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!
spoke with Tom today and he told me that she had about eight days of renewed health and spent that time with him and her grandchildren and children.
This at least is a blessing.
Prayer.
Prayers for Zacs Mom and her family.
Prayers continuing for Zac's Mom ...
Dear God, please hold Joan and her family in the palm of Your hand as they go through this roughest part of the journey. Give them courage and comfort and, when the time comes, peace.
May the good Lord hold them and their families and friends in His tender hands.
Prayers up for peace in His love.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Joan.
Your will be done.
In Jesus' Holy name.
Amen.
Oh so sorry to hear this. May Our Dear Lord embrace Joan with His infinite mercy and peace.
Father, I lift this woman, Your Child, up to You in prayer. You are there with her, with her husband and her family now. I ask in Christ's name, may the glimpse of Paradise fill their eyes, and may the miracle of Your Love their hearts. Let tears be replaced with wonder, as the glory of the power of Life be made real to them. In these final moments, this gift of this woman, made to the earth so many years ago, be finally revealed in all her beauty to those who love her, to whom she was gifted -
this hope, this creation, the perfect symbol of Your love for us; ZacsMom, given to this world, and now carried back to you on the wings of angels...
Prayer bump.
Prayers for Joan and her family.
pls remove me from this ping list.
Heavenly Father,
Comfort Zacs Mom and bless her with Your Inner Peace. Sustain her family. They need Your Strength.
Amen
Prayer works. My mother was diagnosed over a month ago with tumors in her thyroid. "Massive" is the word her GP used.
After prayer by the entire family and many friends and even a couple of Pastors, the tumors were recently diagnosed as "too small to be of concern" to the oncologist or the surgeon.
Prayer works. I will never doubt that.
Amen..Lord hear our prayers.
Prayers up for Zacs Mom and her family and friends.
Prayer bump
Prayers continuing.
I suffer for Him now, in union with the Church. Good post!
My thoughts and prayers are with you during this hard & difficult time. May the Lord surround Zacs Mom and her family with His peace, comfort, strength & love during this time.
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