The Chemo Home Stretch

Mom received her 3rd out of 4 A/C chemo treatments this past Tuesday, as well as her shot on Wednesday to increase her white blood cell count. So far she has been tolerating this round much better than the other two. She is still experiencing nausea and fatigue, but has been trying her best to eat and drink to avoid another stint in the hospital. Kristen has been there this past week and is leaving on Friday. She has been putting her nursing skills to good use, reminding Mom to take her medications, taking Mom's vitals, and whipping up Mrs. Grasses soup! Last Monday when Mom was still feeling good, they enjoyed a roast beef sandwich at Houston's! It was a smart decision for Mom to take her last two chemo treatments 3 weeks apart instead of 2, because that 3rd week really gave her an opportunity to recuperate. Dad was even able to convince her to have an adventure at the Fine Arts Museum and she also enjoyed some lobster mac & cheese :)

Mom and Dad met with the surgeon today, and if everything goes as planned,  Mom will be having her surgery on August 19. She will only have to spend 1 night in the hospital and following the surgery she will have 3 weeks of rest with very little activity.

Aunt Margo and Uncle Ben came to visit this past weekend. Aunt Margo helped Mom put together a 500 piece ice cream puzzle, while Uncle Ben and Dad headed off to the races! They had a blast dodging the rain at the Houston Grand Prix all day on Saturday. Yesterday Pat (Kristen's husband) flew into town for a three day visit. They have plans to go to a Houston Astros game tonight... hopefully they will catch a foul ball!!

Dad is still enjoying his newest identity as a 'squirrel enthusiast'. He is very pleased because he has a red cardinal that frequents his squirrel-proof bird feeder daily. He is keeping the varmints well fed with his corn cobs, although the squirrels got on his bad side last week when they ate some of his sunflower seedlings. He has also added a number of new butterfly bushes to his backward garden, but is a bit frustrated that he is unable to attract hummingbirds to his Houston botanical sanctuary... you know how he attracts droves of hummers at the farm!!!