We had a scan yesterday and mom's tumor has been reduced by an additional third!
Which puts us at a total of 60 to 70% reduction from where we started just 4 months ago. It also puts us (in Dr Natale's words) "in an elite group" of cancer patients who see that kind of improvement in such a short amount of time.
So mom still feels like shit- but at least now she has a smile on her face.
Mom is suffering to be sure, neck pain, headaches, a new jaw pain, muscle aches, she has lost still yet another few pounds... but the cancer is dying, and she will one day in the next few months be cancer free.
And that is really something to marvel at, and something to be profoundly grateful for. Because with the help of serious ass-kicking legalized poison-like medicine, and the overwhelming support of family and friends you can survive this thing called cancer.
Mom and I were talking yesterday after we got the news, and we were thinking about all the people that have helped us over the last few months, and taken that extra step to come visit, or make food, to pack or lift boxes, or to organize mom's sock drawer, or simply just come by with peaches from time to time.... and the list is pretty magnificent.
We wanted to take a second and share it with you.
Firstly Lois, mom's sister, has flown out from New Jersey not once but twice now, to feed and move and care for all of us, to clean up after us and teach us all how to be a nurse. Last week while she was here her son TJ came to help with the move. Angela Foster came out for a week and took extra special care of us, giving both dad and I a well needed chance to nap. Missy Thorne came all the way from Washington DC, Lorraine Shirkus flew in from San Antonio Texas, Missy Greis came twice from Salt Lake City Utah (and is coming again this weekend!!), Paul Rubin Came in from New York, as did Brad and Alex Davis, Jerry Foster came from Aspen, and Dede Brinkman brought the Sheriff of Aspen Mr Bob Braudis twice to sit bedside.
Then there are the people who come every week. Gracie (Laura Donnelley to ya'll) has been a marvel, she has fed us at least twice a week since april. She has come to visit weekly, she has been such a dear friend. Maude Feil comes a least once a week to bring fresh peaches for mom's protein shake, and sits with her and went to the store and bought her smaller clothes for her new little body. Brad Miller and Millie Favor come by weekly and cook for mom and they hang art in our new house and Mollie sits with mom and talks for hours, and Brad takes dad to see 'guy movies' like Die Hard 4. Pam and Judy have cooked and organized food deliveries. The feast we had on moving day was unreal... Pam has cooked so much, so often for us, we now all have favorite dishes of hers... Gail and Neil come by weekly with Gail's incredible broccoli soup, and they give mom foot massages, and when they went out of town they bought us 5 sessions with a masseuse that comes to the house! Mimi and Santiago cooked dinner for us until poor mimi got so pregnant she could hardly stand! (just joking mimi- you stand just fine) Elizabeth Ragagli comes by all the time with chicken soup and new articles about neck stiffness and neck pillows and sits with mom and with her and tells her tales of work and her travels. Emily Foster comes by with fresh fruit and veggies and flowers from the farmers market and her sweet daughter Sabine who puts such a smile on moms face.
Then there was the move. Vicki and Tiff and Joren and Lorraine and Arne and Gail who came and helped pack. Tiff came back with Arne and lifted god damn couches down stairs. Brian Teravella and Kagen moved box after box... Hugo came and packed up moms most precious lamp, Jenny, Tamar, Nikky and Elizabeth folded linens and made little pretty stacks of underwear and sox, made the bathroom pretty and erected shrines to expired cats and dogs.... Damaris, Lois, Nikky and I sorted and resorted to make all that shit fit in the kitchen. Brad and Mollie hung art, Tate drove the truck and lifted so many boxes and so much furniture I thought he would break, Carter set up the TV's and the internet, dad organized the garage and did his best to stay sane, and in two days we were out of one house and into another like the previous one never existed.
And still. Still we check the mail and letters still come. Mary Rowen sent mom a letter every single day for weeks. Jody calls and send boxes of treasures. Dede and Missy and little Grace send care package after care package- with scarves and Pajamas and treasures abound. Bob and Marcy sent a pillow very early on- who knew it would be the one pillow mom takes everywhere- her constant source of comfort- just the right fit. The other day we got a picture on dads phone- Carl had taken a picture of moms precious hydrangeas in colorado... just to prove they are growing so so strong.
And the survivors, Katie Asche, Judi Goldfader, Missy Thorne, Jenny Lass, Hillary White. These incredible women who come and sit bed side and tell mom that they know what she is going thru. That she will recover, she will grow strong, and that one day, she will be the one giving the chemo advice, not needing it.
And there are more- so many people in town, stopping by, Zoe and Aneal and Jamie and jesus the list goes on and on. Adir who is making a wig for mom... Dayle who came to the house to give her a facial, Jackie the manicurist who comes to the house, Suzy who gives her rakie....
it's just
amazing.
I cant name everyone.
You've humored me enough... This can't be interesting reading... I'm sure at this point you've already skipped to the bottom or your reading franticly thinking where the fuck is my name? And to that point I should thank YOU- the one person I inevitably forgot in the aforementioned list. (Cuz you know I forgot someone...)
It's just pretty amazing all of this.
I mean, don't get me wrong- this sucks. This sucks BIG TIME. But the support is amazing.
I can't wait till it's all over. Till her neck is healed and she is hiking up some colorado mountain with her dog and her friends...
There's a long way to go, and no one knows it better than her. My poor mom, the mistress of the bad day, the cancer warrior.
Alas.
Till next time we will,
as always
remain
Team Carter.
took this picture a few weeks ago- but here are some of the cards we've received....
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