Mom Update

Today, my mom is cancer free. It is worth repeating- Mom is cancer free! If you look at her, it would appear at first glance, that she is not sick. I know she is feeling back to her old self because my parents are back to bickering with each other. Her phone calls every other day have increased to four times a day. Her prosthesis has come in and she is proud to walk around town without the fear of socks falling out of her shirt.

Mom still lives with severe liver disease. This will never go away until she gets a transplant. Her liver issues leave her tired and worn out. It’s her body’s way of healing itself. She is getting better with planning her days out and she gives herself enough rest to get all her shopping in.

At the end of last week, my family received some exciting and unexpected news. My mother is back to “active” on the transplant list. Originally, we were told that she has to be free from cancer for five years before being placed back on the list. We are not sure how she is back on the list but she is and we are going to take it.

It is the hope that my family needs. Mom does not have a number, not like last time. She was number seventeen, then down to number eleven, and then to “inactive”. Now we know that when she gets sick again the doctors will be able to actually do something instead of telling us there is nothing they can do.

The doctors tell us that a liver transplant patient will get really, really sick before they receive their transplant and to expect two to three hospital stays before she is moved up on the transplant list. Mom has already had one hospital visit this year in March. Right now she is watching her diet. As long as she takes care of herself the longer she will stay out of the hospital.

This time last year we thought it would be the last Christmas we would have with Mom. Here we are, one year later and she is back to her old self. This is so awesome and the best Christmas gift my family could receive.