Hello 2011

Can't believe 2011 is already here! I have neglected my blog this past year but hope to do better this year. 2011 finds me sitting in a hospital with my best friend in the whole wide world in the bed next to me---my wonderful Mother. She has been fighting for nearly 2 years now colon cancer that has spread to her liver. And what a courageous fighter she has been! She had a colon resection in 03/09 followed by radiation which so badly burned her intestines she ended up with another 6 hour surgery in 05/09 to repair them and relieve a blockage. After a long recovery, she regained her strengh and was able to start chemo which held things at bay (only 2 small spots on her liver) until 05/2010 when she suffered 2 seizures thought to have been brought on by 2 strokes, one on each side of her brain. She fought back from the strokes, regaining her original strength on both sides. They thought one of the drugs used to help the chemo is what caused the strokes so they put her on different chemo which finally caused her hair to fall out but did nothing to help with the cancer and the liver lesions grew rapidly. Finally her original surgeon saw her in October of 2010 and encouraged her oncologist to send her to a liver specialist. They decided to try to take out one lobe of her liver in December but once they got in there, it had taken over both lobes so nothing could be done surgically. We are quite angry as were told if she had sought the liver specialist even 6 months earlier, she might have had an 80% cure rate! I only wish I would have researched more and been more adamant about not listening to her 2 oncologists and insisting upon them sending her to a liver specialist. I grew up in a small town and my parents still live in the same little small town and it was like bringing her home when she was admitted to the little hospital here after bringing her home from one of the large supposedly "best" Kansas hospitals. The staff here all recognize her from previous stays and treat her as if she were their own Mother and also treat us as if we are family. There is alot to be said about small towns. I miss that the most now, living in Kansas City. Now her liver has decided to shut down and she is getting weaker and weaker each day. Her spiritis still remain high but I can tell she is getting tired. I won't know what to do when she is gone so not going to think about it right now.

So now you know why I have had such a hard time keeping up with my blogging this past year. 2011 is not starting out so good but with the support of my wonderful family and friends, hopefully we can make it though the roughest time of my life. Will keep you posted. Here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year. Please pray for peace and comfort for my Mom and Dad. And also please pray for a cure for cancer....