The Mom Update

I spoke with my sister last night, and the news is just not fun.

The Princess Mom has three tumors in three different spots on her brain. Without radiation, the seizures will continue, and probably increase in both numbers and severity. In addition, they're causing some memory issues which will also get worse if the tumors go untreated. Overall, they're saying she's got six to eight months to live.

She's currently on an anti-seizure medication and a steroid to bring down the swelling caused by the tumors. Monday she starts on a three week course of radiation treatments, five days a week.

Knowing the Princess Mom, she's not at all happy with the idea of losing her hair. (In fact, when she was diagnosed the first time, she was all set to refuse radiation for that very reason. Vanity, thy name is Barbara.)

She's also got to face the fact that she won't be getting behind the wheel of her beloved Cadillac again. It's still down in Florida, and, though the Princess Mom instructed my brother to have it shipped up anyway, my sister has put the kibosh on that one. Good for her. TPM was a terror on the highway before. I can't imagine what she'd be like now... and she'd probably use that memory problem as an excuse to "forget" that she's no longer allowed to drive. Ack.

I spoke with My Most Precious Child last night, too. Finding out that time is short with the surprise grandmother who she's come to love was devastating for her. She'll be coming to visit this weekend. That's a good thing.

I put in a call to her mother to clue her in that MMPC is having a rough, rough time with this. CancunAnne rocks and is a rock. (How I got so lucky is beyond me.) She took the bad news in stride and offered to help with driving TPM to and from radiation treatments.

My Mother-in-Law By Choice, the Sweetheart of Shell Knob, MO called immediately after reading my post, offering love and prayers. I may have lost the boyfriend, but I kept the best parts of that family!

Yes, we're all circling the wagons. We're a tenacious bunch, and we'll get through this together.

I'll be out with TPM and my sibs this weekend. Keep those prayers coming, please. They mean the world to us.