Last week, I had the opportunity to take my mom to her oncologist appointment. At first, it felt like duty, but then grew into something altogether different.
My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in early 2005. We were living in Pittsburg, KS at the time and were contemplating a move. Cincinnati didn’t feel quite right. On the way home from looking at houses there, we stopped in Olathe. It felt right to be come back. So, we started that process, and in just a few short weeks, we were back in Olathe. Not in our home yet, but that’s a whole different story…
This diagnosis comes with a not so good prognosis. Median survival is 50-55 months. We are at about 56 or so right now. So…
It worked out for me to take Mom (and Dad) to the dr. I had never met the guy and it turns out he has really good bedside manner. Seemed to care for my mom. So, that was good. And the report was good! Her protein levels had dropped a lot. Seems the medicine (which nearly knocked her out) actually helped her! A change to the dosage for next round so she’s not as sick. Maybe it’ll work!
So, after that, I needed to run dad to the mechanic to get his car. A brief (ha!) discussion with Dad about what to do next ended with me insisting on taking mom for a drive around town. The weather was warmish and she hadn’t been out of the house for a long time. A drive was a small celebration party for the good news we received. And dad could use a little time to himself. Though he doesn’t show it, this has hit dad pretty hard. He’s 24/7 caregiver.
We drove out to the lake to watch the sunset and then around the lake and ended up at some dear friends to say hi. Off to Culver’s to pickup a burger and then back home.
Overall, it was pretty uneventful. But, I hadn’t spent that kind of dedicated time with Mom in a long time. Thanks for the chat and for just hanging out, Mom. You are loved by many.
