Update on my Mom

Last week Friday, I came to Fort Atkinson where my Mom lives and went with her to a follow up doctor appointment.  In May, Mom had Pancreatitus, Gall Bladder removal surgery, and a scope surgical procedure to check the Pancreas.  She had been hospitalized for three weeks and now home for about three weeks.  Mom is doing pretty good, but still very weak.


At last week Friday's appointment the doctor ordered some more tests.  She had an MRI of her brain on Thursday. Within an hour of the test the doctor called me and said he had bad news.  He said Mom has a brain tumor 2 1/2" in diameter. He described it to my Mom as the size of a fist.  It is between the bone of her skull and the soft lining of the brain and it needs to be surgically removed, as it is causing pressure on the brain.  The Doctor said it is effecting the short term memory part of her brain and causing some confusion. He put Mom on a seizure medicine and a medicine for the swelling.  He scheduled an appointment at University Hospital in Madison with a Neurology Surgeon.


Monday, we will meet with the Neurology surgeon.  Mom will have another MRI on Monday or Tuesday to do mapping for the surgery. The surgery is now scheduled for Thursday.  The Doctor's nurse said there is a slight chance the Dr. would move the surgery up to Monday, if Mom is worse by the appointment.


I believe she is feeling better and thinking a little clearer at times, as the medicines seem to be helping.  Maybe they are relieving some of the pressure on the brain.


My youngest brother, Marty who lives in Texas and his wife, Ann are driving up here, to Wisconsin.  Mark and his wife Julie live a house away from my Mom.  We will gather for a dinner at Mark and Julie's tonight and spend some time with Mom, all together this weekend.


Please keep my Mom and our family in your thoughts and prayers...


Thanks,
Marcia

Me and Mom, when we made the Hospice Passage Quilt, earlier this year.  Alex, my nephew took the pictures.  He really had us laughing, so he got some good smiles!

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Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday - My Mom and Baskets and a Double Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  

Check the May for Me page for the current Giveaways.

Anyone remember last years' post called "When I am not Quilting... I am Sewing... and I am Weaving" ?  My Mom and I made 16 woven baskets!


Today's Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday is in honor of my Mom.  If you read last week's Thursday's Thoughts you will know that my Mom inspired me to craft!  My cousin put up on Facebook that my Mom inspired her to weave.  Many of you comment and email about your Moms and those people who inspired you to craft, sew, and quilt.  


Today I am sitting in a hospital room with my Mom in her home town of Fort Atkinson.  After numerous tests it has been determined that she has pancreatitis.  This was probably caused by gall stones--a few small ones and one large one.  We met with her doctor and a surgeon and the determined her gall bladder needs to be removed.  So tomorrow morning, Wednesday, she will have surgery to have it removed.  This all came on very suddenly and I rushed over to be with her.  We are in a good place and they are taking good care of my Mom.  


The first photo above it of us is from when we made the passage quilt for hospice.  My nephew, Alex was taking the picture and was making us laugh!


Here we are at Barb's Quilt Retreat last November. We were weaving, weaving, weaving... Mom is in the striped sweater on the left side of the picture. 

We kept busy the whole weekend just weaving the days away!  


Well you can see Mom was working, but I think at this point in the retreat I was running around taking pictures.  I could have been talking and laughing, as I tend to do a lot of that.


When we got home to my house, we set up our little sweat shop in my dinning and living room and made more baskets.  I quilted on customer's quilts in the mornings and then we would weave away the afternoon....

I don't cook anyway, so who needs a dining room table?

Pattern information on other post.

So thank all the people in your life for inspiring you to craft, sew, and quilt!


Today's May for Me Giveaway is simple, as it needs to be for me, because I am not at home...but I have my laptop with me!


It's a Double-double Prize!  I will draw two winners on Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 6pm.  Two winners to represent the one who inspired you and one for you!  Each winner will receive a set of May for Me Note Cards and The Easy To Sew Quilt Pattern.   Two prizes each!


So 2 things to do:   Please tell me if you are a follower or a new follower and tell me "Who inspired you to craft, sew, or quilt?"

Remember to enjoy each day in May!


Marcia

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