My mom had 3 appointments this week to plan for. For me, I am so not used to having so many medical appointments. I have been blessed to usually average about 1 maybe 2 appts a year. 3 appointments in a week is just unimaginable to me.
Take it one day at a time or one week at a time.
My dad has a less than desirable work schedule that most people would not want. He leaves the house at 1:45pm to get to work for 2:30pm then works till about 12-12:30am. As a result of his sleep and work schedule, he has driven my mom to many appts but it's in the "middle of the night" for him. My mom is unable to drive in her current condition.
This will be the first time I am having a role with these appointments. I have volunteered to try to do what I can while understanding what I already have on my plate: my 5 year old son, my work, my house/family. I am agreeing to what is best for me so I don't have to change my work schedule too much. I also am listening to my body. I will say yes to what I can handle. I do not want to take on too much given my life's role in order to avoid burnout. I cannot and will not have that. I have spoken up about what I can help with and put out my boundaries.
My mom and dad came over Sunday for dinner. I made a taco salad full of veggies with few chips broken up into as well as a big garden salad with some of the best diced chicken I've ever made. My mom appears to be looking stronger while using her walker. I love to see the progress. She is definitely tired..Very stiff from the inactivity. My mom would be spending the night so I could bring her to an oncology appt more conveniently for me. We sat on the couch talking quite a bit..
On Monday morning, I took my mom to her appt after bringing my son to school. It was a long appt, close to 2 hours from start to finish. Luckily, I was able to train clients in the car while I waited for her. I really have to say this again, every day I am SOO thankful to be working virtually..especially in this case. I brought her back home, had a quick lunch, then headed back to my house to train the rest of my clients. Busy day.
On Tuesday afternoon, she headed up to Boston with my brother. The whole day took about 6.5 hours from start to finish for one appointment. It looks like my mom won't need chemo pills for now! Instead she will be on an anti estrogen pill each month; 3 weeks on, 1 week off with blood work every 14 days. This will have fewer side effects and be able to do the job given her Estrogen Positive subtype of cancer.
On Thursday afternoon, I brought her back to get tattoo mapped for Radiation on her leg. She was there almost an hour. I tried to make the best use of my time by walking laps all over the parking lot while talking to a friend. After her appt, I brought her home so I could help out a bit with chores. She still needs a walker so as you can imagine it is challenging trying to tackle the house without your hands fully ready. I vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, deadheaded/watered the flowers and changed some sheets. To kill 2 birds with 1 stone, I went to BJs somewhat on my way home. I was out of my house almost 6 hours.
It is now Saturday night. Looking back on the week, wow, I cannot believe I've made it through this so far. Duty called for my husband the last 3 weeks so he has been out of state. I never like to let people know I'm "alone" for safety reasons, but man, if I can make it through this last month, I can make it through anything. I'm not going to brag about pushing through, the lack of sleep, the stress, handling this all while being the only one to look after our son and also living in a construction zone. When my hubby is away, I tend to try to occupy our son more with socialization to make his emotions more bearable. He misses his dad terribly. THIS WAS A VERY HARD MONTH. I have been tested. Unfortunately, I had to put a few of my routines aside. I can't wait to have some relief from my other half so I can live more at peace.
I also want to note...If people think they don't have time to move their bodies and eat more nutritious foods now, wait till you get sick. You will spend so much of your time being busy sick. This whole blog is only my story as a support person. My mom is constantly on the phone with insurance and doctors, having to get her life in order, attending other appointments with other people, worrying about prescriptions getting picked up now, etc. I beg you to please restructure your life to include healthier living so you can delay or avoid sickness. Yes, we will all die of something..But many of our countries' leading causes of death is due to poor lifestyle habits. We are such a sick nation, I really believe there will be such a HIGH number of people getting sick sooner, living with an illness that would have been avoided given a healthy lifestyle and ultimately dying younger than recent years. Believe me, one of the best ways you can do it is by reducing your time on your screens and asking for help.
Upcoming events:
She also needs a stent put in place. It turns out her vein in her lung is about 50% restricted due to the mass there. This is to prevent heart failure. I haven't heard when this will take place yet.
I still need to figure out logistics for her radiation the next 2 weeks.