Dear Friends and Family,
It has been a difficult week for Annette.
Last weekend, Annette began experiencing severe symptoms of extreme fatigue, confusion and disorientation. She was taken by her family to the hospital where she had already had a CT scan scheduled for that day.
Her oncologist decided to admit her in order to run some more tests to get to the bottom of the issues.
Today, the results were shared with us and the news was somewhat encouraging. Fortunately, although the cancer has grown, it has not spread to any other major organs that they could see. The disorientation, confusion and extreme fatigue is likely from too much medication in her system.
Annette had radiation 10 days ago to help manage some symptoms. Apparently, when the tumors shrunk, her body no longer needed as much medication to control the pain. When the meds are not used to manage pain, they can cause side-effects. There is a fine balance between medication and pain. If there is more medication than there is pain, that medication will cause side effects. If there is a balance between pain and meds, there will be minimal side effects. So while she was still on the same dose of medictaion, since her tumors had gotten smaller and therefore caused less pain, the excess meds caused these nasty side effects.
We are thankful for this bit of good news and pray for a good leveling out of her meds. We are hoping that she will be able to return home Friday or Saturday.
Today, she seemed to be perking up, even taking a trip to the cafeteria for a hamburger, fries and hagen daz! When we left at 6:00 this evening, she was sitting in the lounge having a conversation with family. Let's pray together that this continues in the right direction.
She and her family are grateful for all your prayers, support and offers of help.
Love, Lisa, Annette and family
"I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for he is right beside me." (Psalm 16:8)
23 comments:
Thank you Lisa. I am glad that she is starting to feel better and that she will get to come home soon. I hope that her medication is balanced correctly and that this feeling better continues. I too am encouraged by what they see, even though there is growth it is contained. We just love Annette so much and want only the best for her.
Kris, mom to Jennifer
Hugs to you all. As always we are thinking of you Annette, Lisa, Uncle Gordon and your families.
Lori
Thank you for the update. I am so happy to hear that Annette is feeling better. I am also very happy that there has been no spread. It is also really great that less pain meds are needed!
Please give Annette my love!
In prayer,
STephanie (Katie's mom)
We'll pray that everything is leveled out and you are able to go home Annette.
Hugs and Prayers,
Coby and the boys.
thanks for the update Lisa. Can you email me as to information on the hospital please? Give Annette a big hug and if I don't hear from you I will call Tom at home. Thanks!
jehjms(at)yahoo.com
What a difficult week, but the news sounds very encouraging. I'm glad that the doctors figured out that the meds needed to be adjusted and that Annette is eating burgers and Hagen Daz...and enjoying converstion with her dear family.
Annette.....we are sending you all of our love and hope you are back home soon.
Peace and lvoe, Tara Marie
Thanks for the update Lisa. You are in our thoughts and daily prayers Annette!
Thank you so much for the update, Lisa. Annette is always in our thoughts and prayers. Here's hoping Annette is home soon!
Always, always have you in my prayers.
I'm glad you are up and things are getting leveled out some.
Know we are thinking about you.
Annette you are always in our prayers! Big HUGS to you! What a great thing to get some encouraging news!
Lisa, thank you for the update. Annette, you are always in my thoughts and prayers. I am happy to hear that you are feeling better and will soon be home.
Love Clare and family
Thank you for the update, Lisa. It is American Thanksgiving today, and I'm thankful that the drs were able to figure out what was wrong and that Annette is feeling better. Please send her our fondest wishes; we are thinking of her always.
Debbie (Binny's mom)
I hope that she is home very soon! Continued prayers from us! Today, Thanksgiving here in the US, I am grateful to count Annette as a very dear friend!
Rhonda and Alex
Big,big hugs Annette - I hope you are feeling perkier very soon.
Crank some "Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell" and remember when we were all 17!:)
(((hugs)))
Betsy
Annette, we love you honey and are praying non stop. Lisa, thank you for updating us. She's like family to us and it is so hard not to be closer and able to visit. Nicole
Thanks Lisa from us as well for the update! So happy to hear some encouraging news.... I will continue to believe in the miracles that surround us and believe somehow that Annette will beat this monster!!!
Send her lots of hugs and well wishes to come home quickly! Today as we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. we are thankful to know Annette - she truly is an incredible inspiration!
Love,
Lisa and Lily
Hello Family:
Sean and I are waiting for our student and PSW to arrive so we decided to check in on the family.
There is always an up side no matter how small. Good news the tumours are shrinking, sad news the meds have knocked you for a loop.
I have found a grade 2 student in my new school who is Ryan without the DS. He has such a happy, round, inquisitive, mischievious manner about him. My new friend has a dirt bike and a 4-wheeler. He has stated that he has visited the emergency dept. many times since birth for "stitches, gluing his eye back together, 500 stitches alone to his left arm from wrist to shoulder and I'm sure there was more but the lunch recess bell went. You once asked me why I always laughed or smiled as soon as I saw Ryan's face. It was because his face showed everything going on with him at that moment and what I could look forward to that day. I truly miss seeing him. Hopefully it can happen soon. I truly miss that face. If we can be of any help at all please, call. That's what we are here for. I feel for each of you and will continue to pray for you all as each is affected differently with each new situation.
Hello Annette and Family, and thank you for the update Lisa. We are continuing to pray and are thankful for some good news. Blessings, Yvonne Veldboom (VanHuizen)
Thank you Lisa for keeping us updated. We are glad to hear that Annette is starting to feel better.
We will keep praying for her and everyone she loves.
Ron and Mary-Ann
Thinking about you Annette and wishing for your continued improvement and return home real soon.
Love, Lorna
thanks Lisa for your update, we continue to uphold Annette and all of you in our prayers. May God give all of you what you stand in need of, we pray that things may soon go better for Annette, love Peter & Susan Nauta
Thanks so much for updating us... Annette we are thinking of you and praying for you... we will miss your smiling faces this Saturday night but will celebrate with you and Tom soon... take care... Jen & John
Thank-you for the update...oh, Annette, how I wish I lived closer so I could do something for you!!! I'm always thinking of you and praying that you're doing well.
Melissa (and Garrett, and the rest, too)
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