Memorial Day Update

Mom had a fairly sleepy day today, which was probably a wise decision given the extreme heat that arrived in Phoenix. Over the weekend, we watched the Suns fall to the Lakers, had several family meals together, and welcomed a new quail family to the backyard. We came across a fun video of Mom (Oma) today with her grandkids, Henry and Charlie, and thought we'd share it with all of you. Thank you all for the lovely emails and cards that came in over the weekend. Safe and happy Memorial Day to all!

Friday

Mom woke up with a little appetite today, which was nice, so Rob got a poached egg going while Becky made some blueberry yogurt. After that, we sat outside with her in the backyard and she took a long nap in the warm shade. She shook her head when we told her about the devastating Suns loss last night (we still can't believe it). The whole family will be together through the weekend which will be quite nice.

Home Hospice

Today, mom arrived home to begin in-home hospice care. When we asked if she knew where she was, she opened her eyes, smiled and said "home". It's so nice to have her here with us and we think she feels more comfortable. We'd like to thank you all again for you cards, thoughts, and prayers. Mom is certainly well-loved by all who know her.

Sunday Update

Mom continues to rest comfortably at the hospice center. The staff is extremely nice and we all get to sit out on her private patio during the cooler hours. Tonight, we are looking forward to watching the Suns game together, which hopefully will turn out better than the past two. She didn't sleep well last night, so hopefully watching the Suns hustle will get her ready for some good sleep. We continue to read mom your comments and cards when she is awake and alert and she really appreciates all of your well wishes and support.

Coyote

We spotted this guy on our way out of the Mayo probably looking for the little prairie dog in the previous pictures.

Wildlife

Suzy has a gorgeous room right now. She has a patio that looks out over the desert with a view of distant Camelback Mountain. Sitting on the patio the wildlife comes right up to check out the flowers and the crumbs dropped by the visitors. Here's a few shots I was able to catch while sitting on the patio the other morning.

Tuesday

We met with the doctors yesterday and they told us that in mom's current condition she can not tolerate any more chemotherapy. Unfortunately, that means mom is transitioning to hospice care later today. There's not much more to write except to say thank you for your continued support for our family. Please know that our mom is resting comfortably. We continue to start each day as a new day and hold hope for what tomorrow could bring.

Resting

Today was a day of rest for mom, who is recovering from her recent operation. The radiation effects have started and she is experiencing extreme fatigue. She wakes up every so often to give us a big smile (and sometimes a well-earned sigh). She might be discharged over the weekend, so we have set up home health to assist us at the house. Stay tuned for more updates and know that Suzy appreciates all of your thoughts and notes.

Ommaya Reservoir

Today, Mom had an ommaya reservoir installed in her head. The ommaya is essentially a catheter system that will allow the doctors to administer chemotherapy directly into her cerebral spinal fluid. She already had her first dose immediately following the surgery. She's resting now and will hopefully sleep well tonight. Thank you all for your continued support and we will provide another update tomorrow.

bad cactus band

Band at Rob and Liz's wedding

Wedding vows at the Mayo

 

The Gang's All Here

Today, Suzy woke up feeling a little better than yesterday. "Well, I guess that's good," she said. It's actually great. She has made small improvements over the past two days, which is encouraging. Her doctor was very surprised to hear mom ask what she was doing for mother's day tomorrow. Two of her good friends from school stopped by last night to chat with her (thank you so much Kathy and Mary) and she said they had a really nice visit. Even better when you get to watch the Suns crush the Spurs. Here's a nice picture of the whole gang taken by mom's amazing neurologist (Dr. Porter). Suzy sends her thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, emails, and cards. This morning, we got to read through quite a few of them, as well as your comments on the blog.

Luxury suite at Mayo (they must really love her!)

Continuing the Fight

A couple days ago, mom started to feel a little too tired and weak, which worried all of us, so we ended up taking her back to Mayo to help get keep her hydrated and manage the pain. She's doing a little better there and her clarity has improved somewhat. The current plan is still to go forward with the treatment, as it has the potential to improve her pain and give her more quality time with her friends and family. She continues radiation treatments this week and then will begin intrathecal chemotherapy next week. We have been reading her all of your cards and emails when she is feeling better. More family continues to arrive and she is surrounded by love. We will continue to keep you updated.

Back Yard

Joan and Becky getting Suzy's back yard ready for visitors next weekend. Everyone has helped plant flowers in the yard this winter and spring and Suzy's yard is looking fantastic.