Mom has been hospitalized following a period of poor appetite and generally not feeling "herself". A series of tests over the past week has revealed that Mom has a cancerous lung tumor. For those to who are interested, it is a non-small cell adenocarcinoma. It is a somewhat slower growing variety of lung cancer. We were all very surprised by this unlikely diagnosis. So far, a brain MRI and a bone scan have ruled out disease spread to these areas. This is encouraging. There will be more testing in the next week or two (outpatient) to further evaluate her for any spreading of the cancer. When all of the information is compiled we will discuss with Mom and the doctors the treatment options.
While in the hospital, Mom experienced a heart rhythm disturbance. It is very likely that she has had this problem before but it was never captured on an EKG so it couldn't be diagnosed. Now that the doctors know what it is (Supraventricular Tacchycardia), they will attempt a procedure in the next day or two to correct it. They are confident that Mom will tolerate this procedure very well and it should forever eliminate this rhythm problem. Once the heart problem is fixed, Mom should be discharged and we'll proceed with the last of the cancer testing.
As it happens, we were in the process of moving Mom to the assisted-living section at Gwynedd Estates when this all came up. That move has gone ahead and we plan to bring Mom to her new apartment upon discharge from the hospital. We're very excited about this change as it will be an environment which we hope will not only be safer but one in which she will be able to thrive, both physically and mentally.
I'm new to this method of communication but I hope I can use it effectively to share news with all who are concerned.
Thank you all for your love and support.
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Mom appreciates any visitors so, if you are reading this and are thinking of visiting, please do; however, please keep in mind that her memory is EXTREMELY unreliable. She is prone to giving innaccurate information and often forgets what occurred minutes before, much less hours or days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your detailed account of events. You are very blessed to have such a wonderful mother. Because she is so wonderful, it has made you all the warm,caring,loving and most of all supportive people that you are. In spite of her memory deficits, I know she feels safe knowing that you are all there to help if/when needed.........TEAM FADDEN!
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