Just talked to Dad and Chris and Mom at the hospital.
They just completed reviewing the MRI with the doctor.
Mom's situation is very grave. The tumor is about the size and shape of a lime, behind her left temple, above the ear. There are a few other smaller tumors as well. The swelling is severe and worrying, and is extending down and beginning to encroach where her spinal fluid needs to flow. The steroids are helping that not to worsen, or slow it at least. They're concerned that it's too dangerous to do surgery now because of her being on blood thinners. They've taken her off them and are waiting, and hope to do surgery Sunday or Monday if she doesn't worsen before then. They also need the surgeon who did her carotid artery surgeries to test to be sure they are still OK. For now, she is stable, has eaten and is feeling well. She's still completely lucid, but sounds scared, as anyone would be. Dad is numb, Chris tearful.
As soon as I finish this, I'm working on a flight home ASAP.
Love you'ns. Pray for us.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Very Bad News
We learned yesterday that my Mother has a brain tumor. She was not lucid and acting not herself, and her BP was 190/120 so Dad and Charlie took her to the hospital ER in Cambridge. They diagnosed a brain tumor and sent her to OSU Medical Center by ambulance. Drew met her in the ER at the hospital last night and was a great comfort to her. She was relieved to see a friendly face amongst so many strangers. Dad had been too upset to talk on the phone to anyone, and his hearing loss frustrates him tremendously. For whatever reason, he and Charlie went home, Chris went to Dad and Mom's last night, then drove to the hospital with Dad this morning.
I spoke to Mom and Drew last night and Mom was doing much better, was completely lucid, felt much better, but was tired and hungry - they'd not given her anything to eat all day.
This morning she saw an oncologist and was soon to see a neurologist. The tumor is large and is pressing on the left side of her brain, and that's dangerous because it could cause loss of function. They gave her steroids to reduce the swelling and plan to biopsy today. They're now waiting on an MRI.
That's all I've heard so far. But I will probably be coming to Ohio soon, and may need to call on my Columbus friends for help, and maybe lodging. Rachel, my niece is in Columbus and could visit Mom a lot except that she has twin 6-month old boys and a 4 year old boy to manage at home.
I'll keep you all posted here.
I spoke to Mom and Drew last night and Mom was doing much better, was completely lucid, felt much better, but was tired and hungry - they'd not given her anything to eat all day.
This morning she saw an oncologist and was soon to see a neurologist. The tumor is large and is pressing on the left side of her brain, and that's dangerous because it could cause loss of function. They gave her steroids to reduce the swelling and plan to biopsy today. They're now waiting on an MRI.
That's all I've heard so far. But I will probably be coming to Ohio soon, and may need to call on my Columbus friends for help, and maybe lodging. Rachel, my niece is in Columbus and could visit Mom a lot except that she has twin 6-month old boys and a 4 year old boy to manage at home.
I'll keep you all posted here.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Awesome books!
I've been reading everything I can by Susan Vreeland, a novelist who focuses on historic stories about artists and their art. They're awesome. I really feel like I want to own them and re-read and re-read. Her characters are so very real, so true to life, and there are beautifully-expressed bits of wisdom sprinkled through the books as her characters think about the challenges in their lives and how they face them.
See Susan Vreeland's website.
I've read Luncheon of the Boating Party, about a painting by Renoir, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, about a newly-discovered Vermeer (fictional painting), The Passion of Artemisia, my favorite so far, about the now-famous woman painter who was a contemporary of Caravaggio and taught by her father, Orazio Gentileschi.
Highly recommended!
See Susan Vreeland's website.
I've read Luncheon of the Boating Party, about a painting by Renoir, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, about a newly-discovered Vermeer (fictional painting), The Passion of Artemisia, my favorite so far, about the now-famous woman painter who was a contemporary of Caravaggio and taught by her father, Orazio Gentileschi.
Highly recommended!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Traveling to Sacramento
Benji and I had our first trip for the new job, to Sacramento the week of the 24th. We go again Sunday through Friday and again the week of the 31st and then the week of June 20. We're loving it!
Pics from the trip.
Benji did extremely well. He actually really enjoyed every bit of it except for being in the crate on the plane, when he whined about three little whimpers, then accepted it, begrudgingly. He loved the Phoenix airport - they're very pet friendly there. Dogs can be on leash anywhere on the premises, in the terminal, etc, so it made a big difference to him not having to be in the crate so long. On the trip back he completely remembered the place and the excitement and energy of it and he jumped on and off the escalator, through the automatic doors, on and off the shuttle bus with no problems. Sis Chris reminded me that he could get caught or injured on the escalator so I'll have to teach him to pause and jump into my arms for that.
He loved the hotel, loved visiting people in the main areas, loved walking with me in the office park which was full of huge trees and green grass. He never had an accident, never chewed anything he shouldn't chew! I am so proud of him! He was a little uneasy when I left the hotel at first, but I always promised I'd come back, and I'd come in and find him on the desk chair that I'd most recently vacated, or once even on top of my suitcase that was on the stand. He's a honey and he made me so much less lonely. This time we'll be at a Residence Inn, which I think will be even better: full kitchen, indoor pool for my aqua aerobics routine, lockers to leave things in until next visit so I don't have to carry as much.
I've also arranged for Sutter to have a laptop on site that I can VPN to, so I don't have to carry one back and forth. I now have a Symphony laptop that I'm using at home for work, so I'll VPN from that one to the Sutter one, and use the Sutter one only when in Sacramento at Sutter or the hotel. Nice.
So far the work has been light and I'm missing the bigger challenges a little bit. For now, it's great though, while I get acclimated and set up.
There are so many details about flight arrangements, acceptable size of crate for Benji, frequent flier programs, frequent stayer (hotel) programs, car rentals, etc! Also new benefits programs, rolling over funds from old 401k plan, etc etc etc.
Work on the house has stalled, which is really miserable because it's a wreck since we tore up the carpet in the main room. Looks like hell. But...that will come. Symphony pays monthly, so I've not even seen the first paycheck yet to know what I'm working with. And there's a bit of debt to catch up on before starting house work. Can't wait to get new floors, though!
Benji did extremely well. He actually really enjoyed every bit of it except for being in the crate on the plane, when he whined about three little whimpers, then accepted it, begrudgingly. He loved the Phoenix airport - they're very pet friendly there. Dogs can be on leash anywhere on the premises, in the terminal, etc, so it made a big difference to him not having to be in the crate so long. On the trip back he completely remembered the place and the excitement and energy of it and he jumped on and off the escalator, through the automatic doors, on and off the shuttle bus with no problems. Sis Chris reminded me that he could get caught or injured on the escalator so I'll have to teach him to pause and jump into my arms for that.
He loved the hotel, loved visiting people in the main areas, loved walking with me in the office park which was full of huge trees and green grass. He never had an accident, never chewed anything he shouldn't chew! I am so proud of him! He was a little uneasy when I left the hotel at first, but I always promised I'd come back, and I'd come in and find him on the desk chair that I'd most recently vacated, or once even on top of my suitcase that was on the stand. He's a honey and he made me so much less lonely. This time we'll be at a Residence Inn, which I think will be even better: full kitchen, indoor pool for my aqua aerobics routine, lockers to leave things in until next visit so I don't have to carry as much.
I've also arranged for Sutter to have a laptop on site that I can VPN to, so I don't have to carry one back and forth. I now have a Symphony laptop that I'm using at home for work, so I'll VPN from that one to the Sutter one, and use the Sutter one only when in Sacramento at Sutter or the hotel. Nice.
So far the work has been light and I'm missing the bigger challenges a little bit. For now, it's great though, while I get acclimated and set up.
There are so many details about flight arrangements, acceptable size of crate for Benji, frequent flier programs, frequent stayer (hotel) programs, car rentals, etc! Also new benefits programs, rolling over funds from old 401k plan, etc etc etc.
Work on the house has stalled, which is really miserable because it's a wreck since we tore up the carpet in the main room. Looks like hell. But...that will come. Symphony pays monthly, so I've not even seen the first paycheck yet to know what I'm working with. And there's a bit of debt to catch up on before starting house work. Can't wait to get new floors, though!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I knew it - I'm not crazy!
Allodynia and Fibromyalgia: It Hurts to Wear Clothes
I can remember telling my boss at Children's, "I feel better now and could come back to work, but I can't stand to put work clothes on!"
Now I have a name for it: allodynia.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
You can't fix stupid... a friend sent this - good laughs
YOU JUST CAN'T FIX STUPID
Did we elect these people?? Civil War planes? Let me know how that works out. I'm saying GREAT paint job. 'We had no idea anyone was buried there.' I didn't know we could choose. This one says it all. Please, anyone, if you've seen this man?? What are the odds of that? I would have guessed after age 19. Ok, that's just mean! "Life's tough.....It's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne |
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