A heaping helping of frustration.

This is my aunt's 8th day in the hospital.  During that time, we've been given highs, lows and in-betweens. 

She was told Monday that her tumor that was found was cancerous.

She was told Tuesday or Wednesday that it was precancerous.

She was told Tuesday that she had a spot on her lung and one in her right breast.  Nothing to worry about.  Probably calcium deposit in the breast and perhaps asbestos in the lung.

She was sent down for a mammogram on Wednesday and the tech told her that it looked suspicious and like it was cancer.  Oh, the term was changed from spot to mass. 

They decided that they had to have a biopsy of it.  Aunt Donna said that they could do it when they do her surgery to remove the rectal tumor.  They came Thursday afternoon and did it in her room.

Today she was told that she has three additional "lumps" that they have found, one place being her pancreas. 

Today she was told that the "spot" on her lung needed to be biopsied and they will be doing that tomorrow. 

Cancer, no cancer, cancer, no cancer, cancer . . .

She is looking towards surgery possibly Wednesday.  She's wanting them to remove what they can remove and have radiation or chemotherapy.  She's repeated that several times.  By what she said that the doctor has said, it doesn't look like any of those three are truly the options that they are looking at.

Frankly, I do think that my aunt is full of cancer.  They could carve and chop her up like a pumpkin, but at this point, I don't know that it would make a huge difference. 

Each phone call gives a different answer.  She says that once she hangs the phone up, the doctors come in and tell her something else. 

What is worse is how I currently feel about what would be good news that she gave me.  You see, my biological father (her brother), came to her the other day and said that he is now a Christian.  While I think that it is grand that he is saved, I admit questioning his motives.  As a Christian, I feel horrible about this.  I talked to Mom about it, who was married to the man and could confirm or deny my feelings.  My mom's bit, "Well, I hope that we're both wrong."  Apparently, he had done this once with her.  You see, my aunt is a very devote Christian.  To tell her that you are a Christian as well gets her singing praises to the Lord the way that any good Baptist would.  Sadly, we live in a fallen world.  As such, some people aren't quite as pure and full of integrity with their announcements of such devotion to our Lord and Savior.  My thoughts, and I hate that I go there with it, is that he has told her that so that he can "get in good with her" before she dies.  I suspect that he believes that if he speaks to her in her love language, that he'll be the recipient of all her earthly goods when she passes.

Aunt Donna is an old woman with not a whole lotta much.

My sister frustrates me with her continual complaining to Aunt Donna about things that she and her children don't have.  Of course, this prompts Aunt Donna to be the fixer (middle child) and do what she can for my sister, even if it would be her last cent.  My aunt has been trying to contact my sister from the hospital.  My sister has phones that she said need to be replaced.  Now, she's known this for a while.  My aunt has finally gotten so frustrated that she sent me out today to spend $60.00 on new phones for my sister.  It gripes me to no end that the wanting doesn't seem to cease. 

My mom phoned my aunt and prayed with her.  Mom said that Aunt Donna pleaded to God for healing.  Miracles do and can happen.  Who am I to stand in the way of her pleading? 

I'm frustrated because this isn't my first time at the rodeo.  I walked my grandmother (Mom's mom) through colon cancer.  My aunt (Mom's sister) was prayed for and with through brain cancer.  My grandmother (Aunt Donna's mom) was prayed for and with regarding her small cell lymphoma.  This rodeo looks like a duck.  It's walking like a duck.  I fear that it is a big, massed out duck. 

This one I can't fix, even if I am a middle child.

The Tooth Fairy needs you! Foreign coin ID, please.

Our tooth fairy is an international traveler.  As such, she leaves K- foreign coin when she flies by for a tooth pick-up.  These coins were earned by the tooth fairy with a little help from a friend's mom that works at a zoo.  The zoo's fountain gets filled with coins and some of it is foreign.  Since I try to help the tooth fairy out from time to time, I've been put to task to identify the country of origin of these coins before the tooth fairy distributes them to K- for her lost teeth.

HELP!

1.  Says something to the effect of Confederatio Helvetica.-- SWITZERLAND!
2.  Looks potentially Russian.
3.  and 5.  Looks potentially Russian. 
4.  Says Deutschland on it. -- GERMANY!

She's gotten a Euro, money from Turkey and pence from Scotland.  With the snaggle toothy front tooth that is twisting and just dangling there (I've encouraged her to pull it, but nope), she'll be enjoying some money from Panama.  I also have money from the Bahamas. 

Lend a hand to the tooth fairy, will you?  Thanks!

Aunt Donna update:  She had a mammogram which labeled the spot on her breast as a "mass" and it needs biopsied.  Though she was originally denied surgery for the rectal tumor, she now is cleared by the cardiologist.  (Calcium deposits on her heart.)  She has a spot on her lung, but goodness knows what that is.  Honestly, it sounds as if she has the small cell lymphoma that my grandma had and it has cropped up in several places.  I know that they said that the colon bit is precancerous, but other things have cropped up and it doesn't seem like dots are connecting to me.  Her request is that we pray God's will for her life.  She is a Christian and said that she is good with whatever God's will has for her.  Bless her calcium deposited heart.

ETA:  The dangling tooth de-dangled while I was out visiting with my aunt.  K- was so thrilled that she gave me a call to let me know. 

Hubs is 40 today!

Happy birthday, Hubs!  You took my ribbing in stride when I handed you a card that said, "Someone special is turning 80!"  You've never been huge on having a giant party in your honor.  You'd rather go and do something with your people than to hob-nob with folks over cake and dairy.  You are a great husband and a wonderful dabby.  (No, it's not a typo.) 

Here's to hoping that you have a wonderful day!

For whatever it is worth, this is post 2 for the day.  Each one deserved its own bit!

Aunt Donna and better news.

First, Aunt Donna's test results stunned her doctors and the nursing staff on the ward that she is on. 

Her test results came back as PREcancerous.  The doctor who did the colonoscopy came up to her himself to announce the results.  The nurses were so stunned that they bought her balloons.  Her primary care doctor was shocked. 

The power of prayer is a good thing.

Her primary care doctor told her that she will be able to go through surgery.  He anticipates that she'll be okay with it.

Now, onward to other news.  Her scan came back showing a spot on her right breast and one in her lung.  The primary care physician is keeping those on watch, as he thinks that the spot on her breast may be a calcium deposit (Grandma Gum had that) and that the spot on her lung may be asbestos?  That sounds concerning to me, but her doctor, who makes no bones about letting her know if he is concerned, is okay to sit and watch. 

Her roommate is dreadful, but my aunt is taking it in stride. 

The nurses absolutely love her and she makes them laugh.  It's a good thing to be a blessing.

So, we're praying.  We're being thankful.  We're being cautious.  Thanks for praying.  Keep up the good work!

C

Though some of the inside pieces of this are subject to change, my aunt is currently in the hospital and as of this morning, with no family present, was given cancer as a diagnosis. 

How my heart breaks for her. 

She went into the hospital on Friday, knowing that blood counts were down and whatnot.  Her doctor had ordered a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.  The colonoscopy was performed this AM and gave details of a large tumor present, as well as polyps.  She had no idea when the test was going to be today, but called at 6:30 AM to say that, "Her chariot had arrived."

Currently, she is handling the news okay.  I think that she might be in disbelief.  I know that she hasn't been heeding the signs that her body has given to her.  Still, I don't know for how long.  Grandma had been sick for some time and after she died last December, Aunt Donna went into a deep depression.  She seemed to snap out of it personality wise, but she seemed to still be lagging.

Yuck.  Cancer sucks.