Cancer chromosome count

Mom has finished her first treatment of chemo and is on to her next treatment this week. She goes in on one day, has the treatment and a pump attached to her, goes home and returns 48 hours later to have the pump removed. So far mom's side affects have been to a minimum. She had some bleeding of her gums, so she switched from her electric toothbrush to a manual one. She also has a rash on her face that her doctor says is an allergic reaction. Mom had poison ivy last year and she says the rash reminds her of her poison ivy. She also has had some trouble sleeping due to the medication so she has gotten some sleeping pills from her general practitioner.

Each time mom goes to receive a chemotherapy treatment they do lots of blood work and take all her vitals. They then compare everything to the previous visit to see how things are progressing. Yesterday, the day of her second visit, she got some good news. The cancer chromosome count in her liver has gone down since last treatment. This translates, if I understand it all, into the treatment is working. Mom has lost four pounds since last treatment, a week ago. She says she needed to lose some weight but this is a little fast for her. The doctor gave her "permission" to eat what she wants, as much as she wants, and when she wants. Now I'm waiting for a doctor to tell me that!

Grandma, mom's mother, also got some good news today with her cancer. After her surgery and all of her follow up visits they decided not to do chemotherapy. They think they got all of the cancer. They also said that she only needs to come back to the oncologist in six months for a check-up. If everything is good from there she will go on to once a year check-ups.

It seems we got good news when we all needed it.

-- Stephanie