A Nice Little Outing

This past weekend, mom was up for a short little outing. She was still very tired from the chemo but she wanted to get out and enjoy some of the nice weather. We only went out for a little while but I took the opportunity to get some pictures. With this new chemo, she's completely fatigued and lethargic all the time so she has to rest and conserve her energy as much as possible. She also wanted to get a bit dressed up so she wore her jewelry pieces. She wants to thank people who've purchased pieces of The Rita Collection and supporting stomach cancer awareness. It means a lot to her.

Chemo Round 3 - Session 2

Today's session went well. Mom is feeling pretty good.  Her white blood count was a bit low but it was still within a reasonable range to go forward with the chemo treatment today.

She was in good spirits as her two sisters came to visit her again. It was a girls day at the chemo clinic today. They told me stories of when Mandy and I were young and all the naughty/cute things we did. It filled my heart with so much joy to see mom laughing and reminiscing of the past times. I wish all days can be good days like today...

A fellow stomach cancer warrior friend of mine wrote this as her Facebook status yesterday. I thought it was fitting because up until a few months ago I really didn't know deep down what a 'bad' day was. The things you see right before your eyes and the pain you have to push through to make it to the next day is life changing.

Feel free to think of me when you're having a bad day. I just feel blessed to have been given another pain free day! :-)  -- MC

Here are some pics I took of mom and my aunties today. Mom is sporting some pieces from The Rita Collection.

Chemo Round 3 - Session 1

Yesterday we started the third round of chemo. There will be 4 sessions in this round. Mom is relaxing a lot today. This  new chemo makes her very weak and exhibits a lot of  flu-like symptoms, so we are trying to manage that. We're also keeping a very close eye on blood counts and making sure she's hydrated. She wants to thank everyone out there for thinking of her.

Here are a few pics we took yesterday!

The Rita Collection

The wait is over. The Rita Collection is here!

I am so happy to announce this jewelry line dedicated to my mom and her journey. The color red was chosen because that is my mom's favorite color. It signifies passion, strength, and courage.

With any purchase from The Rita Collection, 20% of proceeds will be donated to No Stomach for Cancer, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and funding research for stomach cancer. They've helped me personally through difficult times and I believe in the work they do as it directly impacts my family.

I encourage you to support this amazing cause and my mom, Rita. My mom loves jewelry and will be sporting a few pieces very soon.

I heartfelt thank you to Jana Litecky, who put her heart and soul into this. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel.

To order go to: http://shoppingbuyfaith.com/stomach-cancer-awareness.html

So, what are you waiting for? Go shopping! :)

And when you do buy your bling, please send me a pic (loritas@gmail.com) of you wearing it. I want to show mom how much support she has.

This is it

The last few days have been so low for me. Mom has been having a rough couple days. She's been unable to keep anything of sustenance down and many other issues that I choose not to discuss.

I'm scared about tomorrow. This is it. Will this new chemo be responsive and give us more time? I'm so so tired of bad news and so is she. The realization that she won't make it through this has been taken a great emotional toll on her. All I can do is be there for her. A shoulder to cry on and a voice of hope. Up to this point, I've done a decent job at keeping my tears at bay and focusing on what I had to accomplish. But this week, I find myself just crying all the time because she's asked me to start doing research on hospice care and final arrangements.  

I also think of that look she gave me at our last appointment when she found out the cancer got worse haunts my mind. The tears that flooded her eyes and the trembling of her lips...it was like she was the child crying and I was the mother comforting her.

I am not very religious but tonight I am praying for some good news as we head into chemo round 3.  Sandra..Rajen...she's not ready yet.

Capacity of Love

My dad came to visit from New York for a couple weeks to help me out with whatever he could. I just wanted to thank him for coming to Minnesota. Even though we live in two different states, it's was comforting to have my daddy here.

I remember when I was a little girl and running into him arms when mom was chasing me around because I had done something mischievous.  He was my knight in shining armor and protected me from whatever punishment I should've gotten. :-)

Nurse Rita

Watching the opening ceremony of the London Olympics last night (the segment featuring the amazing nurses and doctors), I couldn't help but think about my mom and her adventures in London in her youth.  I spoke with her for several hours today about her time in London since she was feeling somewhat "normal".

A lot of people don't know this, but mom use to be a nurse at Kingston Hospital in Middlesex, London. She resided there from age 18 to 21. She did rounds in the children's ward with very sick kids. She said how it broke her heart to come in on any given morning and see an empty hospital bed. She said that was one of the main reasons, she stopped being a nurse. It weighed heavy on her heart seeing the innocent dying.

I remember when I was sick as a kid with chronic bronchitis and how miserable it was.  But it was always so comforting knowing that my mom was taking care of me.  She made everything better. There's nothing that can compare to a mother's love. I hope these past few months I can do a fraction of comfort, she's done to me. I love my mom...

Nurse Rita