Constant Pain.

It has been over a month since the last post and I hardly know what to share at this point. Mom has been in almost constant pain. I will see if I can catch up chronologically with the physical and emotional struggles she has had.

We were thrilled with the news that she didn't have tumors in her brain, but the pain in her back continued to bother her. She was having a hard time making it through her days at school. She started a new chemo drug that is really aggressive and has more intense side effects. Nausea is probably the most intense, but with all the pain meds she was experiencing dry mouth, constipation, fatigue. You name it she was experiencing it. It was taking a toll.

The district office invited her in to talk about her options: it boiled down to the point that if she didn't want a lapse in her benefits and could continue to receive some income that she should "quit immediately." That decision just about broke her heart. She is very loyal to the 1st graders and I will be surprised if you don't catch her volunteering.

Over the course of the last week we had appointments with the oncologist and radiologist to discuss how to manage the pain and why there was so much pain. The radiologist ordered an MRI on her L3 area and we were surprised to learn that there is a crack. I didn't hear the options, but they have to do with adhesive or radiation. We will learn more this week.

Needless to say, anyone in constant pain is going to have really rough days. We pray that mom will find some relief. She has decisions to make about her current treatment plan and we know that she will do what is best for her.

Thank you always for your continued prayers and support.
Val