet post, fatima.
(((Hugs)))How hard is this bump.
Hugs backatcha.
It's a hard one, for sure.
But, ZacsMom deserves all of the bumps we can muster.
She was a "light" on this forum.
And, a real sweetie...
Gosh miss her so much,can we send flowers?
I have no idea.
Do you know if flowers can be sent, Hi Heels?
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devolve, that is the most beautiful of posts in ZacsMom's honor. She is a star in our sky. She would love it and the feeling that went into it!
I know her family will appreciate all the love and thoughts being sent in her memory.
I wish I had saved the letters she sent me during her illness, she was a lovely and talented lady.
She loved that site you sent her ntnychik and she wrote me about a little bird landing on her windowsill one morning.
She said she watched it for awhile and it gave her a feeling of peace and comfort.
Smartass, your prayer in Zacsmom's honor is beautiful, as are all your prayer posts.
May Joan (Zac's Mom) rest in God's peace.
Prayers for and condolences to her family and friends.
FReepmail me if you'd like to send flowers and I will forward their address. Thank you.
prayer bump
God bless Zacs Mom, and may he comfort her family.
My deepest sympathy and prayers go to family and for her soul to be at rest.
Your tributes to Zacs Mom are absolutely beautiful!
Thank you both for your lovely and thoughtful efforts.
God bless all of Joan's family, friends and neighbors in their time of loss...
I didn't know Zacs Mom, but I enjoyed her posts and I'm saddened by her passing.
May she rest forever in the arms of our merciful and loving Father. In Jesus's Name.
Prayers for her family.
You know, it is at times like this, when you pray for someone as long and as hard as you do, when you call your faith into question. I am doing that right now, but I nevertheless realize it was her time to go.
That does not mean, however, we should be happy about it.
Rest in peace, Joan. May the good Lord be with you for eternity.
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