Day 5 at Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Friday, May 9th 2014

Today was our fifth day at Cancer Treatment Centers of America and mom's first appointment of the day was at Radiology Oncology to have her port accessed and reviewed.  According to our schedule for the day she was to have simulation directly following.  Being that mom's mouth was still very tender and still had stitches in her gums, her simulation was rescheduled for next Wednesday morning. 

While we were waiting on mom to come out, we noticed this bell with the story of the Two Horses.  The story is very inspiring and the bell is used during a patient's graduation from Radiation Therapy!  We are very excited and can't wait until mom graduates after 7 weeks of daily treatments.

TWO HORSES

(Author Unknown)

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you get a closer look you will notice something quite interesting...One of the horses is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made him a safe and comfortable barn to live in. This alone is pretty amazing. But if you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. It is coming from a smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small, copper-colored bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watched these two friends you'll see that the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, he will stop occasionally to look back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse, being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. And at the other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way.

Next on today's schedule was a Mammogram followed by an MRI.  The Mammogram was ordered due to a procedure that was done last year.  During mom's 2013 yearly Mammogram, an usual spot was found.  After many tests and a biopsy, it was discovered that she had a calcium build up.  CTCA thoroughly examines each and every aspect of their patients so I knew this was a precautionary test and not a new concern.  Thankfully, the mammogram came back completely clear and the calcium build up has completely disappeared. What a relief! Finally some good news!  The MRI was canceled so went to lunch.  

The cafeteria here is unreal with organic foods and an amazing menu. The prices are extremely inexpensive and the patients eat for free.  I love the seaweed salad!

Next on the schedule for today was an Evaluation and Treatment appointment with Jennifer Cargile, Speech Language Pathologist.  Ms. Cargile was very informative about the needs of certain exercises mom should be doing to keep her throat muscles strong in order to be able to swollow during the radiation treatments.  She tested mom's ability to chew and swollow as well as her ability to drink fluids.  So far so good, mom passed with flying colors.  We will be meeting with Ms. Cargile pretty often once radiation starts. 

Finally, our last appointment of the day was a Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment with Judeen Rivers. Ms. Rivers was also a pleasure to meet with and gave mom a list of physical exercises to do daily to keep up her muscle mass and strength. Ms. Rivers stated mom seemed in pretty good shape except for her left hip is a little weak and that could likely be from her Osteoporosis.

Today was an excellent day!  We left CTCA exhausted from a full schedule and full of hope!

The Charm of the Day is Diamonds which is our Mother's Birthstone.