Kicking cancer's ass - day 450

Yesterday I did something I never thought I'd have to do, and I certainly never wanted to have to do.

I made a list of chemo tips for my mother.

She saw her oncologist and things are moving fast.  She'll have a PET scan next week to make sure there aren't any pesky cancer cells anywhere else.  After that she'll have surgery to get her port put in and her first chemo treatment will be December 3rd.  As much as this all sucks, I think we both feel the same way - let's get this show on the road.

While the chemo "cocktail" used for colon cancer is different than anything I had for breast cancer, some of the side effects are the same.  So while I can't be there for her during her chemo, I can share what I've learned from my own experience - things that helped and things to avoid.

She's not much of a researcher, and I am an obsessive researcher, so I scoured the internet today to find any helpful information about her chemotherapy.  I probably overwhelmed her with email after email, but I always say knowledge is power.  And one thing I've learned is that doctors don't always tell you everything.  Either they don't want you to know certain things or they just don't think to tell you.

Mom was a bit shell-shocked at first.  Every cancer patient is when they first have to digest the reality of their chemotherapy regimen.  She rebounded quickly, though, and by the afternoon she sounded more positive and ready to move forward.

It will be a long six months for my mom.  I pray that her side effects are minimal and controllable, and that she leans on the support system around her.