SHE'S HOME!!!

-angel =) 

SHE'S COMING HOME!!! Today the doctor will be letting mom come home.  She will be allowed to eat solid foods again as well!!!  She was also referred to an oncologist for further care.  Can't think of anything else worth writing.  "Nah nah nah, nah... Nah nah nah, nah... hey hey hey... Good bye!!!" (hospital).

-angel =) 

First of all, I'm sorry for not posting an update last night.  I had a long Sunday night and didn't get much sleep.  Nothing to do with mom.  So when I came home last night, I went straight to bed and forgot to post an update and to those who called today to make sure everything was all right, thank you very much!!!  It shows how much you truly care.

Yesterday they took mom off the morphine (and she was okay) and she is now on a liquid diet.  She is getting up on her own to use the restroom, to walk around the hallways, even to just get up and sit in a chair (more comfortable I guess).  To everyone who came to visit, thanks a bunch, mom's spirits are truly being lifted.  For those of you who would like to visit, but aren't sure of the visiting hours or how to get to the hospital, the visiting hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  If you need directions, click here and enter your home address for directions from home.  She is in room 3013 on the third floor.

Okay I'll move on to the stuff you guys really want to hear about.  The test results.  Well, we found out today.  The doctor said he took twenty five samples of mom's lymph nodes to make sure the cancer hadn't spread (for those of you who may have forgotten, the cancer had spread to her small intestine as well) and sent them each to be checked.  This is probably why it took so long to get the results back.  But the wait was worth it. ALL NEGATIVE!!!  Whoo!!!  God is Good!!!   He even said she may come home in a few days!!! "How Great Is Our God?"  I don't know how soon after that she'll be able to get back to church, but I do know my mother, and it'll probably be sooner than the doctor recommends.

So once again, sorry for not posting an update yesterday, but hopefully for you, like for us, the wait was worth it.

"I could sing of Your Love forever... I could sing of Your Love forever!!!"

-angel =) 

All is going well with mom today.  I didn't get in till a little after one in the afternoon, seeing as how today is Sunday.  Mom told me that she got out of bed again (by herself) and stayed in there for quite a while since she had a couple visitors (friends from work) shortly after she sat in a chair.  She had a nurse help her get back in bed, but is doing that with a bit more ease now.

Mom said her doctor will be coming to visit her tomorrow (hopefully with the test results) but she said last time he came, he came early. Before I got there (I arrive at 8 a.m.).  I'm hoping he comes a little later.  I will let you guys know the results (as long as mom says it's ok) as soon as possible.

Thanks to all who came to visit today and who brought gifts.  God said we would know His people by their love for one another.  You are definitely showing your love.  Thank you very much.

-angel =) 

HUGE PROGRES!!! Mom was able to get out of bed all by herself!!! She sat in a chair for a good half hour to forty-five minutes, and then proceeded to get back in bed (mostly by herself)!!!  The doctor also removed the tube from her stomach!!! She is able to speak more freely and has her normal comical attitude back!!!

Mom slept most of the day (morphine will do that to you) but when she was awake, she watched a little T.V., read her Bible and showed off her "battle wound".  She'll probably get up and try to walk the hallway tomorrow. I would say she progressed 100% compared to yesterday.  At this rate (God willing) she'll be home by early next week!!! Although she's in no hurry herself.  The nurses are awesome and are a great help.

The only bad news is that we haven't heard anything about the test results to see if the cancer spread to her lymph nodes.  But as a great song by Twila Paris reminds me:

This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here
Carried away by emotion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control

History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh, but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has always been true
It will be true forever

He has never let you down
Why start to worry now?
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me

watching over you...watching over me..
watching over every things..
watching over you..watching over me..
every little sparrow..every little things...

-angel =) 

Sorry for the late entry, but I got home a little late and when I did get home, I had to shower.  Why? Because I had to take home a few flower arrangements and one tipped at a stop, leaking water all over my backside.

 Getting to the important information.  Mom made a huge leap in her recovery today.  She got out of bed and sat in a chair, as well as sat up in her bed.  May not seem like much, but you try doing it with a huge gash in your abdominal area.  Then remember which muscles you have to use.  Your ABDOMINAL muscles!!!  Yup yup!!! So she made a huge leap in recovery.

 The doctor visited my mom while I was at work, so i wasn't able to ask him any questions, but the nurses left a notepad that I can make notes or write questions on for the doctor.  As to the test results... they haven't come back yet.  GRRRRR!!! I want them back!!! NEGATIVE!!!  But then I remember that ALL things happen according to God's PERFECT plan and great calm comes over me.

Mom is talking more now.  She is able to hold a conversation, although she is still trying to rest her throat since she still has a tube going into her stomach through her nose and down her throat.  For anyone planning to visit tomorrow (Saturday), please realize that mom is still on a morphine drip and that does make her tired much of the time.  If she isn't completely herself, please realize it's probably the morphine.

Thank you ALL  for your prayers and your flowers.  God is SO good.  Many of the nurses He surrounds mom with are believers and aren't afraid to talk about it.  One nurse who attends CCDowney even gave mom two worship CD's.  I think it was because she heard us listening to worship music this morning.  God is a LOVING god.  And we love you ALL for everything you have done for us.  May God bless you and your families as much as you have blessed us!!!

"Lord I life Your name on high... Lord I love to sing Your praises... I'm so glad You're in my life... I'm so glad You came to save Us... Lord I lift Your name on HIGH!!!" 

 -angel =)

I thought I would start a blog to keep everyone updated with my mom's surgery.  I will do my best to add a new blog every night before 9:00 p.m. (visiting hours end at 8:00 p.m.).  Just to make sure everyone is getting the same information, the following are the facts about my mom's surgery and her current recovery situation:

      1. Surgery: The plan was to make a small incision in the lower right portion of her abdomen and remove the cancer laproscopicly using a small camera and laser.  Unfortunately, the cancer was larger than originally thought and had spread outside the colon to a small portion of the small intestine. It did not spread to the liver and we are currently waiting for test results to confirm it did not move to the lymph nodes.  So the originally planned small procedure was then turned into a large incision and therefore became a large surgery. 

    2. Recovery: Due to the large surgery, my mom is more tired and in more pain than we originally planned for. She is currently resting most of the day, and has a tube in her throat to remove an unwanted liquid waste from her stomach, so talking is not on her list of priorities.  The doctor is hoping to have her up and walking tomorrow (although mom may have other plans not to) in order to keep her muscles working and to help the recovery. 

 Thanks to all of you who are continuing to keep my mother in prayer.  We appreciate all your prayers and your cards and flowers we have received. Again I will do my best to keep you updated, so be sure to check nightly.

Like i told the Jr. and Sr. High school S.W.A.T. members last night, although the doctors have given a time of recover, they are only human.  Johnny  was supposed to be in the hospital for at least three months, and he was released after six days!!! My friend and gospel/hip hop singer Michael Washington reminded me of a great scripture:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

 "Our God, is an Awesome God, He reigns, from Heaven above with wisdom, power and love, our God is an Awesome God!!!"

 -angel =)