When she was able to come home, she had help from some wonderful home health care folks in Grundy Center. She built her strength back up and then met with a surgical oncologist and an oncologist. They did some imaging of her liver and then started chemo. She did about 3 rounds and each round they decreased the dosage. She was very nauseous and eating less and less all the time. She was getting fluids and IV zofran through her port but she didn’t feel good for more than a couple of days at a time. 

After the third round, she had gotten really weak and was sick to her stomach. She went to the emergency room in Grundy Center and they determined her sodium level was dangerously low. She was taken to Allen Hospital in Waterloo. She started out in ICU and then moved to a regular room. She spent about a week in the hospital and then another week in skilled nursing at Grundy County Memorial Hospital. She and Dad decided it was time to go to assisted living. 

They were home for a couple of weeks and then moved to assisted living at Independence Village in Waukee. This move got them closer to the doctors she was seeing and provided more help with day-to-day chores. They have adjusted to their apartment and new routines pretty well. 

Mom had another scan of her liver and it showed the cancer was growing. The decision was made to discontinue chemo and start immunotherapy.  Mom did about 3 months of treatments and then had another scan.  Mom got a new oncologist, Dr Freeman. They decided to stop immunotherapy and try a new regimen of one chemo drug and one targeted drug. While we were waiting for insurance approval, mom had another hospital stay with a UTI. When she got out, she asked for another appointment with Dr Freeman before starting the new regimen. She saw him and talked with him for quite a while and decided to give the new regimen a try. Mom asked when she could start and wanted to make sure it wouldn’t have to get another round on or near Thanksgiving. She got her infusion that day. 

About a week later she was getting really confused, weak and had a hard time communicating. She ended up in the emergency room and it was determined her sodium was low again. It wasn’t as low as the first time but still was dangerously low. She was admitted to ICU to bring her sodium up and balance her electrolytes. She was there a few days and then moved to another room to get sodium up to normal levels. 

Mom talked with Dr Freeman about her reaction to this regimen. He thought she should not have this regimen again and he didn’t think she would tolerate any of the other drugs well. They decided to stop treatment and to start hospice. 

So this is where we are currently with Mom settling in again at their new home, Dad taking good care of her and both of them meeting all of the hospice folks that will be supporting all of us from here on out. Thanksgiving has been a whirlwind of visitors for Mom and Dad. Their Christmas tree is decorated and advent calendar is set up too. 

As we move into this next phase, I have a favor to ask. There are so many awful things about this disease, but one thing it has given is the opportunity to tell Mom what her life has meant to all of us. Would you please take a quick minute or two to leave a memory or tell Sue how her life intersected with yours and the impact that has had on you. We would so appreciate it!

Thanks, Mary