Just when you think things can't get any worse......
Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:27 pm
Just an update for you kind forumites who expressed love and concern for my sister and me.
I wish I had better news to report. Ann's health continues to dteriorate at an alarming rate. She is now unable to eat solid foods as a tumor is pressing on the nerve(s) that control her tongue/swallowing. She is drinking Ensure and trying to liquify foods but has lost 10 pounds in the last week and a half. My sis is 5'7" and about 125 pounds so she obviously doesn't have 10 pounds to lose.
We are all very frustrated with her docs in Iowa who seem to be just treating symptoms as they appear and not trying to do anything to slow the spread of the cancer. Although we all realize that this may be a losing battle, it's a battle that Ann wants to fight.
Therefore, she has contacted the Cancer Treatment Center of America here in IL and will be heading there next week for a consultation. For those of you not familiar with them, they offer cutting edge alternative treatments, as well as conventional therapies. Through connections I have at my church I think we'll be able to arrange a flight for her through "Angel Flight" as she could never handle the 3 hour drive.
Add to this the fact that my father also seems to be declining at an increasing rate and is exhibiting the beginning signs of Alzheimer's( which runs in his family) and the fact that my husband is now unemployed and to say that this is the most stressful time my family has ever faced would be a tremendous understatement. Thus the title of my post.....
I thank God that we were able to take our wonderful trip to STJ before this all started. I draw on those memories often to help get through the day.
Thanks for letting me vent...
Meg
I wish I had better news to report. Ann's health continues to dteriorate at an alarming rate. She is now unable to eat solid foods as a tumor is pressing on the nerve(s) that control her tongue/swallowing. She is drinking Ensure and trying to liquify foods but has lost 10 pounds in the last week and a half. My sis is 5'7" and about 125 pounds so she obviously doesn't have 10 pounds to lose.
We are all very frustrated with her docs in Iowa who seem to be just treating symptoms as they appear and not trying to do anything to slow the spread of the cancer. Although we all realize that this may be a losing battle, it's a battle that Ann wants to fight.
Therefore, she has contacted the Cancer Treatment Center of America here in IL and will be heading there next week for a consultation. For those of you not familiar with them, they offer cutting edge alternative treatments, as well as conventional therapies. Through connections I have at my church I think we'll be able to arrange a flight for her through "Angel Flight" as she could never handle the 3 hour drive.
Add to this the fact that my father also seems to be declining at an increasing rate and is exhibiting the beginning signs of Alzheimer's( which runs in his family) and the fact that my husband is now unemployed and to say that this is the most stressful time my family has ever faced would be a tremendous understatement. Thus the title of my post.....
I thank God that we were able to take our wonderful trip to STJ before this all started. I draw on those memories often to help get through the day.
Thanks for letting me vent...
Meg