Now, enough with that malarkey. I'll get it started.
This is Mom and myself. Mom and I met 15 years ago when I became friends with her son, and I've called her Mom ever since. I never had a mom, so other than my grandmother, she's the only Mom I ever had. We found out earlier this year that she has
Mantle Cell Lymphoma, one of the rarest, most aggressive forms of Lymphoma. Prognosis for someone with this disease is not good, to say the least.
Her treatment option, as she only had one presented to her, was to begin chemotherapy immediately. For 6 months, she'll spend 5-6 days admitted in the hospital, getting 8 treatments over that time period. The final treatment lasts for a continuous 24 hours. Then, she is at home for 3 weeks, but she has to go in for labs and other appointments throughout. Then, she starts the cycle again. She got admitted yesterday for her second round of chemo.
While she was home, the level of her health varied from day to day. Some days, she seems as good as she ever has. Some days, she's in a little pain, but overall ok. Then there are days where she doesn't want to get out of bed. One thing that, luckily, seems to stay constant is her appetite. She's been eating very well, and those of us around her see this as a very good sign. Every time she goes in
for labs, they tell her that her white blood count is rising and looking good, so that's wonderful news. This all started with an enlarged spleen, which is still enlarged, though not as big as it was, and will probably come out after she completes the 6 months of chemo.
For now, all we can do is take it a day at a time, and enjoy every minute we have with her.
