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and comfort all who love Zac's Mom . We have been blessed
to have her here among us.
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!
My grammy was a wonderful person and the world would be a lot better of a place with more people like her around.
Amen, amen.
Prayers sent
BTTT
Prayers to the family for the loss of a very special person. God help the family as they go through this difficult time.
Jason, thanks for informing us. The greatness of Grammy lives on through you and all of her wonderful creations.
Love
+1
And may Jesus turn your loss into a highway into His heart.
Our prayers for all who loved her.........
"TT", Beth & Nana
Reast in peace, Joan. You made the world better by being here.
Prayers up...
God Bless and hold all of you. Your Gram was such a special lady I'm sure she has a special place in heaven.
Well Done, Joan.
I am so sorry that she's gone, from this life. What an inspiration she is to me. She lifts my heart and make me glad, and brings beauty into my life, touches me at my roots, and is an eagle, globe, and anchor for me. Like LadyX and Tonk, she is one of those FReepers I really needed and wanted and am so blessed to know. She will always be one of the better parts of all of us. She will be sorely, sorely missed.
Such sad, sad news. I'm so sorry. My prayers for Joan, her family, and her FReeper family who will miss her terribly.
Prayers for her loving family.
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Joan is now another of our sweet angels. She is Perfect in the Lord. Prayers for her family.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and the rest of the family. You're so right when you say your Grammy will always be with you in memory as well as in your heart.
Words cannot express.
I'm sorry.
So sad to hear this. Prayers going up for the family and friends of Joan. She will be sorely missed here.
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