March 26, 2009

John returned to his mission on Tuesday morning and while we all miss his wonderful smile, we are glad he has returned to where he is supposed to be. We are so glad that he was able to come home and visit for a few days. It was great that he was able to come and give my mom a couple of blessings and spend time with her. He was also the King Carrot Juice Maker and very helpful in other ways as well. Speaking of carrot juice, this, along with wheat grass juice, is a staple in my mom's diet right now. We are battling hard at this cancer from a few different angles. Mom has always been a strong woman and she continues to show her strength by staying on a strict diet. She is determined to gain strength and pushes herself to stand on her own and walk around the room. Her oxygen also is improving and the nurse has decreased the amount of oxygen that she needs during the day (this is good). Before the snow hit us, she actually spent a few hours outside in the sunshine. Even though we have a lot of good news - she still has cancer and she is usually in pain and occasionally sick. She has been sleeping pretty well, but lately has been really groggy, even during the day. She is on blood thinner to reduce the risk of blood clots, but these shots seem to be causing excess bleeding. And speaking of shots, since she has to have those in her stomach twice a day - it is hard to find an unbruised spot to give her her next shot. On a happier note, Mom and the whole family are so appreciative of all the many, many people of have sent meals, cards, flowers, emails and their love through various ways. The meals have been delicious and very helpful. The flowers have been beautiful and uplifting. Mom has enjoyed reading all the messages. Thank you especially for all the many prayers - never under estimate the power of prayer. I personally think it is a miracle that my mom has improved after coming home from the hospital with "2 weeks to 2 months" to live.