(I'm not sure what the appropriate board is for this post. Apologies if I'm not is the right place.)

It appears that my mother, who has been my rock through my previous illnesses and this one, had a small stroke yesterday. She looks much younger than her 70 years, and I think we both forget just how old she really is.

Yesterday afternoon, on our way home from my radiation, she began to garble some words and feel woozy/nauseous/disoriented. She didn't let on how just how bad she felt, and was blaming it on a bad breakfast burrito, but when she couldn't tell me the date, I insisted we go to the local hospital. Thank God I did! There was no sign of stroke on the CT scan, but she'll be having an MRI today, along with some other tests so the docs should be able to tell just what happened. She was trying to be brave yesterday, but I know she was scared.

My friend is driving me in to my treatment today, including some fluids and Aloxi for my nausea, and then I'll head over to see my Mom this afternoon.

My own illness I can handle, but I don't know if I can handle my Mom's.

Margaret- Hang in there. Doctors can do amazing things for stroke patients and it seems like you got her treatment early.

Sue

Margaret:

Sorry that you have this to go thru on top of everything else. The hospital is the right place for your mom, they will find out whats wrong and help her. She is in good hands.

Margaret,

Continue to get this checked out. My MIL, 75 at the time, was having "memory lapses" and her doctors were blaming old age. and her diabetes. This from a lady with 2 PHD's. Finally my wife persisted and found one that did extensive tests and determined she was having mini strokes and she was put on some meds and as long as she takes them she's fine. It was scary and funny at times as she would be sitting there and then just go quiet for a few seconds and then not remember what happened or even what day it was. Scary because it could happen while she was driving but funny because she would swear she was "awake" the whole time.

My mother came 'home' last night. The MRI, ultrasound and echo-cardiogram were all clear, so we don't really know what happened, but she is taking this episode as a stern warning from her body to take better care of herself. The docs did adjust some of her meds, and it turns out she is hypothyroid so she'll be taking thyroid medication but for the most part she's feeling damned lucky it wasn't worse.

Thank you all for your good thoughts. I really appreciate them!

Glad your mom is doing better.

Margaret,

Gosh! I was just reading thru this thread and I am really glad it seems to have turned out OK and your Mom is home.

How are you doing? If my tally is correct you have two weeks of RT to go.

I hope knowing your Mom is better and the weekend break gives you a little relief (physically and mentally); or, is there a point where there is no bounce back on weekends?

Don -

I am doing as well as can be expected! It was truly stressful thinking my Mom was sick and the relief is tremendous. For me, there is a little bounce back on the weekends, mostly because I'm a little over an hour's drive from my cancer center and to not have to make that trip is a bonus. I do try to get out on the weekends as well, at least to look at something other than the inside of a building. I pack up some cans of Jevity and my meds and my Mom and I drive to someplace beautiful. I love filling my brain with new images and thoughts. It makes sitting in the hospital a little more pleasant.

I have 11 radiation treatments left, and two weekly chemo treatments. It is getting tougher, but so far my skin is in pretty good shape, my tongue is a mess and I'm having to take all my nutrition and meds through the tube. I am being good about doing my swallowing exercises though and I thank this forum for telling me how important that is.

How are you holding up?

Margaret,

You really are a "Trooper". My Nutritionist was telling me how much better you gals are at handling this � pain management and all. She was nicely inferring how us guy seem to hit the wall and turn into wimps.

After having emasculated me she politely caulked it up to child bearing. Interestingly that day I showed with my friend Betty wearing her gardening hat since I am starting to look like a lobster and my ball caps won�t cut it anymore.

On the way Betty had remarked that we had to find me something more suitable or she was going to paint my nail and put lipstick on me. Apparently she thinks her gardening hat is not suitable lunch attire and made me look like an aging drag queen � well, might that be close enough to help a little with that pain management??

Anyway yesterday we went and found me a killer straw cowboy hat! Wow, I thought it made me look like a Texas Stud, but Betty says no, �more like a hokey Oki� (slang for Oklahoman). Maybe with a pair of cowboy boots?.... and then maybe not!

Anyway the mouth and throat have almost hit the wall, other than that I am fine. Today I was looking for soft food again. Found numerous cans of Mushroom soup left over from my tonsillectomy, but the milk to mix it with was out of date and sour, so I figured what the hell and mixed it with a can of PEG Nutren. A bit thick, added some water�. Well my taste buds are bit shot, but not that shot. So, shortly I am off the grocery, in a cowboy hat, once again in search of soft food (anything to avoid the dreaded PEG).

I know, next week I must confront PEG reality, but not today

Hope you and your Mom find a beautiful place and have a wonderful outing (Jevity Picnic).

Margaret, I am just getting caught up here. Sorry to hear about your mother but I'm glad that it came out pretty well all things considered. Hope you both got some good rest over the weekend and you are both doing well this week.

Nelie

Thank you Nelie : )

She appears to be fine and yes, we both got some well needed rest over the weekend and took a wonderful walk near Walden Pond in Concord, MA on Sunday. Today during my chemo infusion, she went to the Museum of Fine Arts for lunch and a Winslow Homer exhibit.

[quote=margaret_in_ma]I am being good about doing my swallowing exercises though and I thank this forum for telling me how important that is.[/quote]

Don't forget to also do the mouth opening exercises and plenty of neck rolling in all directions to keep that stuf from getting too fibrous -- A PT taught me that you can turn your neck as far to one side as possible whilst looking more or less straight ahead, but then look to that side and you get a few more degrees.

Post-radiation, it snuck up on me that I was having trouble getting into car seats unless I tilted my head exactly right because it wouldn't fold back.

Hey Pete!

Mouth stretching, swallowing, jaw stretching all being done - but I haven't been given any neck exercises and its definitely getting tight. I have a follow up appointment with my MO team next week and was going to ask about it. The nurse practitioner did say something last week about PT for the lymphedema happening under my chin as well.

Thank you for the reminder!

ASK first before you do anything that someone here suggests, but my surgeon, in addition to the mouth-opening exercises (therabyte, but also stretches...I still do them, many times a day) he also told me to massage my neck where the dissection was done....and he said to do it vigorously, so that the top skin didn't scar down and become tight...to break up fibrous development. OF COURSE you must ask first...and I was not comfortable doing it at first, but I did it....use some nice facial cream so that your hands slide....and now my neck is just as pliable on that side as on the other. Of course, there is no fat on that side (and plenty on the other side, sorry to say!), so I can feel all the interior structures, but nothing is taut, and I am thankful that he told me to "really get after it." (a fairly un-professional instruction, but I did "really get after it."

also, of course, the neck turning, and tilting your head all the way back and stretching with your jaw to stretch your neck tissues....