Hanging in there....

Hi All,
We didn't have the best night last night. Mom isn't in any pain or anything. She's just so incredibly tired. And if it wasn't the nurses coming in and turning on the lights, it was her monitors going off.

Please continue to pray specific prayers for her spirits, for the complications she's dealing with to be resolved, and for her rest. Please also pray for good, clear communication between the doctors who are overseeing her case. Right now she's under the care of her breast cancer oncologist, her nephrologist (kidneys), neurologist and endocrinologist. They are constantly contradicting each other which has caused a great deal of confusion and uncertainty.

Right now, as things stand, if they're going to do another MRI it won't be until Thursday. They are going to biopsy the kidney tomorrow. If it's breast cancer related, they'll treat it. If not, they'll just do radiation on the skull tumor. The endocrinologists won't let them anywhere near the pancreas for a biopsy. And the neurosurgeon doesn't want to do a biopsy on the skull tumor. On that one, there is a 20% chance that a biopsy could leave her an invalid or worse.

Dr. Green, the breast cancer oncologist that's been Mom's doctor for three years, has told her that if this is breast cancer related it can't be cured -- but it can be treated. The good thing about how they managed her care before is that they haven't ever used chemo on her. So they have a whole host of chemo drugs they could use without worrying about resistance.

We're still treading water.

I really am worried about her spirits. Every day seems to bring more bad news, and it's piling up on her. She's starting to ask whether Abbie & Kait would remember her if she doesn't make it out of the hospital. That kind of thing. I've tried pointing out specific things that I remember from when I was little, although I'm not sure those memories go back as far as four or five -- but I think some of them do. Things like "Rooster" the chicken that Grandma and Grandad had, Brownie the horse at Nelva's that I was sure was mine. When I was the same exact age Abbie is now, Brian Clark (our next door neighbor) and I were using Black Cat firecrackers to blow up apples in his backyard. Mom said, "I don't remember that one." I said, "You think I would have told you?"

That's the news for today. Please pray for all of us as we make our way through this maze of uncertainty.

Biggs Hugs,
d.

p.s. Mom is getting the emails you're sending and loving them! Please don't stop sending them!!! Jokes are welcome, too! Send Emails to MD Anderson: https://www2.mdanderson.org/sapp/contact/message.cfm
First Name: Billie Sue
Last Name: Stephens
Birthdate: 3/2/46