Audrey's story continues
The past 3 months have really flown by. I try to go see Mom and Dad at least once a week. Today is Monday June 27th. We have been having a heat wave. The temperature has been in the 90's for 6 days straight. Donnie and I have been staying inside most the time. We decided to go to Mom and Dad's today. Dad has a new rule that we are not to bring anything down to them to simplify things in their life. Today I just brought mom a single peace rose. We got there a little after 1. I called my daughter Sherry and she came over soon after. We all sat around and Dad told us stories about his cousin in Kentucky who called to tell about the Perry Reunion they had a week ago. Dad's brother-in-law, Vernie Finch went to the reunion with his 2 granddaughter's (Brad Finch's daughters). Aunt Mary (Perry) Finch died on my birthday, January 10th in 2004.
After a while Sherry asked if she and I could go out for a ride in Dad's Convertible. I had some packages to Mail for Ebay so I threw them in the convertible and we drove up down, in the convertible, in the heat. We came back and Mom, Dad, and Don were watching Oprah. It was the episode where she got her ears pierced. While we were watching the show, Mom's classmate Ramona Stickell delivered a Jello soaked cake, fresh raspberries and Cool Whip. She called from her cellphone. She was in the driveway. She has trouble getting in and out of her car so Dad went out and got it. Ramona has been very good to Mom and Dad during all of this.
Audrey starts her cancer journey
I should have kept better notes about what has been happening with mom. Luckily, I took pictures at different times and my digital camera marks the pictures with a date. Time goes by very quickly lately. It seems like every time I turn around, it is Saturday and time to watch Cops and America's Most Wanted.
I am not sure of the exact dates when all this happened but I better put these thoughts down now or I will forget them forever.
On Thursday the 14th Dad had gone out to Lake Bracken to play cards. He felt bad about leaving Mom at home. On his last hand, his partner had decided to "go it alone" so Dad left early. As he was walking down the sidewalk at the club house, he stepped next to the sidewalk where they had dug a trench to install new lighting. Dad fell on his face and hands and knees. Other came out of the clubhouse and saw the blood and one of the guys drove Dad to the Emergency Room and someone called mom to let her know that Dad was there. He didn't have to have any stitches but he needed to have his knee and wrist looked at later. Mom had a Doctor's Appointment the next morning. They made arrangements to have an scope put down her throat on Saturday April 16th at St. Mary's Hospital. Donnie and I went down Saturday to be with them. I got to see Dad's bruised face for the first time that day. He looked like he had a portwine stain on the side of his face. I started to get tears in my eyes. Dad had broke his glasses in the fall so he and Donnie went to Sears to see about getting new glasses. I sat in the waiting room crocheting. It had taken a little longer than expected. Don and Dad came back. They had gone to Long John Silver's to get some food. Donnie gave me his left over fries. Dr. Patel finally came out to show us the pictures. He acted like he remembered me but he must have confused me with someone else. Anyway, he showed us the spots of cancer in both of mom's lungs and on her vocal chords. He said he would show them to Dr. McClean and they would have to decide how to proceed. We all went back to Mom and Dad's and I took pictures of Dad's face. We sat around for a while and then Donnie and I went home.
I can't remember where this falls in place, but mom also had to have a Cat Scan on her brain. I couldn't understand why she had to have a brain scan because she had lung cancer. Anyway, she was given some medicine so she wouldn't get claustaphobia. She was a little dizzy from the medicine when she got home. When the results came back we found out the cancer had gone to her brain. Before they could do anything with the lung cancer, they had to use radiation on her brain. Mom's first thought was that she was going to need a good wig and some turbans. We have a wig place in Davenport called Betty's Wigs.
Dad had been talking about giving Jake a car so he could get his driver's license. It has been a busy time, but this gave mom and dad something else to focus on. So on Wednesday, April 27th, Mom, Dad, and Sherry came up with the car. Sherry and I took Mom to Betty's Wigs and watched as Betty styled wigs on mom. We liked the first one and then Betty offered to put a longer style on Mom. We thought she was going to put a very long wig on her but it ended up being just straight in back and it wasn't long. Sherry and I both liked it on her. So mom decided to get it. She also bought a couple turbans. The picture on this page was taken at Betty's Wigs and that is Betty in the background. I will always remember that day. While we were gone, Dad took Jake out for a ride in the car. It was a very good day. I gave Mom a bouquet of Daisies. I also served them Vegetable pizzas on flattened grand biscuits. I chopped the vegetables to spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Mom liked them.
Audrey goes through Radiation
The day after she got her wig, Mom started her Radiation treatments in Galesburg. It was nice that she didn't have to go out of town. She had treatments on weekdays and had the weekends off. Her hair didn't fall out right away. She had heard stories of people that didn't have their hair fall out. She heard a lot of stories about cancer. About different kinds of cancer. So each story is different.
After 10 radiation treatments, on Thursday May 12, mom noticed that her hair was starting to fall out. She seemed concerned and after talking to her I told her I would be there within 2 hours. Donnie stayed home so he could take Jake to get his driver's license that day. I arrived at Mom and Dad's and Mom washed her hair before she went to her hairdresser. Her loose hair formed a hairball on top of her head. I had my camera with me and took pictures. I took her to her hairdresser, Sandy, and took pictures of Sandy cutting her hair and the side hair was hanging on but the top was thin. Sandy also styled mom's new wig. It looked very nice.
On April 22, I received a shipment of silkworms. I am recalling that that was the day that mom found out that she had spots in her brain. I could be wrong on the date but it was really close to that day. I started feeding my worms Mulberry leaves but we had a late April freeze that killed several Mulberry leaves off. I was having problems finding enough leaves to feed my silkworms. After mom went to Sandy's, she and I went around looking for Mulberry leaves. As we were driving down by the former Lumberyard, I couldn't resist saying, "Did you ever imagine that you would be 75 years old, diagnosed with lung cancer and riding around with your nearly 50 year old daughter looking for mulberry leaves to feed Silkworms?" Of course, none of this ever crossed anyone's mind.
When we got back to Mom and Dad's I called home and found out that Jake had passed his driver's test. I was so happy. He has been patient since he will be 19 August 21. Mom and Dad are glad also. They have done so much for us these past 2 months. They paid for Sherry's teeth and gave Jake a car. It has affected us greatly.
