Wednesday, July 14, 2004 10:10 PM EST

Hi,

Hope this message finds everyone well. We are all recovering from our annual 4th of July trip to the beach. Mom, Wanda, Wendy, Madison, Spencer, Summer, Jacob, Rebecca and myself went to Myrtle Beach. Felton and Steward both came down for a few days. We all had a good time especially Rebecca, with all the family staying together she was held the entire week. The problem now is she still thinks she should be held all the time. Do you know how to spell spoiled rotten? R-E-B-E-C-C-A.

Mom is doing well the sand and salt air did her good, or maybe it was rocking the baby for hours (or actually the procrit shots) Her voice sounds stronger and her eyes are brighter. She goes back to the doctor at the end of next week.

Well I must go the Queen is calling.

Melodie

Thursday, June 24, 2004 5:43 PM

Mom had an oncology appointment yesterday. Her blood counts are down to 10.1. She will start back on procret shots next week. Thank goodness Melodie and Steward are able to give her the shots at home. She will go back to the oncologist in a month to recheck her counts.

Oh yeah, her blood pressure was 87/50. I personally think that is low. But when I asked the doctor about it, he said not to worry that with blood pressure like that Mom should live a long time. So there you have it!

I'll update again as we know more.

Love, Wanda

PS: I just spoke with Mom and asked her if there was anything she wanted to tell the world.

She said: "I'm doing fine!"

Friday, June 11, 2004 7:11 PM

GOOD NEWS!!

Mom heard from Duke today. Her MRI showed NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY. They want to see her in November.

Way to go Mom!!

We recently sent a hat to Denis Strangeman in Australia. They had a national brain tumour workshop and displayed 500 hats from Australian brain tumor patients. They allowed Mom to be an honorary Australian. Denis sent us pictures, I am trying to get them downloaded. Stay tuned.

More soon.........Love, Wanda

Thursday, May 27, 2004 2:20 PM

Last night Melodie gave birth to Grandma Pat's 6th grandbaby. After an entire day of laboring - she was born sometime around 6:00pm by C-section.

A Little girl - Rebecca Nicole
8 lbs 6 oz
20 inches
black hair

Melodie, baby, Dad and big brother are all doing good.

Now Grandma Pat has the following grandchildren: Johnathan - 20 years old; Madison - 15 years old; Spencer - 10 years old; Summer - 5 years old; Jacob - 5 years old; and baby - newborn.

Mom and Wendy spent the day at the hospital with Melodie. They enjoyed holding the baby. Mom is doing good, is very excited and tired tonight.

We promise pictures soon.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, May 20, 2004 6:49 AM

Good morning.

Mom had a doctor's appointment yesterday with her oncologist. Everything is doing good. Her blood counts are remaining around 12. There are no plans to do a bone marrow bioposy as long as her counts stay good. She is to return to the oncologist in a month for a recheck on the counts.

Mom will have and MRI early next month and it will be sent to Duke. She doesn't actually have to go back for an appointment at Duke until September.

Other news: All the kids are getting ready for the summer. Only a fews days of school left. The little ones (Summer and Jacob) will be graduating from pre-school Friday night. Also, Melodie continues to do well. She has been "inactive" for thirteen weeks now, trying not to have her baby. It is due June 19th. She has been taking medication to stop her from going into labor. She has a doctor's appointment Friday so we should know more. Stay tuned......


Love, Wanda

PS: Mom is now 3 years and 4 months out from diagnosis. But who is counting? WE ARE!! THANKS FOR CHECKING ON MOM!!

Sunday, May 9, 2004 4:49 PM

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Just getting home from Mom's house. All three daughters were there, most of the grandkids and son-in-laws, Grandpa Hallie and Dad's sister and her husband.

We had a nice visit. Although it was too HOT for any extra activity.

Mom got a nice covered porch swing. She seemed tired by the time I left - it was probably time for her nap.

We are truly blessed to have had such a nice Mother's Day with our MOM!

Love, Wanda

Thursday, April 29, 2004 6:10 PM

Hope this finds everyone doing good. Mom continues to do good. We are just waiting now to go back to her oncologist and then for an MRI and visit to Duke.

Mom called this morning to let me know that she was planning to walk in the survivors lap of the Relay For Life walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We are all going to try and be there to support her. It is a very emotional event to see all the cancer survivors walking around the track.

Please keep Mom in your prayers as we celebrate her life and all she has accomplished! We are so proud of her and her courage.

Love, Wanda

Friday, April 16, 2004 5:10 PM EST

Good news.

Mom's blood counts were a little better today. They still are running low, but at least they have not dropped any lower. The doctor said we would continue with the procrit shots and hold off on the bone marrow biopsy for now. She is to return in a month for repeat counts. She is also due for a MRI next month which will be sent to Duke. Hope everyone had a good holiday. We will update again soon.

Melodie

Friday, April 9, 2004 12:34 AM EST

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone is doing well, we are all holding our own. Mom is doing ok. She will follow up with her oncologist on Friday. Wanda and her family left Wednesday and went to the beach to visit her in-laws. Johnathan and Kristi will join them today. Wendy's family and mine will go to Mom's Sunday and have our annual Easter egg hunt, hopefully it will not turn into our annual boiled egg throwing battle. (I'll try and control myself this year). Take care and we will update after her appointment on Friday.

Melodie

Friday, March 26, 2004 10:02 PM EST

Mom went for a check up with the oncologist today. It appears that her bone marrow has been affected by all the chemotherapy she received. She has been off chemo for 2 years and continues to have difficulty with her blood counts dropping. She has received several rounds of procrit to increase her red blood counts, and they have been rising but once she stops taking the shots her counts begin to drop. Five weeks ago her hemaglobin was 13, today she was down to 11.5. The doctor wants her to come back in three weeks and have her levels checked again, he mentioned the possiblity of a bone marrow biopsy.
Wanda has already requested to get off work that day and if at all possible I will go too. It is not fair to expect Mom to go to appointments by herself and remember all the doctor said, Dad isn't much good with that sort of stuff.
Jacob has started taking karate and is really enjoying it. Summer is getting ready for her dance review in a few weeks. Spencer sang in the county chorus the other night. Mom said the elementry school group was much better than any other. Madison has been invited to the prom, so she has been getting prepared for that. Johnathan is away at college and we don't hear from him often. Granddaddy Hallie is "about the same", Wendy is busy being a "baseball Mom" which will consume her all summer. Wanda is always busy taking care of everything in Raleigh. I am now 28 weeks pregnant and was taken out of work 5 weeks ago. I am not supposed to be on my feet much, I can't go to the mall or the grocery store, needless to say I am starting to climb the walls.
Please keep us in your prayers as we will need strength in the coming weeks.

Melodie

Sunday, March 21, 2004 10:27 AM

GOOD MORNING

Mom had a busy day yesterday. I was at her house by 6:00am, we drove to Charlotte (but not before waking Wendy's entire family, to borrow her camera). Madison was in Charlotte with her school and I went to watch her compete. Mom has a sister who lives in Charlotte so she went along and spent the day with her.

They had a birthday lunch for Mom's niece, so she was able to see several members of the family. Mom really enjoyed visiting with them.

I delivered a very tired Grandma Pat back to Youngsville around 9:15pm last night. I am sure she will still be tired today.

Anyway it was nice to get to spend some time with Mom even if it was just driving for hours.

Thanks for checking in on Mom, I'll update again soon.

Love, Wanda

PS: She she has an oncology appointment on Friday. We will let you know how it goes.

Sunday, March 14, 2004 8:44 AM

Good morning.

Thought I would post a quick update. Mom continues to do good. She gets tired easily. Wendy tries to get he out of the house often- simple stuff like going to the grocery store or the Dollar store. We think Mom might have an addiciton problem........to crunchy chee-toes. haha

I think Mom enjoys cooking lunch for Melodie sometimes.

Johnathan was home for spring break and visited with Mom and Dad. He said Mom told him stories about a car she once owned that had a "possessed" radio. I think they had a good visit.

Spencer won 1st place in his grade for his science fair project this year on soil erosion. Dad helped him make the wooden trays to do the project in.

Summer and Jacob are getting ready for First Grade. And Jacob is preparing for a new little sister. He has been bring Melodie breakfast in bed recently. For a five year old - that's pretty neat.

Madison is working on a science project for 10th grade Honors Biology. She does her presentation on Monday.

Mom continues to enjoy all her grandkids and is making the best of every day. Please keep her in your prayers as she fights this cancer.

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN ON HER. I'll update again soon.

Love, Wanda

Monday, March 1, 2004 6:14 PM

The snow is gone and warm weather is here. It is amazing that it can snow on Friday and by Monday we are having temperatures in the 60s. According to the news we are suppose to have temps in the 60s and 70s all week. YIPPEE.

Mom and Wendy came by on Saturday. They were doing a little shopping the Raleigh. Mom seemed tired. I don't think she has the energy she use to have.

I am not sure about any upcoming appointments. Melodie use to keep up with all that. Unfortunately, she is not able to take Mom anymore, since being confined to her house. Its sort of like house arrest. Except, the only crime Melodie has committed is to want a healthy baby. Wendy and I both did it, and we have faith that she can too. Her last doctors appointment went well. Melodie is to just keep doing what she's been doing.

So for now the news is - NO NEWS - everyone is doing good! Thanks for checking and we will update again real soon.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, February 26, 2004 3:34 PM

Hey everyone. We got SNOW.

Mom is home staying warm. She promises not to go outside this time. The last snow we had she was outside with the dog and fell several times trying to get inside. That snow had more ice than this time.

Dad's father, Grandpa Hallie, has gone to stay with Mom and Dad tonight. Hopefully the weather will not get any worse, but is nice to have him with some of us and not home alone, in case it does.

Mom has been tired this week. She went to Kinston to visit her brother and his family on Sunday. It has taken several days for her to get her energy back.

Melodie is home now. The doctor took her out of work until the baby is born. Please keep her in your prayers.

Thanks for checking in.

Love, Wanda

Monday, February 9, 2004 6:02 PM

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Moma, Happy Birthday to you!!

In case you didn't get it, today is Mom's birthday. She spent a good part of it at the doctors office. But it was worth it. She got great news. Her blood counts are up. The oncologist said to come back in a month. YIPPEE!!!

Mom continues to do WONDERFUL!! THANK GOD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMA, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Love, Wanda

Saturday, February 7, 2004 2:35 PM

Mom continues to have a very positive attitude. She has just received her last shot of procret in this series. She hopes she will not have to take any more. Although we are not sure it is helping. I believe she will have blood work done next week. We should know more then.

Just before this update I spoke with Mom and asked what she wanted to tell the world. Her message was "I'm doing good!"

That about says it all.

Thanks for checking on Mom.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, January 24, 2004 12:18 pm

HELLO everyone.

We took Mom to Duke on Tuesday. Good News!!!! NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY!!! Everything looks exactly the same. Mom has been having MRIs done every three months and going to Duke every six months. Duke has decided to move it out another month. So, Mom will get her next MRI done in four months, it will be sent to Duke for review. If everything looks Ok, then she will have another MRI done four months from then and will go to Duke for an appointment. If all goes well, she may start going to Duke on a yearly basis.

Moms continues to take procret shots. She has three more weeks in this series. Blood work will be done at the end of the three weeks and hopefully her counts will be up.

OTHER EXCITING NEWS. We are getting Mom a computer. So in the next few weeks, some of the updates may be coming from the "STAR" herself. Stay tune!!!

Thanks for checking in on Mom - she really is doing good! WE ARE SO BLESSED!!!

Love, Wanda

Sunday, January 11, 2004 8:38 AM

Three years ago today we first learned that our lives would change forever. Three years ago today a doctor walked in the room and told us Mom had a brain tumor. Three years ago today we began this journey..................

Every day is a blessing and we continue to understand and respect that part of our lives. We are proud of the accomplishments Mom has made but we should never let our guard down.

Other things going on in our lives: Jacob is 5 years old today. Steward is home from the hospital after 8 days. Kristi turned 21 this week. Wendy got home from Florida after a week away on business. Felton/Mom/Dad have watched the kids all week. College classes start back on Monday for Johnathan. Spencer goes back to school on Monday. A picture of Dad from the 1960s has ended up in a museum in Raleigh. We have had the flu at our house. Melodie and Steward found out the sex of their baby (due in June). We still have snow on the ground from Friday and the temp last night was around 9 degrees. Madison's homecoming was rescheduled because fo the snow. Summer had two birthday parties yesterday.

You see life still goes on. It doesn't slow down because of a brain tumor. Please continue to pray for Mom - she has done so good. Let's pray she continues to.

Love, Wanda

PS: We go to Duke on the 20th. We will let you know what they say.

Monday, January 5, 2004 3:37 PM

The new year is off to a great start. Madison and I took Mom shopping on Saturday night. We got a late start and did not get her home until 10:30pm. Mom seemed to have fun - I know Madison and I did. Mom purchased a blazer she had seen earlier while shopping with Wendy. Then we got Mom her very own bag of crunchy cheetoes - she didn't have to share with anyone. (Its a long story) Then I got sent home with a BIG bag a saltine crackers and lots of candy left over from Christmas, that Mom was tired of looking at.

Mom and Dad are watching Spencer during the day, this week. Wendy flew to Florida this morning and will not be back until Friday. Spencer doesn't go back to school for another week.

Steward is just getting out of surgery. It was about a 3-4 hour surgery for a LARGE hernia (8 inches x 4 inches x 2 inches)He will be in the hospital for at least a week and recovery at home for about 6 weeks. Melodie has not gotten to see him yet, but the surgeon has been out to let her know the surgery get OK.

The flu is making its way thru the family. Barney was sick all last week - I've been sick since Saturday night and missed work today. YUK!!

Thanks for checking on Mom - she continues to do great. We go to Duke on January 20th - it will be another all day visit. I will update as soon as we get back with her report.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, January 1, 2004 12:28 AM

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

What a year!! 2003.......

We are so blessed to have another year behind us. The difference this year - is we have tried really hard not to take anything for granted and to appreciate even the smallest things. Mom continues to take one day at a time - which is really adding up!! Not that we are counting or anything - but January 11, 2004 will be THREE YEARS from Mom's initial diagnosis. Okay, so we are not fooling anyone.....HECK YEAH we are counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO MOM - you are beating the odds and we are SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!

Love, Wanda

PS: I promise more updates this year!! (We go to Duke on 1/20/04)

>>>>HAPPY NEW YEAR>>>>HAPPY NEW YEAR>>>>>HAPPY NEW YEAR>>>>>

Thursday, December 25, 2003 11:08 PM

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We all met at Mom's today around noon for our Christmas celebration. We all had a great time. We had a wonderful meal and exchanged gifts. We had 20 people in attendance. Dad's sister and her husband from Virginia, Wendy's mother-in-law and 2 sister-in-laws were also there, along with Granddaddy Hallie and the whole hee-haw gang.

Melodie and Jacob stayed at Mom's last night. Jacob was very excited that Santa Clause found him at Mom's house.

Interesting gifts: Mom got a red wagon with wooden sides. Granddaddy Hallie and Dad both got weather sticks (pointing up=good weather, pointing down=bad weather), Summer and Jacob both got electric 4 wheeler/car, A bunch of contact grills where exchanged, oldies music, and Dad got an official toll bucket (to collect money to help pay for having their driveway paved - its VERY long (Wendy's idea)) and the list goes on.

Mom was tired by the time everyone left, but she looked really good and enjoyed having everyone over.

Oh well, its late and I'm tired. I'll update again soon.

Love, Wanda

PS: Melodie got great news. She was able to go back to work - she will visit the doctor every two weeks and we will just see how it goes.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS!!

Thursday, December 18, 2003 10:08 PM EST

Happy Holidays!

Hope this message finds everyone well. We are all getting ready for the holiday rush. It looks like we will be getting together at Mom's on Christmas Day this year. We have to change the date for our family get together each year depending on work and school schedules, Johnthan and Steward are both working Christmas Eve so that pushes our party to the 25th.

Mom is doing great, she has an appointment at Duke in January. Wendy and Mom have been doing their shopping this together this year. Usually Mom and I go, but I have been a little preoccupied. You see I am 13-14 weeks pregnant, and had to have surgery this past Monday, the doctors placed a stitch in my cervix to hopefully keep this baby in a little longer than Jacob was (He was born 13 weeks early). I go back to the doctor on Monday and find out if I have to go to bedrest for the remander of the pregnancy. So any extra prayers you have for us, would be greatly appreciated.

Take care and may God Bless everyone this holiday season.

Love,
Melodie!

Friday, November 14, 2003 5:07 PM

Mom had an appointment this week with her oncologist in Raleigh. He was very pleased with her progress. Her blood counts are low - so she will take another round of procrit shots.

"WE" are now 34 months out from the diagnosis of BRAIN TUMOR!! Moma never gave up - she will always be our hero!!

The weather is turning cold now. We had our first freeze warning last night. I guess its time to get ready for the holidays. I believe there are 40 shopping days until Christmas.

Mom should be scheduled for an MRI in the next couple of weeks. Then back to Duke for a check up. To hear "NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY" will be present enough for us!!

I will update again soon.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, November 8, 2003 10:37 AM CST

Good morning. Mom continues to do good. She received a summary of the tests she had done at Duke last month. Over all things seem good. (Not a medical opinion, just mine)

Mom is enjoying a few days of peace. Dad is in Florida. Grandpa Hallie has been in the mountains for the last couple of days visiting Aunt Carolyn and her family. I'm very jealous!! I know the mountains are beautiful this time of the year.

Mom will have another MRI done this first part of December, then we will be scheduled to go to Duke sometime in later December. Mom said she didn't think she would have anytime in December to go to Duke - she has such a busy schedule! God love her - she continues to maintain that humor.

This week, both Melodie and I have had a friend from work, have their father's diagnosised with brain tumors. My friend lives west of Raleigh and I'm not sure about Melodie's. Before Mom was dx I thought having a brain tumor was rare. Now I'm not so sure............

Love, Wanda

Monday, October 27, 2003 5:30 PM

NEW PICTURES - CHECK 'EM OUT..........


The NC State Fair is over. We survived!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom did great this year. She came out to the fair when she felt like it and stayed home when she didn't. I believe she really enjoyed herself this year. She took time to do things she wanted to and not just work the whole time.

More later. I promise..............Love, Wanda

Monday, October 20, 2003 9:07 PM EST

Well the State Fair is in full swing. Mom is doing great, she has been out and helped everyday but Saturday. This afternoon she took a few minutes and walked down to see the Indian Village Exhibit, as we were walking she said "this sure is a whole lot better than being stuck in the kitchen at the fair booth". It is nice to see Mom take some time for herself and stop and smell the roses. The fair continues until Sunday, stop by and see us if you are in the area.

Take care,
Melodie

Monday, October 20, 2003 9:07 PM EST

Well the State Fair is in full swing. Mom is doing great, she has been out and helped everyday but Saturday. This afternoon she took a few minutes and walked down to see the Indian Village Exhibit, as we were walking she said "this sure is a whole lot better than being stuck in the kitchen at the fair booth". It is nice to see Mom take some time for herself and stop and smell the roses. The fair continues until Sunday, stop by and see us if you are in the area.

Take care,
Melodie

Tuesday, October 7, 2003 6:47 AM

Life goes on......... Mom continues to do extremely well. She had an appointment at Duke last week for some baseline testing. There apparently are no "good" or "bad" results - its just where you are. It gives the doctors something to compare - not just her MRI results.

As of today - there is no brain tumor activity. We are closing in on Mom's 3 year anniversary with her dance with death. Luckily Mom decided in the beginning to take the lead and has never looked back. She has faced everything that has been thrown at her with courage and an amazing sence of humor. We continue to be inspired by her. What a great role model.

It's early morning. I have just put Madison on a van heading to Washington DC for a 4 day trip with her class. She is a 10th grader at a private school in Raleigh. Spencer in currently out of school for a few weeks. The two little ones, Summer and Jacob, are in the same class at pre-school. They are learning new stuff every day. And Johnathan, well - he is in college, now a Junior, he is working part-time and going to school full time. It doesn't leave much time to call home. Enough about the grandkids.

Mom and Dad are preparing for the State Fair. The booth was taken out to the Fair grounds on Saturday. I haven't been out yet, but according to Melodie it is looking good. Mom and Dad plan to stay in the camper at the fair - so they will not have to travel everyday. They live approximately 45 minutes away - which after a 20 hours day is a long drive.

I will keep you updated as the fair progresses.

As I said, life goes on...............and for that we are very grateful!!

Love, Wanda

Sunday, September 21, 2003 12:20 PM

HURRICAN ISABEL is history. There was terrible damage on the northern coast of North Carolina. We were lucky. Mom and Dad lost some shingles - but other than fallen tree limbs and a few downed trees we were spared.

Mom is doing good. She was over yesterday. We celebrated Johnathan's 20th birthday. Johnathan is the oldest of her five grandchildren. September bring birthdays for three of them. Spencer's birthday (the 3rd grandchild) is on the 9th. Johnathan's birthday is on the 14th. Madison's birthday (the 2nd grandchild) is on the 28th. They are all five years apart. Summer and Jacob follow right behind in December and January. They were both born five years after Spencer.

We believe that Mom gets inspriation from her grandchildren. She is determined to see all of them graduate from high school. Chances are good that she will.

I'll update again soon. Thanks from checking on Mom. She is doing GREAT!!

Love, Wanda

Thursday, September 18, 2003 8:13 PM

Mom is surviving a brain tumor. To be sure we can survive Hurrican Isabel!!

We hope the worst has passed. Power is out in the area. Melodie doesn't have power - she lives North of Raleigh. We live in Raleigh and are lucky to have power. The winds are very gusty. Lots of trees and tree limbs are down. We have been dealing with Hurrican Isabel since about mid morning. Hopefully it will all be over by in the morning. Grandpa Hallie is staying with Mom and Dad. Everyone is safe. We will update later.

Love, Wanda

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 10:18 PM

Mom had an MRI done on Monday. She will not have to travel to Duke this time - the MRIs will be sent for them to review.

GOOD NEWS................No brain tumor activity!!!!!! Everything is stable.

Tomorrow will be 32 months out from her diagnosis, which was January 11, 2001.

GO DUKE!!!!At Duke, there is HOPE! They gave us hope, when no other doctors would. Humor, courage, will, and hope have carried us the 32 months!

Brain tumor is no longer the first thing we think of every morning, nor the last thing we think of at night. 32 months ago, I did not think this day would be possible. We thank God for a strong Mom with a wonderful fighting spirit!

Peace be with everyone tomorrow as we remember the WTC heros! We have much to be thankful for!!

Love, Wanda

Friday, September 5, 2003 9:37 AM

Hi Everyone. Things have been going really well for Mom.
Her blood work came back fine. I told Mom she could be a brick mason with blood that strong!!!

Over the Labor Day Weekend we took Mom to her 45th High School Class Reunion. Mom looked so nice. She had her hair cut that week and it looks great. Mom was so proud to be able to wear her High School Class Ring. She said many of her classmates said they had put on too much weight to even think about getting into theirs.

We stayed at my Mom's home place where she grew up. All of her Brother's and her Sister and their spouses came for a visit while we were there. This is a older farm house with no air condition but we didn't mind because the house hold so many memories for us all. There is nothing like breakfast cooked there. The grits taste better there.

Mom had a wonderful time and it was good to see everyone.

We hope this finds everyone well. We are blessed to see Mom doing so well. There are many days we don't even think about tumors now. How wonderful to be able to say that. Thank you Lord.

Mom and Dad are getting geared up for the NC State Fair. Mom said she is looking forward to the Fair this year.

Take Care,
Wendy Anderson Jacobs
GrandmaPat's middle daughter

Monday, August 25, 2003 5:06 PM

Sorry for the delay in updating. Everything is about the same. Mom continues to amaze us.

We made in to Kinston and back!! It was a beautiful wedding, with every detail attended to. Mom got a beautiful painted gord - it was painted like a church. She is very proud of it. Mom slept most of the next day. Traveling does drain most of her energy.

My 88 year old grandfather has been having some spells of confusion lately. That has certainly been giving us all busy. He lives alone and insists on driving every day to the cemetary (my grandmother died 13 months ago.)

Anyway - Mom is preparing to attend her class reunion. For some strange reason it has been planned for Labor Day weekend?? She bought a new outfit and got a new hair cut. We are certainly enjoying worrying over the small things (like cloths and haircuts) for a while.

Thanks for checking on Mom. I'll update again after her next onocology appointment.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, August 9, 2003 10:19 AM

Mom continues to do good. She has had two procrit shots now. Wendy found her outside trimming bushes the other morning. I don't even feel like doing that kind of stuff.

Anyway, in just a short while, I will be heading to Kinston with Wendy, Moma and Summer for a wedding. Anyone in the Airport Road area of Kinston - be on the lookout for a blue/purple jeep - actually it doesn't have to be in that area - just anywhere east of Raleigh. We (Moma and the girls) hardly ever go anywhere together that we don't get lost or at least a little mis-directed. I was going to say - at least we have fun - but I'm not sure that is even true. At least so far we have survived! - would better discribe our adventures.

I will update more later. Maybe this time I will actually get some pictures on the site.

WISH US LUCK!!!
Wanda

Thursday, July 31, 2003 7:16 PM

Hello - Mom had an appointment today with a neurologist. Some time ago Mom developed a slight tremor. I believe it only affects her right hand. Anyway, long story short, it is not any diease - like Parkinson's. It might be cause from her chemo or radiation. It might get worse, but probably not anytime soon. All of that is good news. It usually happens when she holds her hand in certain positions and not while she is in motion.

Now let me just say that I have no idea if any of that is right. I didn't actually go with Mom to the appointment. Melodie went to the 9:00 am appointment after she worked all night last night. So I had a well informed "sleepy-head" telling me what the doctor said. Hopefully, Melodie will read this an make any corrections that need to be made.

Everyone is busy getting ready for school to start back, one in college, one in high school, one in elementary (he's already back in school) and two little ones getting ready to move up to next class at daycare. THE SAME CLASS!! God bless that teacher!! Who would have thought two years ago -stuff like going back to school would ever be a priority in our family?

Mom continues to walk everyday. She is doing good, getting a little further each time and she doesn't get as tired as she use to. GO MOM!!

Thanks for checking in on Mom - she is a trooper!!

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, July 29, 2003 5:03 PM

Mom started another round of procrit shots today. Her blood counts continue to be low. Mom is not concerned because even with low blood counts, she is continuing to walk every day as the doctor wanted - and she doesn't even have to rest afterwards anymore. The doctor has allowed Mom to get a prescription for the procrit and have Melodie or Steward give them to her so she doesn't have to come to Raleigh. That way she only has to go in for the last shot in the series of four.

Sorry for the quick update, I'll write again soon.

Love, Wanda

(Moma - you are our HERO - you make us proud!!)

Thursday, July 24, 2003 5:22 PM CDT

Mom had an oncology appointment today. Lets see.....her blood was low - both red and white. They want her to see a couple other doctors for various test. Nothing to be concerned about - just at her age (63)everyone needs certain things checked out. Mom is convinced you can't go to one doctor without having to schedule appointments with three others before you leave the office. Anyway - I guess the good news is if Mom feels good enough to fuss about seeing doctors - then she must be doing pretty good.

Not much other news. Dad had a birthday on Sunday. Tomorrow will be one year since his Mom (Grandma Theda) passed away. Surely doesn't seem that long ago.

Well gotta go. More later.

Monday, July 14, 2003 5:15 PM

We are ALL back from the beach. Everyone made it back alive!! That is truly an accomplishment - considering our family. All in all we had a good time.

Jacob (Melodie's 4 year old) announced that his Mom called Madison a "teenager!". When I asked him what that meant - he said "means she don't do nothin" Madison (who is 14) took exception to that. Lesson to be learned: little ones have big ears.

Mom spent her days dreaming of how she was going to spend her lottery money - when she won the 250 million they gave away on Wednesday night. (South Carolina has a lottery that helps fund their education system.) Obviously, she did not win. But it was fun dreaming.

We had very hot days and thunderstorms most every night.

Anyway, its good to be back home.

Love, Wanda

PS - We have been using caringbridge.com for sometime now. This service is provided free of charge to families with illnesses - so they can communicate with their loved ones regarding the condition of the family member who is sick. Since Mom has been doing so good, I thought it would be nice to ask everyone to please consider making a contribution to caringbridge to help support their efforts. You may get more information my clicking on the link in the upper left corner of our page. THANKS FOR SHARING!! Love, Wanda

Tuesday, July 8, 2003 2:43 PM EST

Hi,

Hope everyone is well. We are all suffering through the heat (90 degrees +) but it is ok because we are at the beach!!!
Mom, the 3 daughters, 1 son-n-law, and 4 grandkids are at the beach for the week. Dad had enough sense to stay at home. We spent the morning at the ocean playing in the surf and sand until we got ran off by the waves and the heat. We have eaten lunch and are praying, begging, pleading for the little 2 to take a nap. We haven't had much luck in that department yet. Hope everyone had a great fourth of July. After what happened 9-11, it sure makes it a much more significant holiday than just a long weekend.

Take care and stay cool.
Melodie

PS Don't forget the sunscreen!!

Saturday, June 28, 2003 10:57 PM EST

Mom is doing well. It seems that her energe level is starting to increase again. She believes it is because of the decreased dosage of Tomoxifen.

Mom and Dad had a little excitement at their house today, while Dad was taking a nap this afternoon, he heard a "rustling" noise in their bedroom his first thought was that it might be a snake, but when he sat up a little bird came zooming by his head. Jacob and I came over a little later and they forgot to tell us about their guest. Jacob was walking down the hall and came runnig back outside screaming "There is something alive in there!". It took Mom and Me (with help from Jacob jumping up and down on the bed going "where is he where is he") about 15 minutes to get the bird out of the house through an open window. Dad thinks the bird must have come in through the garage door when it was open. I left Mom and Dad outside with explicit instructions to keep the garage doors and the windows closed.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy fourth of July, we are planning on going to the beach with the rest of the world next weekend and stay for the week. Mom is planning to go with us.

Take care,
Melodie

Tuesday, June 10, 2003 10:06 PM EST

Great News
Mom's MRI is unchanged!!!!!!

We spent most of the day at Duke between her Brain Tumor Center appointment and her Eye appointment, but it was worth it to get such great news. We are adjusting some of her meds to hopefully help with her energy, and the doctor wants her to walk a mile a day (Wanda and I voluntered Wendy to walk with her!). Mom has an MRI in 3 months which will be sent to Duke and then another one in 6 months with a visit to see the doctor.
The doctor said that if the glioblastoma was going to return that 90% do so in the first year after chemo is stopped, Mom is 13 months out from chemo, finally the odds are in our favor.

Take Care and God Bless,
Melodie

Sunday, June 8, 2003 9:18 PM EST

Hello,

Hope everyone is well. Mom is doing good, not a whole lot of energy but otherwise ok. She had an MRI on Friday and on Tuesday we go back to the Brain Tumor Center at Duke and to the Duke Eye Clinic. We are keeping our fingers crossed and our prayers flowing for a good report at both appointments. Take care and we will update Tuesday evening.

Melodie

Sunday, May 18, 2003 11:56 AM

Good morning.

We had a wonderful reunion yesterday. Melodie took Mom down on Thursday where she met her brothers and sister at the home where they grew up. They prepared a HUGH lunch for us. We had around 62 people present. Every family was represented. There were at least four generations present.

Mom was tired by yesterday, but I believe being around all her family is very uplifting and does her more good they we will ever know.

I have video from the reunion and will be editing it to retrieve some pictures for the website later this week.

Thanks for checking in on Mom and to all our family, we enjoyed seeing each of you - lets do it again soon!!

Love, Wanda

Friday, May 9, 2003 8:53 AM EST

HI,

Hope everyone is doing well. It seems that summer is upon us, the last few years in NC we were not blessed with a mild spring we just jumped into summer, today's highs are to be in the 90's. Mom is getting along fine. She walked in the survivors lap of the local Relay for Life, she said that where she was sitting was directly across the track from where the starting point was, so she made half a lap getting to the starting point, the survivor's lap, then half a lap back to her seat, so she actually walked two laps. Daddy, Wanda and Wendy were able to go with her, I wasn't able to get off work in time to go but I promised Mom that I will be there next year to see her walk it again!!

Take Care and we will update soon.
Melodie

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 6:35 PM

This weekend Mom plans to attend the Franklin County Relay for Life walk sponsored by the Amercian Cancer Society. Moma will walk with other survivors to start the 24 hour walk.

Wendy was visiting with Mom this afternoon. She told me that as she was leaving Moma and Jacob (the youngest grandchild) were going downstairs to look for his Dad. Jacob was carrying two squirt guns. Wendy overheard Moma asking Jacob if she could have one of his squirt guns. Of course, Jacob wanted to know why she needed the gun. Moma told him - so she could squirt it. Strangly enough, we find comfort and humor in hearing Moma try to talk a 4 year old out of a squirt gun. Life is GOOD!

Have a wonderful week........Love, Wanda

Friday, April 25, 2003 10:47 PM

Moma is gonna kill me. I just got the ability to put a picture on the front page of her website. This was the first one I found. I'll try for a better one later.

Easter was good. Mom and Dad cooked a great lunch. The above-picture is Mom watching the kids have an easter egg hunt. We had a great time - and of course, the easter egg hunt turned into an easter egg fight. It was great fun until Dad came out the front door just in time to have a boiled egg slam against the house right beside the door. We will not mention any names - Melodie and Johnathan!!

Mom attended a Survivor's dinner earlier this week - sponsored by the Amercian Cancer Society of Franklin County. They will have their relay for life walk in Franklin County next Friday night. They attempt to have someone walking on the track for 24 hours. The walk starts with a survivor's lap. Moma plans to walk that lap. We are so proud of Moma - she truly is a survivor!!

More later..................Wanda

Wednesday, April 16, 2003 6:52 PM

OOOOOOOOPS!! This one slipped up on me. I should have updated to let everyone know this was coming up. I'm sorry for the mix up.

Anyway, let me report that Mom had her port-a-cath removed this morning. It was done at the hospital in the Radiology department. I met Mom and Dad there at 10:00am. Mom was back in the truck and headed home at 1:00pm. She was very excited to have it removed.

It all started with a regular appointment on Monday with Mom's ongologist. Her blood work was good and everything else was fine. Her doctor agreed to have the port-a-cath removed. So that is how we got to this point.

I just spoke with Mom - she had had a good long nap and was feeling pretty good.

More later.................Love, Wanda

PS - Don't forget to hide the eggs.

Sunday, April 13, 2003 7:15 PM CDT

Mom and Dad cooked a wonderful lunch today. Mostly fresh vegtables......YUM!! It was a beautiful day. Hopefully next weekend will be as nice. Hiding easter eggs in the house is NO fun.

Yesterday was 26 months out for MOM!!! She hasn't mentioned it - but you can bet she knows. Please keep her in your prayers as we fight for a cure.

More later in the week................Love, Wanda


PS - NEW PICTURES - CHECK 'EM OUT.

Friday, April 4, 2003 5:35 PM EST

LAUGH OF THE DAY!!!!!!

The nurse from Mom's oncologist called to give an update on her most recent MRI the nurse stated "you have no active brain cells on the MRI!"

We knew Mom had slowed down some since her diagnosis, but didn't realize it was that much!!!

Mom got a kick out of that, the nurse then corrected herself and said you have no active CANCER cells on the MRI.

Have a good day!
Melodie

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 5:27 PM

SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER.

FIRST, let me THANK everyone who supported the Brain tumor Angels Among Us Walk this year. With your continued support we are gonna find a cure and hopefully other families will not have to endure this ugly diease.

Moma continues to do good. She still gets tired and that is frustrating to her. The local American Cancer Society is having a walk-a-thon soon and I believe that Mom has agreed to walk in the survivors lap.

Mom recently had an MRI done. As far as we know there is still NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY. We are waiting on DUKE to confirm the findings. Apparently the film was not even sent to them until Monday when Melodie called to check on the status. Anyway, NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS. The next MRI is scheduled in a few months and we will have to travel to Duke for an exam. Walk a straight line, touch your nose with your eyes closed, count backwards by 7, remember three words, etc. (For an exact recount of the visit just call Mom - she knows it be heart now)

Moma called Sunday to report that it was sleeting in Youngsville, then less than an hour later she called back to report it was snowing. Just the day before - Saturday - it was in the 70s. Maybe it will get warm and stay warm soon.

Once again - thanks for the support.

Love, Wanda

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 7:04 PM

It's been very busy around here. We made it to Charlotte - but Mom was not able to go. Friday she felt dizzy for most of the day - so she decided a trip to Charlotte in one day might not be such a good idea.

Madison's handbell choir placed second. HEY!! Also last week Spencer (Wendy's son) came in third for the entire 4 graders at his school in a spelling bee. We are very proud of him - he spelled words I can't even pronounce.

Mom had an MRI on Friday. We are waiting for Duke to read and confirm the findings. But the initial reports indicates - NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY - TUMOR BED STABLE!!!!!!

In case you missed that last sentence *****NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY - TUMOR BED STABLE*****Mom is now 26 months out.

Mom bought some new everyday dishes yesterday - she said she was just tired of her old ones. She said Dad wanted her to throw the old ones away - but she hid them - just in case she every decided she wanted a change. She was also telling me today how she was thinking about looking at a new car - because her car would be 10 years old in five more years. But if she bought a new car - she could have it paid for in five years and it would still be sort of new! What we have here people is a POSITIVE THINKER!! Being positive and keeping a sence of humor will go soooooo far - and that is something no hospital or doctor can give you - it doesn't come in a pill or a shot -it comes from within.

Thanks for checking on Mom!! She continues to do well!

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, March 11, 2003 9:02 PM

It is COLD in Raleigh tonight. We just got home from a highschool baseball game. There is some dispute about who won. The score board was not working and apparently there was to much socializing in the stands to really keep up with the game.

Moma has a MRI appointment on Friday afternoon. So it will be next week before we have the results from Duke - that is, if we are lucky.

Mom has been feeling pretty good. I will be traveling to Charlotte on Saturday to watch Madison participate in a handbell competition. I am hoping that Mom will agree to go with me - the only draw back is - I will be leaving Raleigh around 6 am. Maybe she will feel up to it - Melodie and Wendy drug her to New Orleans and back in 72 hours - so 3 hrs to Charlotte should be easy.

I try to update again as soon as we get the MRI results.

LOVE, Wanda

Monday, March 3, 2003 9:26 PM EST

Hi,

This is the first time I have updated the website since we returned from New Orleans. We had a great time. Thanks to Allan for showing us around. We came home with some beads but we payed for them, although something about being on Bourbon Street makes you want to pull up your shirt and show your stuff, unless you are walking down Bourbon Street with your Mom then all you want to do is hide!!

Everyone here is well, except Wanda she is fighting a stomach virus. I finally get to say to her "Don't be bringing that bug here", she is always saying that to Wendy and me when our little ones get something.

Mom is doing well, her doctors appointment took quite a while today, (one tech with three doctors wanting him to do something) but eventually we found out her blood counts are fine. So she doesn't go back to the Oncologist for six weeks, and that is to have her port flushed and they will check her blood counts again. She has a MRI scheduled in about 3 weeks and we will send it to Duke for them to loose it again, and then I will make a trip up there in about 3 months to retrieve it so we can have the next one done.

Take care
Melodie

P.S. sorry for all the sarcasim, Wanda sick, Wendy out of town, Husband at work, Mom in bed, no one left to talk to!!

The following is pasted from Wanda'a last entry.

MARCH 22 - we will walk at Duke for the Brian Tumor Center. We are trying to raise more money for research. Moma is beating the odds - most don't live this long!! With Duke's help and research she is gonna beat this cancer. Please consider helping us in our fight. If you need information please feel free to call or e-mail me.

Sunday, March 2, 2003 5:53 PM

Sorry for the delay in updating. One of the sister (which will remain un-named - MELODIE!!) was suppose to update this weekend.

I'll make it short and sweet. Mom and Wendy came by this afternoon. They had been shopping. Mom looked tired. If I had been shopping with Wendy and Summer (4 y.o.) I'd be tired too.

Mom mentioned that she has a doctors appointment tomorrow. It must be with the oncologist to check her blood levels. Although she didn't say. I will update again tomorrow night with the results of her appointment.

MARCH 22 - we will walk at Duke for the Brian Tumor Center. We are trying to raise more money for research. Moma is beating the odds - most don't live this long!! With Duke's help and research she is gonna beat this cancer. Please consider helping us in our fight. If you need information please feel free to call or e-mail me.

LOVE, Wanda

Saturday, February 22, 2003 2:33 PM

THEY ARE HOME>>>>>

Moma, Wendy and Melodie arrived at Raleigh-Durham airport around 11:30pm last night. Apparently they had a real nice time. Mom seems to have more energy today than Melodie or Wendy. She left around 11:00am today to go with Dad and some friends to Virginia. I guess those procret shots must work.

I haven't gotten all the details from their trip. I do know that they almost missed their plane coming back. Apparently they left in plenty of time - but failed to plan on a "road-rage" shotting, which closed down the highway. A 30 minute ride to the airport took about 1 1/2 hours. They arrived at the airport as their plane was being loaded. Anyway - alls well the ends well - they made it home.

It is wonderful to see Mom getting out and enjoying herself.
At Moms doctors appointment on Wednesday, she told him about her trip. He asked what she would be doing in New Orleans. Melodie said they would probably do some gambling. Mom spoke up and said that she probably wouldn't gamble because she was not very lucky. To that - Mom's doctor replied: "you are damn lucky." Guess that says it all!!

Love, Wanda

Thursday, February 20, 2003 6:36 AM

Well they are at the airport. I just spoke with all three of them. Melodie picked up Mom and Wendy around 4:00 this morning. Their intention was to arrive at the airport by 5:00am for their 7:00am departure. WELL..............As luck would have it -- OR, as they just explained it to me -- they got in some kind of detour and they didn't get to the airport until just before 6:00am. I'm not sure if I should believe them - but having recently spent several hours with them traveling to Kinston, Greenville and "the surrounding areas" - I know that "that's their story and they are sticking to it!!"

Anyway I am sure that New Orleans will never be the same. It will be a short trip -- they are scheduled to arrive back home tomorrow night around 11:00pm.

More later...................Love, Wanda

Monday, February 17, 2003 4:12 PM

EIGHT days since I last updated!! I have no idea where time goes anymore.

Mom is doing good. She has had shots for the past two weeks to increase her blood. Funny thing is, she said she didn't feel run down or tired. She was suppose to go back this week to have blood work done. The appointment was scheduled to Thursday but Mom rescheduled it for today because she is going with Wendy and Melodie to New Orleans on Thursday. Wendy has a business trip and Mom and Melodie are tagging along.

Mom didn't get to her appointment today because North Carolina got the tail end of a winter storm that blasted the east coast Sunday night. We have a thick coating of ice on everything. It mostly has affected travel. The roads are very dangerous, the Governor has even announced that everyone should stay off the roads. Guess Mom's appointment will have to wait for next week. We had very little thawing today so tomorrow morning will be interesting.

Since my last update Mom passed the 25 month mark. February 11 was 25 months since her diagonsis of a glioblastoma. That word (glioblastoma) still sort of gives me a very sick feeling just to type it. We are very positive that Moma will beat this cancer. She is strong, determined and very much a fighter. Please continue to pray for Moma and everyone else fighting this dreadful diease.

On March 22, 2003 our family/friends will be walking in the "Angels Among Us" walk at Duke University to raise money for the brain tumor center. Please pray that we will be successful in our efforts to raise money for this most worthy cause.

Love, Wanda

Sunday, February 9, 2003 10:10 AM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMA..........................

Must we never forget how precious life is. We have been blessed to have Mom another year. Her courage and determination have not been matched in my life time. Although it took Moma being diagonsised with a brain tumor over two years ago for me to realize just how special she is.

We will gather at Mom's today to celebrate her 63rd birthday. (I hope that's right - I'm the daughter who can't even keep up with how old I am) I plan to take pictures and will try to have some available on the picture page this evening.

Love, Wanda

Tueday, February 4, 2003 5:07 PM

Hello. Quick update. Mom had a MD appointment yesterday. All is good. Her blood is still low. She got a shot for that and had her port flushed. She will return next week for another shot and then the next week for blood work to determine if it is helping. At least that is how I understood everything. Melodie actually took Mom to the doctor and I just got the "scoop" over the cell phone while Melodie was checking out at the bookstore. So it is possible I did not get everything exactly straight.

Warm weather for the last two days, but it appears we may have a "wintery mix" by Friday.

Caringbridge (the people who sponsor this wonderful website) are updating features all the time, to help people like Moma keep in touch with their loved ones. If you are looking for a good cause to support this year, please consider this one.

Thanks again for caring enough to check on Mom. She is a true hero in our eyes and an inspiration to more than she will ever know.

Love, Wanda


PS: Mom had someone come by her house this week trying to sell her long term care insurance. Mom was polite, but informed him that she planned to live "forever" and she didn't think she would be needing any insurance. (With an attitude like that - she just might!!)

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 10:07 PM (EST)

All is well in Youngsville, well almost. Mom and Dad had new carpet put in the den, and hardwood floors put in the dining room and someone had the great idea to put hardwood floors in the kitchen (it wasn't Mom's idea but she went along with it anyway). Well the men started to put the flooring down and put a nail through a water pipe. Looks like Mom is going to get a new downstairs bathroom out of it.

She is doing well, a little grumpy about having work crews there at 7:00 in the morning, but other than that ok. She has a check up the second week of February with her local oncologist to follow up on her slight anemia.

We had a couple of inches of snow last week, a little of it continues to hang around, and as the old saying goes "it is just waiting around for more!!" Mom seems to like the snow a little bit more since she doesn't have to go out to work in it. Hope everyone is well.

Take care and keep in touch.
Melodie

Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 8:01 AM

IT'S SNOWING................................

Thursday, January 16, 2003 at 10:46 PM

I spoke with Mom earlier. I asked if there was anything she wanted to tell the world. At first she said "no" then she changed her mind. Moma said "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." IT DID! Right now we have just enough snow to cover the ground in Raleigh - maybe an inch. I am sure they have more in Youngsville which is North of Raleigh.

I will try to take pictures in the morning for the website.

Mom is doing good. She said tonight that she still takes naps in the afternoon - but she said it does not interupt her sleep at night - so she figures her body must just need the rest.

Mom and Dad have just had a new floor put down in the dining room and carpet in the den. Moma is very excited.

I have no idea when Mom's next appointments are?? I am not "keeper of the calendar" - but as soon as I find out I'll let you-all know.

THANKS FOR CHECKING ON MOM..........Wanda

Sunday, January 12, 2003 at 8:25 AM

Happy birthday and Happy anniversary. Yesterday was Jacob's 4th birthday (Mom's youngest grandchild) and yesterday was also Grandma Pat's 2 year anniversary of being diagonsised with a brain tumor. Two very BIG things in our life!! We know that we are truly blessed.

Mom has been busy this past week having new flooring put in her house. She is excited about that. She continues to do good.

Well Johnathan is on his way back to college. Classes start Monday.

Please keep us in your prayers as continue our journey.

More........later...................Love, Wanda

Sunday, January 05, 2003 at 10:01 PM

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we celebrate the life of Mom's niece.

BRENDA FORMY-DUVAL DAWSON
September 8, 1951 - January 4, 2003

Saturday, January 04, 2003 at 11:23 PM

UPDATE: Mom's niece passed away tonight after a courageous battle with cancer. Please continue to keep her family in your prayers that they will find comfort as they try to deal with their loss.

We will travel with Mom tomorrow to be with the family in Kinston. She was not able to make the trip tonight - as she is not feeling good.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated. Thanks! Love, Wanda

Thursday, January 02, 2003 at 1:03 PM

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Please pray for our family. Mom's neice was hospitalized on New Years eve. She has cancer and is struggling now. We took Mom to Greenville last night to see her in the hospital.

Mom continues to hold up good - she has a doctors appointment tomorrow with her oncologist.

More later...............Love, Wanda

Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 8:52 PM

MERRY CHRISTMAS...........

I have added three pictures from this morning.

Picture 1 is of Mom and Dad opening gifts. This year Mom decided to supply Dad with enough flash lights. I am not sure WHY this happened - maybe as a result of the power being out after our recent ice storm. But for whatever reason - Mom has declared that there should be flash lights all over the house - so if/when Dad misplaces one he should not have any problem finding another. Dad ended up with flash lights of all sizes, shapes and colors.

Picture 2 is mostly the little kids opening their gifts. (Wendy, Melodie and Mom overseeing the madness.)

Picture 3 is of Grandpa Hallie. He did wonderful this year. Mom and Granddaddy both got a bird feeder that keeps squirrels from eating the bird food. It throws them off. We watched a video about it. Between the video and me trying to figure out our new video camera Grandpa Hallie got several good laughs today.

We had a lovely time. We got to Mom's early and helped prepare breakfast. At the same time a ham was cooked and potatoe salad was made. We ate non-stop from 10:00am to 2:00pm. There was something for everyone.

Mom was tired by the time we all left. I think she is still fighting a cold. Hopefully she can rest tonight. Most of us will be traveling tomorrow to see in-laws.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Love, Wanda

Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 2:08 PM

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

The kids are out of school and the frinzy has begun. Mom is at Wendy's house right now celebrating Wendy's 39th birthday. It is not at all fair to have a birthday so close to Christmas. But it could be worse........Wendy's husband has a birthday on Christmas day. Although sharing a birthday with Jesus can't be all bad.

Mom continues to do good. She has been fighting a cold for the last week, but she seems to be feeling some better today. We continue to pray that her reports are good as we do not ever want to let our guard down. Please keep us in your prayes this holiday season - as we are believers in the power of prayer and do believe that Mom's strong will to live and the constance prayers that come her way have definately been the reason for her success.

We plan to have our family get-together on Christmas eve - before Melodie goes to work. I will try to update again then - maybe with some pictures.

Love,
Wanda

Tuesday, December 10, 2002 at 06:27 PM (EST)

ADDED NOTE - MESSAGE (2): We went to DUKE again today for an eye appointment. Everything looks good. Mom still has vision loss, but her optic nerve is not damaged and her eyes are fine. Mom doesn't have to return for a follow-up visit until June 10, 2003!!!

After we received such good news yesterday and today .... Mom said that we had had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now we WOULD have a wonderful Christmas!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE ANDERSONS!!
**************************
MESSAGE (1)
We all finally have heat!!!!!
And even better news,
MOM'S MRI IS STABLE!!!!!!!
We actually were able to go to Duke today and it only took 2 1\2 hours. Mom's scans look great so she does not go back for a visit for 6 months. I questioned them just to make sure but the doctor said a MRI in 3 months and a visit in 6. That makes our Christmas alot brighter. Hope everyone is well.

Love Melodie

P.S. Donna hope you are healing fast and back on your feet soon!!

Saturday, December 07, 2002 at 05:32 PM (EST)

The thaw out continues. The temperature has been above freezing the last two day although it got into the 20's last night and they are forcasting 20's tonight. Mom, Wanda and Wendy are still under generator power. Granddaddy's electricity came back on yesterday evening. The rumor around here is that it may be Thursday before everyone is on real power again. There is a possiblity of more winter weather Tuesday and Wednesday.

Otherwise everyone is great. We are going to try to reschedule Mom's appointment next week. Hope everyone is doing well.

Take Care,
Melodie!
P.S. Dad mentioned something about moving to Florida and Mom agrees!! (HAHA)

Thursday, December 05, 2002 at 12:46 PM (EST)

Let it snow!, Let it snow!, Let it snow!
CAUSE THIS ICE SUCKS!

Sorry just had to vent there. We got our first winter weather last night, about 1/2 inch of snow followed by hours of freezing rain. The power lines and trees are covered. We have lost several trees and some large limbs to the weight of the ice. They are forcasting 10 mile and hour winds tonight, so many more trees will be coming down. I am the only one with power. Mom and Wanda have generators so they are getting by. Wendy is headed over to Mom's and we are trying to get Granddaddy to agree to let someone come pick him up and bring him out to Mom's.

We were supposed to go to Duke today for a checkup but with the weather that didn't happen. We are not worried though we found out Mom's MRI is unchanged. (one of the advantages of working at the hospital were they are made). Maybe we will get back there before Christmas.

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.
Take care and we will update soon.
Melodie!

Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 10:27 PM (EST)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have much to celebrate this year. Mom is doing great, she was a little tired today. But she has been preparing for today all week. We had family come in from Virginia for lunch. All together there was 20 if us. It took Wendy, Wanda, Daddy, Mom, and I to get it all ready. I can't believe that Mom used to do all of this by herself. Especially when we were younger and running all over the place. The real trick is to get everything ready at the same time. I am still working on getting 4 piece meals together, much less the 20 piece spread that we had today.
Wanda is already in bed getting ready for her annual early morning shopping trip. Wanda and Kathy (a friend of the family) do this every year. But they will not let anyone else go with them, they had the sale papers out earlier (and probable a city map) planning their route. They refuse to tell anyone what time they are leaving. I am going to try and make an early morning of it myself. Wendy has the good sense to wait until later tomorrow. Mom is going to go with her.

Take care and I hope everyone had a good day and too much to eat!!
Love,
Melodie

P.S. Mom has an MRI on Sunday and an appointment at Duke on Thursday.
P.S.S. Granddaddy Halie has a CT Scan on Tuesday to look for mini-strokes. Keep us in your prayers.

Saturday, November 23, 2002 at 12:01 AM

HELLO......

Mom continues to do wonderful. I spoke with her yesterday evening. She was tired - but only because she had taken everything off the walls and washed the walls down. That is not as easy as it sounds. Mom and Dad have lots of "stuff" hanging on their walls - from family pictures to a Moose head. Mom considered not putting the Moose head back up and just hiding it in the basement. She always told Dad that when he was gone - the Moose head was going to be the next thing out the door. Dad has been out of town for a few days, I believe he is expected back this evening. Moma just laughed and laughed - she thought it would be awfully funny for Dad to get home tonight and the Moose head to be gone. She said she never said how long he had to be gone - just that "when he was gone".

Mom has started her Christmas shopping and continues to prepare for Thanksgiving. She has planned a large Thanksgiving celebration - as we have much to be thankful for.

We will go to Duke the week after Thanksgiving. Melodie has located Mom's MRIs and plans to pick them up on Monday. Please pray for continued good news as we continue a process that has become routine for our family. The words NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY has become very special to us!

Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers.

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 at 10:14 PM (EST)

10 o'clock and all is well.

Mom is recovering from another pig-picking. Mom and Dad with the help of a few people catered a pork/chicken to many vegetables to count lunch for 250 people today. I think Mom really likes to do them. When I talked to her last night she had more pep in her voice than I have heard in a long time. Today though she was worn out, but then again she did get up at 4:30 this morning to cook the potatoes.
Mom is looking forward to cooking for Thanksgiving. I don't think she approved of Wendy, Wanda and me in her kitchen. You know the saying to many chefs. Anyway I am sure the candied yams will be much better this year. (Long story check in the archives if you are interested)
Our big problem now is to locate Mom's MRI's before the Sunday after Thanksgiving, she has an MRI scheduled that day. I checked with the hospital Monday and they have not been returned, so back to square one and start calling Duke. Wish me luck.

Take care.
Melodie!

Thursday, November 14, 2002 at 10:01 PM

Good evening.

First of all. Thanks for including our cousin, Brenda, in your prayers. Recent reports are good and we are expecting GREAT things from her!! Please continue to pray for her and the entire family.

Mom continues to do good. She walked out near the road today to look at a bush. Then she walked to the back of the yard to look at more vegetation. Mom and Dad live smack in the middle of 10 acres. So walking from one end to the other is pretty good. Mom said the weather was just perfect. I admire Mom so much for enjoying the simple things. They give her such pleasure.

Dad continues to clean up from the State Fair. He has had several people helping him. Mom has helped some - but not as much as she would have liked. She said that as soon as her strength was back to where it was (I guess before the tumor) that Dad was gonna have a hard time keeping up with her. Moma looks forward to that day. She does not like feeling tired all the time.

Mom has been planning our Thanksgiving dinner. She is getting orders from everyone regarding their favorite dish. Summer wants watermelon for dessert. Moma didn't feel very good last year during Thanksgiving - but this year she is determined to celebrate BIG. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for this year!!

Thanks for checking on Mom and please continue to pray for her.

LOVE, Wanda

Friday, November 08, 2002 at 10:09 PM (EST)

Hello,

All is well here. The fair recovery continues. It takes us all at least a month to get back into the swing of things. (That is the excuss I use not to fold the laundry anyway!) Mom is doing great. She went Monday for a check-up, her blood counts are back to normal, so the doctor stopped the Procrit shots. Mom and Dad went to get there hair cut yesterday. Dad worries over his hair more than Mom every has with hers. Sunday we are all going to an annual pottery show in Bailey, NC. We have been looking forward to this one for months. Mom and I thought about starting our Christmas shopping then, but decided it would be better to start Monday. (That way we wouldn't feel so guilty about buying all the pottery for ourselves.) The next big challange is to locate Mom's MRI's they are supposed to be at the Duke Eye Center, but I have a feeling they may not have made it that far. I have until the Sunday after Thanksgiving to locate them (which is Mom's next MRI) and it will probable take me that long to find him.

Take care and God Bless!
Melodie

Thursday, October 31, 2002 at 8:14 AM (EST)

Hello, Hope this message finds everyone well.

Grandma Pat is doing very well. She is recovering from the fair. The last weekend of the fair she worked a good bit out there. Dad had been staying at the fairgrounds for convience, and he came home on Monday. He was exhausted!! He actually fell asleep in the bath tub that night. The fairbooth is home and put away for another year. Now it is time to start gettting ready for the holidays. Jacob, Summer and Spencer are going tonight to help us pass out candy at our Local Fire Department tonight, and can you believe tommorrow is November!

I have a request for everyone, our cousin Brenda is fighting breast cancer and recently suffered a set back, we ask that you include her and her family in your prayers. We know the power of prayer, especially when it is world wide.

Thanks
Melodie

P.S. Be careful and stay safe tonight!

Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 8:09 PM

ALL IS WELL.

The North Caroina State Fair is in full swing. As I am updating this message - Mom is on her way home from the fair. She has been out there since about noon. Making cobblers and straightening out the bills.....Both are BIG JOBS!!!

Mom has been out several days - but only when she is up to it. The rest of the time we do our best to take her place. Those are BIG shoes to fill. I can't remember who we order anything from or how much of anything we need. Venders come to the door and ask if we need anything. Well - *&%#! - I can't even remember what we get from them much less if we need any of it.

Mom got there today and reminded me that if I put the cooked cobblers in the bottom oven - they would be much easier to serve from. I have serving our of the top oven the entire fair. No wonder my back has been killing me.

The fair will end on Sunday night at midnight. I am pretty sure we are gonna make it!!!!

Mom finally heard back from DUKE regarding her MRI. All is still good. Her next one is scheduled for December. Until then we continue on the same course.

THANKS FOR CHECKING ON MOM! She continues to inspire.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, October 12, 2002 at 9:24 AM

BRAIN TUMOR HUMOR:

Mom went to purchase supplies for the fairbooth. Steward (Melodie's husband) took her and another man that has been helping went along. They went to a warehouse store, where things are usually bought in bulk. Mom had a list of things to get. The man that was with them looked at the list to find an item he could go get and bring back. Thinking this would be a faster way to get their shopping done. So off to find dishwashing liquid. He returned with his selection. He walked right up in front of Mom and held up what he selected. Mom said that would be fine. Then he asked which one? Mom said that will be fine! Again he asked - which one? Then Mom turned her head to the left and realized he had two different types and was trying to determine which one she wanted to purchase. Moma said Oh! that one will be fine, and they went on with their shopping. Poor man, Dad had told him Mom had some trouble with her vision, but he thought standing right in front of Mom would be the best place for her to see him. Moma cannot see anything left of center - so she never saw anything in his right hand.

Moma called me that night and was laughing about it. She said I have "BRAIN TUMOR HUMOR". The next day she explained what had happened to their friend and they both got a laugh out of it.

I believe Moma would have you know that if you find yourself in a situation that seems out of your control. (like having a braint tumor) try to find some humor - if you can laugh at yourself or what is happening to you - the troubles you are up against don't seem to be so big after all. Brain tumor humor has gotten taken us a long way. and don't forget - Chin up - it's easier to see heaven that way.

Love, Wanda

Wednesday, October 09, 2002 at 8:12 PM

Thirty years ago today, Moma gave birth to her last baby. I was 10 years old and Wendy was just before turning 9 years old. Imagine being 9 and 10 years old and having a new baby in the house. We thought she was a baby doll. Melodie never got a complete nap. We would wake her up to hold her. Moma was very patient with us. I only wish I could be half as good a Mom - as Moma was to us.

Happy Birthday Melodie. Happy "BIRTH" day Moma.

Mom is doing good. We lost her one morning this week. Dad had taken her out to eat breakfast. They have spent several days at the fairgrounds getting our booth ready. The State Fair begins on 10/18 and runs for 10 days.

Nothing much else to report. Mom has been enjoying the flowers blooming in her yard. Strangely enough the one that has gotten her attention is a morning glory. The funny thing is that I always thought a morning glory was a weed. When we were children we always pulled them up in the garden. Apparently Mom has several varities coming up around her yard and she loves them. Who would have imagined! It just the simple things in life that make Moma happy. God bless her.

Take care and please continue to pray for God's healing touch as we continue on this journey.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, October 03, 2002 at 7:58 PM (EST)

Hope this message finds everyone well.

Mom went to her oncologist today. Things are going ok. She is frustrated that her energy level is not back to her pre-glio state. I think she actually hoped it would be back to normal the day after she stopped her chemo. She is a little anemeic so they gave her an injection of Procrit. I will give her a shot once a week for the next two week then we go back for a repeat blood check. We are optomistic and she was in much better spirits this afternoon. Mom is getting excited about the fair, she couldn't eat anything there last year because of the chemo playing havic on her stomach. This year she is going in with her eyes and mouth wide open. It may take a wheel-barrow to role her out! Don't tell her I said that she will be mad at me.

Take care and God Bless.
Melodie

Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 07:40 PM

Sorry for the lack of updates. Life has gotten back to normal - Normal with a brain tumor anyway.

Today was Madison's birthday. Just after 7:00pm fourteen years ago Grandma Pat became a grandmother for the second time. She was a "GRAND" mother long before that.

We had a family cookout today. Wendy, Melodie, Moma and the kids all came. Barney's aunt and uncle also came over. Moma ate really good and she looked GREAT. She was resting this afternoon.

Moma has an appointment with her oncologist on Thursday. I will try to update again after we hear from that appointment.

Please continue to pray for us as we fight this ongoing battle. Thanks, Wanda

Wednesday, September 18, 2002 at 8:31 PM (EST)

Happy Anniversary To Grandma Pat and Grandpa Jimmy!!!!!!

Good News Good News!

Mom's MRI came back unchanged!!! It was on ordeal to get the information, who would have thought you can have an MRI on a Saturday but there would not be anyone there to read it until Monday. Or that a radiology department could actually package the films that you needed the first time!!
Oh well enough about hospitals.

Mom and Dad celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary today.
I think they are looking forward to another 41 years together.

Please continue to pray for Mom, she has lost a little more of her vision in her left eye, we found out last week at her eye exam. The doctors are going to just keep an eye on it for now.

Take care and GOD Bless.
Melodie

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at 06:56 PM

WE ARE HOME!! Mom and I went to Duke today for an eye appointment. It was an ALL day thing. We managed to get there and back without making a wrong turn or anything.

Mom goes for an MRI on Saturday morning. She is NOT happy about them messing up her weekend - but she will be compliant. We will take the MRI to Duke to be read but Mom will not have to see anyone! YIPPEE! She is getting sort of fussy about all these appointments. I had to remind her today that she has only got two appointments this month. (Much less than just a few months ago)

Johnathan (Mom's oldest grandchild) turns 19 on Saturday. He is going to come home from college for the weekend. I am ready to see him!! Hopefully we will have a family cookout on Saturday afternoon - weather permitting.

Thanks for checking on Mom.......

PS: TODAY IS 20 MONTHS OUT FROM MOM'S DIAGNOSIS. OUR FIGHT IS NOT OVER......Please continue to pray for us as we push forward in this fight for Moma's life!!

Thursday, September 05, 2002 at 8:25 PM (EST)

Hi, everyone here is doing well. Mom and Dad had company today. Mom's brother, sister-n-law, neice and her husband came up from Kinston for a visit. I believe they had a good time. Mom and Dad have some full time visitors now. A friend (or enemy depending on how you look at it) gave them 4 chickens. Mom has been walking out to the barn avery morning to make sure they are still there. Dad mentioned something tonight about 6 more, but Mom denied knowing anything about it.

Felton is finally home. He has an IV still in his arm and Wendy has to give him antibiotics every 8 hours, she is not happy about that. His next dose is around midnight, I am expecting a call. Wendy asked if Felton could come live with Steward and I until Sunday when his antibiotics are finished. The problem is now that Felton is out of the hospital to get him to sit still every 8 hours for the medicine.

Hope all is well, keep in touch.
Melodie

Tuesday, September 03, 2002 at 4:43 PM (EST)

Well things have gone from crazy to crazier around here. Mom is doing well. I think she is going a little stir crazy she is feeling better but she can't drive so she is spending more time at home than she would like. The state fair is rapidly approaching so she will have her hands full then. Mom is to have a repeat MRI later this month.

Felton is our main worry right now. Last Thursday he had his left middle finger operated on. A week or so ago he broke it playing softball. On Saturday the pain was getting worse and it was starting to swell so Wendy took him to the ER. They gave him some IV antibiotics and sent him home with stronger pain pills. By Sunday he was running a fever and the pain was still bad, so back to the ER they went. They finally admitted him and on Monday morning they opened up his finger to flush out all the infection. He is expected to stay in the hospital until Thursday then come home with IV antibiotics for possible 4-6 weeks. The doctor said it was probable a staph infection but they wouldn't know for sure until tomorrow. Please add him to your prayer list, Felton is not the sit still kind of guy and this is going to be extremetly tough on him.

Hope everyone else is doing well, take care and we will update soon.
Melodie

Sunday, September 01, 2002 at 07:35 PM (CDT)

Hello everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates.

Spent a nice Saturday afternoon last weekend at Mom's. Then Sunday (a week ago today) Johnathan left for college. It has been CRAZY around here ever since. Wendy's husband had surgery on his hand Thursday. Melodie is taking a few classes over the internet. Granddaddy Hallie is still visiting Grandma Theda's grave twice a day. Seems we are all going in different directions all the time.

Mom had an appointment Friday. She didn't see a doctor - she just had blood work done and her port-a-cath flushed. She is suppose to be increasing one of her medications this week if all was well with her blood work. I haven't heard any different - so I am assuming that she will begin increasing it this week.

I spoke with Mom this afternoon. She was sitting outside reading the newspaper. We have been getting LOTS of rain this weekend. We have even had some flash flood warnings.

More Later............Wanda

PS- CHECK OUT THE PICTURES FROM LAST WEEKEND.

Friday, August 23, 2002 at 5:33 PM

I cannot believe that the last update was right before the weekend. This entire week has flown by. Johnathan heads back to college on Sunday. We ALL already miss him.

We have planned a cook-out at Mom's house tomorrow afternoon. That way everyone can see him at one time. We still have lots to do before Sunday. Johnathan has put his request in for Grandma Pat's puddin/cookie dessert. Important stuff first!!

Mom has been chasing a turkey this week. Yes you heard me, a T-U-R-K-E-Y. Mom called the house the other night to tell Johnathan that she had seen a wild turkey. She said it was flying over the house and was as big as a hellicopter. Well, at first we thought it might have been a hellicopter - you know Mom's eyesight ain't what it use to be! But guess what?? Mom said she has been hearing the turkey all week. She has not seen it again - but she has heard it. Maybe we will find it tomorrow as the entire Anderson gang converges on Mom and Dad's.

I will try to update again tomorrow afternoon and maybe have some pictures from the cook-out.

Thanks for checking in....................Love, Wanda

Friday, August 16, 2002 at 05:02 PM

Just a short message before we get caught up in the weekend "stuff."

Mom continues to do good. She is enjoying the nice weather. Mom tends to be cold natured so warmer weather doesn't bother her. It seems strange not to have appointments to report on. I am sure Mom enjoys not having to go to any.

Sorry for the short update - there just isn't much going on. PICTURE #1 is new. It was taken on my birthday (8/8) Barney took us out. Mom is front-right in the picture. Isn't she so beautiful?!?!

Thanks for checking on Mom. PLEASE SIGN HER GUESTBOOK - She asks everyday if we have had any new entries. I believe it gives her inspiration to know people are taking the time to check her website. THANKS AGAIN. Love, Wanda

Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 11:20 PM

Hello - Hope this update finds everyone doing fine. Mom is doing good. She continues to be supportive of Dad and Granddaddy as they try to adjust to life without Grandma Theda. It seems so unreal. It is very hard for us to imagine that she is no longer with us.

I spoke with Mom early this morning. She was sitting on the porch having a cup of coffee. She said there was a cool breeze and she was enjoying it before the day turned so HOT. It was suppose to reach the mid 90s in North Carolina today.


Wendy and I were talking about our lives today and how just when we think we can't handle one more thing - something else happens in our lives. We have decided that some people have full plates - but that their plates are just saucers. We apparently have been given platters to fill. We are sure that God will not put more on us than we can handle.

We are up a little late tonight. Madison starts high school tomorrow - we ran to the store for some last minute essentials. On our way to the store we passed a police driving very fast - we thought about turning around and following him to see what was going on, but changed our minds. Anyway, we returned home about 30 minutes later to find our street full of police. Apparently someone robbed the grocery store down the street, assualted the security guards and fled on foot. He tried to carjack someone before running in the wooded area behind our house. As we turned onto our street the police asked us to go home and lock our doors. (If we had turned around and followed the police - they would have led us back home - HaHa)They had a helicopter flying over and shining lights all around our house. All seems to be quiet now - but we just heard on the news that they were calling off the search for tonight. They will resume their search tomorrow. GREAT!! I'm sure we will all get plenty of sleep tonight.

Hopefully Mom has already gone to bed and is not watching the news - I'm pretty sure she hasn't seen the news or she would certainly have called us by now.

Just when we were getting use to "uneventful." Bottom line is Mom is dong GREAT!! We are blessed!! Thanks for caring.

Thursday, August 08, 2002 at 8:32 PM (EST)

Happy Birthday To You! Happy Birthday To You! Happy Birthday Dear Wanda! Happy Birthday To You!

Are you 1? Are you 2? Are you 3? Ha Ha we won't go that far (she is the big 4-0!!!)

All is well in Andersonville. Wanda's husband took her family and Mom out to Kanki for supper. They should be finishing up about now. Mom is doing very well, she was fretting over what to wear tonight. I guess when the biggest thing to worry about is your clothes then all is good!

I think Dad is having a harder time with Wanda turning 40 than she is. (If his oldest daughter is 40 than he can't be 40!)

Take care
Melodie

Monday, August 05, 2002 at 11:04 PM (EST)

It's Eleven O'clock and all is well!

Hope this note finds everyone in good spirits. Things are settling back to normal here. It amazes me how a life changing experence settles back out to normalcy. Things change but life goes on. When Mom was diagnosed almost 20 months ago an oncology nurse told me that her cancer would just become an every day part of our life, I thought she was crazy! How could a brain tumor become normal? But it is now just part of the fabric of our family. You know that it is there when you go to bed and it is there when you wake up, but it does not rule our life anymore. The same thing with the loss of our Grandmother, each day gets a little bit easier, hopefully it will for Granddady too.

A little personal note, yesterday I moved my membership to the church I recently started attending. I realized that if anything happens to me I don't want my child to have any question as to were I stand. God has blessed this family in many ways and he has not forsaken us during these trying times, I really believe he is watching over us. Let your family know where your stand and pray to God he does hear us.

Take Care
Melodie

Saturday, August 03, 2002 at 11:06 PM

Good evening. Mom is doing good. She only has ONE appointment this month. There is not much other news. We are all still trying to adjust to Grandma Theda's absence. It is hard to believe she was buried a week ago already. Granddaddy visits her grave every day. Sometimes twice a day. Hopefully time will help ease his pain.

I will update again next week.

SPECIAL NOTE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE LAYTHAM. (Mom's middle brother)

Love, Wanda

Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 9:50 PM

Just a short note: Mom had an appointment at Duke yesterday. As expected, everything looks good. No tumor growth!! Everything continues to be stable......

They increased Mom Tamoxifen and Celebrex. As long as Mom's liver levels are not elevated she should be able to take the higher doses. Mom is to have an MRI in two months. We will send it to Duke for a reading. If all remains the same Mom will return two months after that for a follow-up.

I recently received an e-mail from a lady whose father travels from Florida to Duke. He is 2 years out from his diagonsis!!! What a wonderful thing!! I believe she said that Duke has about 200 patients waiting to be seen. I hope they will always have room for Mom.

Anyway, for now all is good. When I spoke with Mom this morning, she was sitting on her back deck, drinking coffee and watching a deer in her back yard. She described the air as having a little chill, that there was a slight breeze. Small things that 2 years ago might have gone unnoticed. Mom now takes time to enjoy the simple things. We are blessed.

Thanks for caring!! Love, Wanda

Monday, July 29, 2002 at 09:03 AM

Good morning. Just a quick update. Mom continues to do good. We had my Dad's Mom's, Grandma Theda, visitation and funeral this weekend. Thanks for all the prayers, cards, and support during a very difficult time for our family.


Mom was so beautiful - everyone was comforted in seeing how good Mom looked.

Mom goes to Duke tomorrow. We have already gotten the results from her MRI because she has been seen by her surgeon. The MRI shows no change. So Mom's Duke visit should be uneventful. We like uneventful!!

I promise to update again after Mom returns from Duke.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 5:15 PM

Sorry for the delay in updating. Our world has been turned upside down. On July 9th my Dad's Mom (Grandma Theda) had a massive stroke. We have been by her side around the clock since then. Mom was able to come to the hospital throughout the time Grandma Theda was there. Mom suddenly became a caregiver.

This morning just before 2:00am Grandma Theda passed away. We have been with my Grandfather ever since.

Mom is doing OK. A little tired but she is hanging in there.

Please pray for us as we get thru these next couple of days. Please especially pray for my Grandfather as they were married almost 70 years and this is VERY difficult for him.

THANKS FOR CARING.................Love, Wanda

Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 10:04 PM (EST)

Great News From Grandma Pat!!

Her MRI today had not changed from her previous films!! Yeah!! Her new neurosurgion was pleased with everything, he asked if she needed anything and we said yes for them to turn her loose. HE AGREED!!! He said to call if we needed anything. That is a big relief, it was getting harder and harder to get Mom to go to those appointments. I told her today she either needed to stop being so grumpy about going or find herself a new ride! She just laughed at me.

We return to Duke on the 7/30/02. Her next round of appointments should fall in October which is state fair month for us. She is already trying to figure out how to get out of them.

Take Care
Melodie

P.S. Grandma Theda has developed aspiration pnuemonia and is runninng a fever. Keep her in your prayers.

Sunday, July 14, 2002 at 9:40 PM (EST)

HI Grandma Pat is doing great.

Things are much better here than 6 days ago. On Tuesday my Dad's Mom suffered a massive stroke, and the family was called in. Grandma Theda did not open her eyes or talk until Friday. She is much more alert now and at times tries to carry on a conversation. She is not able to use her left side and they are going to evaluate her ability to swallow tommorow. So we will know a little more her prognosis then.

Mom is doing great, she has been at the hospital several times over the last week. It odd to see her back in the caregiver role. But I guess it is like riding a bike, you never forget. She has an MRI on Thursday and meets with the new neurosurgion. Even though it has been 19 months since her surgery they will not turn her loose, she is getting really grumpy about going to the radiation doctor and the neurosurgion, she says she will call them if she needs them.

Take care and we wil update on everyone soon.
Melodie

P.S. A friend of the family's newborn grandson is in the hospital, please send extra prayers for him.

Thursday, July 11, 2002 at 10:41 PM

Having trouble updating tonight. I just did a LONG update but it did not work. I will update again Friday night.

Real quick: Mom is fine. She feels and looks REAL good.

We have been busy this week. Dad's Mom had a massive stroke on Tuesday, she is not responsive and remains in the hospital. PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, July 04, 2002 at 9:20 AM

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! GO USA!!!

Mom had a doctors appointment yesterday. Her chemo oncologist left the practice so she met with her new chemo doctor. He was pleased with Mom's progress. (Mom said "What's not to be pleased with!!") The doctor did not want to increase any of her medicines now. He wanted to wait until Mom returned to Duke and let them decide about any increases in her meds. Mom received a pnewmonia shot. (She said her arm was hurting today) She said she wasn't sure why she had to have a shot because only "old" people usually got them. We were laughing because I reminded Mom that we WERE getting old. How nice to be getting "old!"

Mom wants everyone to know that she is feeling good.

Apparently she is doing better, because she has been "cleaning out". She said it is taking her longer than it use to but she is determined to get it done. How wonderful!!

Thanks for taking the time to check in on Mom. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to fight this battle.

Love, Wanda

Monday, July 01, 2002 at 5:18 PM

We are back. No one was killed or even hurt. We all had to go in different directions several times - while at the beach - to keep from hurting each other. As a matter of fact Melodie and I couldn't even come home the same way. She went across country and I took the interstate. The important thing is we are all home safe and sound.

Mom had a good time. She told me that she enjoyed her weekend visiting with her sister at their old home. (She didn't say anything about the beach - imagine that??) I took Mom to her home on Friday. She said they visited the cemetary on Friday afternoon and put new flowers of Grandma and Granddaddy Formyduval's graves (her parents). Then they visited her older brother who lives near by. He is in his 80s. A cousin passed away while they were there so they visited his family. They also visited Mom's youngest brother and his family at the beach. Mom's nephew and his family are vacationing at the beach this week and they came to see Mom. Mom had a wonderful time.

It has been very HOT in North Carolina this week. Mom finally put on shorts this morning. She said she hasn't been warm enough to do that in a long time.

Mom is feeling much better these days. THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS FROM NEAR AND FAR......PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR MOM AS SHE IS STILL FIGHTING A HUGH BATTLE.

Love, Wanda

PS - I can't remember if we wrote that Mom's mammogram results came back negative. NO CANCER!!!!! We are truly blessed.

Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 10:59 PM (EST)

Well we are all at the beach. For some odd reason we tend to think that a family with 4 strong personalities and 5 children can get along under one roof for an entire week. I think our limit is 4 days and we are entering day 6. But each year we do it again. I can't complain to Steward he likes to say "I told you so!" So far no major sunburns and no major injuries.

Mom is doing well, I think we have worn her out these last few days. It has been nice having her here and actually having energy to do something. Tommorow she is going to her home place and spend the weekend with her sister and brothers. She deserves a break from us.

Wendy and her family will go home tomorrow, The rest of us will return Sunday. Pray for us a safe return and that we don't hurt each other the remander
of the trip.

Take care and we will update soon!
Melodie!

P.S. Please remind us next year when we start planning the family vacation "NOT TO DO IT"

Sunday, June 23, 2002 at 10:31 AM

Good morning - We are busy packing. Wendy and I are traveling with Mom (and the kids) to North Mytrle Beach this afternoon. Melodie and her family are already there. We plan to stay thru next weekend. We are taking a laptop so hopefully we can update from the beach.

Mom's mammogram results came back. NO CANCER!!!!!! So we have breast with NO signs of cancer and a brain with NO brain tumor activity. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Gotta go......I'll update later from the beach.....Love, Wanda

Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 7:27 PM

Mom went for her blood work today. The office called this afternoon and spoke with Dad. (Mom was taking a nap) The message was (according to Dad): Mom's blood counts were about the same - if she was feeling bad she should probably call the office. I guess that means everything is OK?

Mom also had a mammogram done today. Apparently the nurse was as interested in Mom's brain tumor as she was in her breast cancer. I guess I had never met anyone with a brain tumor before Mom. We always knew she was special!! Mom said the nurse said she had never heard of anyone having their vision affected by a tumor. Moma is so lucky that her tumor grew where it did. Because it did affect her vision she noticed it, and it was diagnosised earlier than if it had been somewhere else in the brain.

It is a beautiful afternoon in Raleigh. Mom has been outside enjoying the day. Wendy and Summer are visiting. Mom has been taking walks. Mom and Dad live out in the country - so taking a walk means she walked down to the garden or out to see the flowers. There are plenty of places to walk.

Mom doesn't have any more appointments this week. I think we have talked her into going with us to the beach next week. I think we will leave on Saturday or Sunday and plan to stay thru the next weekend.

Please continue to pray for us.

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 07:32 PM

Melodie and Mom are just getting home from Mom's eye appointment at Duke. The appointment was scheduled for 2:00pm. Apparently they did several hours of testing and reviewing Mom's MRIs. Mom was told to bring her MRIs to the appointment. She was laughing because she said if she carried all of her MRIs she would have to bring the wagon along to get them all in the hospital.

Anyway, the RESULTS: Mom's vision has not gotten any worse. There are things she can do to help with the vision she has left. (NOTE: Mom cannot see "left of center" in either eye) They are making her an appointment with a visual therapist to help Mom better use the vision she has. They also told Mom about some glasses that will help with her reading.

Mom is to return for a follow-up in three months. They also told them about a diease that attacks the eyes after radiation. If caught in time it is treatable. There is no sign of these diease now, but the docs have given Mom the things to watch for.

It was a long day and Mom and Melodie are both extremely tired. I'll update again later in the week.

Love, Wanda

Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 4:06 PM

I spoke with Mom earlier today. She was drinking coffee. Yesterday Mom and Dad went with another couple to Virginia to watch a horse race. Apparently no one was a big winner -'cause we would have heard by now. Mom was excited to get to go. Wendy saw Mom before they left, she said Moma looked very beautiful.

Mom watched Wendy's children yesterday morning while she went to the doctor. Apparently Wendy has another kidney stone. We are a little anxious about that. Last time Wendy had one was in October 2000 (the October before Mom was dx with the brain tumor in January). I can't remember all the details - but Wendy was very sick!!! Hopefully this time will not be so bad.

Anyway, back to Mom.......she said this morning that she could not believe how good she felt. I think every day she feels a little better.

Mom has an appointment at Duke on Tuesday (6/11) with an eye doctor. She is excited to hear what they say about her vision. I am not sure if Moma thinks they can help her vision or if she just wants to make sure that her vision is not getting any worse? I am not sure about appointments for the rest of the week. I promise to update after her appointment on Tuesday.

Thanks for checking on Mom - she is doing GOOD!! We are blessed and truly thankful!!

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, June 04, 2002 at 9:29 PM

Melodie took Mom to her oncology appointment today. Mom had blood work done - her counts are getting better. Something about premature blood cells - they would like them to be above 1500 - last week Mom's were 300. Today they were up to 1300.

Apparently Mom has not been taking her Tamoxifen. She wanted to make sure the Celebrex did not make her sick. So she promised Melodie she would start back taking it.

Mom doesn't have any other appointments this week. Yipppppeeeee. :-)

Next week she has an appointment with an eye doctor at Duke. We will be excited to see the results. We do not expect that Mom will regain any of the vision that has been lost. But we would like to make sure there has not been any additional loss since January 2001.

I am not sure what other appointments are scheduled next week. I think blood work is going to be every other week or at least not as often from now on.

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!

Love, Wanda (the daughter that is obviously NOT the nurse)

Sunday, June 02, 2002 at 09:44 PM

Mom must be feeling pretty good today. I called earlier this afternoon to check on her and Dad said she was in the backyard planting some flowers. Seems like such a small unimportant thing - doesn't it? Well for Moma to have the energy to even care about putting out flowers is truly amazing. THANK GOD!!!

Mom spoke last week of a neighbor who had had a stroke last year. The neighbor called to check on Mom for the first time since her stroke. Mom was so excited. Mom said that it made her feel good just to know that her neighbor was doing well enough to call. That same day we were speaking of older people and how sometimes they can get on your nerves. Moma said when she gets to be in her 80s she hoped that she wouldn't be a bother to us. I promised Mom we would be patient with her when she got that old. (You can believe that Moma intends to get at least that old!!)

Moma had company yesterday. My grandparents visited as well as my cousin from Virginia and her husband. I believe they were on their way to vacation at the beach. Moma enjoyed seeing everyone.

Dad had a consession at a horse show today. Mom was up at 6am to help prepare biscuits.

It was a busy weekend. Thanks for all the love and support!! Please keep those prayers coming.

LOVE, Wanda

Friday, May 31, 2002 at 8:16 PM

Mom seems to be feeling some better. We took her to watch Spencer play baseball last night. I had forgotten how cute little guys are playing ball. I think Mom enjoyed it.

Mom's chemo oncologist got a second opinion about treating Mom's breast cancer. The doctor from Duke agreed that Mom does not need radiation, because of the size, type and adequate surgical removal of the tumor. Mom agrees and is fine with not having any more radiation.

Dad took Mom to her appointments today. They did some running around before heading back to Youngsville.

We are suppose to have HOT weather this weekend. They are predicting temps around 97 degrees by Monday.

Thanks for checking on Mom and please keep her and our entire family in your prayers as we continue to find courage and strength to fight this battle. Love, Wanda

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 at 07:14 PM

Sorry for the delay in updating -- but I did that on purpose.

I wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to read our GREAT news.

Just in case you missed it..............THERE IS NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY!!!!!

After the doctor told us the good news - Melodie took a big breath and said "OK - what do we do now?" You know, we have spent every bit of energy we have - researching, making appointments, trying to understand the treatments, going to appointments, coordinating schedules, getting blood drawn, etc. For the last 17 months we have totally focused on beating this cancer......Now what do we focus on?? Of course, we will keep this cancer in check and we will never let our guard down. But day to day - what are we gonna do?? A friend, who has beaten breast cancer, told me that now you start living again. She said Mom's brain tumor will not be the first thing we think of when we get up in the morning or the last thing we think of before we close our eyes. It will probably take Mom longer to get to that point, although she has certainly been the one to set the example for the rest of the family from day one (1/11/01).

Mom has rested today. I just spoke with Mom, and she was not doing the best - she was very tired, but hoping to feel better this afternoon. While we were on the phone Melodie and Jacob came it - Mom's voice immediately changed - boy does she love those GRAND-kids!!

I asked Mom if there was anything she wanted to tell the world, since I was getting ready to update the website. Sorry guys - she did not have any words of wisdom today. Maybe tommorrow?

Please keep Mom in your prayers as she tries very hard to regain her energy and over come the effects of a year of chemo and radiation.

Love, Wanda

NOTE: Moma - You hang in there!! You have fought a long hard battle and we are SO very proud of you and all that you are!!

Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 5:06 PM

WHAT A DAY!!!

7:30 am arrived at Duke. Mom had her first PET scan. The results were great!! Apparently there is NO brain tumor activity. The MRI remains unchanged also. Mom did all the test they required. (Except she refused to count backwards from 100 by 7s - we had even practiced during the 1 1/2 hours we waited in the exam room)

NO BRAIN TUMOR ACTIVITY!!!

Did everyone catch that? We are SO blessed.

Officially at midnight tonight Mom will be off the Chemo. She will start taking Celebrex at 200mg twice a day. Possibly to be increase to 400 mg twice a day if tolerated.

Mom will return to Duke in two months for a follow-up. They said it is HARD to get appointments at Duke - since the 60 Minutes broadcast they have had a large increase in the number of people wanting to be seen at Duke. Apparently they may have to start seeing Mom every other time and just have the MRIs sent to be looked at the in between times. We are more than willing to give others with more immediate needs - our place at Duke - BUT if Mom ever needs more attention they had better make immediate room for her.

Mom is home - probably taking a nap by now! I think I will also.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to fight for Moma's life - for now we have won a battle - but NOT the war.

Love, Wanda

NOTE: Moma we are so very proud of you!! You are truly amazing! Hurry an get that strength back so we can go to Kanki!! LOVE YA!

Saturday, May 18, 2002 at 11:20 AM

Sorry for no updates last week. The entire week was a BLURRRRRRR.

Monday: Mom had an abdominal scan to check her liver. Spencer had a ball game.

Tuesday: Melodie and Mom met with her radiation oncologist. He is not interested in doing radiation on her breast cancer at this time. He thinks Mom is doing great. Spencer had another ballgame.

Wednesday: NO APPOINTMENTS!! Johnathan came home from college for the summer!!!!

Thursday: Melodie and Mom met with her chemo oncologist. The liver scan came back OK, but she wants Mom to stop the Tamoxifen - at such a high dosage it could be causing the high liver levels. She wants to see what the game plan is next week when we go to Duke. If they recommend that we stop chemo then Mom's oncologist wants her to get treatment for her breast cancer. The doctors are going to have to come to some agreement and Mom is going to have to step up and take charge of her treatment plans as well. Spencer had another ball game. I came home to a house full of kids (some of Johnathan's friends)

Friday: Mom had an appointment with the disability doctor. Friends of Mom's took her to the appointment. Dad left for the mountains on Friday morning - some catering thing?? Mom's appointment went fine - the doctor was excited to get an interesting case for disability. Apparently those are not the norm. Spencer had another ball game. Wendy, Summer and Spencer spent the night with Moma. Madison started her final exams today.

Saturday: Mom's older sister and husband are visiting today from Charlotte. Mom is also watching Jacob for Melodie and Steward.
It is raining in Raleigh today. It may rain all day.

I think Mom feels better each day. She is ready to get some energy back. And she is determined that she will.

Mom has an MRI scheduled for Monday and then we go to Duke on Thursday. We will arrive around 7:30am for a PET scan and a clinic visit. It could be an all day affair. We are excited to get the PET scan.

I hope you could keep up with all of that. It is sort of nice that our lives are beginning to resemble the hetic pace of most other families. Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!!

Love, Wanda

Monday, May 13, 2002 at 6:17 PM

Melodie took Mom for her CAT scan this morning. The appointment was at 8:30am in Raleigh. It took almost the entire morning. She had to drink several LARGE cups of "stuff", then wait for one hour before having the test.

Apparently it did not make her feel to bad because Melodie and Mom stopped and had fried seafood for lunch on the way home.

Mom has another appointment with her radiation oncologist tomorrow. We will update again tomorrow night with the results of that appointment.

Have a wonderful evening and hug your Mom.

Love, Wanda

Sunday, May 12, 2002 at 4:58 PM (EST)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hope everyone is well. Mom is doing better. I finally think she is slowly starting to get her strenght back. Wendy, Wanda, the grandkids and I went over for lunch. I never fully appreciated the effort it took to prepare a large meal by yourself. I went over early and fixed country vegetables (butterbeans, corn, cabbage, new potatoes, fried squash, bacon and fried cornbread) for everyone. I was exhausted afterwards. Almost to tired to eat! Almost!!

Some of Mom's blood work came back high 2 weeks ago (liver studies) for the first time, so they are sending Mom for a CT scan of her abdomen tomorrow. Her oncologist said normally she would wait and repeat the tests next month but she is retiring at the end of May and she wants to make sure nothing gets missed. We will miss her greatly she has been the one constant in this whole mess. It seems like all of Mom's doctors are leaving (this makes the second her Neurosurgion is retiring at the end of June)

Mom also has an appointment on Tuesday with her radiation doctor, we expect him to discuss radiation for the breast cancer. And on Thursday she has a schuduled appointment with the oncologist, plus on Friday Social Security want's her to see one of their doctors. Needless to say a busy week. The next week is not much better an MRI on Monday and Thursday we go back to Duke for a PET scan and an appointment. Please keep her in your prayers for good news from all the doctors and strength to go to all the appointments.

Take care and Happy Mother's Day Again!!

Melodie

Monday, May 06, 2002 at 9:55 PM

Mom is doing better. She had a real good day Saturday. Sunday and today were "OK" days.

My Grandma Theda had a birthday on Saturday. Mom and Dad cooked for everyone on Sunday. I think everyone had a good time. I was in Charlotte at a family reunion on Barney's side of the family.

Mom still takes a lot of medicine every day. They all have different side effects. Most of which are opposite of each other.

Moma still has a wonderful sense of humor. She is such an inspiration. We will be going see her radiation doctor - hopefully he will agree to do radiation on her breast cancer next week. The following week (5/23)we go to Duke - we get to have a pet scan!!

Besides those appointments we get blood drawn each week and another MRI just prior to going back to Duke. We could all apply for jobs as an event coordinator after keeping up with Moma's schedule.

Oh well - good news is - Moma is doing good - she is feeling better.

Wendy won tickets to see Beauty and the Beast for tomorrow night - hopefully Mom will feel like going.

I'll update again soon.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, May 04, 2002 at 08:28 AM

Well we got up this morning to a COLD RAINEY day. I feel the need to put on a BIG pot of soup.

Mom is slowly but surely feeling some better. It has not been easy. Usually we take it one day at a time. At this point she takes it minute-by-minute. Mom was able to eat some toast yesterday morning and a little dinner last night. No "happy plates" yet. (We still have 3 year olds in the family -so a happy plate is a clean plate)

Anyway, with the yuky day we are having, maybe Mom will stay curled up on the couch and rest today. I haven't talked to her this morning - I will update later today after I have checked in.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, May 02, 2002 at 12:41 AM

Mom had a pretty miserable day on Wednesday. I spoke with her several times from work. Always asking if she was drinking -getting enough fluids. Melodie also worked today and kept tabs on Mom by phone. Wendy picked the kids up and spent the afternoon with Mom making sure that she was getting enough fluids.

Melodie went by Mom's on her way home (she got off at 7:00pm) It takes most people about 35-40 minutes to get to Youngsville from Raleigh. Mom was just getting sicker. Not able to keep her medicine down. So Melodie called the doctor.

By 8:00pm we were off to the emergency room. We are home now. Melodie is with Mom making sure she gets settled for the night. Mom was given IV fluids and her blood counts were taken. They also gave her fenigran (sp?)The blood work showed Mom has an infection. They gave her antibiotics for that.

Hopefully she is resting soundly by now. Well its about 1:00am and I've gotta be up at 5:30am. I'll update again when I get home tomorrow.

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 at 8:27 PM

WELL THIS IS IT........Tonight is the last night of Mom's chemo. Five more pills!!! That is ALL!!!

Sounds easy, right? WRONG! Mom is not feeling good at all. Melodie is with her now. She will take her chemo at 9:15pm. Not long from now. PLEASE PRAY FOR MOM AS SHE TRIES VERY HARD TO TAKE THIS LAST DOSE OF CHEMO!!

Melodie is watching Mom closely to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated. Mom can get SOOOO sick SOOOOO quick when she becomes dehydrated.

Mom had blood work done today - as far as I know it was alright. They didn't call Mom from the dcotors office - so no news is good news.

I will update again tomorrow and let you know how Mom is doing.

LOVE, Wanda

Saturday, April 27, 2002 at 2:10 PM

JUST A QUICK UPDATE:

Mom took her chemo last night. Five pills two hours after eating and right before going to bed. What that means is she has to start taking her other meds about 8:00pm then another at 9:00pm and the chemo at 10:00pm. Only four more nights to go!!!!!!!!

Mom got up early to help Dad get ready for a show he is taking their small food booth to today. They were serving ham and sausage biscuits this morning and hotdogs and hamburgers until 3:00pm.

After Dad left Mom went back to bed. She is resting today. Her stomach doesn't feel good - but she is not complaining.

Hopefully this will be Mom's last chemo for a while.......PRAY IT KEEPS WORKING!!!!

Barney is planning to take her out to eat the minute she says she is up to it. We are going to celebrate finishing chemo!!

MORE LATER>>>>>>>>>>>Wanda

Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 06:52 PM

Mom had her blood work repeated yesterday. Her levels were high enough to start the next round of chemo. She is waiting to hear from the doctors about her chemo drugs. It takes the pharmacy a day or so to get the medication. Apparently the script has not been called in yet. Mom left a message this afternoon for the doctor to call her. As of 5:00pm she had not heard from them. SHE WAS NOT HAPPY.

Mom has left a few other messages day and no one has returned her calls. THEY BETTER LOOK OUT. Mom said that she was giving everyone until tomorrow at noon. If she doesn't get some return calls - Mom will not be happy. I can imagine they will get an ear full.

Anyway, Mom is ready to start her next round of chemo. We will probably have to move her appointment at Duke to later in the month, because they have to have their MRIs and PET scans done at certain times in the cycles.

We will try to let everyone know as soon Mom starts the chemo.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 5:53 PM

WE DID IT. The Duke Brain Tumor Center's 9th annual 5K run and Family Fun Walk is officially history. We were represented proudly. Wanda, Wendy, Melodie, Steward, Summer, Jacob, Madison, Heather, Lynne & Melissa (our video person)

I am pretty sure we walked AT LEAST 5 miles. It was very hot. But all in all it was nice.

Mom is starting to feel some better - so she decided not to attend today's events since the forecast was calling for temps up to 90. She thought it best not to get in the heat. We made her proud.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR CAUSE. GRANDMA PAT'S TEAM RAISED OVER $3100.00. That is amazing since we only started our efforts about two months ago.. I will give you guys a month or so off - But by the end of the summer we will be coming up with creative ways to raise money for next year. Stay tuned.............

I am trying to upload some pictures from today. It looks like it is going to take some more effort of my part. Keep checking I will get them up sooner or later.

The GRAND TOTAL for today's event was $354,000.00. Last year they raised about $220,000. Their goal was to reach $250,000 this year. We beat it by over $100,000.

From my sisters, my Mom and Dad and the rest of the family - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU......................Gifts from the HEART do much more than help find cures, they inspire us as we fight this battle daily.

They said today that the monies raised today do not have strings attached - like federal monies - so ALL of the proceeds go directly to finding a cure. One of the doctors today said their goal is that one day people will not have to die from brain tumors. They can find them, treat them, and LIVE a cancer free life.

Mom should have started her next round of chemo today. However, her oncologist thinks her blood counts are to low. WE think she is looking at the wrong blood work report. Because Melodie has be report and it doesn't appear that anything is that low. We will get it straight on Monday. I am sure Mom doesn't mind a few more days off before starting more chemo.

Oh well we will all rest good tonight. I'll update again soon. LOVE, Wanda

Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 7:05 PM

Mom had her blood work done today. The counts looked good. Last week one of the counts - something about immature cells - (you can tell I'm not the "nurse" daughter) was low. Today they were up considerably.

Mom continues to be tired. And to quote her she is "tired to being tired". Moma doesn't complain much - so when she makes statements like that we take them seriously. Just like when she says she is feeling "ok" - we understand that to mean she feels BAD. But she would never say that. Mom reserves the B-A-D word for being sick enough to be put in the hospital. She is stronger than most.

Mom has not decided if she will join us for the Angels Among Us walk this Saturday. If she is not able to join us - WE WILL MAKE HER PROUD. As of this afternoon we have collected about $800 more dollars. THANKS!!! EVERYONE.

I'll update again soon.....Love, Wanda

NOTE: MOMA YOU ALWAYS MAKE US LAUGH - THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL INSPIRATION YOU ARE........"the girls"

Sunday, April 14, 2002 at 8:23 PM

HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET FROM TUESDAY (the last update) TO SUNDAY WITHOUT AN UPDATE? I don't know who is responsible for hitting my lifes "fast forward button" but they can slow it down now!

Johnathan was in from Boone for a family friend's wedding. We all played some part in it. So I guess we were a little pre-occupied.

Anyway, what you really logged on to this website for: GRANDMA PAT..........

She is tired. Moma spends a lot of time on the couch these days. Wendy said her appetite is not so good right now. I did see Mom Friday night around 10:30 for about 20 minutes. Dad (and Mom) fixed chicken salad to be used at the wedding reception I mentioned earlier - so after the rehersal we headed to Youngsville to pick it up. Mom was resting on the couch - she might have been asleep. She seemed OK - just tired.

We have blood work on Wednesday. Not much else is happening. Except we will be participating in the Angels Among Us walk for the Duke Brain Tumor Center this Saturday. I have collected more money since I last wrote about it. We will turn in all our collections that day. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR REMEMBERING OUR "CAUSE".

I promise to update better this week............Love, Wanda

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 at 9:34 PM

Mom continues to do good. Although she sounded an little down/tired today when we spoke. I don't get to see her as much as the girls. They live closer. I am learning to tell be her voice when she doesn't feel good.

Wendy is in Florida this week. Mom has been watching Spencer during the day, because he is out of school for several weeks. Melodie took him out to eat for lunch. They walked all over Wake Forest before agreeing on a place to eat. I am not really sure if "agreed" is the right choice of words.

Melodie called Duke today to report the mix up in Mom's medicine. As far as I know they have not gotten back with her. We just pray this mix up has not cost Mom precious time.

I mailed the money we had collected thru yesterday - to Duke for our fundraiser. We were able to send $1768.00 I am still collecting money until the 20th. I will take whatever else I collect with me to the family fun walk. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED - As my friend from work said "pennies make dollars".

I'll update later in the week after we hear from Duke - Mom has a blood draw on Thursday - but she doesn't have to see the oncologist for 4 to 6 weeks. YEAH!!!!!

Love, Wanda

Sunday, April 07, 2002 at 02:58 PM

Mom is getting stronger every day. I can hear it in her voice. I spoke with Mom and Dad earlier today. They were joking around and laughing. What a pleasure!!

I am not sure about Mom's schedule next week. I know she has a blood draw on Thursday. Mom's neurosurgeon is retiring, but he is turning his patients over to a doctor who was trained at Duke - that is where Mom's cancer treatment is all coordinated.

Speaking of Duke - tonight at 7:00pm the news show "60 Minutes" is airing a section about the Duke Brain Tumor Center. We were there just one day after they filmed. When they look at Mom's MRIs that day - they mentioned that it would have been nice to have had Mom's appointment the day before - since her films looked so good. I think Mom was just as happy not to be on TV. Anyway, if anyone gets a chance to watch it, you can see where we go for treatment at Duke.

We are continuing at receive money for our fundraiser later this month - for the Brain Tumor Center. We will be collecting right up until we walk on April 20th. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US.

I'll update again later in the week.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, April 04, 2002 at 7:55 PM

Mom saw her oncologist today. The doctor said Mom is doing good. I think they said that Mom doesn't have to visit her again for 4 to 6 weeks. (Don't hold me to that. I'm getting OLD and my memory fails me sometimes)

The oncologist said that the medication that Mom has been getting instead of the Tamoxifen was used before Tamoxifen was around, but because of the side effects most doctors began perscribing Tamoxifen. She also said that how if affects brain tumors is still unclear.

So what we know, is that the medication does block estrogen which feeds the breast cancer, and we are not sure if it helped the brain tumor or not.

At least the brain tumor does not appear to be growing. For that we are truly thankful. We are also very thankful for everyone who has contributed so generously to the "Angels Among Us" fundraiser. We are very excited about the response.

Earlier I wrote about the fundraiser, which is sponsored by the Brain Tumor Center at Duke. This is their 9th year. Duke oversees Mom's treatment. She gets most of the treatment in Raleigh, but it is all coordinated thru Duke. They say "At Duke there is HOPE!" We believe this is true.

Mom appears to be feeling better each day. I believe she is getting stronger. She still takes naps, but at least in her voice she is sounding stronger.

Today was a beautiful day, a little chilly, but beautiful. WE ARE BLESSED. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRAYERS FOR MOM AND OUR FAMILY & ALSO, FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE IN HONOR OF MOM. WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Love, Wanda

NOTE: Moma, we love you and are very proud of your strength and spirit!! You make us SMILE!!

Saturday, March 30, 2002 at 10:21 AM

Hey - I'm at the beach for the weekend. But I decided to update. We had a little excitement yesterday.

Mom takes Tamoxefen as an estrogen blocker. Both of her cancers (breast and brain tumor) are fed by estrogen. Apparently in June 2001 when we increased the amount of Tamoxefen because of her breast cancer, the prescription was written. The prescription was filled with an estrogen blocker - but it was not Tamoxefen. It was brought to their attention when the first prescription was picked up. They assured us that it was the same as Tamoxefen. Well, guess what, it is NOT.

We will talk with the Oncologist on Monday to determine if there is going to be a problem.

They went ahead and filled the prescription with Tamoxefen, but now we have to increase the amounts to get Mom back up to the right amount.

Obviously, the MRIs indicate that the tumor is not growing so something is working. PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A COSTLY MISTAKE - AND THAT THIS HAS NOT LOST PRECIOUS TIME FOR OUR MOM.

I'll update again after we speak with the oncologist on Monday.

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 5:06 PM

Mom finished taking her chemo last night. Now we wait 23 days and start over again. Mom does a lot of resting now. But she is determined to do what ever it takes. She is a good patient.

Spencer spent several hours with Mom and Dad today. He attends a year-around school. So several times a year he is out for three weeks at a time. Dad and Spencer looked thru some coins that Dad recently aquired.

I just spoke with Mom - she was taking a nap. It is a beautiful day in Raleigh. We had storms last night.

I will be out of town this weekend - hopefully one of the girls will update.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

LOVE, Wanda

Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 9:30pm

Mom rested today. She will take her third round of chemo tonight. Earlier today she said "After tonight I only have two more nights to take this chemo". GOD BLESS her! Moma always thinks of things in the positive light. Her cup will always be half full - instead of half empty.

Moma is tired now. She doesn't seem to have much energy. But she said tonight that she was gonna feel better soon. I told her that I felt sure she would. She said - "I know I will, because Barney said as soon as I feel like going out to eat he is gonna take me."

So have no fear - Moma is going to feel better real soon - She says so!!!

Mom says her appetite is not very good. She ate half of a chicken sandwich about mid afternoon and she was not interested in eating any dinner. I don't think she likes taking all those chemo pills with very much on her stomach.

Thanks for all the love and support - we are blessed!!

Love, Wanda

PS - I will be trying to contact as many people as I can about donating to "Angels Among Us" - It is Duke's Brain Tumor Center fundraiser coming up April 20th. They have a family fun walk which we will participate in (Moma is also planning to walk if she is up to it.) Anyway, if I don't call you - feel free to call me.

THANKS AGAIN, Wanda

Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 3:06 PM

Mom started her next chemo last night. She must have done pretty good because when I called Mom today - she was upstairs with Wendy cleaning out/up.

Well everything is apparently going good. I haven't been in touch this week - BIG stuff at work.

Bottom line - Mom is doing good. She saw her neurosurgeon this week - he is very proud of her.

One of the doctors where I work told me just today - that you can never tell what is going to happen with diease. Mom is doing good. I'll update more often this week.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, March 16, 2002 at 1:23 PM

Sorry for the lack of updates. Johnathan was home from college last week - and I don't know where the time went.

Mom still has not heard from Duke about her MRI - I guess we can assume that they have not located the January films to compair with.

Mom does alot of resting now. She spends right much time on the couch. She is tired of being tired. Mom believes that she is more tired this time on the CCNU than last time.

Mom is also getting tired of doctors visits. Just wait until we start her six weeks of chemo for the breast cancer. Every day to Raleigh for six weeks. That is gonna be LOADS of fun!!

At least we have stuff like that to complain about. Things could certainly be much worse. We are so lucky.

Thanks for the prayers.

More later.................Love, Wanda

Tuesday, March 12, 2002 at 05:29 PM

We are back. Melodie, Mom and I left this morning around 9:00am for Mom's appointment at Duke. They did the usual - blood work, spell world forwards and backwards, remember three words (dog, tree & couragous) and subtract 7 from 100. Mom did everything except the math. She decided today she had done enough math in her life. The doctors at Duke didn't push her. I think they knew better.

After waiting for almost 2 hours to be seen. They reviewed Mom's MRIs and guess what!!!! They didn't have the MRI from January to compare with. They are trying to tract it down so they will approve her to go to the next chemo.

Initially they explained that Mom would need to be on chemo for about a year (without any tumor growth) before stopping. Guess what?!?!?!? After the next two rounds of Temadore (about 8 weeks worth) Mom will have finished her year of chemo without any tumor growth.

TALK ABOUT A PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!

We will hold our breath. We are not celebrating yet. But everything looks really good.

Duke will call after the films are located and give us the go-ahead to take the next chemo.

Anyway, it was a LONG day. When Melodie asked Mom if she was tired and ready to go home - Mom said "NO, I'm ready to go eat"

We had a nice lunch then visited the gift shop at the Duke gardens. We didn't buy anything, but it was nice to visit.

I will update again later. One last thing before I go. On April 20th we will be participating in a fundraiser at Duke "Angels Among Us". Mom plans to walk in the "Family Walk" with us. We are trying to collect donations until then.

Moma is doing good and Duke is doing wonderful things to make that happen. The problem is there is no cure. YET!!

Moma and Duke need our help.

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

LOVE, Wanda

Saturday, March 09, 2002 at 10:34 PM (EST)

Mom had company today. Her oldest brother and his daughter drove up to see her. Uncle Ishmael is 18 years older than Mom. He lives about 3 hours away. I think it did him and her good to see each other.

Wanda, Wendy, all the grandkids and I also went over. Mom cooked one of her wonderful home cooked meals. (If you have never had fried corn bread you have truely never lived!) Uncle Ishmael brought a pecan pie he made that was delicious! After our visit Mom was worn out we left her almost asleep on the couch.

We are still planning on going to Duke Tuesday. There is a new gigantic mall that has opened up this weekend close to the hospital, I am trying to convince Mom and Wanda we should check it out. Neither one seems very excited about that idea, maybe we will go to Duke Gardens, the spring flowers are already in bloom here (and they have a great gift shop!).

Hope all is well, keep in touch.
Melodie

Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 9:50 PM (EST)

Mom is doing well. Wendy and I went over today and went through some clothes that had collected at Mom's over the past 10 years. The rule was if you took over 20 seconds to make up your mind on a piece of clothing it was tossed. We are going to take most of the clothes to one of the local charities.

Mom's energy is still on the low side. She helped us today, but I could tell she was wearing out quick. (But if you ask Wendy she will tell you I quit after I found a certain skirt I was looking for!)

Mom's MRI is still scheduled for Thursday, the hospital called last week and asked Mom to come in earlier because they had another patient they were tring ot arrange several test for. That moved Mom's MRI to 7:30am, It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't live 40 minutes away. Mom said we should go on in the night before to beat the traffic! Mom is the early riser so it won't be a problem for her. It is the rest of us that prefer to sleep in.

Hope all is well, Take care and We will update later this week.

Melodie

Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 2:08 PM (EST)

Mom is doing well. She doesn't have much energy these days, but enough to do the laundry and cook supper. Her oncologist said after she completes her chemo she should get her strength back. Mom's next MRI is next Thursday and then to Duke the following week. Our fingers are crossed as usual.

I wanted to toot my own horn for a minute. Last May I joined Weight Watchers and have been on their program every since. Well today I reached my goal YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!. 3 cheers for me. I have lost 49.8 pounds in 10 months. If nothing else I am writing this to remind you caregivers, that in the midst of all this mess you have to take care of yourself. This has given me something else to focus on other than Mom's cancers, it probably kept me sane. Anyway enough about me.

Take care,
Melodie

Monday, February 25, 2002 at 8:12 PM

Sorry I haven't updated in a while but I am trying to catch up.

I spent some time with Mom on Sunday. She was tired. The problem is she usually tries to stay up as long as we are there. She was sleeping when I arrived, so I tried to be very quiet and just help around the house. As soon as she heard me - she was up!!

She is tired now. :-( The chemo is taking to tole on Mom. She told Dad tonight that she was "tired of being tired." It is hard to see Mom not feel good, although we have seen her feel much worse.

Mom has blood work on Wednesday. Dad will take her because Melodie is working extra hours now.

Sorry there is not much more to tell. We will go to Duke on the 12th. Please keep us in your prayers. We certainly depend on them.

Love, Wanda

Thursday February 21, 2002 4:51 PM

Mom had another appointment today. She saw her chemo oncologist. Not much news. THe blood work was fine. They said they would not know about the sodium levels until tomorrow.

Mom said that as much water as she had been drinking, she was certain that her blood was half water.

After she met with the doctor they took her back and flushed out her port-a-cath. Mom told the nurse that it made her head swim when they flushed it out. The nurse said "you must not drink very much." Mom laughed, because she doesn't drink at ALL. Apparently the solution use to flush it out is mostly alcohol. So they are getting Mom drunk at the oncologist's office. Anyway, she got a good laugh out of it.

More later..................

Love, Wanda

Tuesday February 19, 2002 9:43 PM

Mom had a real good day yesterday. She said she felt really good.

Melodie took her shopping today. They went to Khol's and out to eat. Then they stopped on the way home at the grocery store. Mom wanted to find some frozen dinners that didn't have so much salt.

She has a doctor's appointment Thursday with her oncologist. Hopefully her sodium levels will be lower this week.

The weather has been nice this week. But the weather man says some of the COLDEST weather we have seen this year is coming next week.

There is not much more to tell. Mom is doing good. Dad is still painting the porch. And the rest of us are going on with life............

Thanks for reading our website and THANKS for caring about our Mom.

Love, Wanda

Saturday February 16, 2002 12:21 AM

The weather is BEAUTIFUL today. Dad is painting the front porch - Mom was resting.

Mom is still doing good. Duke called and wants her to drink at least 2 liters of fluid a day to keep her sodium level down. It is comforting to know that someone at Duke is looking at her blood work and not just filing it when it is sent to them.

Mom and Dad rode to Louisburg yesterday. Dad was going to get some cedar shavings and Mom wanted to ride with him. She had seen a rooster (not a real one) at a store in Louisburg sometime back and she had wanted it. It was gone - Mom said she learned her lesson - from now own if she sees something she wants - she's gonna buy it. Mom doesn't like all chickens and roosters. But every once in a while she does see one she likes. (She wasn't thrilled about me posting the rooster thing on the website - she was scared everyone would start buying her "chicken stuff")

There is not much other news this week. We have blood work on Tuesday but that is it. I will update again soon.

Wednesday February 13, 2002 6:54 PM

Mom is doing good. I spoke with her this evening and she had just finished eating. She said she had another piece of her birthday cake for dessert.

Mom is going out for lunch tomorrow with a friend to celebrate her birthday.

The oncologist's office called today to say that she was concerned that Mom might be getting dehydrated. Apparently she had looked at the results from Mom's blood work (done on Tuesday) the sodium level was high. Mom laughed and said that she had been eating Chex Mix like crazy. So Mom figures that the mix is salty enough to cause her sodium level to go up. I am no doctor - but she is probably right.

UPDATE ON THE CHAIR COVERING: Surprise! Surprise! They finished. (I am shocked!) Mom said the first chair took a little while - but after that the next 5 went pretty fast. She said they look "pretty good"

We go to Duke on the 12th of March. If everything still looks the same - Mom will start another round of chemo. We will let you know.

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT - FROM NEAR AND FAR - FROM FRIENDS AND FROM PEOPLE WE HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IT ALL MEANS SO MUCH TO US!!

Love, Wanda

Moma, Thanks for being so strong, you inspire us!!

Monday February 11, 2002 8:56 PM

Mom had a nice birthday. She was tired but managed to eat a LARGE piece of cake.

I think every day is a little better. She goes for blood work tomorrow morning. It will be interesting to see if her counts come up.

Not much more going on. Mom and Dad have been trying to recover some seat cushions on the kitchen chairs. Stay tuned for that.......it will probably take a month to finish. No - they don't have 500 chairs - just 6.

I wish I had more to tell - but like we have said so many times before...boring is alright with us!!

Thanks for all the support.....

Love, Wanda

GOOD NIGHT MOMA AND DAD. WE LOVE YA!!!!!!

Saturday February 9, 2002 12:50 AM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I haven't been to see her yet. But I spoke with her on the phone just a few minutes ago. She sounded much stronger. Mom was up doing a little cleaning. Her brother from Kinston and his family were going to be near by today and planned to stop in and see Moma. She is excited!!

Hopefully I will get out to see her this afternoon. Johnathan (Grandma Pat's oldest grandson) is home from college for the weekend. He ran out of clean cloths!!!!!!

Mom was telling me about some insurance policies she has. She said one was specifically for accidental stuff. We decided that the brain tumor must be considered accidental because we sure didn't plan for it. haha!! More cancer humor. Oh well - it made us laugh. I guess you could say we have a worped sence of humor now. I am certain that it has help. If you can't laugh at things - they can become overwelming.


Gotta go - there are THOUSANDS of loads of dirty cloths to wash.

Love, Wanda

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MOMA. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!"

Wednesday February 6, 2002 5:16 PM

She did it. One pill at a time. 17 in all. But she got em down around 10pm last night.

I spoke with Mom this morning around 9:30am. She had been up since 7am and had had one cup of coffee with a cinnamon bun. She said it was VERY GOOD. She was considering having another.

Mom said she had not felt sick so far. She was resting on the couch, but did not feel sick.

I haven't checked in this afternoon. It is usually busy about this time at her house. Wendy finishes work around 5pm and after getting the kids will usually stop by to check on everyone.

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS - THEY ARE WORKING!!

Love, Wanda

Tuesday February 5, 2002 9:36 PM

Mom got the word. Her blood count was up to 16. The doctors gave her the go ahead to start her CCNU tonight.

She left me a message at work today that her blood counts were up. She sounded excited - she was almost laughing when she said that 16 was "good".

I haven't called her tonight. But she usually takes this drug about 10:00 pm. So anytime now she will take about 19 pills. Thanks for all your prayers - every night - but especially tonight.

I will update again tomorrow afternoon.

HANG IN THERE MOMA - WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!

Love, Wanda

Saturday February 2, 2002 8:10 PM

Greetings.......

Well here we are. Playing that waiting game. In the Brain Tumor world - we should be use to it. But it is awful.

I spoke with Mom this afternoon. She was doing some cleaning around the house. I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was not feeling good. To my suprise - it was not that she was feeling bad - she said she was just disappointed that she couldn't start her chemo on Thursday night. Before when they delayed her chemo she felt bad, so I don't think she minded holding off on starting it. But this time - she doesn't feel bad and mentally she was ready.

Moma doesn't want to give this brain tumor even half a chance to start growing again.

We have gotten information from Duke about a fund raiser in April. On April 20th we are going to join other Brain tumor families in a 5K walk called "Angels Among Us". We will be trying to raise money until then to donate to the Brain Tumor Center. Although we are certain that Moma is just the person to beat this tumor - it would be just as nice if Duke could find a cure!!! And that takes money. So while we are doing everything the doctors tell Mom to do - this is something else we can do.

From the very beginning - Mom has been concerned about making more people aware of brain tumor cancers. According to information we received early in our journey - the research on brain tumors has not advanced very much over the last 20 years. We want that to change.

Anyway, you can be sure that I will be contacting as many of you as I can think of for a donation. I am not usually very good at fund raising - but I am not usually fighting for my Mom's life.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS.....Mom will return for more blood work on Tuesday. We will let you know how it goes.

Love, Wanda

Friday February 1, 2002 2:29 PM EST

Mom went for repeat blood work today, her counts are still low so we are holding the chemo until her blood work on Tuesday. Mom is feeling fine, we went shopping and out to eat.

So hopefully we are in for a relaxing weekend. Mom's birthday is coming up on 2-9 she will be old ( I promised I wouldn't reveal her age). I have to work on her birthday so we may try and go out to eat this weekend.

The weather is going to take a turn for the worst. It has been in the 70's all week, tomorrow the high is in the 40's.

Take care.
Melodie

Wednesday January 30, 2002 10:36 PM

Mom had a good day yesterday. I friend took her shopping and then out for lunch. I think they had a nice time.

We are still not use to Mom going off without one of us. I guess we need to learn - she can take care of herself.

Mom's oncologist called tonight. Mom's blood count is off. She does not want Mom to start her chemo tomorrow night. Mom will have to go in to the office on Friday to have her blood work done again. I guess we will wait until then to decide what the plan is.

I spoke with Mom tonight. She was watching a ballgame. I am sure she was thrilled. haha! That really only means that she was probably laying on the couch and that Dad somehow got hold of the TV control. I am sure that a ballgame was not Mom's choice for her viewing pleasure tonight.

Melodie was at Mom's last night helping with their dog. She said that Mom and Dad were joking around. I am sure that was nice to see.

I will update again on Friday regarding the plan for the chemo. Mom said that she would probably ride with Melodie to Louisbug tomorrow. When I asked why they were going, she said to pick up the chemo perscription. So---Mom is planning to start her next round of chemo. She is not going to let something little like blood counts hold her back......."You gotta love her!!"

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!!

Love, Wanda

Monday January 28, 2002 9:14 PM EST

Mom is doing well. With only one doctors appointment a week, she has not been getting out to much. But I don't think she minds that at all. Last year while she was receiving radation she had appointments 5 days a week, so this has been a treat. Mom is eating well again. We have been picking on her about how rapidly she has put back on the weight she lost with the CPT11 chemo. Truthfully it is wonderful to see her eat and her cheeks to fill out again.

Steward took Mom for her blood draw today, I had a class to attend for work so I was unable to take her. After she got home Duke called and made arrangments for her next round of chemo. They also wanted to know if we wanted to pick her MRI's up or have them mailed back to the hospital where she had them done. After much deliberation we deceided that they could mail them. Her next MRI is not until March and we thought that they should be able to get them back by then!!
Hope everyone is doing well, things are finally starting to dry out here after a couples days of heavy rain.

Take Care Love to All
Melodie

Thursday January 24, 2002 5:25 PM

Melodie picked Mom's MRI up at the hospital and took it to Duke yesterday. Last night the NP from Duke called to say that everything looked the same!!! Everything is still stable.

Mom will have blood work done again next week and if everything still looks good, she will take her second round of CCNU on Thursday night.

Not much more to tell............Love, Wanda

Monday January 21, 2002 12:38 AM

Mom is back home from her MRI. Wendy took her. The appointment was at 8:30am so they were out early this morning. They dropped Summer off at day care. She was the first kid in her class. Then they brought Spencer by to stay with me.

Mom complained that they just about froze her during the MRI. Apparently the test was done in their mobil unit. I guess if that is all Mom has to complain about then we are lucky.

Wendy said on the way home they stopped and picked up lunch at a drive-thru. Apparently they were the first customers for lunch. The young guy at the window asked what they were doing out so early on a holiday. Wendy just said that they had been to the hospital to have some test run this morning. Wendy said the poor little guy looked like he was going to be sick. She said it was a good thing she didn't give him the WHOLE TRUTH. You know - "Our Mom has a brain tumor and we have to go every six weeks for an MRI"

Wendy said that they talked about it on the way home - how our family ends up protecting others- even people we don't know. It was certainly that way in the very beginning. Friends would call to check on Mom and before we knew it they had fallen apart and we were consoleing them. (Anyway, just another one of those weird observations.)

Mom goes for blood work tomorrow and to see her oncologist. I'll update again tomorrow night.

Love, Wanda

Sunday January 20, 2002 4:34 PM

Mom is doing good today. She put bird seed out this morning for her birds. She enjoys watching them and identifying the different birds. Spencer (her middle grandson) has a bird book that she borrows to identify some of the birds. I offered to get her a bird book - she declined - I think she enjoys borrowing stuff from Spencer. She knows it makes him feel special.

Mom has always been thoughtful of others. Quietly in her on way. Even thru Mom's sickest times - she continues to worry about others and their feelings. She monitors the grandkids and how they are handeling things, she worries about the older ladies in the community who keep in touch weekly, she always thinks about our grandparents. God bless her!

Mom's energy level is still about the same. Her appetite is much better, but she still gets pretty tired by afternoon.

Oh well its has been a lazy afternoon. I will update tomorrow, but we will not have the results from the MRI until later in the week or next week. The MRI will be sent to Duke for reading, but Mom will not have to go this time.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! Love, Wanda

Saturday January 19, 2002 2:48 PM

It is raining in Raleigh. Cold, steady, soaking rain. If we are going to have to put up with weather like this - it should be snowing!!

Melodie, Wendy and Mom went out to eat last night. They said Mom ate really good. Dad worked until around midnight. He tried to get Mom to go to the store with him this morning, she was not interested.

We have an MRI scheduled for Monday and blood work on Tuesday.

No other news today.

Love, Wanda

Wednesday January 16, 2002 5:14 PM

Hello

All is well. Uneventful. Mom is scheduling some appointments with general doctors. She is not a happy camper. She still does not like going to doctors. Guess that will NEVER change with her.

Mom has an MRI scheduled for Monday. She had an appointment to have her port flushed for that day also, but it has been changed to Tuesday.

I laughed at Mom yesterday. When I called that morning she was getting ready to come to Raleigh for her blood work appointment. She was complaining about having to get out. I reminder her that just the other day she was complaining about the "walls closing in." There is just no pleasing her. haha! I guess if - going to doctor appointments - is all Mom ever complains about then we are lucky.

Mom did finally admit that it was much easier to get ready since she did not have to fix her hair - she just puts on a hat or wig. Mom usually finds the humorous side of things.

Cancer humor will take a family a long ways during their journey. Even on some of our worst days Mom will find humor in something.

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! LIFE IS GOOD! Love, Wanda

Moma - we are SO VERY PROUD of you. Thanks for being so strong and making this journey easy on the rest of us. We will learn from your example. We love you!!!!!

Saturday, January 12, 2002 at 12:50 AM

Just ONE YEAR AGO we were sitting in a waiting room at the hospial with at least 40 of our closest friends and family members waiting to hear the news about Mom. I remember the room seemed so big and we seemed to fill at least 1/3 of it with our group. Friends and family came in and out thru the day. Phone calls - lots of calls from friends wanting to know if we had heard any news.

We waited from about 9:30am that morning until around 3:30 pm. Then Mom's neurosurgeon came out and told us the news. It was not the news we were hoping for. The surgeon explained that it was a glioblastoma 4. It was a fast growing cancerous tumor and at this point we should pray.

Mom came thru the surgery fine. We were so proud of Mom, she looked so good right after surgery. Mom immediately wanted to know what was next. What do we do now? She has continued to meet each request from the doctors with determination. To say we are proud of her would certainly be an understatement. Mom went from having NO doctor to having over 8 doctors.

Enough about the past. (Although sometimes it seems just like yesterday and other times I can hardly remember because it seems like a lifetime ago)

Mom had an oncologist appointment Thursday. Everything seems to be going good. The oncologist told Mom and Melodie that since her brain tumor is not terminal right now, we should not ignore other health issues. In other words (my words), we seem to have the brain tumor under control right now, so we need to make sure we do not over look any other healh issues that might cause Mom problems in the future. Things ealier in the year that did not seem important compared to the brain tumor - might seem important now.

That just means that Mom will need to make appointments with regular doctors, dentist etc. to maintian her general health. How wonderful that we can focus on smaller issues now.

Life is starting to get back to normal. The snow is - for the most part - gone. The kids are back in school. (Johnathan just left on is way back to college) Hopefully, I will be able to update more regularly now.

2002 WILL BE A GOOD YEAR!! WE ARE DETERMINED........... Love, Wanda

Wednesday, January 09, 2002 at 10:22 PM

Mom finally got out of the house today. She said the walls were closing in. Wendy took her to Louisburg for some mid-day shopping at the Dollar store. Apparently that is not Melodie's kind of shopping, so Wendy took Mom.

I called this afternoon and Mom was taking a nap.

Melodie is picking Mom up early tomorrow. Mom has an appointment in the afternoon for blood work. Melodie has planned a day of shopping for them.

When I spoke with Mom tonight, I reminder her that she could have Melodie drop her off at my house if she got tired of shopping. I believe she was thankful.

We still have snow on the ground in Raleigh. As a matter of fact, my family (Barney, Johnathan and Madison) are in the front yard right now riding 4-wheelers and pulling each other on innertubes around the yard. (You aren't crazy, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you - - it is after 10:00pm) Oh, and yes we have heard all the red-neck jokes before too.

On April 20, 2002 - the Duke Brain Tumor Center sponsors a walk-a-thon (Angels Among Us) to raise money for research. We are trying to get friends and family to walk with us or sponsor us. As soon as I get more details I'll let everyone know.

Check out the pictures, I am gonna try to upload pictures of the snow.

This week has been a little strange for us. It was one year ago this week that our journey began. THANKS FOR EVERYONE'S SUPPORT OVER THIS PAST YEAR.

Love, Wanda

PS - Moma we LOVE you!! Hang in there.

Saturday, January 05, 2002 at 11:17 AM

I asked Mom this morning what she wanted to tell the world. Mom said "I am TIRED of the snow!!" So there you have it....

When I spoke with Mom this morning she was watching a show about painting. She was learning how to make leaves with one stroke. Mom was also complaining about her bird feeder breaking and the bird seed spilling all over the ground.

Raleigh got about 15 inches of snow between Wednesday night and Thursday night. The roads for the most part are clear. However, tradition around my house is to get the 4-wheelers out and to pull the kids around the yard on innertubes. We have one kid that came on Wednesday night after church and he is still here. Several come thru the woods each day and then back at night for more "fun". One more showed up yesterday she will be here until "whenever"

My back door neighbor calls our house the "neighborhood recreational house"

Anyway, back to Mom - she is doing good. Her appetite is back. She said it must be the snow making her hungry. I guess any excuse is better than none.

We are coming up on Mom's 1 year anniversary. She doesn't talk about it much. Melodie asked her the other day what she wanted to do for her anniversary. She said she did not know - but she had plenty of time to decide. (Mom was referring to her wedding anniversary which is in September) Mom was dx on 1/11/2001 (Jacob's birthday)

We have been told that Mom is beating the odds. Mom was never much of a gambler. (Although she did go to the dog tracks several times in Florida) For the most part Mom has stayed totally focused on her recovery and it seems to be working for her.

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS AND ACTS OF KINDNESS SHOWN TO MY FAMILY OVER THIS LAST YEAR!

Love, Wanda

Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 8:19 PM

IT IS SNOWING IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA!!!!

Mom went to have blood work done today. When she got home the doctor's office had left a message that her blood work was not good. IT WAS SUPER!!

I have just put new pictures from Christmas on the photo page. Hope you enjoy them.

I'll update again tomorrow. I will probably be home - they are calling for up to 10 inches of snow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Love, Wanda

Monday, December 31, 2001 at 04:51 PM (CST)

Attn: Wanda, DON'T UPDATE.

I have to do that because Wanda isn't used to me helping with the web page.

First of all Happy New Year to Everyone!! 2001 has been quite a year for us and if you are reading web pages about brain tumors I am sure it's been quite a year for your too.

This is Wendy, the middle Daughter. I took Mom, Grandma Pat, with me at lunch to the Bank, Post Office and to get a bite to eat today. I have to remind myself to check with her and see if she wants to get out for a ride. It is so good to have her say "YES, I can be ready to go in a few minutes. I just have to put on my hair." She is such a good sport about the wig stuff. She ate and ate today. Don't tell her I said so. It's soooo good to see her feel like eating.

Spencer, the 8 year old grandson, is on Christmas Break and rode with us. He enjoyed sharing his Popcorn chicken from KFC with his Grandma.

Again, Happy New Year to Everyone!!!!!

Wendy

Saturday, December 29, 2001 at 11:31 PM

Sorry for the lack of updates. Been BUSY!!

We had a wonderful Christmas. Since then Mom has seen her oncologist for blood work and to have her port-a-cath flushed. She has gained some weight back. We think that is wonderful. I am not so sure that Mom feels the same way. She said that if she gains 15 more pounds - she is joining weight watchers.

Barney stopped by and saw Mom and Dad tonight. He said everyone was doing good.

Hopefully these next few weeks are going to be uneventful. Uneventful is good!!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS OVER THIS PAST YEAR!!

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, December 25, 2001 at 6:38 PM

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Also, Happy Birthday to Wendy (her b-day was the 21st) and to Felton (his b-day is today)

Well we had a wonderful Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Mom and Dads. All the girls and their families gathered around 12 noon to exchange gifts and have our family Christmas. Grandma and Granddaddy Anderson came later as did Dads sister and her husband. We enjoyed a steak dinner with all the fix'ns. Steak was Mom's idea. Somehow she just did not have a taste for turkey. Mom is starting to get her appetite back. She ate really good. We all stayed until just after dark and then everyone headed home to get ready for Santa Clause.

I have only spoken with Mom once today as I have had a house full of in-laws. Mom sounded good this morning. She had eaten a fruit cake cookie this morning and she said Wendy had sent her a sausage biscuit for breakfast.

We had a truly blessed Christmas and we are very thankful. Peace be with you all thru this up coming year. God Bless!!

MOM - WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU. YOUR STRENGTH AND COURAGE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ALL OF US. Love, Wanda

Friday, December 21, 2001 at 5:17 PM

Mom started her CCNU last night. 17 pills at one time. YUK!! Now we wait for six weeks and get another MRI.

Mom was doing pretty good today. Mom and Dad were making chicken salad for a party Melodie is having tonight. I can assure you it would have been much easier to go to a deli and buy chicken salad. Mom likes it moist - Dad likes it dry. Dad likes it sweet - Mom likes it not so sweet. All the fuss and they probably will not even eat any of it. And besides Melodie will probably take the credit for making it anyway! HAHA!!

Mom said she was feeling pretty good today. She said it wasn't very easy to take so many pills last night, but she was doing OK today.

Mom visited her office this past week. She said they are saving her seat for her.:-)

LOTS OF LOVE TO EVERYONE DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON. MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU!!

Love, Wanda

Monday, December 17, 2001 at 05:08 PM

Could someone please tell me why the days go by twice as fast in December than in any other month during the year?

Mom is doing good. She gets tired very easy and that is frustrating to her. But all in all she is doing good.

Mom walked to the mail box yesterday and was surprised to get an airmail letter. She called me immediately after she opened it to tell me that our "brain tumor friend" from Australia had sent her a Christmas card. Mom was very excited!! Denis Strangman's wife passed away this past year just shy of her one year anniversary of being diagonsised with a glioblastoma. Their wedsite was the first one I found after I got the courage to look on the internet for information. It was also the website that gave me information about caringbridge.com. We have made some life long friends thru the internet and the common bond called a "brain tumor".

Mom is also going to venture out on her own tomorrow. Well not exactly on her on. She is going with a friend to visit her office. I believe that this will be the first time that Mom has gone anywhere without one of us since she was diagonsised. You can imagine that we are very protective of Mom. I am sure she is going to be OK?!?!?!

I will try to update sooner next time.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Love, Wanda

Thursday, December 13, 2001 at 10:07 PM

Melodie took Mom to her oncologist's appointment this morning. She was very pleased with Mom's progress.

Mom starts her CCNU chemo on the 20th and her oncologist said she did not have to come back next week for blood work before she started the chemo.

After the appointment Melodie and Mom did more Christmas shopping. They went to several stores and I believe that Mom is basically finished with her shopping.

Mom told me this morning that she has decided that next year we should only buy gifts for the children. She wants us to take the money we would spend on the adults and use it to help a family in need.

MOM YOU CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........Love, Wanda

Monday, December 10, 2001 at 5:11 PM (CST)

Mom is doing pretty good. Melodie took her shopping. I think they got right much done. We are not planning a big Christmas. I am hoping to talk everyone out of having a meal at Christmas. Mom's next chemo treatment is on the 20th, so I don't know how she will be feeling by the 25th.

The weather finally turned cold. Soooo... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Gotta go - there's so much to do and so little time.

Love, Wanda

Saturday, December 08, 2001 at 11:17 AM (EST)

Hope everyone is doing well. Mom has been doing good the last few days. An occasional stomach problem, but nothing like before.

Yesterday was Summer's birthday, she turned 3. Today Wendy is having her party. Mom is determined that Summer is going to have a Barbie Doll cake. Wendy baked it last night and Mom is going to decorate it. We have our fingers crossed, if all else fails Food Lion sells really good birthday cakes. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Hope everyone's Christmas shopping is on track only 16 more shopping days until Christmas!!

Love
Melodie

Tuesday, December 04, 2001 at 10:27 PM (EST)

Mom had a great report at Duke today. The tumor area continues to be stable. The next course of action is another round of CCNU on December 20. The doctors are actually talking about 2 rounds of CCNU and 2 rounds of Temador, (if everything remains stable) then following up with another drug that should inhibit tumor growth without wiping out her bone marrow. Mom not having to actually take chem, we never thought that dream would ever come true. We are keeping our fingers crossed and our hands held in prayer.

This Christmas is definatly looking better. When Mom was first diagnosed I spoke with the chemo nurse specialist at the hospital. She told me that this would become just routine stuff for us. I didn't believe her, but she was right. What was normal last year has definatly changed. And I can't say it all has been bad. I don't think we get so upset over the little things anymore, and the people I love know I love them because I have told them. It has given Mom the freedom to speak her mind instead of biting her tongue (on some things anyway). I realize after what we have been through as a family and as a nation this year has only maked us stronger.

I look forward to watching the magic of Christmas through the eyes of my child and not worry that this will be Mom's last.

Sleep well.
Love,

Melodie

Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 12:58 pm

Well we did another Anderson first. We pulled the fair booth in Youngsville's Christmas parade. Check out the pictures.

Mom rode in the truck and wore a santa hat. She must be feeling pretty good.

We go to Duke on Tuesday. Later..........Love, Wanda

Friday, November 30, 2001 at 4:57 PM

Mom had a good day. I called to check on her his morning - NO ANSWER. So I called Wendy - NO ANSWER. So I called Melodie - COULDN'T GET THRU. You can imagine - I was ready to head to Youngsville. But instead I called Wendy again and finally got her. She said she had been by to see Mom earlier this morning and she was doing good. She carried her some breakfast and Mom ate some.

So I tried again to call Mom - this time she answered. She sounded a little winded. When I asked what she had been doing - she said she had walked to the mailbox and then half to the barn. (Mom and Dad have about 10 acres) So walking to the mailbox in a good little walk.

Apparently Mom is feeling pretty good - or she is putting up a good front.

Anyway, I went a picked up her new medicine. I am on my way to carry it to her. They brought it out in a square cooler. It was all taped up with labels all over it. It said REFRIGERATE on it. So I guess I had better get it to her house.

KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING - THEY ARE CERTAINLY WORKING!!

Love, Wanda

Thursday, November 29, 2001 at 6:39 PM

Mom is on her way home from her chemo treatment. Melodie was stopping to pick her up something eat.

Apparently there is a new drug to help with the sickness that comes with the chemo. We will pick it up for Mom in the morning. I'll find out the name of it tomorrow.

That is about all I know for now. I will update again later.

Wanda

Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 10:08 PM

Sorry for the lack of updates - I have been home sick for two days. As I complained to Mom tonight about feeling so bad for two days and how I hated being shut up in the house - I realized she probably would not be very sympathetic. But instead she was very sweet and just said that she understood how I felt. Moma never complains about having the brain tumor. She is a trooper.

Mom had her MRI on Tuesday. Melodie and Mom did a little christmas shopping that afternoon and again today. Wendy took supper over to Mom and Dad's tonight. Mom said she ate pretty good. I think she had some chicken and rice and some vegtables.

Mom's last IV chemo treatment for this round is tomorrow. Her appointment is scheduled for 2:30pm. Hopefully she will be finished within a few hours and she will not be so late getting home.

I will update tomorrow night and let everyone know how she did.

WE LOVE YOU MOMA!! HANG IN THERE!! Love, Wanda

Monday, November 26, 2001 at 7:43 PM

Well we survived Thanksgiving. Mom had a pretty good weekend. We did not get her house decorated on Thanksgiving day, but we did manage to put a 5 foot tall snowman on her front porch last night. Mom and Dad live a good ways off the main road so decorations need to be pretty large to be seen from the road.

We have decided to have an entry in the Youngsville Christmas parade. We are going to decorate the small fair booth and pull it in the parade. We are going to let the grandkids ride in the back of the truck and throw candy out.

Melodie took Mom Christmas shopping for a little while today. I think they had some luck. Mom has an MRI scheduled for in the morning. I think they will try to shop some more tomorrow.

Mom gets a chemo treatment on Thursday. That will be the last IV treatment for a while. Mom can tell you exactly how many weeks until she will have to have another IV treatment. I think it is 20 weeks. After this treatment we will go to Duke on the 6th of December and get our game plan for the next phase of treatment. If the tumor is still "stable" we should just start over with the CCNU. (That was the first chemo Mom took) You never know what new medications are available from one appointment to the next, so the game plan could change at any time.

I put a picture of Mom at Thanksgiving on the picture page. I only got one good one. I had my hands full trying to make Christmas angels with Summer and Jacob (they are both almost 3 years old) We made a HUGH mess. (Dad is still trying to get glitter out of the carpet) But we had fun!! I will try to take pictures of the angels when we get Mom's tree up.

More tomorrow...................

MOMA WE LOVE YOU!!! BE BRAVE!!! Love, Wanda

Thursday, November 22, 2001 at 4:38 PM

Well we made it and no one got hurt. I am talking about cooking Thanksgiving dinner at Moms. All three girls were there to help along with Dad and Mom. We also had the three little ones Summer, Jacob and Spencer.

Mom put the turkey on around 3:30 this morning. So the turkey, ham and most of the vegtables were done when I got there.

Almost everything turned out fine. The sweet potatoe casserole was not up to par. Mom goes by receipes. She has one for everything. Melodie took the receipe and began giving instructions. I mixed up the potatoes and she mixed up the topping. We put it together - it looked beautiful. We all sat down to eat and I believe Wendy noticed it first. Something was missing from the sweet potatoes. So Melodie went to find the receipe. We did everything she said to do. The problem was she forgot to turn the card over. We only did half of the receipe. The topping was fine - brown sugar, nuts and stuff like that. The potatoe part - well that's all it was - potatoes. We left out the sugar, eggs and stuff.

Anyway, besides that everything else went pretty good.

Mom is resting now. I think she got aggrevated with all of us wanting her to go lie down. We decided to decorate her house another day. She was awfully tired when we left, but we knew she would not go rest until we were gone.

Mom sat on the couch after lunch and watched while I help the little ones (Summer and Jacob) make angel ornaments. We cut their faces out of pictures and made construction paper bodies with wings. They decorated them with glitter. We are going to hang them on Moma's Christmas tree.

All in all it was a wonderful day. We made some great memories.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING..........Love, Wanda

Wednesday, November 21, 2001 at 10:36 PM

Well we have good news and bad news. Depending on how you look at it.....The bad news is - Mom did not get her treatment today. The good news is - she should feel pretty good for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

She made a pie this afternoon and made deviled eggs. (For our friends in Australia - deviled eggs are boiled eggs which you cut in half and remove the yellow. The yolk is then mixed with mayo and pickles and spooned back into the white part of the egg) I will try to remember to take pictures of the food tomorrow and post it on the site. :-)

Mom was not given her treatment today because she was not feeling very good, and because this is a holiday weekend which means the doctor's offices will not be opened and the hospitals will not have very many people working. So Mom's oncologist thought it would be better to wait until next week for her treatment. (I think she will still get a treatment next week - I may be wrong - if I am I'll let you know)

We are planning to eat very early tomorrow because Mom gets tired so easy now and Melodie has to go back in to work tomorrow afternoon. She is still at work right now or I would call her to clarify about Mom's chemo.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING - I'll try to put pictures on tomorrow afternoon.

Love, Wanda

Tuesday, November 20, 2001 at 9:37 PM

HELLO. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I have been a little under the weather.

Anyway, Mom is doing OK. She has planned our Thanksgiving lunch, and we all have our orders. I get to do potatoe salad and a dessert.

Mom has been resting a good bit for the last couple of days. She will get her chemo tomorrow morning. I hope it doesn't take all day, because Melodie has to come back to Raleigh tomorrow night and work. Then she has to work again on Thanksgiving day. That is one of the draw backs to being in the health care profession, sickness doesn't not take a holiday. There has to be someone there to care of the sick. God bless special people like Melodie - who spend many hours away from their families to care for others during holidays.

I'm gonna cut it short tonight. I will update as soon as I get home tomorrow and let you know how Mom's chemo went.

HANG IN THERE MOM - YOU ARE OUR HERO!! Love, Wanda

Saturday, November 17, 2001 at 11:29 PM (EST)

Hope this finds everyone well. Mom is doing much better. Wednesday she received 2 liters of IV fluid in the doctors office and Thursday she went back and got 1/2 a liter. It is amazing how sick you can get from being dehydrated. I don't think Mom (or the rest of us) realized how bad she was. Friday she went back in to the office just for a follow up, the doctor told her to eat eat eat and then eat some more. I think her stomach has finally calmed down enough she actually might be able to do that.
Yesterday she was writing down the menu for Thanksgiving. Mom will be the lead cook this year in the kitchen, with the rest of us assisting. Although you know the saying too many cooks spoil the broth. If you are in N.C. avoid Youngsville, you could get hit by a flying turkey!

Even as this has been the worst year of our life as a family, we do realize how much we have to be thankful for. Mom is doing well, the grandkids are healthy and we have many family and friends who care about us.

Take care and make sure the people you love know it.

Melodie

Wednesday, November 14, 2001 at 9:11 PM

WHAT A DAY!!!! Mom was scheduled for a chemo treatment at 11:00am. It did not happen.

On Monday, Mom was tired and we thought that she just over did it on Sunday. Monday night wasn't much better. Tuesday she felt pretty lousy and then she had a very bad night. By this morning Mom was dehydrated and required 2 bags of IV fluids at the oncologist's office.

Mom has to go back tomorrow for more fluids. Melodie took dinner over this evening, I am not sure if Mom was able to eat anything. She sounded a little stronger on the phone. But she is still not up to speed yet.

I am pretty sure that there will be no chemo this week. I don't know what it is about the third week of CPT11 chemo for Mom, she missed the third week last time also.

It is very difficult for us. It is very hard to figure out what is going on with chemo patients. Just when you think you know why they are feeling bad, it sneaks up and bites you in the #%@**!%!. ;-)

I guess the trick is, if you started feeling bad, even if you have done something that may be causing you to feel tired and sick, you should treat it as if the chemo is taking its tole. Because by the time it gets ahead of you, then you are to sick to fix it. We were lucky this time, they did not have to put Mom in the hospital.

Another important thing we learned just recently, is to communicate. It is very important. Try to remember how others might be feeling, and be considerate of there feelings.

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT. AND IF WE HAVE OFFENDED ANYONE OR STEPPED ON ANYONEs FEELLINGS - WE ARE SORRY.

IT IS JUST THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE SO MUCH - YOU WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THEM. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE WEAK AND SICK.

MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE..........Love, Wanda

Tuesday, November 13, 2001 at 11:21 PM

I think Mom really enjoyed herself on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and being outside was great.

Yesterday, we thought that she just over-did-it on Sunday and she just needed to rest.

However, after today, we are pretty sure that it is more than just over-doing-it on Sunday. Mom may be getting dehydrated, according to Melodie. She is not feel the best in the world.

Mom is scheduled for her next chemo tomorrow. We are not sure if she will get it. I am scared that no better than she is feeling, that chemo on top of that will just make her TOO SICK.

This is that stupid "roller coaster" boarded on January 11, 2001. You can't get off. You can't tell them to slow down. All you can do is HANG ON. We are all right here for Mom, and we do pretty good. But we just can't stand to see Moma feeling this bad. And bless her heart, she protects us from so much. She is so very strong!! When she feels bad enough to tell us she feels bad - then she IS SICK.

I promise to update tomorrow as soon as I get home. I will know by then if she had a treatment - or what the plans are.

THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!

HANG IN THERE MOMA - IT'S GONNA GET BETTER. WE LOVE YOU!!!!! Love, Wanda

Monday, November 12, 2001 at 3:34 PM (EST)

Mom had a busy uneventful weekend. Sunday Mom, Wanda, Wendy, Felton, their kids and Me went to a pottery show in Bailey. It is about 35 minutes north-east from here. This has become and annual event for us.
There were some great potters and other artist, about 50 in all. We spent most of the morning just looking around. Somebody said this was a great place to get Christmas presents, I said "Christmas presents heck! I am shopping for me!"

Mom is really worn out today, I think she has spent most of it on the couch. Daddy went in to work for a few hours so she had some peace and quiet.

We all are very sadden by the plane crash in New York today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Take care,

Melodie

Thursday, November 08, 2001 at 11:10 PM

Mom has been doing pretty good since her chemo treatment. I spoke with her tonight and she was resting. She said she had done pretty good today but that her stomach starting bothering her late this afternoon. She said she took something for her stomach and it was making her sleepy. So we only spoke for a minute.

Just two more weeks of this chemo and we will start over on the CCNU. That chemo was easy compared to this one. Well with the exception that Mom had to take so many pills at one time. Anway, the first week in December we will go back to Duke for another MRI reading.

Sorry for the late update. I have been reading about making glass beads, and the time got away from me. All I have to do now is talk Barney into letting me us his torches. I'll let you know how they turn out. :-)

We are planning to take Mom to a pottery open house on Sunday. I believe she is looking forward to it. I know we are. Good night everyone.


MOMA WE LOVE YOU!! YOU ARE OUR INSPIRATION.......Love, "the girls"

Wednesday, November 07, 2001 at 06:46 PM

Mom's chemo treatment went fine. She saw her oncologist before the treatment and she said everything was looking good.

Mom ate part of a chicken sandwich and some fries on the way home. I spoke with her tonight and she sounded real strong. She was going to build a "small" fire in the fireplace, but Dad came and took over.

Mom said it was probably going to be a baked potato night. At least she is eating.

I friend of mine from work got some terrible news this morning. Her father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. This just reminded me again, how blessed we are to have time with Mom. It should remind everyone to enjoy their family and loved ones - even if they are not sick - because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

MOM WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU!! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!! Love, Wanda

Tuesday, November 06, 2001 at 6:00 PM

Mom has her next chemo treatment tomorrow. This will be her 5th IV treatment and we have finally figured out that it is just gonna take ALL day. I don't care what time they say your appointment is or how long they tell you it will actually take for the treatment. IT IS GONNA TAKE ALL DAY.

Melodie will take Mom again. I work just a few blocks down the street - so I am available if they need me. Wendy is in Youngsville to take care of the "little ones" should things run really long. We all have our roles.

Mom is doing pretty good. I was at her house until about 8:30pm last night. She sat at the table with me for several hours while I worked on insurance stuff. Wendy and the kids came by for a few minutes. When they left, Summer picked up a stuffed animal and had to carry it home with her. After they left Mom said that Summer carries something home with her everytime she comes over. It's those sweet little things that mean so much to Mom right now. Not "how much we made at the fair" or "if a toilet gets fixed" or "a flag gets put up"............Some things are just not so important anymore.

Mom is still very positive and is being very brave. As a matter of fact, the other day, she politely let us know that she could out-live alot of us. And she probably will!

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN ON MOM - ALL IS WELL TODAY - FOR THAT WE ARE TRUELY THANKFUL...........Love, Wanda

Saturday, November 03, 2001 at 9:23 PM

I updated earlier this morning. Apparently I have forgotten how to update, because tonight when I checked the site, my updated was not here.

Anyway, there was not much to tell. Mom did not feel great yesterday. She said she felt groggy all day. I think she has felt better today. She sounded stronger.

The only appointments next week are her chemo. She may have an appointment with her surgeon. We will have to wait for Melodie to get off of work to find out for sure. Melodie is the "keeper" of the schedule. Thank God.

Sorry for the short update, but in our case - no news is good news!!

MOM YOUR COURAGE GIVES US STRENGTH!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Love, Wanda

Saturday, November 03, 2001 at 10:06 AM

Mom has done pretty good since her treatment. I think yesterday day was her worse day. But it wasn't that bad. She said she was groggy most of the day. But I just spoke with her this morning and she sounded really good.

Dad is back home from Florida. He was still cleaning up from the Fair this morning.

We have an MRI scheduled for the first week in December and will go to Duke on December 6 (I think).

Sorry for such a short message, but I guess this is one of those times when no news is good news.

MOM WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOUR COURAGE!!!!
Love, Wanda

Wednesday, October 31, 2001 at 8:55 PM

Mom had her treatment today. Her appointment was at 8:30 am. They finally got her back at 10:30. Melodie was with her. Mom had felt some stinging around the areas of her port-a-cath. They told her it was probably scar tissue or something like that.

Anyway Mom did great. She finished and was on her way home by 1:00pm. They stopped on the way home and picked up some lunch. I think Mom ate some when she got home - although I am not real clear on that. Anyway, Mom laid down when they got home and rested. Melodie laid down and went to sleep. Melodie said when she woke up Mom had covered her up with a blanket. I guess you never stop being the Mom - no matter how sick you get.

Thanks for all the support - from friends, family, co-workers. Every act of kindness - no matter how small - means SO VERY much to us.

MOM - WE LOVE YOU - HANG IN THERE!!! OK?!?
YOU ARE OUR HERO..................
Love, Wanda, Wendy, Melodie, Dad, Barney, Madison, Johnathan, Felton, Spencer, Summer, Steward, and Jacob.

Tuesday, October 30, 2001 at 8:11 PM

Well I guess I have lost my mind. My apologies to Melodie. She had already updated last night. Sorry. And then I gave false information. Mom did not have her chemo today. I was very aware her appointment was for Wednesday. But for some reason, I thought today was Wednesday. I guess that extra hour this weekend REALLY messed me up. SORRY.

Mom had a pretty good day. I just spent about 45 minutes on the phone with her. She sounded good. Her appointment is 8:30 in the morning. I assume she will be thru about mid day. She said her lunch did not set well with her, so she has not eaten tonight.

We talked about Thanksgiving. Mom's 4th week of this chemo will be Thanksgiving week. (If my calculations are right?!?!) Anyway, we were thinking about having Thanksgiving at Moms like we always do. Except this year, after everyone leaves, the girls and I are going to stay and decorate Mom's house for Christmas. Mom was excited about it. She said would go take a nap and when she got up, it could all be done.

She also wanted me to find some pictures of all of her grandkids. She has an angel ornament that Summer made in preschool last year. It uses a cut out picture of her head and a construction paper body. I promised her I would get pictures of all the grandkids by then so we could cut them up and make orinaments. I think Mom was excited about our plans.

Dad is on his way to Florida. He left this morning aroung 5:30am. He is taking a fairbooth back to Florida for a friend. I guess we will see him sometime this weekend.

PLEASE PRAY FOR MOM AS SHE STARTS THIS NEXT ROUND OF CHEMO.

Love, Wanda

Monday, October 29, 2001 at 10:30 PM

Mom met with her radiation oncologist today. He looked at her MRI and said everything looked very good. He said for her to come back in 6 months.

The doctors at Duke explained that a stable MRI is what we are looking for. As long as there are no changes (tumor growth) then that is what we are hoping for.

Mom has rested up and is preparing for her chemo treatment tomorrow. I am not sure of the time, but she should be finished by the time I get home from work - so I promise to update as soon as I get home and have the word she is finished with the treatment. The chemo will be administered at the lower doseage. Hopefully she will do better this time.

Mom's brother and his family had a "get- together" this weekend and Mom wanted to go. So we all loaded up and drove to Kinston. Or at least that is where I thought we were going. To my surprise when we got to Kinston Mom informed me we were not really going to Kinston but to Grifton. Her directions consisted of going to Kinston and turning left at some oil drums. (She didn't know street names). I am not sure how, but we drove right to his house. I guess God looks out for fools.

We had a great time and I am glad we went. Wendy told someone at the party that Mom wanted to go - so we made sure she got there. She said that if Mom wanted to go to the moon - we would get her there some how. There isn't anything we wouldn't do for Mom. It is such a shame that someone has to get sick before you take the time to do little things that mean so much.

PLEASE KEEP MOM IN YOUR PRAYERS AS SHE BEGINS THIS NEXT ROUND OF CHEMO.

More tomorrow afternoon................Wanda

Monday, October 29, 2001 at 7:32 PM (EST)

Sorry we haven't updated in a few days. I guess we are all still recovering form the fair. Saturday we went to Grifton (about 2 hours from here) and visited with family. Mom saw two of her brothers and a niece who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Looking around the room you could tell we have a strong family. Both Mom and her niece truly are fighters and an inspiration to all.

Mom followed up today with her radiologist. He was very pleased with how she is doing. We do not have to go back to him for 6 months. Chemo is scheduled for Wednesday this week and next.

Mom and I have started to run into a small problem. I am trying to loose weight and I am trying to fatten Mom back up. The issue is finding a restuarant to meet both our needs!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy halloween!!

Melodie

Thursday, October 25, 2001 at 8:01 PM

I think Mom had a pretty uneventful day. She said she helped unload some of the stuff from the fairbooth. It takes a lot to equipment to run a "kitchen on wheels" with three ovens, a BIG grill, one french fryer, and two prep bars (one for hotdogs and hamburgers and one for baked potatoes). Anyway, they are still putting stuff up. Mom said Dad is so tired, he can't hardly stand himself much less anyone else.

Mom took a nap this afternoon and she said she was feeling "alright" this afternoon.

I don't believe there are any big plans for tomorrow. Uneventful days are not a bad thing in our B.T. world. Appointment days are sometimes stressful, treatment days are always stressful, blood work days are not so stressful - so any day that is "uneventful" is a blessing.

Thanks for checking in on Mom - she is doing GOOD. Your prayers are working!! Love, Wanda

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 5:48 PM

Mom had an appointment with her oncologist today. She was pleased with how Mom's MRI looked. After examining Mom, they decided to wait until next week to continue her IV chemo. Mom's stomach was still a little tender and her oncologist thought that waiting a few more days would help.

Mom goes to her radiation oncologist on Monday (Mom doesn't understand why she still has to have appointments with him - because she has been finished with radiation for a long time) She will have her chemo on Wednesday.

Mom took a nap this afternoon and was feeling pretty good when I checked in around 4:00pm.

We are all so very proud of Mom and how strong she has been thru this entire ordeal. Mom has been such an inspiration to so many people.

"BE BRAVE MOM - WE LOVE YOU!!" Wanda

Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 3:40 PM

Hi everyone. It's Wanda. Melodie and I took Mom to Duke today. We got to see Mom's MRI from yesterday. According to the doctor everything is still stable. That is a GOOD thing.

The plan now is to continue for the next four weeks with the IV chemo (CPT11). We will start that this week. It will be given at a lower dosage than she started with originally. According to the doctors at Duke, it is not important that she take the higher dosage, only that we find the amount that Mom's system can tolerate. And we think we found it, with the last round she took.

They were very pleased with how Mom is doing overall. Mom felt good enough to walk over to the Duke gardens before we left. I forgot my camera (Wendy's camera) so I don't have any pictures. But Mom's brother and his family are having a pig pickin this weekend and I will try to remember to get some pictures then.

Oh well, its is good to be back at home. I survived jury duty. (Almost had to serve on a criminal trial - but I was dismissed :-)

More later...............Wanda

Monday, October 22, 2001 at 10:35 AM (EST)

Well we are all trying to recover from the state fair. Mom was able to go out there 5 of the 10 days. Attendance was down a bit, but I think over all we did ok. Now it is time to clean up and start preparing for next year.

Mom has an MRI this afternoon and goes to Duke tomorrow. Last time we went to Duke, we found a good restuarant in Durham, Mom has mentioned several times about going back there. Luckly her appointment is at 10:30, so we should get out just about lunch time.

Wanda had been called for jury duty. I am not sure if she will be able to go with us tomorrow.

Take care and I'll update tomorrow. I'm going to take a nap!

Melodie

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 at 10:41 PM

Mom did really good today. She had an appointment at 10:30 this morning for blood work. Melodie brought her straight to the fairgrounds. They stayed until around 3:30pm. Mom worked in the kitchen and ordered some supplies.

I think she really enjoyed it. As far as I know she is coming back tomorrow. They will come out earlier in the morning.

Mom and Melodie walked around a small arts and crafts exhibit hall. Mom also walked up to the other side of the fairgrounds with Dad. I am glad she is getting out. One of the guys in our booth has REALLY short hair (really all the guys but two) sort of a crewcut. Anyway, he wore a hat today and he was telling someone it was because his head was awfully cold this morning without any hair. Mom chimed right in and said she sure was glad to have a taboggen this morning. Mom has more hair than you might think.

I have tried to upload some pictures from the fair. Hopefully they are there. Check 'em out.

More tomorrow.................Wanda

Tuesday, October 16, 2001 at 8:28 PM

Hey everybody - its Wanda. I came home from the Fair early. Madison had a volleyball game and I feel terrible so I left early.

I think Mom had a pretty good day. I was at the Fair this morning and we were trying to make a list of supplies to get from the wholesale house. Dad called Mom to see what we usually get. (That has been one of the hardest things - ordering supplies) Anyway, so he gave the phone to me and Mom was listing the things that we could get. I was writing them down. Then Dad stuck his head back in the booth and told me to ask Mom if she would let Susie (his dog) out this afternoon so she could run. WELL........you have never heard such a list of "bowling words" - Mom was fussing like a sailor. Dad just stood there laughing. He knew exactly how she was going to respond to that request. (Apparently when she let Susie out last night, she stayed gone for a while.)

Mom did not come to the Fair today. She has a 10:30am appointment for blood work tomorrow. Her plans are to come out after that.

Mom called tonight to remind me that the BIG box of baking soda is for grease fires and for us not to throw away the big coffee cans. We are going to have to start a list of things "not to forget". OH yeah, less is more when it comes to spices in the cobbler.

Oh well - it is time to go find some cold medicine - Love, Wanda


PS - Sorry if the cobbler didn't meet everyones standards. At least of the 5.2 million people I have served this year - I have not had any complaints and I haven't given anyone their money back....:-)

Monday, October 15, 2001 at 8:01 PM (EST)

Mom has had a great day. We went out to the fairgrounds this morning. Mom spent part of the time in the booth working and the rest riding around on the golf cart visiting friends. We got home about 5:00. After eating some supper she had a quick "power nap". Last itme I talked to her, she was fussing about Daddy's dog running off. I believe she called him at the fair and told him to come home and take care of HIS dog she wasn't going to worry with her anymore. I guess that means Mom is feeling better, it is hard to complain when you don't feel good.

The weather has been ok for the fair. It rained last night but Sunday is normally a slow time anyway. Attendance is down quit a bit. We are hoping for a good week and a better weekend.

For those who are not from the south, I'll try to explain what a pig picking is. A pig picking is a party usually held for a special or not so special occasion (like a wedding rehearsal, football game, family reunion or just because) A pig is obtained (a dead one that is) and cooked on a pig cooker (a big grill with a lid) for several hours. Once it is cooked the meat, skin and ribs are removed and eaten. The term "picking" comes from leaving the pig on the cooker and everyone picking the meat off it. Normally it is served with hush puppies, cole slaw, potato salad or other pic-nic foods. It is a very social occasion and only people you enjoy being around are invited. (That is due to the fact sometimes a lot of alcohol is injested while waiting for the pig to cook)

Hope that helps!
Melodie

Saturday, October 13, 2001 at 09:15 PM (CDT)

Took Mom to the grocery store today after soccer. Spencer, Grandmapat's 8 year old grandson, scored a goal!!!! If you were outside around 11:00 a.m. this morning you probably could have heard me yell. It was his first goal of the year.

Mom bought a Snickers bar at the store today. She said she had a taste for it but it doesn't taste right. Guess all of her taste buds are off now with all the meds.

Everyone else was helping at the fair. We heard that they had a good day. There was a NC State Football game which helps with attendance.

Felton, my husband, suggested that we go and spend the night with Grandmapat so we are in the process of gathering up a few things. It was his idea. He loves his mother-in-law a lot.

I noticed tonight that the "hits" on Mom's web page are over 5000!...I believe that this mean that at least 5000 times someone cared enough about Mom to check on her and probably say a little prayer for her.

Please keep praying...and thanks for checking on her.

Wendy

Friday, October 12, 2001 at 10:54 PM (CDT)

Hello Everyone, This is Wendy signing on tonight.
Wanda is working at the NC State Fair and probably will be really tired tonight when she gets home.....so here's my update.
Grandmapat stayed home today. She said she better stay home today and not try to go to the fair. I saw her this morning and picked up supplies she needed to send to the fair. She had me drive her to the mailbox and she insisted on walking back to the house. For those of you who have never seen Mom's house, a lazy person would drive the car to pick up the mail. It's quite a little hike to the mail box.
Tonight I stopped back by and delivered her order she placed at the fair tonight: 2 raw hotdogs, 2 raw sausage patties, and 2 raw potatos. I guess she is planning to do some cooking while everyone else is at the fair.
She said tonight that some time over the next two days she needed me to take her to the Grocery Store and Post Office to check the PO Box. That sounded good to me since she has spend a lot of time on the couch lately.
She came out to greet me when I drove up tonight and had already feed the dog, "Susie", tonight. These are signs of Mom keeping as much independency as she can.

She is doing the best she can. I know this. She isn't letting this keep her down long.

We all miss her at the fair booth. I believe she will surprise us all and be out there before it is over.

Well, it's getting late and we have soccer on Saturday morning.

Good night and Take Care.

Wendy

Friday, October 12, 2001 at 10:10 PM (EST)

Well the fair is underway. Mom went out yesterday and helped some with the catering for the Village of Yesteryear dinner. After spending most of the day out there she decided she was over it! As of now she has no plans to go back out there. She said she felt like she was chained to the bathroom and there wasn't a bathroom out there she really liked. We are trying to adapt in the fairbooth, but it is hard Mom really is the backbone of the place. Hopefully we can get through the next 10 days without any serious injuries. Without Mom there we have to many assistant chiefs (Daddy is official the chief) and not enough indians. I asked Mom if she was sad about not being at the fairgrounds, she said she was so happy to get home last night she didn't know what to do. Maybe by the middle of next week she come out and visit for awhile.

Wanda is still out there, because of my 2 year old I have a valid excuse to leave before midnight.

Take care and I'll try to update so Wanda doesn't have to stay up any later than neccesary.

Take Care
Melodie

Wednesday, October 10, 2001 at 5:07 PM

One more day before the fair. Tomorrow they will get geared up to have a pig pick'n for the people who have booths in the Village of Yesteryear. This has become an annual thing, we do the night before the Fair opens.

Mom went to the Fairgrounds today. She tried to arrange the kitchen. I promised her it would take me just a few hours in there on Friday morning and I would have it in order. Not to worry.

Melodie and Mom are planning to make desserts in the morning for the pig pick'n. Mom is tired tonight, but she has had two very busy days.

Oh, if anyone from the fairbooth reads this message and is looking for the cabbage, Mom moved it to the outside cooler. She didn't tell anyone. You have to watch Mom, sometimes she has a worped sence of humor. She might have been hiding the cabbage.

After Friday, updates will probably be short and done around 1:30am - that's when I'll be getting home.

We are trying HARD to keep everything in our lives as normal as possible. Working the State Fair is normal for us and Mom will do whatever she is up to. I promised her tonight, that whatever she wanted to do with the Fair, we would make it happen.

More later.......................Love,
Wanda

PS - Mom had blood work done today. All counts are within normal ranges!!!!

Tuesday, October 09, 2001 at 9:21 PM

This year our family became extended. On January 11, 2001 we joined the Glioblastoma family. It extends around the world. This morning one of the members passed away. Darryl Fenton Davoren in Australia lost his fight with this terrible cancer. OUR CONTINUED PRAYERS ARE WITH THE DAVOREN FAMILY.

Mom had an eventful day. Twenty-nine years ago Mom gave birth to Melodie. Melodie said they spent that day together - so she could think of nothing better than to spend the entire day with Mom again. They went shopping - they went to the Fairgrounds - they shopped some more - and they visited the new daycare for Summer and Jacob.

I visited with Mom tonight. We had a quiet couple of hours together. Mom is fragile now. But she talked with me again about continuing to take this chemo (CPT11). Mom returns to Duke on the 23rd to evaluate her progress and where to go from here. Mom is determined to continue with the treatment. I hope they will let her.

We talked about Mom driving again. She thinks she would do fine driving out in the country. I told her I thought that would be fine. I even volunteered Melodie to ride with her. I doubt she will ever drive again. But she still has her little car if she decides to try.

Mom has an 8:30 am appointment for blood work. She told Melodie that she would like to go by Target on the way home. It is wonderful to hear Mom make plans to do "stuff" again.

Thanks again for all the support. We continue to be amazed daily by acts of kindness that are extended to our family. Love, Wanda

Monday, October 08, 2001 at 06:04 PM

Mom has rested today. She said Dad wanted her to get rested up so she could come stay with him at the Fair grounds. I am not sure what Mom is going to be up for this year. Probably not spending the night out there. But whatever SHE wants to do - we will make it happen.

I am not sure which day Mom gets her blood work done this week. When I asked - she wasn't sure. She said all she knows for sure is that she did not have anything to do today. Her plans were to drink LOTS of fluids today. Mom thinks that the medicine she is taking causes her to be sleepy and tired feeling. She has decided that the more fluids she takes in - the better she will feel. Who knows?? Maybe she will be right.

Well gotta go for now - I have a BIG calligraphy job due by tomorrow and it's gonna take all night............Love, Wanda

Sunday, October 07, 2001 at 4:54 PM

I can't believe the weekend is almost over. I spoke with Mom last night. She was making soup for them to serve at the Fair grounds today. No need to check your calendars. The Fair doesn't open until the 12th. Dad always opens early. He says it is to make sure that everything is working in the booth. We all know the truth is that 10 days once a year is just not enough for him.

Anyway - back to Mom. She said she was feeling pretty good. She was tired last night. But I think she had tried to get some thing done around the house - dusting, cleaning the kitchen - that kind of stuff.

Mom did not try and go out to the Fair gounds today - she thought she had better stay close to home. Apparently it has been a pretty uneventful day around the Anderson house today. That is just fine with us.

Sorry for such a short update - but there just isn't much to tell..........THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Love, Wanda

Saturday, October 06, 2001 at 9:17 AM

Mom had a pretty good day yesterday considering it was the day after a chemo treatment. Mom and I actually had a good laugh yesterday. It was wonderful to hear her laugh again. She was telling me how her niece has to get her blood pressure taken in her leg now. I had never heard of such. But for a just a minute I panicked, because if anything ever happened to me, I can't imagine there would be a blood pressure cuff large enough to go around my thigh. Mom laughed (HARD) as she explained that they could do it near your ankle. (That's OK -cause I have rather small ankles) It probably wasn't even that funny - but it made Mom laugh and that was GREAT.

Actually, I just spoke with her this morning and she was have a cup of coffee. She was not sure if you still can call it coffee after you water it down as much as she does now. I assured her that - once coffee - always coffee! (I never aquired a taste)

Mom seems much stronger this time. We are all anxious about her getting sick. It will be wonderful if she just feels better and better now.

I am sure she will have to get blood work done next week. Besides that we don't go back to the doctor until the 22nd for an MRI and the 23rd to Duke.

It is raining in middle North Carolina this morning. It's a wonderful day for DUCKS. Mom said it is sort of peaceful. It amazing how differently you look at things, when you are faced with a terminal illness. Rain to most people as they hurry thru life is just a bother - to Mom it is just "peaceful". Take a little time to enjoy the - rain or sun - today. That would make Mom happy.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS. We have several extended family members and friends who are fighting their own battles with different cancers. If they can feel better then that helps Mom to feel better as well.

Wanda

Thursday, October 04, 2001 at 9:31 PM

Hello- Mom had her chemo this morning. Everything went pretty good. I just spoke with her and she sounded really strong.

Mom's appointment was at 9:00 am she finished up around 1:00pm. Usually they give Mom two drugs prior to the chemo to prevent neausa and swelling. Today they gave her two neausa drugs, one swelling drug and one drug for stomach cramps. They also provided Mom with a perscription for medication to stop stomach cramping at home. She may not remember today, but at least she is not feeling bad.

We get two weeks off now before we start Mom's next round of chemo. The oncologist said that when Mom goes to Duke - they might want to change her chemo since she had a hard time with this one(CPT11). Mom said tonight that she really wanted to try and take it. She is not ready to give up on it yet. We will support Mom - in whatever she decides!!!

I just received an e-mail (sent late last night) from Mom's niece - she had surgery today for breast cancer. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. Mom would like that.

Anyway, not much else is happening except Dad almost has the Fair booth ready to be inspected. Dad is tired already. But once the Fair starts he will get that extra burst of energy.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT.......Wanda

Wednesday, October 03, 2001 at 08:32 PM

Mom felt some better today. She said her head was not as dizzy but her stomach was still hurting.

Mom's next chemo will be in the morning at 9:00am. After that she gets two weeks off. Hopefully she will do better with tomorrow's treatment. She is NOT looking forward to it. Mom promised me that she would ask about medications for cramping stomachs. I know at her first treatment of CPT11 they said they had something they could give her if her stomach started hurting while she was getting the treatment. To be sure they could write her a script for the same medication.

Mom did go to the fairgrounds. Apparently they were doing a fine job, because Mom did not complain much when I talked to her last night. And believe me, Mom doesn't hold back anymore. If she thinks it, she says it. That is just fine with us. Usually, we all get a good laugh at whatever it is that's upsetting her. If it is something we can fix - we fix it. If not we just laugh about it.

I have been borrowing Mom's car this week. I spoke with her earlier and told her I would try and bring it back tonight in case she needed it. She started telling me how she would have gone to Charlotte today if she had had her car. At first I got upset because I thought she needed or wanted to go to Charlotte. Then she started laughing, and said that she wasn't about to go to far from home and even if she did leave home, she would not need her car. (She doesn't drive anymore). GOD BLESS HER - Mom still have a sense of humor.

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS - Love, Wanda

Tuesday, October 02, 2001 at 05:28 AM

Good morning. Mom had another uneventful day yesterday. She mostly tried to stay still to keep her stomach from hurting.

If Mom's is up to it today, we plan to take her to the Fairgrounds to see how the Fairbooth is coming along. I think staying at home and worrying about it may not be good for her. Although Mom is not a worrier about most things, there are ALOT of things that Dad never did and never worried about when it comes to the Fair. I think that - at the very least - concerns Mom.

We have had lots of offers from friends and family to help with us the Fair. It is very difficult to have people who have never worked like that to help. We are very thankful for the offers - but it worries me that we might have "unexperienced" help this year. Who knows what Dad has arranged???

Anyway - if you are working at the booth today. Look out. Mom is coming to inspect.............More later............Wanda

Sunday, September 30, 2001 at 9:26 PM (EST)

Mom had an uneventful day. Still trying to work on the stomach problems but them seem to be getting better.

Wanda and her family are back in town after spending the weekend in Boone with Johnathan.

Wendy and I took the little kids to ride the ponies today. Summer was thrilled to ride all by herself. Jacob prefered the train ride to the ponies. I guess the ground didn't look so far down.

Hope everyone has a good week. Take care.

Melodie

Saturday, September 29, 2001 at 10:45 PM (EST)

Mom had a much better day. She said after her afternoon nap, she woke up and wanted real food. None of that applesauce, toast or chicken soup stuff. She jumped right into country fried steak, rice and gravy. I am not sure that was the best thing to start with, but so far so good.

I think Mom has had the worst three weeks of this whole adventure, physically and emotionally. Yesterday at the doctors office, some lady came up to Mom and said I have been where you are and it will get better. She proceded to tell Mom that she had breast cancer and now was doing wonderful. Mom just looked at me and said it is funny how you begin to think all cancer patients have the same type as you. (granted Mom does have breast cancer but it is not the one we are aggresively treating) She said people just don't understand that with this type there is never an end to the treatments.

Mom had a visit from some family friends today. They have been wonderful keeping up with Mom and Dad.

I think her spirits are improving, she was fussing about something Dad had done. Thursday she could have cared less.

Daddy and his crew got the fairbooth out to the fairgrounds and up today. The State Fair starts October 12. Hope to see some of you there.

Take Care.
Melodie

Friday, September 28, 2001 at 03:38 PM

Mom is at the oncologist's office getting more IV fluids right now. The Dr. said Mom looks better today. The game plan is to get the fluids and go home. As long as Mom can keep from getting dehydrated and does not start running a fever she can stay home this weekend. If she can't then they will admit her to the hospital.

Mom will try again next Thursday to get another round of chemo. This time they will reduce the dosage. That will be considered her forth week. This week will just be skipped. So, the game plan is to go ahead with chemo next week then be off for two weeks have another MRI and then start over again. There are no plans at this time to stop the chemo - unless Mom gets sicker or unless Mom decides she wants to quit. The Dr. thinks we have seen the worst - that Mom should feel better soon.

Anyway, we are on our way to Boone. I am leaving Mom in good hands........Melodie and Wendy will update this weekend.

Love, Wanda

Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 8:18 PM

HELLO - Well the news tonight is not as good as we would like. Mom went to the doctor today for her chemo. However, she was to dehydrated. Mom got IV fluids for over two hours this afternoon. They left the needle in and she has to go back to the doctor's office tomorrow probably to get more fluids.

Today was the first day since January 11, 2001 that Mom said she felt BAD. She has had days when she was not up to par. And she still has never once complained. (It makes you want to reevaluate what is really important in life - doesn't it?)

The chemo for this week is cancelled. I think the game plan is to give her a 1/2 treatment next week. If Mom is doing worse tomorrow they could put her in the hospital to "build her back up".

OK - those of you who like to take everything to the extreme (you know who you are) just slow down!! ;-) Don't go telling eveyone that Mom is going in the hospital. It is just a slight possibility. As I am sure you know - Mom wants NO PART OF A HOSPITAL. So I am sure she will be feeling better by tomorrow.

Melodie is on her way to the pharmacy to pick up another perscription for Mom. Melodie has been in contact with the doctor tonight and they called in some more drugs to counteract the side effects.

We are all trying to be strong. Dad is doing good - he was sticking right there with Mom tonight - waiting on her every need. It is amazing when one link of a family gets weak the others become stronger. Until right this very day - Mom has continued to be the strongest link in our family. We will be strong for her now. It is just a little bump in our journey - but we will get over it.

THANKS FOR KEEPING MOM AND DAD IN YOUR PRAYERS..................Love, Wanda

Wednesday, September 26, 2001 at 8:23 PM

Not much news tonight. Mom spent most of the day on her couch. She does not like doing that. But she said she didn't feel like doing much of anything else. When I spoke with Mom she said that maybe she would feel better tomorrow. I reminded her about her treatment tomorrow. She politely informed me that her appointment was not until tomorrow afternoon and she still had tomorrow morning to feel better. I guess it is all in how you look at things. Mom's cup has always been half full as opposed to half empty.

Melodie will take Mom for her appointment tomorrow afternoon. They will get there about 1:00pm for blood work and then the chemo treatment. If everything runs as usual they will be there all afternoon. I will try to update as soon as I get home.

PLEASE KEEP MOM AND DAD IN YOUR PRAYERS.............Wanda

Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 3:35 PM (EST)

Mom has had a much better day. I overheared her tell someone she finally feels human for the first time in 2 weeks. She was able to eat lunch without any problem. Hopefully she will have a few more good days befor the affects of the next dose of chemo kick in. She goes Thursday to the oncologist. We are not sure what they will do it all depends on her blood counts. We did find out if she has to skip a dose because of low counts then she doesn't make it up. Unlike her radiation where you get the entire prescribed number of treatments.

The weather is turning a little bit cold. Mom isn't sure if there is enough clothes in North Carolina to keep her warm. She mentioned something about an electric blanket with a portable battery pack.

Take care and we will update soon.
Melodie

Monday, September 24, 2001 at 6:15 PM

SORRY FOR NO UPDATE THIS WEEKEND. I was sick Friday night and things went down hill from there.

Mom had a YUKY weekend. She had trouble keeping much of anything down. They have given her plenty of medications to counteract the side effects of this chemo. She still doesn't feel very good.

Dad continues to try and get the Fair booth ready for the fair. I am not sure when we will move it out. Probably next week. Our booth is not as portable as most, it takes a good amount of "setting up" to get it ready.

I just spoke with Mom and asked her what message she had for the world. Sorry everyone - she doesn't have anything to say today. :-(

THANKS FOR CHECKING ON MOM - I AM SURE IT HELPS KEEP HER SO POSITIVE TO KNOW PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT HER SITE..........wanda

Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 05:55 PM

Mom has just finished her second CPT11 (chemo) treatment. She is on her way home. Mom's appointment started at 1:40pm. She saw her oncologist and had blood work done. Her blood counts were alright, but her oncologist thinks that by next week it will be lower. I doubt it. Mom is stronger than the MD knows.

Anyway they did not get her chemo started until around 4:00pm. They had to wait until a chair was available.

Melodie said Mom did OK. Her stomach started cramping during the chemo but they were able to give her something to help with that.

Melodie is with Mom and they have headed home. It will probably take a while because of Raleigh's 5 o'clock traffic.

Wanda

Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 8:23 PM

Mom has had a somewhat better day. She said her head was not a dizzy. She is taking some medicines to counteract some of the side effects of the chemo. But all in all she is doing pretty good. Mom had chicken and rice twice today. She said it was not what she wanted but it was bland so that's what she ate.

I just spoke with Mom and when I asked her what she wanted to tell the world she said "I'm REALLY looking forward to my treatment tomorrow!" I am certain she has gone just a little crazy. Anybody know a good psychiatrist? Just kidding. Mom did say that but with a very sarcastic tone in her voice.

We are pretty certain that this treatment will not be as bad, since she does not have to have anything else done before the chemo.

Mom's appointment is around 1:30 pm tomorrow - Melodie plans to take her. I will update as soon as I get home tomorrow.

PLEASE KEEP MOM AND DAD IN YOUR PRAYERS....Wanda

Tuesday, September 18, 2001 at 5:05 PM

I spoke with Mom once this morning and once about mid day. She said Wendy brought her a pancake for breakfast and she was fixing a banana sandwich for lunch. Mom's stomach still is "unsettled". I think it is tough just trying to figure out which side effects she is going to have or not have. (Just waiting to see) Although Mom is not a worrier. She has said all along that she would not have anything until a doctor told her she had it. She is not one of those people who is sick all the time or has to have the worse illness in the office (which is ususally just in their minds) It is sort of interesting that even with that attitude Mom probably has ended up with one of the worse illnesses her office has ever seen.

Mom is feeling a little better today. That is not to say that she is feel good. Because she is not. But she is taking it easy and hoping this "down time" will pass soon.

I reminded her this morning that she only had two days to start feeling better, because we are back at it on Thursday. She thanked me for reminding her. I was proud of her for not using her "bowling words" with me. (#*!*@*#&*)

Oh well I need to get off line. Johnathan just called from college to inform me he was joining the hockey club. That's just what we need!! I made him promise he would stay away from the football team. Who would have figured he would find a more violent sport like HOCKEY. Sometimes I think you send them to college and they get "stupid".....Just kidding. I have only been to one fight and a hockey game broke out. That's how much I know about hockey.

Signing off....................Wanda

UPDATE: I visited Mom and Dad tonight. Mom was watching TV when I got there. (well she was sitting in the room with the TV on anyway) We had a nice visit. Mom does not feel good at all. Her stomach has been really hurting her. Dad said she hasn't felt good since Thursday, but that she has not complained even one time. YOU GOTTA LOVE HER!!!

Mom tried to show me her scares from the port-a-cath. NO THANK YOU!! She is still very sore from that. Maybe when that feels better she will feel some better.

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS.

Special note: Please say a special prayer for a new internet friend, Sheri, her father Butch had his 2nd operation for a B.T. that was diagonsised in February 2001. All reports indicated the surgery went good and he is doing well. HANG IN THERE SHERI.......Wanda

Monday, September 17, 2001 at 5:24 PM

Mom is very tired of feeling bad!!! She got up this morning and her back and stomach were hurting. They have hurt her all day. Melodie finally talked her into taking some Tylenol. Mom just does not like to take medicine. Mom went to bed early last night, she said it was because the Tylenol "knocked her out". Then she told me about how much cooking she did yesterday (all day). I am pretty sure the Tylenol had nothing to do with her going to sleep so early.

She said she ate a 1/2 of an egg sandwich for breakfast and a milk shake for lunch.

Hopefully Mom will feel better tomorrow, because we have to get another treatment on Thursday and it sure would be nice if she started this one out feeling "OK". Mom said she was still a little sore from having the port-a-cath put in. I think her head is still a little dizzy although when I spoke with her this afternoon she was reading a TIME magazine.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.......Wanda

Sunday, September 16, 2001 at 11:54 AM

Only time for a quick update. Mom rested most of the day yesterday. I did not get to see her. We had a small family cook out for Johnathan's 18th and Madison's 13th birthdays. (Madison turns 13 on the 28th.) She had plans for fly to N.Y. on her birthday and spend the weekend shopping and seeing a broadway play. We are not inclinded to let her do that now.

Anyway, more about Mom. She did not feel well enough to make the trip in the Raleigh yesterday. (about a 35 minute ride) She says her stomach feels fragile. I think all and all she is doing very good. I think it is harder on Dad than it is on Mom. Mom just hangs in there and does the best she can. Dad sees every little thing that she doesn't do anymore, and it breaks his heart.

Well gotta go. Johnathan is heading back to college today and I still have lots to do for him before he leaves.

Maybe I can update again tonight. Wanda

Friday, September 14, 2001 at 09:43 AM

Good morning everyone. I went by Mom's this morning and took her some breakfast, grits. She was up and about this morning and really looked good. It's a little cool here and she had her sweater on. She said she had gotten up at 3:00 a.m. and ate a piece of toast. She was proud of that I believe. She said she would eat some of the grits but hadn't touched them before I had to leave. She said her head wasn't as dizzy as last night.

Her instructions for me today were to make sure I wrote and note to Brenda and mailed a package to her today. I have to get this done or I will be taken off the Christmas list. (Brenda and Eddie, keep a watch for a package.)

More info about Thursday.....
I saw her at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. I stopped by with Summer and Spencer. They wanted to take Grandma Pat a Push Up icecream. They think that Push Ups will make her feel all better. Grandma Pat said to put it in the freezer for later. She was a little dizzy and her stomach was a little weak.

I saw her later around 8:30 p.m. when I brought her the meds I picked up for her. She was sitting up and watching the news coverage. She is so strong. Dad was the one tearing up over the sad stories.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. We are looking for Johnathan to come home today from college. Happy 18th Birthday Johnathan!

Thank you for the many prayers.
Wendy

Friday, September 14, 2001 at 7:25 AM

GOOD MORNING. Hopefully Mom is having one also.

I did not get a call from Mom last night. So we can assume she had a reasonably uneventful night. She promised to call me if she needed me. I didn't get a call.

I have chosen not to call her this early in the morning to check on her in case she is sleeping. I am on my way on the door to work (I can't use the internet at work for personal business)

I will check on Mom mid morning and try to come home at lunch to update. Please keep Mom and Dad in your prayers................Wanda

Thursday, September 13, 2001 at 3:41 PM

Mom got her port-a-cath put in this morning. The procedure took about 45 minutes to an hour. Then she was moved to a holding area for another hour. Mom had coffee and ate a blueberry muffin. (Hopefully we will not see that again)

Mom did really good. The best we could tell she was loaded with plenty of those "I don't care drugs". We left the first hospital at 11:05am. Arrived at the chemo oncologist's office at 11:20am. 12:05pm they took Mom back for her chemo.

She sat in a comfortable recliner and they were able to use her port-a-cath. They gave her two drugs prior to starting the chemo to help prevent side effects. I am not sure of the time when she actucally started the chemo. I saw the nurse hook it up but I did not check the time.

About half way thru Mom started feeling sick. The nurses got the OK to give Mom something else for neausa but she never took it. Later we decided that Mom may have gotten sick because of the meds they used while putting in the port.

They never rushed Mom, the chemo drugs were not forced. We finished up about 3:10pm. Mom took her time moving afterwards, but she walked to the car without any assistance.

As we were leaving another nurse called Mom as we walked past her station. She knew Mom by name. She asked if we had seen Mom's oncologist and we told her no that Mom had chemo today. She said that Mom was on the list of patients to be seen by the doctor today. So we had to have a seat in the waiting room to make sure she did not have to be seen. The list was wrong thank goodness. We had had enough for one day.

Everything seemed to be going fine, Melodie and Mom were headed to Youngsville and I was headed home to pick Madison up from volleyball practice. Then all at once Melodie made a quick left turn into the Pizza Hut parking lot. I knew Melodie was hungry (we never got lunch) but I thought, "to be sure she is not going to make Mom go try and eat at Pizza Hut". So I called Melodie on the cell phone as I proceeded to turn around in case they needed help. Mom was getting sick so Melodie had stopped so she could help her. (Guess what we saw again?)I am sure Mom is not going to be happy I told the world, but what are oldest daughters for!?!

They should be home soon. I live in Raleigh and they still had about a 45 minute (well 30 minute with Melodie driving) drive to get home. I will try to update later tonight after Mom gets settled.

THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS .........Wanda

UPDATE: Just talked with Mom. She is doing "OK". Not good - not bad - just OK.

She was sick earlier this evening. She took something for neausa. The doctor called her in an perscription for some pain medication. Wendy picked it up and took it by. Mom said she might take a pain pill (not the strong ones she got tonight) before she went to bed. Mom said she really wasn't hurting that bad but she did not want to let it get out of hand.

Mom promised she would call me tonight - no matter how late - if she got sick and did not want to be alone. She said she promised Melodie the same thing and she probably had to promise Wendy the same thing before she left Mom tonight. Guess we could end up with a family reunion at Mom's tonight if she gets sick. I will try to update in the morning before I go to work and let everyone know how Mom's night was.

GOOD NIGHT ................Wanda

Thursday, September 13, 2001 at 7:06 AM

Mom is at the hospital - her procedure is scheduled for 7:30 am. I will drop Madison off at school at 7:35am and go straight to the hospital to wait for her to come out.

Melodie is with Mom. If there is time and we come back here before going to the chemo at 11:20am, I will add an update to this entry.

PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS...........Wanda

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at 5:39 PM

WHAT A DAY!!! When the United States is the target of such terrible things, makes even a brain tumor seem not such a big thing. Having said that, you can imagine how we are feeling today. If this message is being read by anyone who is touched by this tragedy personally, GOD BLESS YOU. Our prayers are with you.

Mom is doing pretty good. She has watched right much TV today. She also worked on the cobbler topping. I think she has eight packages fixed.

As far as I know we are still on for Thursday. It will be a long day. PLEASE PRAY FOR US.............Wanda

Monday, September 10, 2001 at 11:04 PM

Sunday was a busy day - so busy we didn't get updated. We had Spencer's birthday party for the family at Mom and Dad's house. Dad was disappointed. He has spent a fortune on having a walk way built in the front of the house. Not one person came in that way. Everyone usually comes in the back door.

Mom's brother and his family came from Fayetteville. It was nice to see them. I am not sure how much they enjoyed their visit. Being around that many Andersons can be sort of a SHOCK to your system. We had a nice visit. It rained, but the kids managed to get outside to ride bikes and play some games.

Mom held up pretty good. She said she was going to take it easy today. I reminded her that she had planned to mix up cobbler topping to freeze for the Fair. She said she still planned to do that, but her arm still hurt enough that she would not be able to do that all day. It is not an easy job. I made two cobblers the other night and they are still in the frig. They did not meet the high standards Madison and Barney are use to. Mom said I didn't mix the topping up good enough. That could be a problem, as I will probably be the "topping maker" when Mom is not at the Fair this year.

We are still on go for Thursday. Mom said she may have to come to Raleigh before Thursday for some blood work. I think we are all sort of nervous about this treatment. Moma is a strong person and I'm sure she is gonna be fine. It is the rest of the family I am not sure about.

Please keep us in your prayers...........Wanda

Saturday, September 08, 2001 at 11:41 AM

Hello - sorry for no update last night. Madison and Barney disappeared for an hour or so last night and when they finally got home - they had purchased two remote control cars - a VW and a PT Cruiser. We were out in the middle of the road until midnight playing with those cars.

Mom spent most of the day resting yesterday. Thursday took alot out of her. She is getting a little anxious about this coming Thursday. The plan is to be at one hospital at 7:00am to have the port-a-cath implanted. Then off to the oncologist's office (at another hospital) for her chemo. The chemo should take a couple of hours. If the port-a-cath doesn't take very long, I live very close to the hospital, so we can rest there before the chemo treatment.

I have taken off Thursday to be with Mom. She suggested I might want to take Friday off in case she needed me. That won't be a problem either. Plus Wendy works out of her home which is not even a mile down the road. And of course Melodie is always there to take her to her appointments. I think we have everything covered.

Dad is having some repair work done around the house. I think Mom wishes they would ask her opinion more about some of the stuff. It's probably because she is home all the time, she notices things more. Or it could be that she is just more vocal now about things.

We will have Spencer's Birthday at Mom's house tomorrow afternoon. Mom's brother and his family are coming in from Fayetteville for a visit.

PLEASE PRAY FOR MOM AS SHE PREPARES FOR THIS NEXT PHASE OF HER TREATMENT.

Wanda

Thursday, September 06, 2001 at 11:02 PM

Mom had two doctor visits today. Melodie took her to them. First they had an appointment with Mom's chemo oncologist. They discussed the port-a-cath. The one thing that this doctor said that we had not been told, was that some people do get dehydrated while taking this type of chemo and have to be hospitalized to received fluids. The port-a-cath would give them access to provide fluids even if her veins were not accessable. That is very important.

They also met with Mom's surgeon who said she was doing great and to come back in three months. I think he just likes to admire his "handy" work.

Mom's IV chemo is scheduled for next Thursday around 11:00am.

When they got home today Mom had a message that she could have her port-a-cath placed tomorrow (Friday). That was not acceptable, because I don't think Mom was ready and Melodie has to work tomorrow. Melodie likes to go with Mom to all her appointments. Anyway, their next attempt at getting Mom an appointment for the placement was at 7:00am on Thurday, the day of her chemo. I don't think she was willing to do that either. I guess they will work it out tomorrow.

Mom and Melodie did a little shopping in between doctor appointments and went out to eat.

I haven't talked with Mom tonight, but I am sure she is exhausted. I will try not to call her so early in the morning. Maybe she will sleep late.

Thanks for all the prayers --keep 'em coming.........Wanda

Wednesday, September 05, 2001 at 10:31 PM

I don't have much to update tonight. I woke Mom up at 6:20 this morning. So I was scared to call her tonight. I figured she would be going to bed early, because I think once she gets up it is hard for her to go back to sleep. Anyway, it was important. I was baking an apple cobbler for my friend this morning, and I could not remember what flavoring to use. So, there you have it, I HAD to call Mom. She has our secret cobbler receipe stored away in her head. We are suppose to know it by memory, but at 6am I was not sure.

Anyway, she was more than happy to help me, but at 10:00 tonight when I finally had time to call her, I decided I would not push my luck twice in one day.

Mom has two appointments tomorrow. She will meet with her oncologist and her neuro-surgeon. Melodie will take her.

September is a big birthday month in our family. Spencer (grandchild #3) will turn 8 on the 9th. Johnathan (grandchild #1) will turn 18 on the 14th and Madison (grandchild #2) will turn 13 on the 28th. Starting in 1983 Grandma Pat had a grandchild born every 5 years in September for 15 years.

Hopefully Mom is sleeping good tonight, we will let you know about her appointments tomorrow afternoon.

GOODNIGHT..............Wanda

PS - I added new pictures yesterday

Tuesday, September 04, 2001 at 9:10 PM

We are back from Duke. Mom was worn out. She did lay down and take a nap later this afternoon.

It was a long day. Mom passed all the test they made her do. She counted backwards from 100 by 7. She spelled the word "world" backwards. We did get out of there this time without having to remember three words. Usually they give Mom three words as the beginning of the exam and before we leave they ask her what the words were. They forgot to do that this time. Mom can still walk a straight line, touch her nose with her eyes closed, balance on one foot, follow the PA's figure with her eyes, and run the heal of her foot down the front of the opposite leg. She has plenty of strength in all extremedies. We were laughing when the PA was documenting her results, I told Mom she was probably just writing OX in her chart, because she appeared to be as strong as an OX. Mom's vision remains the same.

After the routine exam we spoke with one of the doctors, she recommended that Mom start an IV chemo drug called CPT11. The side effects aren't very pleasant, but if history repeats itself Mom will not have many side effects. Mom should start the CPT11 next week. (Monday will be her last day for the second round of Temadore) The plan is for her to take it once a week for 4 weeks and then 2 weeks off. The best we can tell her two weeks off will be during the State Fair. (I am not sure if she is excited about that or not)

They discussed Mom getting a port-a-cath. The nurse provided Mom with literature about it, but Mom has not decided what she is going to do. Mom's chemo will be administered in Raleigh at her chemo oncologist's office. Mom has an appointment on Thursday with her, and at that time they will decide what to do about the port-a-cath.

We met with another nurse in the resource center of the Brain Tumor Center. She explained about the different drugs that will be administered prior to the actual chemo, to prevent some side effects. As well as the reactions to the chemo itself.

We were able to view Mom's MRI. There is no change from the last one. THAT'S A GOOD THING! Melodie asked about the area where the tumor was. The doctor explained that it fills in with fluid, that the brain does not regenerate. Mom laughed, and said that when they figure out how to get the brain to regenerate, maybe she will get some of her sight back. (It is easy to forget that Mom has lost half of her vision. If you had never met my Mom, or even if your had, you would never know see can't see to her left) Mom said that she can't really to her office very much, because when they see her they want to know when she is coming back to work. Mom does not appear to be sick.

We had lunch on the way home. Mom's appetite was good. A day at Duke will wear you out, even if you are not the patient.

THANKS FOR ALL THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THOSE IN OUR "BRAIN TUMOR FAMILY"..............Wanda

Monday, September 03, 2001 at 1:39 PM

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

I spoke with Mom earlier. She said Dad had worked this morning for a couple of hours. He was just getting back home.

Mom spoke with her sister for about an hour last night. I think she enjoys getting phone calls from her brothers and sisters. Melodie bought Mom some gospel tapes. Mom thought it would be nice to listen to them while she was getting her chemo. It will take 90 minutes each time. So, Melodie bought her two tapes - one of them was as Elvis gospel tape. Mom was convinced this morning that it was not Elvis singing. She said it just didn't sound like Elvis in some parts of the songs. She cut the sound up loud for me to hear over the phone. I didn't have a clue. Mom said her hearing had changed since she has been sick - so maybe that was the problem - and not the tape.

Mom and Dad were looking at quarters this morning. Dad has been keeping them for Mom - she is trying to collect all the state quarters. They are making several each year and she can tell you exactly which ones are coming out each year. Mom was doing this before she got sick. It is good to see somethings have not changed. They did find one they didn't have - I think it was the New York one.

It is raining here today and is suppose to rain thru Wednesday. I don't think Dad will try and move the Fair booth to the house if it is going to rain.

We take Mom to Duke tomorrow. She had her MRI done last week. Hopefully we will be back in time for me to update before I go to Madison's Volleyball game tomorrow afternoon. If not it will be around 9:00pm - unless Melodie updates.

It is a beautiful day for DUCKS in Raleigh. Hope everyone is having a nice holiday.

Wanda

Sunday, September 02, 2001 at 1:53 PM

Mom and Dad were up and at it early this morning. Dad had to retrieve the cooker and small fair trailer from the cook out he helped with yesterday. I think he had to make several trips. Mom was cooking chicken, anticipating the girls coming to have lunch.

Madison and I didn't make it. Barney has gone to North Wilkesboro to bring Johnathan's truck home. (He was involved in a wreck late Friday afternoon)

We will be taking Mom to Duke on Tuesday. I think her appointment is around 10 or 10:30. I plan to take the camera and put some pictures up when we get home. Maybe there will be enough time to walk over to the Duke Gardens. We have done that once before and Mom really enjoyed it.

Maybe we will update later tonight. We are getting good at those "two a day" updates.

Wanda

Saturday, September 01, 2001 at 10:05 PM

Hello from Raleigh. Mom had a pretty uneventful day. Dad spent the day helping a friend do a cook out. Mom stayed at home, she said she cleaned the kitchen, and vaccumed 1/2 of the den and 1/2 of the dining area (don't ask me why only 1/2, that's just what she said).

I spoke with her tonight, she was reading some book she purchased yesterday. Mom told me about a newsletter Melodie received about brain tumors, it told of several people who are several years out with glioblastomas. Mom was excited to hear that news. She said tonight that no one ever told us that anyone had lived that long. We understand the reality of her disease, but it sure would have been nice early on to have someone tell us that there were people who have lived with a glioblastoma. If there are people out there living that long, Mom will be one of them.

Have a safe holiday, and be careful on the roads.....................Wanda

Friday, August 31, 2001 at 4:49 PM (EST)

WANDA I UPDATED ALREADY!!!!

Mom's MRI went fine, we actually arrived early which is a miracle in itself. None of us were built with an internal clock, and we usually run 10-15 minutes late. Afterwards we went to lunch. Sometimes when a person is facing a serious illness they tend to loss their inhibitions and try new things. NOT MOM, at lunch she had a fruit salad, no matter how hard I tried she wouldn't attempt to tie the cherry stem into a knot with her tongue. Maybe painting is as adventurous as she wants to get.

No big plans for the weekend, just recovering from today.

Have a happy and safe holiday!
Melodie!!

Thursday, August 30, 2001 at 10:42 PM

I almost forgot. I got on-line over an hour ago to update. Johnathan was on line from college and we have been talking ever since. I logged off and headed down the hall before I remembered about updating.

I spoke with Mom this morning, she was eating breakfast. She was complaining about having to go to so many doctor appointments (she has an MRI tomorrow). I told her to enjoy all the attention. Mom informed me she would be perfectly happy to be a hermit. She said she has never been one to need a lot a people around or a lot of attention. She is perfectly content being alone, reading or messing with the flowers. Even in the beginning, after her radiation, when we were talking about starting this website, she was not real sure about it. Mom is a sort of private person. Oh well, she doesn't have much choice right now.

Mom has been writing an article about brain tumors to hopefully bring some awareness to this disease. We are working on getting it published. That is sort of a change in character for her.

Mom said she was giong to try and do some more painting today. She was going to try her hand at some pastels in a tub. I don't think she was happy with her water colors.

Dad worked today, so I know Mom had a little time to practice her painting. It has been raining off and on all afternoon. No big plans for the holiday weekend. Monday is a holiday. We will go to Duke Tuesday. Sometimes our visits take all day and other times we are in and out of there in a few short hours. I have a feeling this will be a long visit since we will be starting a different chemo this time.

On our way to Duke Tuesday, we are going to practice counting backwards by sevens starting with 100. They always ask Mom to do that everytime we go to Duke(among other things). It makes her so mad because she says she couldn't do that before she had the brain tumor, what in the world makes them think she can do it now!

LOVE-- Wanda

(Make sure you hug your Mom and Dad today)

Wednesday, August 29, 2001 at 05:50 PM

Mom had a good day. They are having some work done around the house. New steps in front and back and a new door in the kitchen.

Mom and Dad had a visit this afternoon from long time friends. Mom said they are two of just a few people who have continued to keep up with her since she got sick. I assured Mom that is because everyone is getting on with their lives and they really don't consider her sick. After she came thru the surgery so good and has responded to her treatments so good, it is very hard to remember that she is still sick, unless you see her everyday.

Mom said she had not taken a nap today and it was to late now. Maybe she will turn in early tonight. She said it looked like they might be getting ready to have a storm. Sounds like good sleeping weather to me.

Dad is cooking for a birthday party this weekend and then Monday he will bring the fairbooth up to the house for us to prepare it for the State Fair which will start October 12. (I'll try to get some pictures of it for those who can't imagine what I am talking about) Mom has said that she plans to start making cobbler topping and freezing it to use at the Fair. She says that every year, but this year since she is at home most of the time, I believe she will follow thru.

I just spoke with Mom and told her I was getting ready to update her website. I asked if there was anything she would like to tell the world. She said NO. Then she changed her mind. She would like everyone to know that her MRI is scheduled for Friday. Until just about an hour ago we all thought it was Thrusday. We knew it was on the 31st, but for some reason we thought that was Thursday. I think we are all just about worn out, and that doesn't make for very clear thinking.

THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT!!!! Wanda

Tuesday, August 28, 2001 at 08:37 PM

I WOULD LIKE TO WORLD TO KNOW THAT I AM SORRY FOR UPDATING LAST NIGHT - BECAUSE MELODIE HAD ALREADY DONE SO. SO IF YOU LOOKED LAST NIGHT AND READ THE UPDATE I DID YOU SHOULD GO TO THE HISTORY PAGE AND READ MELODIE'S UPDATE - IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN MINE.

Now back to Mom - I think she was tired today. Not that she said so - she just sounded tired. Maybe yesterday's events took some of her energy.

Dad worked today and Mom said she had just piddled around the house today.

It was another H-O-T day in Raleigh today. I think that can make you tired as well. It does me.

Not much more to tell. Maybe tomorrow. Wanda

Monday, August 27, 2001 at 09:20 PM

We are having storms in the area tonight. Hopefully they will not last long. I think they were expecting some severe weather up near Mom and Dad's house.

Mom went to the doctor this morning to follow up on her should treatment. The doctor said everything is healing nicely. She did not get another shot. The appointment was very fast so they went over to her oncologist's office and they drew her blood early.

Melodie took Mom to the Farmer's Market. Melodie said they stayed there for a good long time and Mom purchased several things. After that they went to Sam's Warehouse. Melodie purchased the most there.

Mom was working on her pickles yesterday. She took them out of the salt water and added alum. I am sure glad she feels like preparing them. It is sort of funny, there are three daughters and we have never been ones to keep up with "who gets what" or "who gets more". It was never been important to us that we were treated the same. That is until it comes to the pickles - there better not be more jars of pickles going to one daughters house than the other. Talk about a family war.. :o)

I think Mom has had a pretty good day. Madison has a volleyball game in Rocky Mount tomorrow - so I will update, but it will be later.

Wanda

Monday, August 27, 2001 at 7:39 PM (EST)

Mom had a great day! Her appointment with the orthopedist went well. He said as long as her shoulder continued to improve there was no reason for surgery. He didn't even give her a shot of cortisone. He said if it started to back slide then just come in for another shot. We actually got out if there in 15 minutes (It must be going to snow tonight!!!). The blood work went well, another one of those NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.

After all of that we went to the farmers market ate lunch and walked for hours looking at flowers. Mom actually bought some peonies, I am not sure the last time she bought herself something frivilous (they only cost 4.00).

I only wish I could give her the world now. I don't want her to worry about anything, even fighting this thing. I thank God everyday for Mom, she truely is my best friend. I feel sorry for those who only see their parents as a thorn in their side.
Momma is the best anyone could ask for.

Take care and we will update soon.
Melodie

P.S. Mom goes for an MRI on Thursday and to Duke next week, please keep her in your prayers.

Saturday, August 25, 2001 at 10:47 PM

Guess everyone figured it out by now. Johnathan is here. We have been busy with him and I just have gotten in here to update. Sorry - it probably won't happen again anytime soon - because we probably will not see him again until Christmas.

We all converged on Grandma Theda's house this morning for a "photo shoot". Our cousins from Virginia and Washington were here, along with my Aunt and Uncle.

Dad brought Mom and they stayed for a little while. It was very hot outside and I believe it was Dad who was ready to go, although he blamed it on Mom. Mom looked so beautiful today!! :-)

I called to check on Mom this afternoon and she was sleeping. I have not spoken with her tonight - I've been running around picking up things for Johnathan to take back to college.

Mom has several appointments next week. I will update earlier tomorrow.

Wanda

Thursday, August 23, 2001 at 06:16 PM

WHAT A HOT DAY!!!

I spoke with Mom this morning she is feeling better. I fussed at her for not taking naps for the last two days. Her oncologist suggested that she make that part of her daily routine. I don't know if she took one today or not. I doubt it.

Mom's appetite must be getting better. She said she got up about 3:00am and had milk and cookies. She said she was trying to decide if she should have lemonade or milk on her way to the kitchen. I told Mom to be careful not to scare Dad when she got up in the middle of the night. (Dad has always gotten up in the middle of the night for a snack) Mom said Dad had just eaten a snack and was heading back to bed when she got up. He recommended the lemonade. Mom settled on the milk and cookies.

Melodie and Mom went to a local garden shop this afternoon. Mom said she enjoyed looking at the plants and flowers. She told me about a plant that was very large and they had put it in a pot. Mom said it looked really good, but she would never have thought about planting it in a pot. (Sorry I can't remember the name of the plant, I was the daughter that did not get the "gardening gene" - I can kill a silk plant)

I spoke with Mom and Dad this afternoon. Dad was cutting up pickles/cucumbers. I am not sure at what point you start calling them pickles. I don't know if they stay cucumbers until they are sliced and in the jar or if they become pickles as soon as the processing is over and before they are sliced and put in jars. All I know is Mom has the best sweet pickles in the world. They are a must in potatoe salad and chicken salad.

Mom was also picking out some items for Spencer's school fundraiser. If he sells 30 items he gets to ride in a limo to the pizza hut. I guess if Summer can talk Grandpa Jimmy into riding her around the house in his work truck - Spencer has a good shot at selling them enough stuff to ride in the limo. What are grandparents for anyway?!?!?!

Everything is good this week. Next week will be busy.

Wanda

PS - Johnathan is suppose to come home from college tomorrow night. Hopefully I'll get the site updated before he gets here.

Wednesday, August 22, 2001 at 08:14 PM

Hello - Mom is now famous. Her picture was posted on a website maintained by a man in Australia who's wife passed away after an almost year long fight with her brain tumor.

Mom's days are getting better. She had a few "down" days after she finished taking her Temadore. The past two days she has not even taken a nap. Today Melodie took Mom to the grocery store. Dad has been doing all the grocery shopping. The one time he took Mom with him, he rushed her thru so quick she didn't even feel like she had been to the store. (That's just how he shops)

We have had beautiful weather for the past two days, but it is suppose to get really hot tomorrow.

Mom goes back to Duke on September 4. I guess she will start her next chemo the next week. Of course, just when I think I've got this BT thing figured out, I realize I don't have a clue.

Mom is doing good and we are so very proud of her. She is determined to make others aware of the brain tumor disease. We have some very good ideas. Mom has written an article that we will try to get published and we are designing a T-shirt to have printed. Mom has also done her first water-color painting. I have not seen it yet, but I hear she is really talented.

Summer talked Dad into driving her around the house in his work truck tonight. She could probably talk him into anything.

More tomorrow...................Wanda

Monday, August 20, 2001 at 2:00 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to Raleigh for routine lab work. A fairly uneventful trip. Mom is lacking in the energy department today, so we only went in 2 stores and got take out lunch. Luckly we got home before the rain hit. It just sneaked up on us.

This is a slow week she only has the one appointment. Next week she sees the orthopedist and has a repeat head MRI for the trip to Duke on September 4th.

I'll update more later, the thunder is getting to close for comfort.

Bye Bye
Melodie

Sunday, August 19, 2001 at 06:52 PM

We spent a few hours with Mom today. She doesn't have much energy but she is in great spirits. I took pictures today. Three of them are on the photo page.

We took some pictures of Dad, Summer and Madison walking out to look at a rabbit in the edge of the yard. When Madison was about 2 y.o. Wendy got a pictures of her and Dad just the same way.

Mom has blood work scheduled for tomorrow. She is a little frustrated at having to come to Raleigh, since she said that even if her blood is low they can't change her chemo. She took the last dose of Temadore last night. Twenty three days off now.

Well all is well, Madison is rushing me out the door to get some school supplies. It never ends. Maybe I will add more later tonight. If not, the tomorrow.

PS - Melodie and her family got back from the beach.

Wanda

Saturday, August 18, 2001 at 10:37 PM

Sorry for the late update. Mom had an uneventful day. She is moving a bit slow. She says that it is understandable since tonight will be day five for her Temadore. Mom said that her energy level is down. We decided that it was a good thing she has short term disability. Mom said there was no way she could have continued to work and done this type of chemo. She said she feels very fortunate to have the benefits at her work that she does. She said that is just ONE MORE THING we have to be thankful for.

Mom watched a movie today and listened to the thunder. She said the storm was coming up from the front of the house, which is unusual. Most of the summer storms they get come up from the back of the house. (I am no good with directions, so I can't tell you if that is North, South, East or West)

I took Madison shopping tonight for school cloths. Obviously the generation gab is getting bigger, cause I can assure you I don't have the same taste in cloths as a 13 y.o. Mom called on the cell phone while we were shopping. I can't tell you what we talked about (might offend a family member) but I can assure you Mom still has a sense of humor. She was laughing so hard. I finally had to hang up, it was hazardous for me to be driving and laughing that hard.

Please pray for Mom as she takes this final dose of Temadore. The next few days might be tough. Although it is hard to keep a Formyduval girl down. (aint that right Brenda)

I got the request for new pictures. I looked and I really don't have any, but I plan to go to Mom's tomorrow and I have the camera in my purse already. Now if I can just get it inside and remember to take some pictures I should have new ones tomorrow night.

GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE. Wanda

Friday, August 17, 2001 at 06:13 PM

Hello - It has been HOT in Raleigh today. Mom is doing good. I spoke with her this morning. Dad was not at home. He was running errans. When he got home she went with him into Louisburg. Would you believe they were in a small grocery store when Dad saw a sign about the Goat Growers Association. Or something like that. Anyway there was a lady working at the store that was a member and she told Dad she could arrange a supplier for goat meat. (Sometime back, I wrote about Dad's great idea for goatburgers at the State Fair) Who would have ever thought they could really find a supplier.

Anyway, I spoke with Mom again this afternoon, she said everything was about the same. She said she ate a bar-b-que sandwich for lunch. Well she ate half of it and realized she probably should not eat the rest.

Johnathan called from college. He said it looked like everyone had left for the weekend. He said he probably only saw 10 people while he walked across campus. He plans to come home next weekend.

Melodie and her family are at the beach visiting her mother-in-law. We were suppose to have a yard sale this weekend. I called Melodie at the beach to see where she left her "stuff" for the yard sale. She said she would tell me where the key was hidden and I could just go in her house and get whatever I thought would sell. We decided not to have the yard sale because it is suppose to rain all weekend. I think she forgot about it.

Mom will finish taking her Temadore tomorrow night. Mom continues to be an inspiration to so many people. She continues to worry about everyone else and not so much herself.

I will update again tomorrow........Wanda

Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 10:48 PM

Hello - Sorry for the late update. My ISP changed and it is like trying to cook in a strange kitchen. Nothing is in the right place. I don't have any of my favorites. I am not exactly a happy camper right now.

I spoke with Mom earlier. She was laughing about the name of our most recent tropical storm. She said the days of Hazels and Frans (past hurricane names) is long gone. Mom is so funny, to be dealing with all she is going thru she usually has a sense of humor. Madison was having a bad day a few weeks ago and Johnathan told her to call Grandma Pat. He said she will make you laugh. Sure enough, Madison call her and before long she felt much better.

Mom said she was feeling pretty good today. She sounded really strong. Tonight she will take her third dose of Temadore. Two more nights after this and then off for 23 days.

We are planning a trip to Boone the weekend of September 28th. I have mentioned to Mom that we want her to go. She did not turn me down. I bet she goes. We feel in love with the house we stayed in. When we pulled up it looked very small. That was because most of the house was HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!!!! It was BEAUTIFUL. I want Mom to see it. It should be good timing with her chemo.

Well its late and I still have to pack lunches. I will try to update sooner tomorrow night. We are expecting bad thunderstorms tomorrow night.

Later...............Wanda

Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 05:32 PM

Hey everyone. I am back. Sorry for the lack of updates. It is hard to find good help these days. (HAHA) Last week was emotional. (sending my first child to college) Everything is finally getting back to normal.

I spoke with Mom this morning. She took the first dose of her second round of Temadore last night. Everything seems to be fine. She said she was doing OK. She was moving a little slower than some other days.

Mom said she had some phone calls to make today. But she said if she didn't get them made today she would do it tommorrow. (She's so cute) Mom's dosage to chemo was increased this time because her blood counts remain high. (That's a good thing) Mom mentioned that she was not looking forward to her next type of chemo - which is by IV once a week for 90 minutes. But in the same breath she said she was going to do FINE and that this chemo should not be any problem.

We have heard recently that a positive attitude and strong faith make a big difference in recovering. (I think they did some study at Duke) I believe with all my heart that Mom is a perfect example of this. She has never been one to worry. What happens will happen and then you just deal with it.

Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. Wanda

Monday, August 13, 2001 at 2:38 PM (EST)

Mom's appointment with her local oncologist went well. The doctor seems pleased with how she is doing. Mom went out in public today without a wig, she did wear a cute little straw hat. This is the first time in quit a while she has done that. Even at the beach she wore her short wig and a hat. All of her hair has grown back except a 3 inch by 3 inch area on the right side of her head where she recieved radiation. Once her hair finally gets long it will cover that spot.

Everyone is home except Johnathan and I guess he is at his home-away from home. Our cousin who is in Boone got together with him last night. It is a little reasurrring knowing he has some relatives up there looking out for him.

Take Care
Melodie

Saturday, August 11, 2001 at 01:25 PM (CDT)

Melodie called and helped me figure this out. I am not the one who ususally does the entries.

Mom said she enjoyed the party Thursday and it was really good seeing everyone.

Mom's blood level was fine so they are ordering her next set of meds which she will start on Tuesday.

I have been visiting Mom most mornings after taking the kids to school/day care. I have been bringing her egg biscuits recently and she informed me that I could leave the egg off. I guess she has eaten more eggs in her life time than most people. They always had chickens at Grandpa Alma's. They always tried to get us (the grandkids) to "just reach under the hen and pull the egg out" while the hen was sitting on the nest. I don't think I ever had the nerve to do it. We would rather run after the chickens or hang figs on the wire just to watch them jump. Poor chickens, they were probably glad when those kids from Raleigh left.

Wanda will probably be back tonight.

Take Care,
Wendy

Saturday, August 11, 2001 at 01:09 PM (CDT)

Hi Everyone, Melodie called from work and helped me figure out how to do this. As you all are probably aware I don't do the entries often.

Mom said she enjoyed the party on Thursday and it was good seeing everyone.

Her blood level was fine so they ordered her next meds which she will start on Tuesday.

I have been checking in on Mom most mornings after taking the kids to school/day care. I have been getting her egg biscuits from our local little grill and she informed me that I could leave the egg off. She probably has eaten more eggs in her life time than she would admit. They always had chickens when she was growing up. They tried to get us (the grandkids) to "just reach under the hen and pull the egg out" while she was on the nest. I don't think I ever had the nerve to do it. We just enjoyed running after chickens, or playing with the old well, or counting cars headed to the beach, or listening to Grand Daddy Alma tell us stories about some little red headed boy who sat in the rain filled ditch playing, or watching the 2 channels on the TV, God Forbid if we turned the dial all the way around, or smelling cornbread cooking, or picking figs off and hanging them on the chichen wire just to see the chickens jump....Back to the chickens again...Well I'll stop here..... Maybe Wanda will be back tonight for more updates.....Have a nice Day. It's really hot here.

Take Care, Wendy

Friday, August 10, 2001 at 12:39 AM

Sorry for the late update. Barney made reservations at Kanki tonight. We took the kids and each took a friend. Now its 12:42 in the morning and I am up packing. (In case you have not heard, Johnathan is going to college tomorrow)

Mom had her appointment to check her blood today. As far as we know it as fine. Melodie took Mom to her office so she could attend a retirement party. The party had started and they were getting ready to say a few words about the lady who was retiring. Mom walk in about that time and everyone clapped for Mom. She quickly found a seat and sat down. Mom does not like to draw attention to herself.

Mom will start her next chemo on Monday. I hope she does good. Well its late and I still have plenty to do.

Hopefully Melodie or Wendy will update this weekend. Although Melodie is working this weekend, 12 hour shifts, Friday thru Sunday, so it might be Wendy.

I will update when I get back. I am sure I will have alot to tell.

Have a good weekend..........Wanda

Wednesday, August 08, 2001 at 08:19 PM

Sorry for no update yesterday. I have no idea why we did not update, other than this has been a CRAZY week. I guess I am hoping it doesn't end. We will take Johnathan to Boone on Friday morning to begin his "college adventure". (I may not be doing as good as I thought)

Mom has had a pretty uneventful week. She will have blood work done tomorrow. They will send the results to Duke and then Duke will issue Mom's prescription for her next round of chemo. Mom is also planning to attend a retirement party tomorrow for a co-worker. Mom looked so pretty Sunday when she was over. I know her co-workers will be glad to see her.

It has been awfully HOT for the past few days. It was so hot today that the sky was hazy. Mom and Dad got outside late this afternoon. It is dangerous to be out in the heat when its this hot.

I will try to update tomorrow, but that will be our last night before Johnathan leaves.

Wanda

PS-- Happy "birth" day to Mom. 39 years ago today she gave birth to me!! LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!! Wanda

Monday, August 06, 2001 at 3:29 PM (EST)

GREAT NEWS MOM'S BONE SCAN IS CLEAR!!!

Mom and I saw the orthopedist this morning. Her bone scan is clear, but she does have a partial rotator cuff tear. The plan of treatment is corisone shots for now. Hopefully she can avoid surgery. She received her first today and had immdiate relief because it was mixed with lidocaine. It will take a few days to see if the cortisone actually helps.

We ran a few errands while we were out. Mom is planning to attend a co-workers retirement party Thursday so we needed a gift. After that we splurged with Wendy's frosties. When we got home I called Duke to arrange for her next dose of chemo. We need to get that straight this week she is supposed to start taking it on Monday.

I am sure she is taking a nap now, I just woke up from mine!

Take care and I'll try to update more tonight.

Melodie ;o)

Sunday, August 05, 2001 at 04:25 PM

Well its over. We had the entire family over to see Johnathan before he leaves to go to college. It was awfully HOT today. We cooked hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. Wendy and Mom brought a cake. Wendy wrote "Go Johnathan! Go Johnathan! Go Johnathan!" on the cake. I snuck out to the laundry room, where she was hiding the cake, and added "But Hurry Back!" at the bottom. It was actually pretty funny because Wendy had no idea I added anything to the cake.

Mom was doing good. Although she was ready to go after about and hour or so. She ate pretty good but declined the cake. Barney's parents were here from Long Beach. They bought me an ice cream cake for my birthday (its Wednesday) So we have cake coming out of our ears.

Grandma Theda and Grandpa Hallie were able to come. It was nice to see them. I will put a picture of them on the photo page later this week.

Mom has a doctor's appointment in the morning to get the results from the tests they did on her shoulder. We will update tomorrow afternoon with the results.

Well most everyone is gone now (except the die hard race fans - I guess they will leave after the race is over) I can clean up around them.

Wanda

PS - CHECK OUT THE NEW PICS.

Saturday, August 04, 2001 at 11:15 PM

MOM SAID TO TELL UNCLE LAYTHAM HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

Just took a break from cleaning to update. Mom got up early and did a few things. She said she got tired and took a nap. Mom said she was getting pretty good at that. Wendy went to Mom's around lunch time and woke her up. Spencer and Mom were at home while Wendy went to get them some lunch.

Mom is doing good - Barney and I were discussing the fact that Mom was exposed to Summer last week before they found out she had strep throat. The next morning Mom's throat was hurting and we were scared she had strep. Must have been allergies or something. Anyway, we think her immune system must still be pretty strong - 'cause she didn't get strep. We are not doctors - but it makes sense to us.

Well I'll try to update later. If not it'll be tomorrow afternoon. We are having the family over tomorrow for Johnathan's last Sunday afternoon at home before heading to Boone. I'll try to update after that with a journal entry and maybe even some pictures.

Later....................Wanda

Friday, August 03, 2001 at 06:55 PM

I WON - I was the 3000th person to view Mom's website. Guess that means I get to update.

Mom slept a good bit today. I have not talked to her this afternoon. I can't call when I first get home anymore, because Mom and Dad are always watching Jerry Springer. Well, Mom says she doesn't watch it, but when Dad starts telling about anything that happens on the show, Mom knows exactly what he is talking about. I think yesterday did take its tole on Mom.

We are planning to have a BIG yard sale on August 18th. We figured it was a good way to raise money to help with Mom and Dad's bills and do a little cleaning out at the same time.

Mom continues to have a very upbeat spirit. Both of my kids, at different times this week, spoke with Mom and called me a work to tell how she made them laugh. Well I must go now, lots to do. We have family coming in this weekend. It is Johnathan's last weekend at home before going to college --- ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!

More later.................Wanda

Thursday, August 02, 2001 at 05:13 PM

Sorry for the late update. I was reminded at work today that I had not updated in a while. It has been a rough week. Three of the 5 people in our department have been out of the office on vacation this week. Anyway.....SORRY....... :>)

Melodie took Mom to her appointments this morning. They left home about 7:30 am. and were heading home from Raleigh about 3:30pm. It was a long day and I fully expect Mom to take several days to recover. I course she will prove me wrong I'm sure. It probably will not phase her.

Mom had an MRI done on her shoulder this morning and a bone scan. This afternoon she had a blood work done. Mom will meet with the doctor on Monday to get her results from the test. That is pretty good timing.

I just spoke with her, she was resting. She said to tell everyone she was laying around eating Godiva chocolates. (Johnathan bought her a LARGE box of Godiva when he went to New York) Mom said she was gonna get fat.

Well gotta go -- SOOOOOO much to do------SOOOOOOOO little time.......Wanda

Monday, July 30, 2001 at 10:30 PM (EST)

Mom had a good day. I went over this evening. She and Dad were shelling field peas. Mom is very picky when shelling anything now. She says she doesn't shell any with bug bites becasues her eye sight isn't good enough to pick the bad ones out when she washes them. Mom's hummingbird feeder has been active lately. There is a red throated humming bird that stands guard on the azalea bush beneath it and chases away any others that get close.

Wendy and her husband took Summer to the ER last night. What we thought was the croup turned out to be a strep infection. Summer sounds like a little frog. Her fever has finally broken Wendy said she was "wide open". tonight.

Madison and Johnathan will head home tomorrow. The weather is suposed to be better, so traveling should be easier.

We will talk again soon.

Melodie

Sunday, July 29, 2001 at 9:53 PM (EST)

Mom is doing okay today. I had to work this weekend, so I have not seen her since Thursday. Her voice did sound strong on the phone. Most of the in-laws and out-laws went over for lunch (which isn't always a good thing to many family members in one location at the same time)
.
Summer appears to be fighting the croup. Jacob has a runny nose. We are trying to keep them away from Mom. It doesn't surprise me everyone is trying to get sick with the weather we have had this week. I can't recall this much rain since Hurricane Floyd. Maybe we need to start building an Ark!. Either that or the tropical rain forest have relocated To North Carolina!

Johnathan and Madison are visiting their Aunt in Charlotte. She probably will be broke before the leave!
Nothing planned for tomorrow but to catch up on some sleep. That is one of the benifits of only working weekends is sleeping late on Monday!!

Have a good night.

Melodie

Saturday, July 28, 2001 at 10:50 AM

Sorry for no update yesterday. It was slackness on my part. I know how frustrating it is to follow the progress of someone on the internet and when you check several times and there is no update you immediately wonder what is wrong. I follow several people with GBM's and that is what happens to me.

GOOD NEWS.......There is no bad news. Mom is getting her strength back every day. I just spoke with her, she got up early and had hot chocolate. She said she must have dreamed about it 'cause that was what she wanted when she got up instead of coffee.

Mom had several calls from relatives yesterday. Some have medical issues and she is so worried about them. Early on with Mom's diagosises I was not convinced we would ever be worried more about someone else than Mom. I often said to friends that it was difficult being the family that was "worse off." You know you have always heard the saying that "you don't have to look far to find someone worse off than yourself." For a long time I felt like we were the ones that were "worse off."

For now things don't seem to be so overwelming. Although I have to admit that last week when Mom was tired and not feeling so good, I did have a "flash back" of feeling helpless and wondering "why my Mom" and "how can THIS being happening to my MOM?" Things are better now. Apparently everyone goes thru different cycles of accepting this disease. And just because you have been through one cycle: denial, bargaining, mad, acceptance, (I can't remember the others) but just because you have been through those phases doesn't mean you will not revisit those feelings at some point. At least that has been our experience.

Anyway - more about Mom. She must be feeling better because she was even worried about Susie (their german shepard). Apparently with all the rain, she had about of two inches of water in the dog house. (I guess it blew in) Mom was worried sick about her. Mom really is doing great. Please keep her in your prayers.

Well I have to stop for now. I have to sand some walls - we are painting the laundary room this weekend.

More tonight.....................Wanda


SECOND ENTRY: I spoke with Mom a little while ago. I think she was resting. Dad invited us to come over for lunch on Sunday, I was in the grocery store, so I called to see what was on the menu and what I could bring. Mom said Dad was planning to cook chicken and vegtables. (I bet he cooks some peas, don't you? HaHa!!)

Mom seems to be doing good. I will have a better idea after I visit her tomorrow and see her personally. I can usually tell over the phone when she is not up to par. When I ask how she is, she will answer "Ah, OK" and I know she is not feeling good. If I get "pretty good" then she is feel as good as it gets. I think that only one day since 1/11/01 Mom has admitted that she really felt BAD.

I will try to update as soon as we get back from her house tomorrow.

GOOD NIGHT...Wanda :>)

Thursday, July 26, 2001 at 10:41 PM

Mom was feeling better today than yesterday. We feel like her weakness this week must have come from overdoing it on Monday. Because if her blood count was low she probably would not be feeling better each day.

Mom picked some peas today and froze them. I spoke with Mom this afternoon she had just fixed supper. Peas, fried okra, fried cornbread and sliced tomatoe. Apparently her appetite is pretty good.

Melodie is a little concerned about Mom's appointments next week. She is hoping that it will not be to much for Mom, to have both test in the same day as well as her blood work done that afternoon.

We are fast approaching the seven month anniversary of Mom's diagonsis. MOM WE LOVE YOU AND ARE VERY PROUD OF THE INSPIRATION YOU HAVE BEEN TO SO MANY PEOPLE!!

GOOD NIGHT........Wanda

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 at 08:21 PM

Mom said she was feeling better today than yesterday. Since Monday she has felt tired and has not had much energy. She did some light house cleaning this morning and went outside later this afternoon.

Dad's sister is in town from Virginia. Grandma Theda and his sister brought some peas (already shelled) to them. Mom was going to cook them and some okra. Dad loves fried orka. It is an aquired taste.

Mom got her blood work scheduled for the same day next week that she will have her test on her shoulder. (a bone scan and an MRI)

Not much more happening. Mom and Dad are starting to work on plans for the State Fair. By August Dad will be getting anxious about getting his booth ready to move to the Fairgrounds. He always has to be out a week or two before everyone else. So by August he will start saying that "we only have eight weeks!!" Thank goodness it only last 10 days. But Dad will stretch it out so it will last about 2 1/2 weeks for us. He always likes to open early.

More tomorrow........Wanda

Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at 8:16 PM (EST)

Mom had a fair day today. She was very tired. I think every time I called over I woke her up. I am not sure if she is worn out from our errands yesterday or if her blood counts are dropping. We have not heard anything from the lab work yesterday, so we are going on that false sense of security that no news is good news. Yesterday Mom and I went to an orthopedist for some shoulder pain she has had since about March. With her history they have gone all out. Mom has a bone scan and an MRI scheduled next week. The bone scan is to make sure that there is no cancer in her bones, and the MRI is to rule out a rotor cuff tear. The doctor said it was most likely bursitis or tendonitis. We will keep our fingers crossed until then.
Madison and Johnathan are enjoying their last few weeks of summer vacation. Johnathan is letting his hair and beard grow long. This is the first time he has been able to because the high school he attended was very strict with their dress code. There is no telling what he will do out on his own at college. We will try to discourage any odd clothes combinations or body piercings for the sake of all.
Take care and I'll update soon.

Melodie

Monday, July 23, 2001 at 05:13 PM

I'm home alone - had a few mintues for a quick update. Melodie took Mom to see about her shoulder today. They are sending her to have a bone scan and an MRI of her shoulder next week. She will return to the doctor the following Monday for the results. Better to be safe than sorry.

Mom also had blood work done today, but I don't think they gave her the results. I am not real sure how Mom's blood counts have been doing. Melodie told me something about that yesterday. But I can't remember. (A Senior moment). I think there is a medication she can take to help her strength level, if her blood counts get to low.

Melodie also went to safe Madison from a day of work with Barney and Johnathan. When she volunteered, I don't think she realized how far away Fuquay Varina is (that is where they were working). Just when you think you must be getting close, you are about half way there.

Mom got out of the house for the day anyway. I don't think she has any more appointments this week.

Hopefully, Melodie will update with more details tonight.

LATER................Wanda

Sunday, July 22, 2001 at 06:49 PM

Sorry for the late update. I've been at Mom's this afternoon. We were celebrating Dad's birthday. It was Friday. We had a nice visit. The weather was beautiful. We did not spend a lot of time in the kitchen like we usually do.

Mom was wearing pink today. She looked beautiful. Dad and Grandpa Hallie watched the race, while Mom and Grandma sat at the table and talked. Mom did get up - to go lay down. I don't think she ever made it. She ended up on the front porch in a rocking chair. That was probably more relaxing than trying to take a nap with a house full of people.


One of Mom's neighbors brought a humming bird cake over yesterday. It was wonderful. I am not sure that I have ever had a humming bird cake, but it tasted a little bit like a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. It may have had some pineapple in it.

We did not stay very long (just a few hours.) I think that is as much as Mom can take of us in one visit.

Mom and I walked out and looked at her flowers. Sorry, I am not the daughter who got the gardening gene. I can't tell you the name of the flowers. They were very pretty, big blue cluster blooms - on a bush. She also had some type of rose that was not blooming to her satifaction. It was a hugh plant, but not very many blooms. She had a plan of action in mind. Something about cutting it back, digging it up, or burning it. I'm just kidding, I don't have a clue what she was going to do, but she does.

The doe and her two fawns came out in Mom and Dad's back yard this afternoon. The fawns are growing. Grandpa Hallie got to see them and so did the little ones (Jacob and Summer.)

That is about all the excitement we had today. Mom has two appointments tomorrow. She has an appointment about her shoulder and also to have blood work done.

More tomorrow...............Wanda

Saturday, July 21, 2001 at 11:24 AM

Just spoke with Mom. She is doing good. She took the last of her Temadore last night. Now she goes for twenty-three days before she takes it again. She will continue to take Tamoxifen twice a day.

Mom said in reading up on the Temadore she really did not find any written side effects. She is not sure if there aren't any or if they just don't know what they are yet. We are not sure how new this chemo drug is. I think it is just that Mom has it in her mind that she is NOT GONNA BE SICK.

It is a beautiful day. Hopefully Mom will get outside and enjoy it.

Sorry so short - gotta a lot to do today. Anyway, after talking to Mom this morning and she sounded so good I thought I would put a quick update.

MORE LATER TODAY.............Wanda

Friday, July 20, 2001 at 11:09 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did not talk with Mom much today. She was entertaining DAD. He was being a "sad-sack" because today was his birthday and he was not going to get to see any of us.

Melodie, Steward, Madison and I went to see "Oliver" tonight. A friend of the family had 4 tickets and was not going to use 'em. (THANKS MIKE - THE SHOW WAS WONDERFUL) Madison and I were five rows from the stage in the middle. Before the program we were looking at the program and notice that we knew one of the actors/singers. He went to Madison's school last year. We waited after the show and got him to sign our programs.

Wendy kept Jacob so Melodie and Steward could go to the musical. We called on our way home, Jacob was still up. He was not interested in going to sleep.

Wendy took the kids and a cake and went to Mom and Dad's to celebrate Dad's birthday. Mom said she saved the day. Dad was disappointed we had not been to see him. Guess we will have to make it up to him this weekend. Madison said he should be glad we were not coming because Dad would just end up cooking for all of us on his birthday.

I think Mom had a pretty good day. She reminded me it was Dad's birthday this morning, when I called her and had obviously not remembered. She promised to cover for me when Dad got home from the grocery store. No matter what, we can always depend on Mom.

Oh well, its late, we just got home.

Thursday, July 19, 2001 at 05:57 PM

Mom had an OK day. Dad worked this morning but he is home now. Mom's niece called her today, she was glad to hear from her. It is funny how great minds think a like, because I just sent them an e-mail checking on her for Mom.

Mom and Spencer had a good laugh this morning. Wendy and Spencer took Mom a biscuit this morning and Wendy told Mom to take her Marinol (a nausea drug) before she ate. Mom told Spencer if she took that medicine she would probably be sitting on top of the house when Grandpa Jimmy got home. Mom said Spencer just laughed at the thought of Grandma Pat on the roof.

One of Mom's friends from work called to tell her they were planning a retirement party for another co-worker and they wanted Mom to come. Mom said she would probably go.

I called this afternoon and no one wanted to talk with me. Guess what was coming on TV? Jerry Springer. Steward was going to bring them some more peas to shell. Dad said that was fine, but to bring them by 6:00pm so he could shell them and watch Springer.

Wendy is going to take the kids to the mall tonight for school shopping. Sometimes I think she is crazy. I hate going to the mall alone, much less with little ones. Melodie and Steward spent the night in the Emergency Room. Steward - kidney stones - pain medication. Everything "came out" fine. All is well now.

Mom seems to be in better spirits today. Well at least she sounds better on the phone. I think she did have a "blah" day yesterday. She said she got a little emotional. Then Dad got upset. We talked about it this morning and I reminded her that early on in the journey, we decided that it was "OK - not to be OK". So if she needs to cry - or if Dad needs some time alone or he gets mad or sad - ITS OK.

For a family that is not very emotional - that is an adjustment. Thanks for all the prayers and support.......Wanda

Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at 7:55 PM (EST)

Mom had an okay day. She had a case of the "blahs". I'm not real sure that is a medical term but that was her description. So far she has not had any nausia, which is evident by the amout of chocolate I saw her eat today. Mom and Dad were working on putting up some corn and a bushel of purple-hull peas this evening, as well as the continued process of making the cucumbers into pickles (I believe that takes about a week to 10 days). Living in the south during the summer harvest definately has its advantages.
Mom takes her third of five doses of chemo tonight.
Johnathan went with a church group white water rafting and caving today. They were traveling to West Virginia to the New River. I guess you must have a strong faith in God or just be fairly crazy to jump into a piece of plastic and expect to come out at the other end not looking like or being a drowned rat!
Spencer starts back to school on Friday. He attends a year around so their 5 week summer break is almost over.
That is all for now.

Melodie

Tuesday, July 17, 2001 at 05:56 PM

I spoke with Mom this morning she said she was feeling pretty good. I spoke with her again at lunch time and she was heming Dad's pants. Mom said that her head was a little clearer this morning. She thinks that she has been a little "foggy" lately. If she has I can't tell it.

Mom took her nap this afternoon and when she got up she was feeling sort of dizzy. She said she stayed up stairs for a little while and then she went down stairs to help Dad shuck some corn. Dad pulled 5 dozen ears out of his garden.

Mom said that for it to be her first day on a new medicine she thought she had done "really, really well."

I did not get much more information out of Mom. The Jerry Springer show was coming on and apparently Mom and Dad watch it every afternoon. It is just a bunch of JUCK. They think it is funny.

Mom takes another dose of the Temadore tonight.

More later................Wanda

Monday, July 16, 2001 at 06:49 PM

Melodie took Mom to her chemo oncologist appointment this afternoon. The visit went well. The oncologist said that the information she received from the MRI (see July 10th entry) was very good. Apparently it is better than just being stable. The area around where the brain tumor was located is stable. (Melodie will probably update again tonight with more details). Anyway it sounds good. The oncologist also said that Mom's last blood counts were a little low, and that might be causing her to be tired.

Mom starts her Temador tonight. She said she will take it about 10:30 pm and go straight to bed. Mom's instructions are not to eat two hours before and for one hour after taking the chemo drug.

Mom and Dad are freezing some more corn-on-the-cob tonight. Dad likes Silver Queen corn. I don't think you can buy that kind in the frozen food section. It is all the yellow corn which is what we fed our cows when we were growing up. Dad prefers the white corn to eat. Mom promised she would not over do it tonight.

Hopefully Melodie will give more information about today's appointment later tonight..........Wanda


CHECK OUT THE PICTURES

10:30 EST

Update,

The oncologist was very pleased how Mom is doing. She said Mom was doing better than just stable because we were not talking about an actual encapsulated tumor that had not grown. The area on the MRI wear the surgery was shows up white as does any cancer cells. That area has not changed, so what is there may only be scar/post op changes and not visiable cancer cells. Hope that helps. We will keep our fingers crossed.

Sunday, July 15, 2001 at 05:42 PM

Well we are home.

We arrived in Charlotte just in time to get to the reception. Mom looked real pretty. The reception was very nice. For those family members who did not make it -- you missed out on some GREAT food. Rachel was a beautiful bride.

We went by Mom's sister's house before coming home today. We visited for a few hours. Mom is very tired, but I am glad we went.

We have some pictures from the our visit. I am having some trouble loading them tonight. Hopefully I'll have them on line soon. STAY TUNED...

I'll update more later.....Wanda

Friday, July 13, 2001 at 07:14 PM

Mom watched Spencer for a while this morning. She said they played tic-tac-toe until he got tired of it. I asked Mom if she was excited about going to Charlotte this weekend for the wedding. Mom said that she would let me know when we got back. She said that she takes one day at a time. So she would know more after we got back.

I told Mom that we are very proud of her and that she has been such a encouragement to so many people. People she probably will never even know. I told her that if God had to choose someone from our family to have this dreaded diease, she was the logical choice. Because she is the strongest of us all. I'm pretty sure it is her Formyduval blood.

Mom must be feeling good this afternoon. I just got a call from Dad. He said Mom had come up with a new item for us to serve at the fair. (We have a family run booth that we operate every year at the State Fair. We serve peach and apple cobbler, baked potatoes, hamburgers, footlong hotdogs, etc)

She saw on TV today where some local grocery stores are going to sell goat meat. So Mom thought we could sell goat burgers. I DON'T THINK SO. We said the same thing when some vendors started selling Turkey legs. It sounded crazy. But now the lines to buy a turkey leg are always long. Hopefully we will stick with the usual stuff.

I am not sure who will update tomorrow. Maybe we will take a laptop to Charlotte and update from there.

More later...................Wanda


SECOND ENTRY: Saturday 12:44 am -- I went to Mom's tonight to get her car. We will be driving it to Charlotte tomorrow. I got to her house around 10:30pm, Mom was sitting in her rocking chair. I think she was reading because there was no TV or radio on. I only stayed for a little while. It was chilly outside and Dad accused Mom of turning up the heat in the house, because it was very warm in the house. Then the truth came out. Dad has been lighting a fire every night. Apparently they think they have bats in their chimney. Dad said if they were going to live in his chimney they were going to be mighty HOT. Oh well it's almost 1:00am and I've got to get packed for our trip to Charlotte in the morning.

GOOD NIGHT......Wanda

Thursday, July 12, 2001 at 3:27 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to Raleigh today. For those who do not know it is about 25 miles from her house. We had to run a few errands that did not relate to her illness. Which was actually kind of nice. She is planning to go to Charlotte to a wedding reception for her great-neice this weekend. Wendy, her 2 kids, Wanda and Madison are planning to go as well. I have to work so I'm missing out on this one. Spencer only wants to go so he can eat cake and swim in the hotel pool. Ah the life of a 7 year old.
When we got home I called the pharmacy to check on her new chemo. It was in but the insurance company would pay for it because of the cost ($1085.00). After two calls we were able to clear it up. Apparently any drug over $750.00 the computer automatically rejects until the pharmacy calls and gets an over-ride number. Insurance cann't stand to deal with it can't live without it.
Mom was planning on taking a nap so I have not called her. I think I am going to do the same.

Melodie

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 at 10:39 PM

Sorry for the late update. I forgot.

Today is the six month anniversary that Mom was told she had a brain tumor.

Mom has been tired today. She tried to take a nap around 11:00am. She said she was turning in early tonight. I think the doctor at Duke told her to make taking a nap part of her daily routine. Just to plan on lying down each day for a short time. Mom still insists that you can not take a nap if your are not sleepy. Maybe we will get her some of those relaxation tapes, you know, the ones that sound like the ocean or a rain forest. I think Mom believes that if she sleeps during the day, she will not be sleepy at night. It is dark up on that hill at night, I wouldn't want to be up by myself at night either.

Tonight, Mom and I were talking about how people were all around when she first got sick. Everyone wanted to help. Everyone called. Everyone came by to check on her. Everyone sent cards and food. Now there are only a few who continue to communicate with Mom on a regular basis. And they are not the people (friends/family members) you would have guessed. Anyway, we decided that the reason is, Mom doesn't appear to be sick anymore. We thought that as soon as Mom recovered from her brain surgery, everyone sort of treated her like she was "all better." Mom said everyone was just ready for her to get better.

Mom and Melodie have a big day planned for tomorrow.

I put a picture to the mountains on the photo page. This is the view near the college where Johnathan will go in August.

GOOD NIGHT.................Wanda

Tuesday, July 10, 2001 at 6:14 PM (EST)

Yep I was right. Duke runs on hospital time. Mom's appointment was for 10:30, we arrived there at 10:15 registered had her blood drawn and sat until 12:30 before we were able to get back to a room. The doctor said Mom's MRI looked good that the tumor area was stable. SO we continue with the current plan which is Temador. Starting next Monday she will take pills at night for 5 days then be off for 23 days. She will repeat this cycle one time. Baring any major complications she will have IV meds after that. Duke seems to be pleased with how she is doing. They put her through a series of touch your nose touch your toes and ask her a few questions. The one that always stumps her is to subtract 7 from 100 then continue to do that as far as you can go. Being from the calculator generation myself it is not an easy task. Maybe they should go backwards by 5! We finally left there about 2:15.
Mom was able to take a nap on they way home after we ate. I was not as fortunate. Spencer is reading the Harry Potter series and felt it necessary to quiz me on the way home! Every time I tried to doze off Wendy said "Ask her another question!".
Anyway we are finally back at home. Wanda should be getting in late this evening from Boone.

Take care.
Melodie

NOTE: WE ARE HOME. TIRED, BUT HOME....Wanda

Monday, July 09, 2001 at 7:15 PM (EST)

Mom and Dad went to Raleigh for her MRI this morning, it turned into an all day affair. Her appointment was at 9:00 (which means be there at 8:30 to register) but they didn't even call her back until 10:00. By the time the films were developed, read and packaged to go it was 11:30. After runing a few errands they went home and both took a nap. Mom is to go to Duke tomorrow morning. Hopefully it won't take as long as today, but I am afraid that all hospitals run on Hospital Time which is hours slower than the rest of the world!

Wanda, Barney and Johnathan are in Boone for his freshman orientation. They dropped Johnathan and his roommate off at the dorm and went walking around the town. About thirty minutes later they saw the boys cruising around town in Johnathans truck. I guess the cat doesn't have to be barely out of sight before the mice will play!!

I should be able to update early afternoon tomorrow. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Melodie

Saturday, July 07, 2001 at 9:29 PM (EST)

Well the bums are back from the beach. I'm am glad if for no other reason than to monitor what Wanda puts on the web. It is a shame you can't trust an almost 40 year old to write the truth. (Got Ya Wanda!). So lets clarify some things. I NEVER told Wanda she couldn't talk to Mom on the phone, I just know her and I know how much my cell phone minutes cost! Anyway we are greatful to be home. It was a long trip Felton lead the way (never believe a man knows where he is going) maybe it was that east-west thing that messed him up. We had a little scare with Summer in the surf shop before we left. Wendy turned her head and Summer was gone. We lost sight of her for about three or four very long minutes. I ran to the front door to make sure she didn't get out or get taken out. Madison found her in the bathing suits just looking around.
Mom sounded good on the phone tonight. I'll see her tomorrow. Their friend is in town until tomorrow so he will get to meet the rest of us. His plane leaves late in the afternoon.
Well I need to go unpack. Take care and I'LL try to keep you updated this week.

Melodie

Saturday, July 07, 2001 at 09:46 AM

GOOD MORNING.....Its sort of weird to update in the morning. I just spoke with Mom, she is doing good. Mom, Dad and their friend are going to the flea market today. I think she was looking forward to it. Mom said she thought she would wear her "big straw hat", because it was gonna be hot today. I think they will eat lunch out there. They have a friend who runs the concessions at the flea market.

Mom sounded strong. She said she got a little sun at the beach but it did not hurt. I have not spoken with the beach bums. As far as I know they are coming home today. Well, all but Madison, she will meet her other grandmother at the reststop on Highway 17 this afternoon and go on to Long Beach for another week of rest and relaxation.

I'll update more tonight......

SPECIAL NOTE: One of our family members (mentioned in the note above) will start her chemo treatment on Tuesday for breast cancer. PLEASE KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS, AS WE WILL.

Friday, July 06, 2001 at 08:23 PM

Mom is home. I am glad, because everytime I tried to speak with her at the beach, Melodie would say that Mom was on vacation I could talk with her later.

I think she had a good time. She sounded tired when she called to let me know she was home. (about 5:30pm) She said they went to Broadway at the Beach last night. They ate at a "crab house". She had shrimp. She complained about how expensive it was, but I don't remember her saying if it was any good. I guess it was 'cause I would probably have heard about it if it wasn't.

Melodie said she got some good pictures of Mom and the kids on the beach. They had bad storms on the southern coast today. A water spout came a shore at Myrtle Beach about 4:30 pm today. I think a few people were injured. Madison said her and Spencer were riding a roller coaster this afternoon and it started lightning. They got off the ride but could not get Felton to quit riding the go-carts. As far as I know, everyone is safe and sound. I think they are planning to come home a day early.

Dad picked their friend up at the airport today at 2:00 pm. I think he is visiting until Sunday. I know Dad was glad to have company, he has been very lonesome since Mom left. Susie, his german shepard, doesn't talk very much. He said it had been awfully quiet around there.

Well gotta go. Barney and I worked last night at the airport. They are doing renovations at both terminals and he is doing the plumbing for 7-9 establishments. Most of the work has to be done at night after all the planes have landed. Anyway we both worked today also. I'm tired. (to old to stay up all night anymore) Barney is still working.

Mom is glad to be home. We will probably never get her to leave home again. Well at least not any further than Durham, when she goes for her Duke appointments.

Signing off.........................Wanda

Thursday, July 05, 2001 at 05:49 PM

Mom is having a good time. I spoke with Melodie earlier this afternoon and they were at a medical facility at the beach having Mom's blood taken. Everything went fine. I don't think they got the results of the lab work but they got the blood taken. This is just a routine thing, Mom has it done every week. The staff at Duke, told Mom from the beginning that the blood work should not stop her from going and doing things this summer. It is OK to have blood work done where ever you are.

I spoke with Dad today. He made his rounds and delivered the corn to friends. He was back home, trying to take a nap I think. I woke him up. He had plenty to do, he needed to be up.

I spoke with the beach bums just now. They were getting ready to go to Broadway at the Beach. (Lots of shops, restaurants, and entertainment) I think they were going to eat while they were there. Mom had just gotten up from her nap. She sounded good, she was worried about Dad. She wanted me to call and check on him. I told her I spoke with him at 3:00pm, she still wanted me to check on him again before bed time.

Mom and Steward will head home some time in the morning. I would not be suprised if Felton (Wendy's husband) tries to escape and come home tomorrow also. We will see. I told Mom to take some pictures tonight at the beach. If they get any good ones I will try and post them.

Mom should be home tomorrow by the time I update. I'll let you know.

They also have a friend flying in from Florida about 2:00pm tomorrow. I think Dad is looking foward to the visit.

Signing off...................Wanda

PS - The storms last night were bad. They lasted until after midnight. We had flooding in the area. They are not calling for any tonight.

Wednesday, July 04, 2001 at 06:37 PM

*********HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY**********

NOW WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR...................Mom made it to the beach!!!!!! They arrived in North Myrtle Beach sometime around mid afternoon. I have not been able to speak with Mom, they apparently are keeping her busy. I have spoken with Melodie who said I could not bother Mom "she was on vacation".

I spoke with Dad this afternoon and he had not even heard from her. He did know if she made it to the beach or not. Dad's parents were at his house visiting, so we did not talk long.

He did say he was going to buy some corn tomorrow and deliver it to different friends. Then he was going home to "work" around the house. He has always had this weird need to try and take care of everyone else. I wish he had gone to the beach with Mom if he has time to do all that.

Mom and I had an interesting conversation this morning. I was recently told by a relative about a person at her work who had cancer and chose not to treat it. This person had just died. My relative said she had not told me before because she did not want to worry me. Mom said she recently had the same experience with another family member who was determined not to tell her about someone else who had cancer. Another family friend was recently scared to tell Dad about someone else who died of cancer.

They don't want to worry us??? I spent an hour explaining to "my relative" that after hearing "Your Mom has a BRAIN TUMOR," there is not much else that could "shock" me.

I am not sure about other families, but as for ours, we do not like having things kept from us to "protect us."
We are a strong family and it bothers me more to have things hidden from us because someone thinks they have devine power and knows what is best for us. Ok I am getting off my Soap Box.

We are expecting thunder storms in the area tonight. Hope they don't mess up the fireworks.


************HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY************

Wanda

8:46 pm - They were right - the storms are here. Sharp lightning, thunder and heavy rain. The fireworks for the State fairgrounds and in Cary have been cancelled. Oh well, it was a pretty day.

Tuesday, July 03, 2001 at 06:54 PM

Well I did not make it to Mom's this afternoon. I realized that the grocery stores might not be opened tomorrow since it is July 4th. So I had to go shopping or we would surely starve at my house. (It probably would not hurt for us to go a day or two without eating)

It worked out pretty good because when I called this afternoon Mom and Dad were shucking corn. Dad had gotten some fresh corn and they were going to freeze some tonight. Oh! I hate I missed out on THAT!! Ha!Ha!

Mom said Dad could not stay off the phone long enough to get any corn put up. Apparently a friend of his was sitting on his porch this afternoon and the police brought his neighbor home in handcuffs. Then something about a police dog and then they wouldn't let his wife in the house. One thing Dad likes is a little ACTION. They live in the country and the most action they usually get is a bad wreck or a house fire. You can't even see Mom and Dad's neighbor's house.

Anyway, back to Mom. She is planning to leave for the beach in the morning. Steward has to work all night. So it will depend on how busy he is and how much sleep he gets tonight, as to how early they will get to leave for the beach. I would imagine that traffic will be bad although with July 4th being on Wednesday maybe most people headed for the beach over the weekend, or are leaving tonight. Johnathan drove to a North Carolina beach this afternoon, he said it took right at 3 hours. That is normal, so traffic must not have been bad this afternoon.

Mom's energy level seems to be pretty good. She will go to Duke on Tuesday. She will have an MRI done on Monday. I will miss this visit because Barney and I will be in Boone with Johnathan for his college orientation. They always put Mom's MRIs up on the screen and allow us to view them starting with the earliest to the most recent. That has been a time for us to feel good about Mom's treatment. Even though we see her and we know she looks good and sounds good. It helps to see that there is no growth or maybe some decrease in size. At lease for me, 'cause I think I am a visual person.

I will update tomorrow and let you know if Mom actually makes it to the beach.

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, July 02, 2001 at 07:46 PM

Mom had a pretty unevertful day. Dad worked today. (He is retired, but does contract work) Mom said she just piddled around the house. (See June 25, 2001 entry for definition of piddling) Although she did say she had washed some cloths today. I didn't make it to Mom's this afternoon, Dad thinks I'm never coming down there again. He said he would believe it when he sees me. I'M GOING TOMORROW AFTERNOON, LORD WILLING.

Grandma Theda and Grandpa Hallie visited this afternoon. Mom said Grandma was not very talkative, but she did get out of the car and come inside.

Mom was excited to hear from the Strangman family from Australia. (They signed our guestbook) Mom was very concerned about how they were getting along since Marg passed away. Mom does have a caring soul. She has always been more concerned about others than herself.

GOOD NEWS.....Mom was looking for cloths to take to the beach. It is still to early to tell, but I think she might go to the beach on Wednesday. If she does, she will ride down with Steward. Steward is Melodie's husband. He is a paramedic and Melodie is a registered nurse, so I guess Mom will be left in good hands. I probably should be worried about me. I will be left to take care of Dad. Stay tuned..........that should be interesting.

Dad has been feeding Wendy's cats while they are at the beach. When Mom asked him about going with her to the beach, he said he had to stay home and feed "HIS" cats. That is so funny, cause Dad is a dog-lover. The only cats I ever remember us having while growing up, Dad gave away. Mom and Melodie (she was about 5 y.o.) were visiting her parents and when they got home the cats were gone. Melodie cried and cried. She thought they ran away from home because she did not stay home to take care of them. So, I had to go get the cats back. That is the day I found out cats don't like car washes. I stopped to go thru an automatic car wash. Me and 2 cats trapped in a car with water and scrub brushes all around the car. The cats went crazy. Needless to say I'm not a cat fan anymore either.

Mom was resting this afternoon. She said she just "ran out of energy." Wouldn't you know I called and got her up. Maybe we should get an answering machine and she can leave a message on it when she is trying to take a nap.

Well I have a kitchen to clean and cloths of my own to wash.......... More tomorrow.......Wanda (the lonely daughter, left behind by her two sisters, to work and take care of EVERYTHING) Just kidding!!

SPECIAL NOTE:
I have been requested (BY DAD) to clarify a few points about the mowing mishap described in the July 2, 2001 journal entry.
#1. Dad has been cutting the yard for 10 years and never had any problems.
#2. Apparently I forgot to mention that there were homemade hola-hoops left in the back yard, which he ran over first that started the "chain reaction".
#3. Barney made the hola-hoops for the kids earlier in the day.
#4. THEREFORE IT WAS BARNEY'S FAULT NOT DAD'S.

(This is the world according to my DAD!! You gotta love him!)

Sunday, July 01, 2001 at 05:26 PM

Well the beach bums have headed to the beach. I spoke with them about 1 hour after they left and they were already stopping to change drivers.

Mystery solved, Mom did not go with them. I think she was concerned about trying to get her blood work done while out of town. I spoke with Mom just now and she is planning to go with the second group on Wednesday. She said while she was feeling pretty good she might as well go to the beach for a few days.

Mom has been pretty busy today, she mopped the kitchen floor, vacumed the house, scrubbed bathrooms and did some sweeping. When I spoke with her she was putting on some dinner and Dad was going out to mow the lawn. They have about 10 acres and a little over half of it is yard. Mowing is no small task. He uses a tractor to cut it. Last year Dad was cutting the back yard when he ran over a garden hose. It got caught in the blade and pulled it away from the house. The problem was it was attached to the outside faucet. It pulled the faucet loose from the house and the plumbing loose under the house. If that wasn't bad enough, he did notice until I think the next day, when they heard water running in the basement. I am sure it looked like something off of the Three Stooges.

Mom seems to be doing good. She is strong, obviously after the days work she did today, she is. Mom said today that she is able to read more now. (She has always loved to read) When she first got sick she was not able to keep her mind on any one thing. I think her eyes also bothered her. Today, she was telling me about a book she was reading, where a lady was convicted of murdering her husband, served 5 1/2 years and was now looking for the real killer. She said she tried to tell Dad about it, but he was not interested in hearing anymore when he realized it was fiction and not real.

Well I will update again tomorrow. It will be later, as I will be traveling to Mom's right after work to help her around the house. I should be home before 10:00 pm. More then..........Wanda :o)

Saturday, June 30, 2001 at 07:19 PM

Mom and Dad spent the day canning snaps. Apparently Dad bugged her enough that she finally told him how to can them. I have not heard any explosions, so I guess he did what Mom said. It made me a bit nervous, Dad using a pressure cooker.

I called this afternoon to check on Mom. Dad answered the phone and was complaining that she would not lay down and take a nap. He said she went to the bed room, but when he went to check on her she was lying in bed reading a book. He was not happy. He thinks you should be able to lie down and go to sleep anytime. Mom on the other hand will tell you that you can not go to sleep unless you are sleepy. Guess she was not sleepy.

Wendy and the kids were at Mom's tonight. She bought dinner and brought it over for them. Pizza and chinese. Somehwere along the way, Wendy missed out on that "homecook'n" gene. Her idea of throwing a party is getting a caterer. That's OK we lover her anyway. Her and Melodie both spend an awful lot of time with Mom. I guess it doesn't really matter how the food gets on the table as long as they are able to eat.

Mom is still keeping her vacation plans a secret. She promised Melodie she would let them know by tomorrow if she was going to the beach. That's good 'cause they are leaving tomorrow. Well the first wave of family is heading to the beach. Around mid week some more are headed that way.

NOTE: I put a picture of the fish I have been talking about in the photo section.

Well its getting late and I still have lots to do. More tomorrow..............stay tuned to see if Mom really goes to the beach...................Wanda

Friday, June 29, 2001 at 7:42 pm

Mom and Dad were at home today. They picked some more green beans. Dad was snapping them. Mom was also cooking some fresh peas they had shelled. I am not clear on wheather they grew them or bought them. This time of the year, lots of people sell produce on the side of the road.

Mom saw her first baby deer in the back yard this morning. She said it was twins. They still had their spots. The doe came right out in the back yard and soon the fawns followed and were just jumping and playing. Mom really enjoyed watching them.

Mom still has not decided if she will go to the beach. I don't blame her for not going. What she should do is go to Wendy or Melodie's house while they are gone. That would be a change and a lot more peaceful.

Mom called a friend at work whose husband has cancer. (He was getting chemo the same time Mom was getting radiation) Mom just wanted to see how he was doing. She told me that was the first time she had called work since she left in January.

I spoke with a friend of ours today about making some more sterling silver "sign of the fish." I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but he made the first one the night before Mom's surgery. (Pictured on photo page) He made it for my Dad to keep in his pocket, so he would have something to do with his hands. (He is a smoker, and you can't smoke in the hospital) It was to remind him the God had not forgotten us. Anyway, one thing led to another, and he is making lots of them. Melodie wrote a poem about the "fish" and we did a narative about how the "fish" came to be. We are going to have cards made up for our friend to give when he sells the fish.

I wear my fish on a chain everyday. I get asked about it a lot. Our friend suggested that I keep some cards with me to give to people who ask about the fish. We are going to put the address to Duke on the card so people can make contributions to the Cancer Research Center, if they would like to help.

It is suppose to be a hot weekend. I will update again tonight or tomorrow.

Wanda

Thursday, June 28, 2001 at 09:05 PM

Mom and Melodie came to Raleigh today. Mom had blood work done at her oncologist's office. The doctor had left orders for Mom to take a vacation and go to the beach. They also ran by her surgeons office with some paper work and to Mom's office to drop off some stuff.

Melodie took Mom out for lunch. Sounded like they ate good. Grandpa Hallie and Grandma Theda visited today, but Mom was not there.

Melodie helped Mom straighten up her old bedroom, upstairs. They are expecting overnight guests next week.

Mom said Dad was not as congested today, but he took some medicine and went to bed this afternoon.

Mom and Dad picked some snap beans late this afternoon. (They are green beans, but if you are from the south and have ever had to pick and snap them, you know why "we" call 'em "snaps") Mom was cooking Dad some dinner tonight and Dad was shelling the snaps.

Melodie spoke with a local pharmacy today regard the chemo drug Mom is suppose to start next. They do not keep it in stock, however, he said he could order it with a few days notice. Apparently it comes in different strengths and range in price from $175.00/5 pills to $1500.00/5 pills. We have no idea what strength Mom will be on.

Wide spread thunderstorms expected in North Carolina tonight. Temp in the 90s. More tomorrow..................Wanda

Wednesday, June 27, 2001 at 6:00 PM

Mom continues to take her Tamoxifen (80 mg twice a day) She received a call from her oncologist today, they had made her an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, to check out her shoulder. Mom was not excited about putting another doctor in the mix. She has a free week next week. (except for blood work) We are still trying to talk her into going to the beach. (Confidentially - she told me today she would probably get more rest and peace staying at home) The next Monday she goes to Duke (she will have an MRI prior to that visit), the next Monday she sees her oncologist and the next Monday she sees the orthopedic doctor. After she visits Duke she will started another chemo drug. I believe she said she will take two pills for five days and repeat that twenty-three days later.

Dad worked today. But when I spoke with Mom this afternoon he was in bed. She said he came home from work and went to bed. I think he has been fighting a cold all week. Who knows? You can't ever get a straight answer out of him. When I asked last night if he had been to the doctor, he said he had and that they had taken a pint of blood. I know that is not true, Dad is so small he doesn't have a pint of blood to spare.

Everyone was busy today. Johnathan had an eye appointment (he is getting glasses before going to college), Wendy had a mammogram (her first), and Melodie had an appointment for a pedicure and something to do with wearing a swimsuit and wax!! Ouch!!

Mom chose to stay home today, she was not interested in getting out in the heat or maybe she just didn't want to go to the grocery store.

Mom still has a cough. I thought it was from a cold she had. But that was some time ago. I think I will read up tonight on the side effects of the meds she is taking.

The weather is better today, except it is HOT and getting HOTTER the rest of the week.

More later.................

Melodie visit with Mom and Dad tonight. She said Mom had worked in her flowers some today, had done some laundry and gotten some cleaning done around the house. Apparently a friend of Mom and Dad's from the State Fair is going to come visit them the end of next week.

Mom and I are planning to go the Charlotte in a few weeks. A family member is getting married and Mom wants to go as long as she is feeling up to it. She should be starting her new chemo drugs around that time, so we will have to wait and see.

Have a good night........ :o) Wanda

Tuesday, June 26, 2001 at 09:30 PM (EST)

Mom is doing ok today. Jacob and I visited this evening. Mom was cleaning the kitchen and Dad was on the tractor cutting grass. Mom rode with us on the golfcart for a little while, it takes two people to keep Jacob safely on the cart.
Dad is back to his sarcastic self, he must be feeling better. He has been battling the flue for a few days.
Mom's hair is starting to grow in nicely. She has a bald spot on the side where the radation went in, but the rest has grown back. She looks very chic with the short hair but she is so embarressed about her ears sticking out that she wont go out without a wig or a hat on. Apparently she was told by someone when she was very little that she looked like a car coming down the road with the doors open. Ever since then she has tried to keep her ears covered. It is funny how such a little joke could influence someone for their entire life.

Take care
Melodie

Tuesday, June 26, 2001 at 09:30 PM (EST)

Mom is doing ok today. Jacob and I visited this evening. Mom was cleaning the kitchen and Dad was on the tractor cutting grass. Mom rode with us on the golfcart for a little while, it takes two people to keep Jacob safely on the cart.
Dad is back to his sarcastic self, he must be feeling better. He has been battling the flue for a few days.
Mom's hair is starting to grow in nicely. She has a bald spot on the side where the radation went in, but the rest has grown back. She looks very chic with the short hair but she is so embarressed about her ears sticking out that she wont go out without a wig or a hat on. Apparently she was told by someone when she was very little that she looked like a car coming down the road with the doors open. Ever since then she has tried to keep her ears covered. It is funny how such a little joke could influence someone for their entire life.

Take care Melodie

Monday, June 25, 2001 at 05:15 PM

I am updating early for two reasons today. One - I am home alone. (Can't tell ya the last time that happened) Two - Melodie was not happy about me saying she might have climbed a tree in Sundays entry. (There is no telling what she would say about me today if I let her update)

Mom was resting this morning when I called. Madison and Spencer spent the morning with her. Madison cooked pancakes and Spencer cooked toast for Mom's breakfast. They are out of school for the summer. Dad said she ate a good lunch. Dad was at home today. He was "piddling" (see definition below) around the house. Mom and Dad both took a nap after lunch.

Mom is still taking her Tamoxifen as far as I know. She also spent the day trying to get in touch with insurance companies and her oncologist's office. We still have not heard from her shoulder x-ray. She can't get them to return her call. GUESS WE WILL PUT MELODIE ON IT TOMORROW! I suppose we should assume no news is good news. No such luck, Melodie works in the medical field and I work with the licensing board for doctors. We know way to much to assume everything is OK unless you hear different. I am sure we will know something Tuesday, one way or the other.

Grandma Theda and Grandpa Hallie are at Mom and Dad's visiting right now. If there is anymore to report tonight I will update later this evening.

Piddling: 1: to deal or work in trifling or petty ways; act idly or inefficiently; waste time; TRIFLE, PUTTER, DAWDLE


Wanda

Sunday, June 24, 2001 at 010:47 PM

Madison and I visited with Mom and Dad today. When we got there Mom was in the kitchen cooking fresh vegtables and Dad was taking credit for the fine meal. Mom and I worked on her insurance "stuff". What a MESS. I thought they were so lucky to have two insurances. I guess time will tell.

Mom read some in a book while we were there. She never laid down to rest but she said she was going to bed early. Mom ate a good supper: potatoe salad, fresh snaps, peas, cucumber, country ham, squash and fried cornbread. Oh yea, sweet tea also.

Dad took the little ones (Summer and Jacob) for a ride on the golf cart. He always takes them down to the fair booth. (We have a portable fair booth that we use at the North Carolina State Fair every year). On the side of the fair booth we have pictures of the entire family painted. Apparently Dad had been teaching the little ones who the pictures are. Wendy rode down with them today. She said it was so sweet. The kids jumped right off the golf cart and started pointing out all the pictures.

Melodie and Dad went and picked apples to feed to the deer. There was not enough apples on the ground. I think Melodie had to climb the tree and shake it.

Mom is on full doses of Tamoxifen now. I think she is doing alright. Melodie got her prescription refilled this weekend and they now have 40 mg pills. She can take two in the morning and two in the evening. I think she will like that better, even though Mom says the are HUGH. It should still be better than taking 4 pills am/ 4 pills pm.


I think next week is expected to be uneventful. Just an appointment for blood work up. More tomorrow......Wanda

Saturday, June 23, 2001 at 11:28 PM (EST)

I believe Mom had a fairly uneventful day. She said she got up 6:00 ate breakfast, woke Daddy up at 10:00 and went back to sleep. This afternoon she was a little more productive. Daddy brought home some fresh corn, so they put it up. (For you non-southerners that means shuck, silk, blanch and bag for the freezer.)
Apparently her quest to get rid of the pigeon worked. He has not been back the past two nights. It might also have something to do with the downpours we have had. They are calling for showers all week. I'm not sure if it is typical summertime weather or time to build an Ark.
Take care.
Melodie

P.S. We have found out in the last week 3 friends/family members have been diagnosed with breast cancer. PLEASE do your monthly breast exam and have your regular mammogram!!

Friday, June 22, 2001 at 11:16 PM

I promised on Wednesday night that I would try and update earlier in the day. SORRY. I did not do so good today. Mom and Dad had a friend to fix some electrical stuff at their house. Grandma Theda and Grandpa Hallie also came by, they had been to the Farmer's market and wanted to share what they bought. When I called to check on Mom this afternoon Dad said she was taking a nap. All that company must have made her tired. Dad was shelling peas. He must have been tired also, because he did not even try to lie when I asked where he got the peas, he said he bought them from a road side stand.

Mom called when she got up. She was not very helpful with information for me to put on the wewbsite. She did say that she had taken 60 mg of Tamoxifen this morning and was planning to take 80 mg tonight. She was trying to decide what she wanted to eat for supper, because she has determined that it works better to take her medication with food. Mom will take 80 mg in the morning and 80 mg tomorrow night. That is the amounts her doctors at Duke would like for her to take daily from now on.

Mom said that she can't bend over without getting dizzy, and she thinks she is getting confused more lately. She said it is difficult to tell if it is coming from the Tamoxifen or from the chemo. I told her she could blame all that on the brain tumor if she wanted to, but I was pretty sure that went along with old age.

We had storms again tonight. They reported on the news that a house in Fayetteville was struck by lightning and burned. We just got home from the grocery store, we had to go buy ice cream. We always make milk shakes when we have thunder storms. We sit in front of the sliding glass door to watch the storm. We have done this since our kids were babies. It worked out pretty good, at least they are not really afraid of thunderstorms.

Oh well its late and we have lots planned for the weekend. I will try to update earlier tomorrow........Wanda

Thursday, June 21, 2001 at 3:26 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to Raleigh today for her weekly blood draw. The lab did not have an order for this weeks lab work. So it took a little time to figure out what they needed to do. It seems that Mom has to many cooks in the kitchen. The problem with health care today is not the cost, it is the lack of communication between doctor to doctor and doctor to insurance company. I wish I felt like there was someone overseeing her care besides me! Anyway sorry about that soap box. Wanda and Wendy try to philosophic about Mom's illness I'm just still pissed about the whole situation. I guess that is because I am the baby and have no desire to grow up!

Mom's nightly regimen includes setting a small fire in the fireplace to run off a family of bats that have taken nest in the chimmney. Last night a pigeon decided to roost on the peak of the roof. So tonights regimen is going to include scaring the pigeon off. (Mom doesn't want bird poop on her shingles) I think I will show up this evening with a video camera to film the documentary Pat and the Birds (HA HA HA HA!)

Take care and we will update soon.

Melodie

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 at 06:04 PM

I talked with Mom, she was cooking cornbread, fried cornbread. She said she was going to cook some peas and fry some squash. That is an example of a good ol' southern meal.

Mom said Wendy brought some blueberries by, and told Dad she had picked them today. Mom said they were hugh. Wendy is certainly Dad's daughter, 'cause she did not grow them. She did not really even pick them. Apparently, someone she works with from Alabama sent her the berries and she shared them with Mom and Dad. Dad has never been able to tell the truth when it comes to preparing food either.

When I asked Mom what she had done today, she said she repotted some plants today. I asked what else she did. She said that was all. I am sure she started a lot of stuff, that was probably what she finished.

Mom still has a cough. She said it is left over from last weekend when she ran a fever and did not feel good. Mom took 40 mg of Tamoxifen this morning and is scheduled to take 60 mg tonight. She said increasing it seems to be going OK.

Spencer is hanging out with Mom this afternoon. Dad is doing fine also. He made sure I knew that when I called to check on Mom. That is nothing new. He has always made a point of telling us how he is doing, the only difference now is that he ususally says he is doing fine. Before Mom got sick, if we called and did not ask how he was doing, he would make up stories about what had happened to him that day. Usually it involved a wreck, hospital, shots, IVs, rescue squads, etc. We always knew he was lying because with the exception of me, I can't think of anyone in the world that hates needles any more. If he had ever really been hurt we would certainly know about it.

I had someone inquire about Mom's shoulder today, so I asked her tonight. (It has been hurting her and her oncologist sent her for x-rays last week) She said she did not know what the x-rays showed. The doctor that ordered the test was out of the office until Thursday.

I had a "special request" to update earlier in the day, so people can check on Mom before they turn in for the evening. I'll do my best. (Just for you, LE) :-)Wanda

Tuesday, June 19, 2001 at 10:10 PM

Mom has been busy today. She said she just goes from one thing to another. I'm not sure if she finishes anything. Mom was able to take 80 mg of Tamoxifen today. She thinks that taking it with her meals is helpful.

When I spoke with her this morning, she said she had just burned her toast because she got busy cleaning up something else. I told Mom I was so glad to hear someone else did stuff like burning toast. Johnathan (my 17 y.o) has been telling people, ever since he was old enough to talk, that he knew when dinner was ready because the smoke alarm went off. The sad thing is, he is not being funny, it is true. I burn everything. I don't have time to cook slow, everything has to be cooked on HIGH. So now we know, I get the "burning gene" from Mom.

Mom is considering going to the beach with us for the July 4th week. Well, what she said was, she would not say NO yet. I hope she will, although it may be more restful to stay in Youngsville.

FINAL NOTE: Before I started this website, I searched the web for someone, anyone who had a glioblastoma like Mom. The very first night I found a very inspirational lady from Australia. Marg was 55 years old and the mother of 5 kids (1 daughter and 4 boys). Marg's husband maintained a very informative website. I found out about creating this website, from information I got off Marg's website. Marg fought a very courageous battle and Tuesday at 11:05 pm her battle ended. Our family is very thankful for the communications we have had with the Strangeman family and their support. PLEASE KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS.

Monday, June 18, 2001 at 9:15 PM

Mom rested today. She is going to try to up her dosage of Tamoxifen tonight. The last time she tried (I think it was Friday night) she got sick about 3:00 am. Hopefully it was a bug and not the Tamoxifen. I guess we will find out tonight.

Mom and Dad still find time to joke around. I called tonight and spoke with Dad for a few minutes, then he said "let me get your Mom." When he called for her to get the phone, he said "Your favorite daughter is on the phone." We all usually refer to Melodie as "the favorite" (It is just sort of family joke. Mom has never really played favorites. Melodie is just a lot younger than me and Wendy, so she did get treated like a baby longer. That was because Wendy and I thought she was our babydoll. She had three Moms, not just one) Anyway Mom got on the phone and I said "It's Wanda, not Melodie". Mom said she told Dad to "tell Wanda I'll be right there."

She is so crazy, I could hear her when Dad called her to the phone and she did not say anything like that. Mom just laughed, because she knew I caught her. Mom is as sharp as ever, you can't pull anything over on her.

Anyway, I think she had a quiet day. Wendy and Summer visited this afternoon, before going to Spencer's ball game. Mom said she ate pretty good, she had a half of a sandwich ("a foldy-over" its a southern term) and a salad. She promised me she would eat better tonight.

Well not much more to tell right now. I guess that is good. More tomorrow......................Wanda

Sunday, June 17, 2001 at 6:42 PM

We are back from Mom's house. They cooked lunch for everyone. Dad's parents were there, as well as his sister and her husband from Virginia. Dad's niece, Debra and her friend Tom were also visiting from Virginia. It was a nice visit. We had a house full. Mom was eating when I got there. She said she was doing alright.

Johnathan stayed and finished watching the race after everyone left. He said Mom was still up when he left, she had not laid down for a nap.

Mom did say she had lost some weight. Up until now she had weighed within two or three pounds at every doctor visit. I don't think Mom has been able to eat as good with this round of chemo.

Spencer's last day of school is Monday. My kids finished for the year two weeks ago. Hopefully Madison and Spencer will be able to keep Mom company some this summer. They are both old enough to help Mom around the house.

It was a beautiful day - much changed from our last three or four days.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY..........."DIDDY" WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

More tomorrow....................Wanda

Sunday, June 17, 2001 at 12:01 pm

To the best of my knowledge no one floated away last night. There were some fatal accidents in the area last night attributed to the weather.

I spoke with Mom about 9:00 am, she was cutting onions. Dad and Mom are preparing lunch for everyone. Mom said she felt "OK." She said she did not have much energy. I tried to get her to call off the lunch, everyone would understand. She was not interested, she said she would be fine.

We must get ready to go now. I will update after our visit. TTFN......(TA TA FOR NOW)Wanda

Saturday, June 16, 2001 at 9:36 PM

SECOND ENTRY FOR 6/16/01: Mom is feeling some better tonight. She was resting on the couch when I called just now. Dad said she does not have a fever. I think she pretty much ran a low grade fever most of the day.

She rode down to the garden with Dad this afternoon and picked some squash. Wendy said she ate some soup around 6:00 pm. Recently Mom's sense of smell has been enhanced. The smell of things that she usually would not even notice, now makes her sick sometimes.

I am not sure if we have ever mentioned this on the website before, but Mom does not have a computer. She has only ever seen her website one or two times. We tell her everytime someone signs her guest book. I can't imagine someone writing about my every move. It might be a good thing she does not read it every day. I printed all the entries today and I am going to take them to her tomorrow. It is over thirty pages.

We are under a flash flood warning until after midnight. It is raining really hard now. Johnathan just got back from the store and he said it is awful driving out there.

Well its late .......more tomorrow.........Wanda

Saturday, June 16, 2001 at 10:08 am

Mom is not doing so good this morning. She is resting now. Around 3:00 am she was up sick. Mom said Dad kept feeling her head through the night to see if she had a fever. Mom said she did not have one, but when she took it at 8:00 am with her thermometer it was 101. Mom has taken Tylenol and is resting.

Mom said she took 40 mg of Tamoxifen last night and that did not stay down. Hopefully this is just a bug and not really a reaction to the 40 mg of Tamoxifen.

We are planning to go to Mom and Dad's for Father's day tomorrow. Plans may change if Mom is sick.

I will probably update later today and let everyone know how she is doing.........Wanda

Friday, June 15, 2001 at 8:43 pm

Mom had a good day. Her sister and brother-in-law from Charlotte and her brother and sister-in-law from Kinston all visited today. They came mid morning and stayed until about 4:00 pm this afternoon. I think Mom REALLY enjoyed their visit. Mom said it rained all day. We are expecting rain most of the day tomorrow but they are calling for good weather on Father's day.

Mom has been increasing her Tamoxifen since yesterday. She took two 20mg doses yesterday. Today she took a 20 mg dose this morning and she will take 40mg tonight. Tomorrow she will take 40mg in the am and 40 mg in the pm.

Mom said she was tired this afternoon, but she did not want to got to bed to soon or she would be up early in the morning.

Mom kept Spencer this afternoon while Felton and Summer went to the airport to get Wendy. Her plane was delayed over an hour. She is home safe and sound now.

Melodie works this weekend, 12 hours shifts Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She is home now also.

Everything is quiet, Mom can rest now all her "chickens" are home safe and sound. No matter how old we get, we are still Mom's babies.

I will write more tomorrow afternoon...........Wanda

Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 11:09 pm

Mom had an appointment with her chemo oncologist today. Mom blood counts were on the low side of normal. The doctor said that was to be expected at this point in Mom's treatment. They decided to try and increase the amount of Tamoxifen Mom is taking from 20 mg a day to 80 mg twice a day. The Tamoxifen is an estrogen blocker. At 20 mg a day it is use to treat her breast cancer. Increasing it to 80mg twice a day, should help with Mom's brain tumor, since it is also fueled by estrogen.

Mom had been having some pain in her shoulder. She had "self-diagonsised" herself with bursitis. The oncologist sent her to have x-rays anyway. We will let you know something when we know.

I spoke with Mom this evening, she said she was tired. Dad had taken her for a ride on the golf cart. While we were talking Dad told her to look out the bed room window. Mom said there was a deer out in the side yard. It is not unusual for them to have 5-10 deer out in the back yard during the day. Since Mom has to be at home dealing with her cancer, she sure has a nice place to do it. At least she can sit on the porch and watch nature.

Mom is excited that she will have visitors tomorrow. Her sister and one of her brothers is planning to visit. Mom is a VERY brave person, but we know she misses her siblings. We are thankful they are able to be in touch and visit, it means a great deal to Mom, especially now.

No appointments are scheduled for next week. Mom will have to come in to Raleigh for blood work one day. Melodie works this weekend and Wendy will be back home tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support, Mom has truly been blessed.

More tomorrow.........................Wanda

Wednesday, June 13, 2001 at 11:37 pm

Sorry for the late update. I think we got our wires crossed about who was to update tonight. Anyway I'll tell ya what I know.

Mom sounded real strong this morning. I don't think she had anything special planned for today. She spoke with one of her friends from work today. I am sure it is hard for Mom - one day she was working two days later she had brain surgery - and never went back. Funny how your life can change in a minute, without any notice.

Melodie and Mom went shopping yesterday. Mom hemed some pants for Dad this afternoon. (I don't think that is how you spell "hemed", but it is too late for me to go look it up - anyway she cut the pants off and made 'em shorter) I think it was a strain on her eyes. I forget sometimes that Mom has a vision loss. I know one of the hardest things for Mom has been not being able to drive her car.

Melodie said Mom was tired this afternoon. I got busy with "stuff" around here and did not get to speak with Mom tonight.

Mom is suppose to have a visit later this week from her sister and one brother. I know she is excited about that. Everyone was in Raleigh the day of Mom's surgery. But no one got to see her, because the surgery lasted so long and everyone had to travel back to their homes. Mom's brothers and sister live across North Carolina and it takes several hours for any of them to make the trip to Youngsville.

It is late - we will update earlier tomorrow.

Wanda

Tuesday, June 12, 2001 at 8:02 pm

Mom said she is feeling pretty good today. She was sitting on the back deck when I called and was complaining about her house smelling like fish. Apparently Dad fried some fish last night and when Mom got up this morning the house still smelled like fish. Mom said her sense of smell must be alot better since she is taking all "those drugs".

Mom said the last time Dad cooked fish it took three days and a bottle of clorax to get the smell out of the house.

Mom and Melodie are helping out with Wendy's kids this week. I spoke with them earlier at Mom's house - it sounded like 30 kids running thru the house not just three.

SPECIAL NOTE: I have been in contact with Duke about linking their website to ours. They have a wonderful way to make contributions to help fund their research. (I will be doing that sometime this week) Melodie and I are trying to come up with some ways to raise money for Duke's research. Duke is doing WONDERFUL things in the advancement of this ugly diease. They gave us hope!!!!

It is frustrating for us to see all the commercials about other dieases and the moneys being raised for them and not see any for brain tumor research. (We are glad for all the money the other "causes" are raising!! I mean, Mom does have breast cancer also.)

Early on in our journey, one of Mom's many doctors (I can't remember who) told us that research on brain tumors has not advanced very much over they last twenty years. Well guess what, THAT IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US!!!!!

We will keep you informed.........Wanda

Monday, June 11, 2001 at 10:05 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to her radiation doctor today. He described her situation as being thrown into a cage with a hungry lion and a squirrel. The lion (brain tumor) is our major concern, and we need to keep an eye on the squirrel but, it is unlikely the squirrel is going to bite her in the butt. He said that with they type of breast cancer (it is estrogen and progesterone sensitive and only 8mm) that with a lumpectomy with clear margins there was only a 3-4% chance of it spreading to the lymph nodes. Even if it has spread to the lymph nodes the Tamoxifen should be able to keep 95% of those in check. In addition the CCNU is also obsorbed in the skin so the radiation could cause severe burns. As of now the benefits do not out weigh the risk as long as she is able to take the Tamoxifen. He wants her to have mammograms every 6 months for the next 18 months. As long as they are stable we will continue with the current course. He did say he was available if things changed, and he was more than willing to arrange for a second opinion if she wanted it. Mom thinks we already have too many opinions.
I guess I never realized how strong my Mother was until all of this. Like I said yesterday the doctors like to keep tossing out the numbers of 6 months to 3 years. Today Mom said she is going to fool them all! I truely believe she will.

Melodie

Monday, June 11, 2001 at 10:05 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to her radiation doctor today. He described her situation as being thrown into a cage with a hungry lion and a squirrel. The lion (brain tumor) is our major concern, and it is unlikely the squirrel is going to bite her in the butt. He said that with they type of breast cancer (it is estrogen and progesterone sensitive and only 8mm) that with a lumpectomy with clear margins there was only a 3-4% chance of it spreading to the lymph nodes. Even if it has spread to the lymph nodes the Tamoxifen should be able to keep 95% of those in check. In addition the CCNU is also obsorbed in the skin so the radiation could cause severe burns. As of now the benifits do not out way the risk as long as she is able to take the Tamoxifen. He wants her to have mammograms every 6 months for the next 18 months. As long as they are stable we will continue with the current course. He did say he was availabe if things changed, and he was more than willing to arrange for a second opinion if she wanted it. Mom thinks we already have too many opinions.
I guess I never realized how strong my Mother was until all of this. Like I said yesterday the doctors like to keep tossing out the numbers of 6 months to 3 years. Today Mom said she is going to fool them all! I truely believe she will.

Melodie

Sunday, June 10, 2001 at 10:15 PM (EST)

Sorry there has been no update in a few days. Wendy was busy getting ready to go to Conneticut for her job and Wanda and I escaped for a few days to North Myrtle Beach (we had our kids with us so I'm not sure escape is the right word.) Anyway Mom is doing alot better, the nausia has subsided and her stomach is not doing the rumblie tumblies as much. I have not seen her since we returned, but I spoke with her several times each day this weekend and her voice is much stronger. Steward was over there tonight and she didn't fall asleep on him so that is a good sign.
We visit her raditation doctor tomorrow afternoon to find out his recommendations for the breast cancer. He is a great doctor but he can be very draining to deal with. Sometimes they shoot from the hip to much. We don't need to be reminded every time we go to the doctor how serious this is. We live with that knowledge tucked away in the back of our minds every moment of the day.
With Wendy out of town I get to play Super-Mom next week so it will be late Monday before I can update. (I pick up her 2 year old along with mine and keep her until her Dad gets home from work)

Take Care
Melodie

Thursday, June 07, 2001 at 10:14 PM (EST)

Well Mom has not had the best day today. Apparently the nausia has come back in full force. She said she only got sick once today but she took 3 anti-nausia pills last round she only took 5 the entire time. I believe it is because she took 19 ten milligram pills this time instead of 1 100mg and 9 ten milligram pills. (this was due to Mom not wanting to pay two co-payments for one perscription like last time because of the 2 strenghts required to make up the dosage) I went by this evening and she was feeling some better.
We went to her oncologist today for lab work, luckly that didn't take long. We have not heard anything from them. so no news is good news.
I'm still trying to talk Mom into going with us to the beach. She says we wouldn't have a good time with her being there and not feeling good. I told her I would have a better time if she was there so I could keep an eye on her!! I'm not holding my breath on her going. She never has before so I don't expect her to now. Mom is in the bad position of having many decisions decided for her. So I'm definately not going to take the ones away form her that she can make. If she don't want to go so be it!!

Take care and Wendy should update this weekend.
Melodie

Wednesday, June 06, 2001 at 09:18 PM (EST)

Mom had a fair day. I think this round of chemo is making her feel worse than the last. She has not had as much nausia (not that she had that much last time) but her energy level is down. She did go to the grocery store with Daddy this morning, but required a sandwich and a nap when they got back. Daddy is preparing for a catering job tomorrow. Mom was supposed to make the desserts tonight. She is supposed to go for routine blood work tomorrow. Steward (the youngest son-in-law) took our dogs over to run at Mom's house this evening, he said she feel asleep on him 3 times during the visit. I must admit though his stories sometimes put me to sleep too! Wanda and I are taking our kids to the beach this weekend maybe Mom will go. (But it seems like I heard her say something about having a brain tumor and not being crazy enough to be stuck with us in a car for 3 hours!) Apparently Mom doesn't think her daughters can get along for more than a few minutes at a time. I'm not real sure where she got that idea ;o)~

Take care and we will update soon!
Melodie

Tuesday, June 05, 2001 at 10:37 PM (EST)

Mom and I went to her neurosurgion today. He was pleased with how she was doing. We already reviewed the films at Duke last week, so there was no surprises. She does not have to see him again for 3 months.
Mom is doing ok, she has complained of feeling a little groggy and light headed, we are contributing that to the Zofran (nausia medicine) the CCNU (chemo) and the Temoxifan (estrogen inhibiter). She also said that it felt like a brick was in her stomach, but after taking 20 pills last night that is no surprise.
Wendy and I went over this evening with the kids for a minute, Mom was outside feeding the dog. Daddy rode the two little ones on the golf-cart. It was getting late so we didn't stay long and we didn't want to tire Mom out. Even an early afternoon visit with the 2 year olds can wear you out.
We visit the radiation docter and the local chemo doctor next week. So we should have more info about the next step for the breast issue.

Take care and we will talk soon!!!
Melodie

Monday, June 04, 2001 at 7:24 pm

Mom has had an OK day. I don't think she is feeling very good. When I called her this morning, she was reading about side effects from the chemo. She was waiting to hear from her chemo oncologist to see if she could get an appointment for tomorrow to have her blood drawn. Mom already has an appointment with her neurosurgeon tomorrow. (Melodie will update tomorrow after the appointment)

Wendy ate lunch with Mom. They spent about an hour together. She said they talked about alot of "stuff". Wendy said Mom ate a good lunch, she had fried chicken strips and a tossed salad.

I called Mom this afternoon, but no answer. I guess Mom and Dad are out looking at "their" flowers.

Mom takes her CEENU tonight. I hope she does OK!!!

Melodie and I have been frustrated a little lately because we never hear anything about raising money for brain tumor research. Somewhere since our journey began, someone told use that research on brain tumors had not advanced very much over the years. WELL THAT IT JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US. We are doing some investigating of our own, about how to best support research of this UGLY diease. Stay tuned.........Please let us know if you have any ideas.................Love to all, Wanda

Sunday, June 03, 2001 at 9:00 pm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA HALLIE!! Mom and Dad had us over for lunch. It was wonderful. Grandma Theda looked real good today. Grandpa Hallie let her walk by herself with her walker, instead of helping her. She did real good.

Mom was not feeling so great. She said she was a little light headed and she has two sores in her mouth. Mom thinks this is coming from the Tamoxifen. I wonder if she is going to be able to continue with it. Mom was hoping that her system was going to adjust to it.

Mom has flowers on the window in the kitchen. They are in small bottles. When I asked about them, Mom told me these strange names and her and Dad just laughed. Apparently it is an inside joke. But the best I can tell, Dad has been bring in these wild flowers and telling Mom he has planted them for her. He makes up these strange names for the flowers.

It was a beautiful day!! I tried to talk Mom into sitting on the front porch. They have a porch swing and several rocking chairs. There is always a nice breeze, because their house sits on a hill. Mom was not real interested, she said something about not having as much "padding" as she use too. I guess I will be shopping for a cushion on my lunch hour tomorrow.

Mom starts her second round of CEENU tomorrow night. I hope she does as good as she did before!! Although I don't think she feels as good this time as she did last time before she started the CEENU. PLEASE KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS!!

Mom has an appointment with her neuosurgeon (the one who removed her brain tumor) this week. She also will go for blood work. She has two appointments next week with both of her oncologists.

Saturday, June 02, 2001 at 9:15 pm

Mom had a good day. Wendy and Summer visited several times. Mom did some cleaning in between visits. Wendy said Mom was wearing the hat she brought her from Puerto Rico.

Mom rested some this afternoon while Dad "worked" in his garden. Mom seems pretty strong. We walked to the Duke gardens Thursday after her appointment, I think I was more winded when we got back to the car than Mom was.

Tomorrow is Grandpa Hallie's (Dad's father) birthday. Mom and Dad are planning to cook for everyone tomorrow afternoon. Of course, Dad will take total credit for the meal, and Mom will just sit there with a smile on her face and let him have the credit. There are some things in life you can just count on. Mom letting Dad take credit for the "good cookin" is one of them.

I got Mom's prescription today. It seemed a little strange leaving the pharmacy with a small bag containing 19 pills that are going to help keep Mom's cancer from growing. It is hard to explain. You kind of want to cry, laugh, and thank God all at the same time. Because at the very least we have access to these medications. Some cancer patients from other countries, that I follow on the web, have trouble getting the medications they need to fight this ugly cancer.

Mom will take her chemo meds Monday night. Please pray for her as she begins another phase of her treatment.

Well it has been a long day........ More updates tomorrow................Wanda

Friday, June 01, 2001 at 04:17 PM (CDT)

Mom slept late this morning. She said she stayed up later last night reading and watching TV. We are SO proud of her. Everyone at Duke yesterday was impressed with her strong spirit. Mom is gonna do fine!!

We are having bad weather today. Mom and Dad are watching Jacob (Melodie's 2 year old). It is Melodie's weekend to work. I just spoke with Mom she said she was on the floor playing "cars" with Jacob. Things have not changed. When it come to grandchildren, they will still tear up the feather bed for them.

I will pick up Mom's CCNU tomorrow. She will take it Monday night. Please keep her in your prayers as she starts another round of chemo. We should find out next week about uping her Tamoxifen to 80 mg twice a day. She is currently only taking 20 mg a day. She will also meet with her radiation oncologist regarding radiation for the breast cancer. No decisions have been made about that yet.

Bless her heart, she could be taking chemo, radiation and Tamoxifen all at the same time. If anyone can do it, Mom can.

We told the doctor at Duke yesterday, about Mom's website and how she is doing so good we are having trouble finding stuff to write about. That's OK - we like it this way.

Melodie found out that the Brain tumor awareness pin is a gray ribbon. I found a place to order them. Melodie had the idea to paint one half of the gray pin - pink, since breast cancer awareness is a pink ribbon. Melodie thought this would be a good idea since Mom has breast cancer and a brain tumor. Mom said we should just wear a pink pin and a gray pin. I kind of like Melodie's idea. I'll let you know who wins.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND :-) .........Wanda

Thursday, May 31, 2001 at 05:13 PM (EST)

Today my oldest sister (Wanda) and I took Mom to Duke for a followup appointment. The news was good!! The tumor area has not gotten any bigger and possible slightly smaller. The doctor gave her the thumbs up on her progress. He said his goal is to make this a chronic illness until we can find a cure. So we continue with the current plan which is another round of CCNU, she will take that Monday.

We did take time afterwards to stop and smell the roses. The Duke Gardens is within walking distance from the Neurosciences Clinic (where she is seen). They are georgous now although I bet they are year around. Try to visit if you are ever in the area. The gift shop gets an A+ as well.

We also took the time to eat before we came home. Mom and Wanda found it ironic that I ordered the light chicken platter with a side of french fries. (some habits are hard to break!!)

Take care and I'll update soon!!!
Melodie

Wednesday, May 30, 2001 at 12:00 am

Sorry for the late update. Melodie said she was gonna update. (Guess she forgot) Anyway we all were at Johnathan's graduation tonight. Mom and Dad were there with Melodie and Wendy. Barney's parents came in from the beach and his sister from Charlotte. It was lovely. When they announced Johnathan, they referred to him as "Johnathan Wayne Long, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Barney Long) It was extremely funny, since Johnathan is at least 6'2" and weighs 200+ lbs. There were 17 graduates tonight.

Anyway we all had a good time. Mom looked real pretty and as far as I know, Dad behaved himself. Everyone commented on how good Mom looked. She inspires SO many people. Some people seemed very surprised to find out that Mom was there. I guess when you think of someone having TWO cancers and all the treatments she is going thru, you might expect her to be homebound or bedridden. Not my MOM - God bless her.

We will go to Duke on Thursday. Good night.........Wanda

Monday, May 28, 2001 at 11:38 pm

I spoke with Mom this morning. She was watching TV. I'm glad she is doing that again. For some time now, she has not watched much TV because of her eyes. Not being able to see anything left of center with either eye would be difficult to adjust too. Mom has done a good job, because unless you know she can't see to her left, you would be hard pressed to tell it from the way she moves around. She has learned to put one of us in front of her when walking in a crowd. We watch her real close in parking lots. People are use to watching for kids in parking lots not adults.

Mom said her legs were a little sore today. She thought that might be from walking yesterday. When she got to the hospital the MRI machine was broken and they had to walk a good ways to the outpatient section of the hospital to use theirs.

It has been raining today. We had thunder and lightning in Raleigh. Mom said they only had rain she did not think they had any thunder and lightning. We are suppose to have rain off and on all day.

Mom was telling me about some red birds that have been landing on her deck. Five and six at a time. She said they come right up to the glass door. She was amazed that they did not seem to be scared at all. There was a blue bird with them today. Mom also told me about a squirrel that was carry corn from the back yard. (Dad had put some out for the deer to eat). Mom said the little squirrel was working itself to death. It is wonderful how the simple things in life can give you pleasure.

We will go with Mom to Duke on Thursday. Johnathan's high school graduation is Tuesday night. It is going to be a busy week. Life is busy ...........Thank GOD.......Wanda

Sunday, May 27, 2001 at 11:42 AM (EST)

Sometimes no matter what you have to let them grow up and go out on their own. We finally let Mom and Dad go to the hospital for an MRI by themselves. After much consideration and frequent phone calls to remind them what to take and were to go, they have set off by themselves. Dad took Mom occasionally to her radiation appointments and they usually stopped for milk shakes. So I imaging that is where they will end up today. Mom the forever female is worried about her weight. She wants to loose a little and everyone else wants her to stay the same. (Every appointment she goes to she has to weigh) She thinks that is worse than the needles. We Should know something from the MRI on Thursday when we go to Duke.

Take care and we will talk soon
Melodie

Friday, May 25, 2001 at 7:03 pm

Mom had a fairly busy day. I usually call her as soon as I get to work to see how her night went. (That is one thing that is different since has has been at home. Before I could not call her at work. I would only speak with her in the evenings. But there was hardly ever a day that I didn't speak with her) Anyway, no answer. I tried again, maybe I had the wrong number. Still no answer. I was checking my calendar to make sure she did not have an appointment today that I had forgotten. No appointment. Then my phone rang. It was Wendy. She was letting me know that Mom and Dad had gone to Raleigh to get hair cuts. I try not to be to over-protective.

I think they were gone half the day. I finally got to speak with her around 3:00 pm. She was resting. Mom said Melodie had just come by with her prescription for Tamoxifen. I guess she will start that tonight.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday......We are thankful for all holidays we can spend together......Wanda

Thursday, May 24, 2001 at 2:06 pm

Mom met with her chemo oncologist today. She was pleased with the results of the breast surgery. They discussed starting Mom on a medication that in higher doses can also be effective on her brain tumor. (More details tonight after I talk with Melodie. She will give us details about the drug). Mom is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday. (No, CANCER does not take a holiday) We will take it with us to Duke next Thursday for their recommendations.

Mom is also scheduled to meet with the radiation oncologist regarding radiation for the breast cancer. It is funny that prior to the surgery, according to the surgeon - he, the chemo oncologist and the cancer clinic were all recommending that Mom only have surgery and wait on any treatment of the breast cancer.

The surgery results were great. We just think that when they consulted with the radiation oncologist, they had a "change of heart".

Now everyone seems to want to treat her. We are glad. I think everyone feels better, that they are doing "something".

GRADNMA THEDA NOTE:
Grandma Theda got to come home yesterday. I think she really enjoyed all the attention she got while at the rehad center. She will be returning three times a week for therapy. I think that will be good.

NOTE:
In a previous journal entry I mentioned Dad's truck getting hit. Just so everyone will not worry. He was not in the truck. It was parked. He was inside the office working. Anyway everything is gonna be OK. He already has a check from the Insurance Company. See NOT all "Anderson luck" is bad. For everything that has happened, it could ALWAYS be worse.

THANKS FOR EVERYONE'S CONCERN......IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US......................Wanda

UPDATE I PROMISED: (5/24/01 10:24 pm) - Mom will be taking Tamoxifen - 20 mg a day from now on. When we go to Duke next week, we are prepared for them to up the dosage. Tamoxifen is an estrogen blocker. Apparently Mom's breast cancer as well as the brain tumor are "fueled" by estrogen. The thinking is that cutting off the cancers' fuel supply will stop them from growing. I think Mom is excited about the treatment. Time will tell.

Our update tomorrow might be a little late. Johnathan flight arrives home from New York at 9:45pm Friday night. I will try to update before we head to the airport. If not it will be after 11:00 pm. GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2001 at 7:39 pm

I just spoke with Mom. She said she had a pretty quiet day. I think she did a little cleaning out. Mom and Dad were joking around about some wild flower down by the barn. Apparently this is the only plant that the monarch butterfly eats. Dad is trying to convince Mom that he planted it several years ago. I can assure you that the only thing Dad ever planted is vegtables. According to Dad flowers are just in the way when mowing the lawn. (He usually just cuts them down)

Dad worked so Mom was home alone today. Some lady ran into Dad's truck today. Maybe we could write a book about "Anderson family luck".

Dad said Mom was very happy with the results of her surgery. He said it was the first time she has smiled since January. Of course, Mom disagreed with him. I agree with Mom, 'cause I specifically remember several times since January when we all laughed till we cried. We call it "Cancer Humor". It has gotten us through alot.

Mom is glad to hear from everyone who has signed her guest book. Thanks to everyone who is taking time to keep up with Mom and to those who are keeping others who don't have computers, up to date with Mom's progress.

We are blessed to have another day....Wanda

Monday, May 21, 2001 at 9:57 pm

Mom had a good day. She met with her surgeon and the report was good. The pathology report showed "clear around the edges". The surgeon wants her to see her radiation oncologist regarding radiation to the breast. He said that recommendations regarding radiation would be up to the radiation oncologist. The appointment was made for June 11 (I think).

Mom has an appointment later this week with her chemo oncologist. According to my calculations next week will be the end of her first six week chemo treatment. She will get another MRI done and return to the Duke Cancer Clinic for their recommendations. The plan is to repeat the CCNU treatment like she just did. Hopefully everything will look OK and she can stay on course with the plan. I can't wait to see the MRI. It is very interesting to compare each MRI to the last one. I think Mom gets the day off tomorrow. (No appointments)

NOTE ABOUT GRANDMA THEDA:
I think the plan is for Grandma Theda to come home on Wednesday. Sunday they worked on getting her house ready for her return. Cleaning up, painting the back room, etc. I think some family members are in line for "Saint-hood" now.

The school year is wrapping up and there is so much going on it is very hard to keep up with everyone. Wendy is back from Puerto Rico, Melodie is off until next week (except for her job of driving Mom around), Johnathan is in New York (Senior trip).

Life goes on.................Thank GOD!!

Sunday, May 20, 2001 at 9:41 am

Mom had a peaceful day on Saturday. Mom and Dad spent the day together. Mom said she was rested but her throat was hurting some today. I think it may be allergies. But I'm no doctor.

A neighbor brought Mom and Dad a meal yesterday. Mom has observed that "everyone" is making home made bread lately. I guess she is exposed to more peoples cooking now that she is sick. I think we are about to have our own "bread-maker" in the family. Mom mentioned that Melodie has a bread maker and she just might borrow it. (Melodie if you are reading this site, you better dig that machine out and clean the dust off. 'Cause Mom is gonna borrow it!!)

Mom plans to stay home today. Dad is going to help at Grandma Theda's house today, trying to get it ready for her return home from the rehab center. Hopefully she will get to come home Monday or Tuesday.

I think Mom enjoys having some time alone. That is more normal for her, than having visitors all the time. I tried to get her to come stay with me today while Dad was helping at Grandma Theda's house. She was not interested. I thought a change of scenery would be nice. Mom thought not. We are happy for her to do whatever it is that gives her pleasure. Even if that is giving her some time to herself.

One doctor's appontment tomorrow. We will let you know the results as soon as we can.

THANKS.................Wanda

Saturday, May 19, 2001 at 07:58 AM (CDT)

Sorry for no update. I had no idea we had not updated since Wednesday. Melodie is working this weekend (12 hr shifts), Wendy is still in Puerto Rico, Mom has been helping watch her kids, and I've been working early and late hours at work, as well as helping Johnathan (my son) study for his Senior exams. Johnathan graduates 5/29/01 from high school. He had his Senior prom last night and Monday he leaves for his Senior trip to New York. He will be gone a week.

Excuse me for rambling, but I think we are all learning the life goes on. At times through Mom's illness I think we all felt like we were on the outside looking in. We were not able to keep up with the everyday things so good. Apparently from that first paragraph we are getting back to normal just a little bit. Now Mom's brain tumor and her breast cancer are just another member of the family. They are with us on Mother's Day, Birthdays, Easter, etc. It is just apart of our family now. Helping Mom treat her cancers is like making sure everyone has something to eat or has clean cloths or the bills are getting paid. It is just what we "do".

Anyway, what you really came to the website to hear from. MOM.....She is doing good. She is still tired but doing good. Her cold is doing better. Although the weather just went from COLD and RAINY to HOT and HUMID in less than 24 hours. Mom said she was up and down more yesterday because Spencer sent the day with her. But if she feels up to it, we must let her do it. Mom knows how much she can push herself. She is still doing alot of stuff around the house. She cooks, feeds the dog, cleans, etc.

Mom has an appointment with the surgeon on Monday. We will get the results from her breast surgery. We are hopeful no more surgery will be required. Mom also has an appointment one day next week with her chemo oncologist. I promise to update the site as soon as we know anything from the appointments.

THANKS FOR ALL THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. MOM HAS HAD OVER 1000 HITS ON HER SITE NOW. THANKS....................Wanda

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 at 6:01 pm

Mom had another busy day. She had not planned it that way, but that is how it ended up. First thing this morning she got a call from her office saying she that failed to sign some paperwork she dropped off yesterday. That meant another trip to Raleigh. Needless to say Mom was not very happy.

Mom is watching Spencer this afternoon. I have not spoken with her since she left Raleigh, but that is where she was heading after she left her office.

Wendy called from Puerto Rico. She was just checking on everyone.

Melodie got the kids (Jacob and Summer) from daycare. She bought them ice cream on the way home. Jacob finished his ice cream before Summer did. Melodie said Jacob spent the entire ride trying to get Summer to give her ice cream to him. No such luck.

Mom does not have any more appointments this week. It's a good thing, cause her personal taxi service (Melodie) has to work this weekend. Melodie is a Nurse and works every other weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That's her part time job. Her full time job now is driving Mom around. Maybe Mom will get some rest tomorrow. She still sounds like she is getting a cold.

If there is any more news to report today, I will update later tonight.....Wanda

Tuesday, May 15, 2001 at 6:12 pm

Mom had a busy day. Melodie picked her up about 9:00 am. They started out by dropping Jacob (Melodie's 2 year old) off at the daycare. Jacob had other ideas. Needless to say he spent the day running around with Mom and Melodie.

Mom had her blood work done at the chemo oncologist's office. She also had an appointment with her radiation oncologist who was very pleased with her response to the treatment. He wants to see Mom back in October. Mom and Melodie (and Jacob) made a few more stops and also did a little shopping.

I spoke with Mom around 2:00 pm, she was going to get the golf cart out and drive to the end of the driveway to meet the school bus. Spencer (Wendy's son) will be spending the afternoons with Mom this week. Wendy left for Puerto Rico this morning. I just spoke with her, she arrived safely. Wendy sounded like she was calling from my back yard.

All is well, more tomorrow.......Wanda

Monday, May 14, 2001 at 10:00 pm

Mom had a peaceful day. I think she is getting a cold. Wendy offered for Mom to come to her house today, just to have something to do. Mom didn't want to, she said that she enjoyed not having to go anywhere some days.

A friend of Mom's brought her some seafoam candy this afternoon. Mom was resting and Dad was working in the garden. (We think most of the stuff in the garden is for the groundhog that lives in the barn down behind their house). Oh well, it gives Dad something to do, and keeps him out of Mom's hair for a while.

Mom has a doctor's appointment tomorrow with her radiation oncologist. She will also visit her chemo oncologist for blood work.

No news yet from the surgeon regarding her breast surgery. Mom had an appointment for Wednesday afternoon, but the surgeon's office had to reschedule it for Monday. I guess we will find out in a week how well the surgery went.

We will update after the appointments tomorrow.

Sunday, May 13, 2001 at 4:52pm

ENTRY #2 for 5/13/01 - We had a wonderful time at Mom's house today. Of course, Dad took total credit for the great lunch that was served. (He always takes credit for the cooking, and sweet Mom lets him) Mom looked real good. Even after all of us being there for several hours, she did not seem to be as tired and she has been in the past.

Grandma Theda enjoyed her visit. She ate real good. I think if Grandpa Hallie had his way he would not take her back to the rehab center. After 68 years of being married to someone, I guess the house IS quiet without her there.

It was a GREAT visit! Lots of pictures were taken. Mom did not seem to mind. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

Mom has several doctor appointments next week. We will keep you informed of her progress. As for today we are just enjoying her and each other.

Sunday, May 13, 2001 at 10:31 pm

I spoke with Mom this morning, she said she had a runny nose and sore throat. I think it must have to do with the weather turning cool yesterday.

Grandma Theda (Dad's mom) is getting to take a "day trip" from the rehad center today. They will bring her out to Mom's for lunch. Barney and Johnathan (my husband and son) went by about 7:30 am on their way out of town. Grandma Theda was wanting to know where Grandpa Hallie was, she was wanting to get ready for her visit to Moms. I think she is doing much better.

Mom and Dad are busy cooking this morning for lunch. I had the immediate desire to rush right down to Mom's house and cook lunch for everyone. Melodie did also. It is hard to let Mom do the things she wants too. We all feel the need to do everything for her. But if she feels up to doing it, I guess we should let her.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TODAY AND EVERY DAY.

Saturday, May 12, 2001 at 3:22 PM (EDT)

Mom is doing well. She continues to be a little sore from the surgery, but nothing unexpected. Her spirits remain good. We are all planning to go to her house on Sunday.

I guess facing death gives you certain freedoms. Mom has always had opinions about everything but didn't often voice them. Now she freely voices her opinion weather asked or not.

She has decided she wants to start painting. It should be interesting since she only has half her vision. But we all feel the need to get her everything she ever wanted. Last week I hunted down an out of print book from 1985 off of half.com for her. (She has already read it)
We continue to learn things about her everyday.

Take care and we will chat later.
Melodie

Friday, May 11, 2001 at 10:50 pm

Mom did good today. She had Tylenol for pain today. She did tell Barney that she was going to take the BIG pain pill tonight before bedtime.

A friend of the family brought Mom and Dad supper last night. Everyone has been so wonderful.

I think she is a little sore. When I spoke with Mom this morning from work, she said "had felt better". For Mom that is as bad as it usually gets. She really never complains. Hopefully she will sleep good tonight.

Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 4:56 pm

Mom is home from the hospital. She has eaten some soup and taken a pain pill. We expect she will sleep for a while. The surgery went well. The doctor said he removed a golf ball size area. We will know more about how the surgery went when the pathology reports comes back.

Mom was scheduled for surgery at 3:15 pm. She was at the doctor's office at 11:00am to locate the lump. The doctor told her that they had an emergency and her surgery would probably be delayed. They took Mom back for surgery at 2:00 pm and she was in recovery by 3:00 pm. Mom is the only person I know who would be told her surgery was going to be delayed and then get taken in 1 hour early.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers.

PS - I loaded two pictures from today.

Tuesday, May 08, 2001 at 11:24 pm

Another late night! Johnathan (my son) had his last high school baseball game tonight. It was a very exciting game. Because he was late for practice the day before the "new" coaches chose not to play him. He is a good sport about it though, I should learn from him!!

Mom had a good day. She watched Summer for a while this morning, so Wendy could take Spencer to the dentist. Apparently they had a good time. I called to check on them and Mom said Summer was cleaning the table off for lunch. Mom was "supervising".

All is well. We are just waiting for Thursday. I wish it was already over. We haven't really planned anything for Mother's Day. I don't know why exactly. Maybe we are just waiting to see how Mom does with her surgery.

We will keep you updated..........Wanda

Monday, May 07, 2001 at 10:55 pm

Sorry for the late update. Madison (my daughter) had a recital tonight. We just got home.

Mom had her pre-op appointment this afternoon. I learned what a CBC is. (Complete Blood Count) Anyway, Mom had a CBC done. We hope the hospital gets everything documented appropriately. When she got to the hospital and checked in, they did not have any record of her, however, they had a Patricia Henderson scheduled for today. They assured us that they changed all of the records to indicated Patricia Anderson. I just hope there is not a Patricia Henderson out there who has been erased from their database now.

Unless we hear otherwise, Mom's surgery is on go for Thursday. She continues to be in good spirits. Mom has a VERY positive attitude.

Mom continues to find some humor in her daily life. Today she told me she needed to get off the phone so she would have time to get ready for her appointment. She said it did not take her near as long as it use to because she did not have to "do her hair" anymore. God bless her! One day maybe we can write a book on "Cancer humor".

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening. More tomorrow.......................Wanda

Sunday, May 06, 2001 at 10:43 pm

Mom had a good day. It was cool and windy today. Mom and Dad built their house on a hill, so it is usually windy at their house. Mom wanted to visit Grandma Theda today, but Dad did not wait for her to get ready. Wendy was going to bring her to Raleigh this afternoon, but Summer woke up with a fever. We thought it was best not to have Summer around Grandma Theda while running a fever. I visited with Grandma Theda for a few hours this afternoon, she seems to be getting stronger. She does not like the food at the rehad center, but she ate good from the plate I took for Granddaddy. Maybe she will go home soon.

Mom has an appointment at the Hospital tomorrow for blood work in preparation for her surgery. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday. It will be done as an out-patient. Mom is SO STRONG. She is viewing this "breast thing" as just another bump in the road.

With the exception of her brain tumor being a glioblastoma, we have not had any other bad news since January 12, 2001. Mom has responded to everything the doctors have thrown at her. We all are praying to be as strong as Mom is. GOD BLESS HER.

Please know that Mom is doing good and we will continue to keep you update. Thanks to everyone.

Wanda

Saturday, May 05, 2001 at 08:46 AM (est)

Sorry no update in a few days. I guess nothing to report is a good thing. Momma and Daddy went to visit Grandma Theda on Friday it was her birthday. I talked to Mom yesterday, she was watching Spencer. Apparently they were destroying the kitchen (something about bottle rockets, vinager, baking soda, a cork and coffee filters) I don't ever remember being allowed to mess the kitchen up on purpose. I guess there are benefits to being a grandchild. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. We will keep you informed.

Love Ya Mean It
Melodie

Tuesday, May 01, 2001 at 5:31 pm

Mom has been scheduled for surgery on Thursday, May 10. It appears it is going to be an all day affair. The actual surgery will be around 3:00 pm. Mom will go for blood work on Monday afternoon (5/7).

Mom rested some today. Melodie took Mom and Dad dinner. Wendy said Mom got outside this afternoon and WASHED HER CAR. She would not let Wendy help her. I guess she must feel pretty good.

I put two pictures on the website last night. They aren't very good, but it was my first attempt.

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

Wanda

Monday, April 30, 2001 at 09:14 PM (CDT)

Momma, Wanda and I met with the general surgeon today. After discussing Momma's case with her oncologist they feel the best course of action is a simply lumpectomy without removing any lymph nodes. Mom has Invasive Lobular Cancer of the left breast, which is not the most common type (that doesn't surprise any of us Mom hasn't done anything by the books yet). They feel that a nonagreesive approach with the breast cancer is best, and the less disruption to the current treatment for the brain thing the better. Wanda and I were a little discouraged that they do not want to be as aggressive as if Momma didn't have any other issues, but Mom is okay with the treatment plan and the she needs all her strength to fight the brain thing. So as of now she will go next week either Tuesday of Thursday for the procedure, it will be done as an outpatient. The less time a sick person breaths hospital air the better.

Melodie

Sunday, April 29, 2001 at 9:26 pm

Hopefully Mom is resting now. She had a pretty peaceful day. Several neighborhood ladies came by and brought cakes and pies. The entire family went to Mom's for dinner. All total there are 13 of use when we all get together. THAT IS A HOUSE FULL. Anyway, Mom looked tired when we finally left. She says her stomach bothers her some. She ate peanuts tonight and before she even put them in her mouth she said she knew better -- she ate them anyway.

We will meet with the surgeon at 4:00 pm tomorrow. Apparently determining when Mom's breast surgery will be scheduled will depend on her blood levels. We will know more tomorrow.

We had a good day!! MOM AND DAD WE LOVE YOU!!

Saturday, April 28, 2001 at 04:59 PM (CDT)

Well whoever said lighting never stricks in the same place twice never met Pat Anderson. About three weeks ago Mom had a routine mammogram, a nodule was found. After follow up x-rays and an ultrasound she was sent to a surgeon. On Wednesday she met Dr. Watters a general surgeon who was able to do a needle biopsy in his office. Thursday she had a check up with the oncologist who was able to call the lab for results. They came back positive for cancer. This is a completely different type. The brain tumor rarely spreads to anywhere except the brain or the spine and the oncologist didn't think a little nodule (7-8mm) in the breast could go to the brain and explode like Mom's. Dr Rizzerie (the oncologist) did say that they would review the slides of the glioblastoma just to be sure. What are the odds of two primary cancers at the same time! Well Mom meets with the surgeon on Monday to discuss her options. Dr. Rizzerie said that the nodule would have to come out. As well as Mom has been doing we could not ignore the breast cancer. Probably a lupectomy with lymph nodes removed and radiation or a mastectomy without radiation. Chemo for this would depend on if the cancer was in the axillary (arm pit) nodes. There are some chemos that are used for both brain and breast cancers, so we will just have to wait and see what they suggest. Dr. Rizzerie said this was "small potatoes compared the the brain tumor". Mom's spirits are amazing, she told her sister that the way she looked at it this breast thing would be over before the brain thing was. We were going to wait until after Mondays appointment to post it on the web, but Dad was born with the "gift of gab" and has told everyone. The other news in the family, Summer (2-year old granddaughter) was bit by a tick last week and has developed Lyme Disease. It was caught in time so no big deal (except trying to get her to take antibiotics three times a day for 3 weeks). Thanks for the prayers, we need them now more than ever.

Melodie

Friday, April 27, 2001 at 10:11p.m.

Mom rested most of the day. This afternoon she rode to Raleigh (about 40 minutes from Youngsville) with Wendy and Summer to visit Grandma Theda (Dad's mom) in the rehab center. Apparently Mom started feeling a little "funny" at the rehab center so they cut their visit short. Wendy told Mom that she was with the wrong daughter to start feeling bad. (Melodie is the nurse, we leave that stuff up to her) They came by my house (I live about 2 miles from the rehab center)

Mom seemed tired. She looked tired to me. No big plans for the weekend, just rest, rest, rest, rest..............

Thursday, April 26, 2001 at 9:45pm

It has been a LONG day. Mom had an appointment with her chemo oncologist. Melodie took her shopping this morning and then to her appointment. Mom had blood work done. Everything looked good. I don't know that much about the blood levels. Yet! I am sure we will all be learning more about all of that in the near future.

Mom is resting this evening. Barney (her son-in-law, my husband) bought some shrimp today and called Mom to see about coming to her house to cook for her. She was watching SURVIVOR on TV so they did not talk long.

As far as we know she has not had any real side effects from the chemo. Mom said she is only eating bland food right now, she doesn't have a taste for anything spicy.

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS -- PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SIGN THE GUEST BOOK, MOM LIKES TO SEE WHO IS KEEPING UP WITH HER.

Wednesday, April 25, 2001 at 4:57pm

I can't believe it is Wednesday. Mom will have an appointment with her chemo oncologist Thursday afternoon. Mom says she feels good and that she seems to have more energy these last few days. She said she read that about the third week of chemo she might feel tired. Of course, she said that was NOT going to happen to her.

Everyone is tired today. My Grandmother Theda (Dad's mom) fell at the rehab center yesterday. They took her to the hospital and she was admitted to be monitored. Wendy took Dad and they stayed with Granddaddy until Melodie and I got there. Melodie and I stayed and helped with the admitting information. Apparently her EKG was different from the last one she had. We all got home about 3:00am this morning. Grandma Theda is doing better today, they moved her to a regular room. Melodie took Mom up to the hospital to visit Grandma Theda, but they did not stay very long because Melodie did not want to expose Mom to "hospital germs".

It has been cold and rainy today. A good day for ducks and polar bears. We will update everyone tomorrow after Mom's appointment.

Tuesday, April 24, 2001 at 4:55pm

Mom had a good night. She said she slept good. Dad said he stayed up all night waiting for her to get sick.

She took her CCNU around 10:30p.m. last night. I spoke with her at 8:30a.m. this morning and she was fixing herself some breakfast. She had visitors from the church and some friends of the family brought them dinner. Mom and Dad went to the grocery store this afternoon and Mom is resting now.

They still find time to joke around.... I just called the house and a man answered the phone and said "Wal-Mart". I said hello and he said "Wal-Mart". I did not say anything else. Then the man on the other end of the phone started laughing. It was Dad, he was trying to be funny. He asked why I did not say anything. I said because I wasn't calling Wal-Mart. Mom was in the background laughing.

Mom was joking with Barney last night before she took her medicine. I am amazed with her continued upbeat spirit.

MOM IS A WONDERFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN!

Monday, April 23, 2001 at 10:07pm (2nd entry for today)

Well here we go......We all wanted to stay with Mom tonight but she does not want to bother us. She insist that she is going to be fine. Wendy lives within 2 minutes of Mom, Melodie can be there within 10 minutes and I'm about 25 minutes away. Mom promises she will call us tonight if she gets sick.

She took her Zofran about 9:30 p.m. and she will take her CCNU (chemo) drugs at 10:30 pm (in about 20 minutes). The plan is for her to sleep through the worst of it. God bless her.

Mom still has a great sense of humor. I can't really tell you what she was laughing about tonight, but it had something to do with a man and a LARGE knife. It wasn't really "cancer humor", just humor. It is nice to hear Moma laugh.

PLEASE KEEP MOM IN YOUR PRAYERS.

Monday, April 23, 2001 at 5:02pm

Mom has had a busy day. She had an appointment around 11:00am today. I called Melodie on her cell phone to find out how the appointment went and they were shopping at Sam's. Melodie said last night that Mom is wearing her out, always wanting to shop or something. For those of you who know Melodie, you can be sure it is the other way around.

Mom starts her chemo tonight. She will take all 10 pills at bedtime. She said she was ready to start and that she had no intention of getting sick. We should believe her, 'cause that is the same attitude that got her through radiation without hardly any side effects. They say a positive attitude is VERY important. Mom continues to have a wonderful attitude about her cancer. She is the strong silent type.

PLEASE KEEP MOM IN YOUR PRAYERS TONIGHT AS SHE BEGINS ANOTHER LEG OF HER JOURNEY.......

Saturday, April 21, 2001 at 09:41 PM (CDT)

Mom had an o.kay day. She said she was a little tired. She described it as every time she stood up it felt like her arms were dragging the floor. Maybe she over did it yesterday. Bless her heart, she must feel like she is under a microscope. Every time she complaines of something all sorts of wild ideas run through our minds. I guess she is entitled to a bad day, I believe the rest of us have our share without everyone being afraid that something bad is going to happen. I won't leave you with a quote today, my sisters Wendy and Wanda are the philosophers, I'm just the nurse.

Melodie

Friday, April 20, 2001 at 03:25 PM (CDT)

Mom (Grandmapat) and Dad got out this morning and went to several places. They both sounded like they were in good spirits! It is great to see them having some time together. They were planning to buy some tomatoes. I asked Dad if he was getting tomato plants for the garden and he said no just eating tomatoes. The other evening we had a frost threat and I asked Dad was he going to cover up anything tonight and it only took Mom a second to answer the question for him. She said he plans to cover up himself - the plants in the garden are on their own. She can still finish his thoughts before he can get them out of his mouth. They both had a big laugh over it.

We are looking forward to a nice weekend as we continue to get ready for next weeks first chemo treatment.

Today is a gift...that is why we call it the present.

Thursday, April 19, 2001 at 09:07 AM (CDT)

Mom is doing well, She and Daddy have gone to visit his Mother. Grandma was placed in a nursing/rehab facility on Tuesday to recooperate from her gallbladder surgery. Mom and I went to Raleigh (a fourty-five minute drive) yesterday for her meds and ran into a few snags. The CCNU had to be filled with two different strengths to equal the dosage she needed. One 100mg capsule and 9 10mg capsules. Luckly I checked the bag before we left the store because there was only 8 10mg capsules. The insurance companies and the pharmacies still amaze me. Mom's Zofran for nausia cost $296.99 without insurance, fortunately Mom has a drug card and it was only $15.00, her Dilantin which was $20.00 without insurance cost $35.00. The CCNU because it was 2 different strenghts she had to pay 2 co-payments a total of $30.00. It would seem that there would be a correlation between the price of the med and the co-payment, but I guess not. The other thing that got away with us was that we stopped by her neurosurgeons office to get her short term disablity form filled out and it cost $10.00 for them to do it. I would have thought that was a service they provided not charged for. Mom tolerated the trip although Spencer who accompanied us was ready to go after he got his Pokemon cards so we were not able to do any indepth shopping.

Wednesday, April 18, 2001 at 10:17 AM (CDT)

Melodie and Mom have gone to Raleigh this morning to pickup her first chemo meds (CCNU). She is planning to start it on Monday night. Mom said she would be wearing her hair band with her wig today just in case a gust of wind decided to sneak up on her. Our Spring weather turned back to Winter yesterday. Mom's voice sounded really strong on the phone this morning. Sometimes we even forget she is dealing with this because she sounds so good. We are blessed.

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 09:19 PM (CDT)

A fairly uneventful day. We are all amazed that Grandpa Jimmy had never heard of Peeps marshmellows. I believe he ate enough this year to make up for the last 10. He is still a little upset over the busted eggs in the yard. He doesn't believe they will turn into compost soon enough! Grandma Pat is doing well still waiting on the CCNU (chemotherapy) to arrive. Our local drug store is not able to get it so other arrangements must be made. Only a small snag in the world of healthcare.

Sunday, April 15, 2001 at 08:57 PM

HAPPY EASTER............

Mom had a good day. She made two chocolate pies this morning. She was not able to locate her recipe for the pies, so she made them from memory. Obviously her long term memory is fine, 'cause the pies were GREAT.

Mom rested during the middle of the day. She let the girls (her three daughters) finish with dinner. We got her up to watch the grandkids have their easter egg hunt. The little ones (Jacob 2y.o., and Summer 2y.o.) were precious. Madison (12 y.o.) and Spencer (7 y.o.) ended up having an Easter egg fight. Apparently, Melodie (the 28 y.o. favorite daughter) started the egg throwing. Anyway, the best we could tell, a good time was had by all.

We left early, so Mom could rest. She is still tappering off her Dilantin. She seems to be tolerating that fine.

Saturday, April 14, 2001 at 10:15 pm

Well, Mom disappeared today. Actually, Wendy had taken her to the grocery store. (Mom is no longer driving) Anyway, they did not bother to tell anyone. Needless to say there was several of us looking for her. When they drove up to find Melodie trying to get in the house, she realized she had not let anyone know she was leaving home. I think Mom got a laugh out of it. We didn't think it was so funny.


Melodie took Mom's perscriptions for the chemo medication to the pharmacy. They will order it on Monday and we should be able to pick it up on Tuesday. To keep things simple, Mom will probably start her treatment on the following Monday.


Mom plans to have all of us over tomorrow for egg hunting and dinner. It will be a little strange without Grandma Theda and Grandpa Hallie there. (My dad's parents) Grandma Theda just had surgery last week and is still in the hospital.

WE HOPE EVERYONE HAS A BLESSED AND WONDERFUL EASTER!!!

Friday, April 13, 2001 at 9:15pm

Today was pretty uneventful. Mom says she hasn't done much, but is pretty tired. Although after talking to her, she did some cleaning today, which probably took some energy out of her. I believe that Mom has decided to start her chemo a week from Monday. We have the prescription for the medicine and the pharmacy will probably have to order it.

We are planning to get together at Mom's for Easter. The kids will hide eggs in the front yard. Mom wants a spiral cut ham and yeast rolls for Easter lunch. I guess we need to go to the grocery store in the morning. We will try to have pictures added to the web-site by the first of next week.

Thursday, April 12, 2001 at 5:30pm

We went to Duke today for a consultation regarding chemo. Mom's appointment was at 9:30am - we left Duke at 1:30pm. We were shown her MRI and compared it to ones from February. You could certainly see a difference in the area. It was MUCH smaller. Mom had blood work done - it was normal. She also did very good on all the other test (touch your nose, your toes, etc.) Basically she is still as strong as a horse.

We talked with a Social worker, an NP, an MD and a nurse. Everyone was very pleased with Mom's progress. They usually see patients two weeks after finishing chemo. Mom's appoint was just 6 days out. Dr. Rich said she was doing so good, that she could start her chemo as soon as she wanted. Mom is ready, so she may start the Monday after Easter or the following Monday. They told her she could be their "poster child." Dr. Rich said it was ashame she was not at Duke the day before because 60 Minutes was there filming.

They are going to start taking Mom off the Dilantin. Mom has never had a seizure, but they started her on Dilantin prior to surgery.

Her chemo will be done with three different drugs in stages. The first will be CCNU - this drug will be given in pill form. Mom will take the pills only on the first day. She will have her blood levels checked every week for six weeks. After her 6 weeks are up, she will have an MRI done and will return to Duke to see about her progress.

If she is tolerating this medicine she will be started on a second dose of the same medication.

It was a VERY long day and everyone is tired, but we were all pleased with what we heard at Duke. Basically they said she appeared to have responded great to radiation and they are expecting her to respond well to the chemo.

Wednesday, April 11, 2001 at 11:40pm

Some of the things we have learned since 1/8/01:

**Don't forget to breathe

**Be patient!! Friends, extended family, even people who you hardly know are hurting also

**GET A CALENDAR - you will need it

**Keep a journal - write down what you are told - get the nurses to review it for accuracy

**Write thank you notes as you go

**Park in the same general area at the hospital - days run together and you will certainly loose your car otherwise

**Read - research - information is a GOOD thing

**Ask questions

**If you are the caregiver take time for yourself

**Let people help - it will make them feel better

**It is OK not to be OK

**Give your loved one some space

**Mom says not to eat a big lunch before radiation

**Cry

**Laugh

**Let your loved one say things they need to say

**"Cancer humor" helps

**If your head has to be shaved - be sure to tell your hairdresser before you make your next appointment "for a trim"

Wednesday, April 11, 2001 at 11:26pm

Our journey began on January 8, 2001, when mom (Grandma Pat) finally told my sister she was having vision problems. A eye appointment was scheduled for Tuesday (1/9/01). Mom's eyes were fine. However, she did not have vision left of center in either eye. An MRI was scheduled for Wednesday. Thursday morning we met with the surgeon. Thursday afternoon mom was admitted to the hospital and Friday morning at 10:30am she was operated on.

The surgery went well. 90% of the tumor was removed. The final diagnosis was glioblastoma. With this type of tumor they are never able to get 100%.

Mom has undergone 6 weeks of radiation. She finished that on Friday, April 6, 2001. Her oncologist said she did PHENOMAL.

Mom gets tired very easy. But is doing GREAT. We met with the doctors at DUKE in the morning to find out their recommendations on chemo.

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