First Post-op Doctor's Appointment

Mom went to see both her main doctor and her plastic surgeon yesterday. Here is a brief overview of all the good news. (thanks to Gloria, my mom's best friend)

Mom's blood pressure is down, so the meds are working. She doesn't have to cover up her tracheotomy hole anymore because it has healed so well.

She will starting radiation sometime after the holidays. It will be at OHSU for 6 weeks, 5 days a week all at OHSU. Because of mom's double vision, she won't be able to drive herself, so if you would like to help or would be able to get her to an appointment at any time, please let us know.

She will also begin physical therapy shortly to help with the use of her left arm, which has suffered because of the tissue and bone removal. She has borrowed a treadmill and will be using it in short bursts to help get her stamina up.

They believe that the swelling is causing the double vision, but plan to recheck the eye when the swelling goes down.

Overall, the doctors were very please with how everything is healing inside and out. And once the radiation starts, the swelling will go way down, so things should be getting better.

But wonderful news was that there was no cancer found in her lymph nodes!!!

That's the news for the day. Please continue to pray for mom's continued healing. You are all a blessing.

Wednesday, December 16

Today I am heading back to Walla Walla, but I will still be keeping you informed as to my mom's condition as she continues to heal.
Each and every day mom has continued to make improvements. Her pain is less, the swelling has gone down, her arm and shoulder mobility are getting better little by little. And even though she still has pain, it is much more manageable than it has been.
She is still having problems with her vision, as her left eye is causing her to see everything double. her ophthalmologist, Dr. Ng says that it should improve in the next couple of months. He also has talked about making her special glasses to combat the problem.
At this time, because of her vision and the pain meds, my mom is unable to drive which is frustrating to her because, as you know, she loves her independence.
The flap of tissue that was harvested from mom's shoulder and implanted in her mouth is doing well, although it makes it difficult for her to drink and eat solid foods due to its bulk. Of course, this will continue to improve with time.
This Friday, she will head back to OHSU to meet with her main Dr. (Dr. Arce) and plastic surgeion (Dr. Wax) for her first post-op appointment. Her best friend Gloria and her sister Janice will be going with her.
We have been so blessed with all the cards, notes, emails, calls, messages, and visits. Thank you all for being such an encouragement to me and my mom.
Blessings,
Kate

Settling In

Mom is doing well at home. She is starting to get her routine situated, and her pain is being managed well by the medication. She does tend to get a little stir crazy at times, but all in all, things are going well.

What we need right now are people who would be willing to just stop by and sit with my mom from time to time. I am leaving on Wednesday. So, if you are someone who might be able to do this, please let me know. Thanks so much.

Home Sweet Home

Mom is home and getting settled. She had a good night last night. She is still in quite a bit of pain from the shoulder area where they removed the tissue and bone, but other than that, she is doing well.
She would love to have visitors, so if you would like to stop by, I know she would love to see you.
It would be nice if you would give us a ring ahead of time. You can call my phone, or my mom's, both we will be answering both phones.
Thanks again for all of your prayers.

Almost Home

Mom is doing so great, that they are letting her come home tomorrow. :) She also had her feeding tube and trache removed, so she was pretty stoked about that. I know she would love to have visitors, but it would be really nice if you would touch base with us before hand, just so we can expect you. :)

Soon to be outta there

Mom is doing amazingly. She has been eating today, so much so, that they are going to removing her feeding tube. Of course, she isn't on to solid food yet, but she ate cream of wheat, soup and strawberry ice cream, and she is loving every minute of it. She is also doing great with the trache and that will be coming out soon as well. She is expecting to be allowed to go home on Friday, and is very excited about it. Annette came and cut her hair for her as well, so she's sporting a short "do". All in all, it's been a good day. Thanks so much for all the prayers.

Talking

Mom is talking! Albeit, she kind of sounds like a robot and all of that, but it's pretty good news nonetheless. I actually spoke with her on the phone about an hour ago. They have placed a valve on her trache that allows her to talk without losing air through it. Kind of cool.

Other than that, mom is doing well. She is much more mobile than she has been and is moving around and taking walks. She is in good spirits and is making jokes which is good.

Dr. Arce said she may go home Friday, so that's good news. They want to get the trache out and get her drinking liquids before she heads home.

So, thanks for your prayers, and keep praying for mom's continued healing.

Monday

Today was a pretty good day for mom. Her trache was changed out this morning for a smaller one, and she can talk some. Her swelling has gone down a lot. She is still experiencing a lot of pain in her eye and shoulder areas, but it is managed well by the pain medications.

She was in a good mood today, making jokes and being ornery, so that is good. She is up for visitors now, so if you would like to see her, please let me know, and I will tell you when a good time to go see her is.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers.

I went and saw mom this morning. She is looking a lot better. Her swelling has gone down even more. The nurse said she had a good night. We took her iPod so that she can have some music. When we were there the speech therapist came by and said that she will be hving a smaller trache soon and she might be able to start trying to talk later today or tomorrow, which I know she liked hearing. All in all, the prognosis is good. Thanks for all the prayers.

Saturday

Went and saw mom twice today. The swelling has gone down even more. She is looking better and moving around more. She is experiencing a lot of pain in her shoulder where they took the bone and tissue from, and also from her eye area. She says that the other areas they touched aren't causing her problems.

She is frustrated because of the pain. but other than that is doing ok. The doctors say her progress is excellent! So, that's really good. I will go and see her tomorrow morning before church, so if you have questions, you can seek me out before or after the 11:00 service.

Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and support.

Blessings,

Kate

Recovery Proceding

Hello everyone,
I spent last night with mom, and she seems to be getting better. She has been having some trouble with her breathing, but I spoke with my aunt, and it looks like the day staff has gotten that under control. Other than that, her recovery is proceeding as expected. She thinks that she will be able to take the trache out possibly tomorrow, so that is good. She is still not ready for visitors, but I will let you all know when she is up for some more company.

Blessings,
Kate

Moving Rooms

I just got back from seeing mom, and she is moving from ICU to a regular room. She is doing great. Of course, she has some discomfort and pain, but all in all, she is feeling well and in high spirits. I will be going up to spend most of the night with her in the new place just to make sure she feels comfortable. I will let you all know more details and when she is up for visitors.
Thanks for all your prayers.

Blessings,
Kate

Waking Up

Hey everyone,

I just got back from seeing mom in the ICU. When we got there she was just starting to wake up. She is looking really good. She is very swollen, but her color is great. She is breathing on her own and was very responsive. We even got a thumbs up every once in a while. The plastic surgeon, Dr. Wax, stopped by when we were there, and he says that her face is looking fantastic, and they believe that the bone took and will be doing well.
She is very in and out of it right now, and we expect her to be in ICU for at least another day, possibly a couple, depending on how quickly she recovers. She seems positive and is resting comfortably.
Thank you all so very much for all the prayers, I promise to keep you updated as her recovery continues.

Blessings,
Kate

Finally Out!

So, mom finally made it out of surgery and is finally resting comfortably in ICU. There were some minor complications with plastic surgery, but everything has been resolved. We will be going to see her in the morning, so I will update you all more then.

Blessings,

Kate

Surgery Day

Mom went into surgery today at 9:00 am. Dr. Arce, my mom's main doctor, just came and told us that the areas he had planned on removing are all out. Everything went extremely well, and he had to take less than he had expected in the beginning. The incisions were made in areas that will not be completely visible to the naked eye. They are now in the reconstruction part of the surgery. They will be taking tissue and bone from her shoulder area to fill out the areas of her face. So far everything is going fabulously. She has a great surgical team, and everyone at OHSU is so very kind and helpful. I just want to thank you all for your prayers.

I will let you know when we hear more.

Daily Update

Hey everyone,

I will be keeping you updated by this blog daily, so please check back to get the latest news on how my mom is doing.
You are all so awesome, and we are totally blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a great support to my mom.

Blessings,
Kate