JULY 20 UPDATE

Mom just got home late this afternoon. Although she is tired (what else can you be when you've been in a hospital?), she is feeling very well. She has to have her blood monitored every other day while she is on the antibiotic for the uti. She'll also see Dr. Blau this Friday for a little check-in, and a urologist next week. Thanks for your support!!!

JULY 18, 2009 UPDATE

Mom is resting comfortably at Good Sam, catching up on sleep, and feeling very well. She gave us quite a scare. She had taken chemo (melphelan, a type of thalidomide) & prednisone last Sat. through Tuesday, with few side effects. Then she started feeling extremely tired, had stomach pains,and her blood was WAY too thin. By Friday morning, she was so sick we took her to the emergency room where she was given Vitamin K, frozen plasma, & antibiotics. Her blood was seriously thin until today; not sure if this was caused by the chemo/prednisone routine, or the uti. This morning she sat up for breakfast and feels like a new woman. Her sleepiness is due to being poked and prodded all night and much of today. She has been x-rayed for possible pneumonia, but no results yet. She received blood transfusions early this morning, and again tonight, I think. Granddaughter Angela Becker had just finished the quilt of family photos that she has been working on. It is absolutely gorgeous, and made the hospitalization more cheerful - good timing, Angela. Mom will be in the hospital a few more days. I'll keep you posted!

JULY 8 UPDATE FROM METHOW VALLEY

This report comes to you LIVE from the grand town of Twisp, Washington; population 1,000 plus 6 lively young sisters! Our visit here is the twelfth time the six of us have girls (Annie, Theresa, Rose, Becky, Julie, Barb) have spent four days together each summer. We have to pick a DIFFERENT town each time because we create such lasting memories for the residents, especially the proprietors of the B & Bs we visit.

Mom's spirits are pretty good. The myeloma is attacking her skin, so she looks like a kid with chicken pox. She will be trying a round of chemo, pills four days in a row, then the rest of the month off. Unfortunately, she has to take prednisone along with that, and it has some uncomfortable effects on her. She is strong enough to walk pretty far with her walker, and has been attending Sunday mass pretty regularly. Becky and I decided to take Mom to the Tacoma Farmers' Market. The day was clear and hot, the fruits were luscious, the variety and colors of flowers were gorgeous, and the variety of ethnic foods was delightful. To get Mom to the market, Becky and I packed her into the wheelchair, turned the corner of the block, and realized that we were at the TOP of a hill in downtown Tacoma. If you've been in Tacoma, you will know that the hills are STEEP. We were just happy to find a parking spot, and didn't consider the hill. Too bad Candid Camera wasn't filming. Becky was wearing flip flops with heels; I was wearing sandals with no traction, and we were heading DOWN HILL!!!. We both had to hold on to the wheelchair to keep it from rolling down too quickly. Whenever the chair gained too much momentum, we turned it into the building to stop it. We would then start up again until the chair had too much momentum. People laughed at us; Mom was holding on for dear life; no one offered to help. We made it, having learned a valuable lesson. Needless to say, I drove the car DOWN the hill to pick her up after we had toured the market.

Please know that Mom LOVES your visits, phone calls, cards, flowers, and prayers. Please know that the family appreciates and values your support.