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I'm Joan's Daughter - April Smith.
In May of 2015 my mother took ill and discovered that she was losing blood, her eyes and skin color jaundice
. Something was not right.
Loosing blood is frightening, causing fatigue and an overall poor feeling daily. Her MD tested her blood and recommended Iron Infusions.
July and August 2015 we traveled to Saint Mary's for a couple hour visit with the infusion man - Dan the Man!
After two months of Iron infusions in Red Bluff and a colon oscopy we found out mom had colon cancer.
Surgery was scheduled in November of 2015 followed by biopsies and body scans. She had a week of in hospital stay at Shasta Regional, which was not pleasant.
The doctors determined that the cancer had spread to at least her lymph nodes and possibly to other organs.
Staging cancer is a difficult thing if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes can give the cancer sells a transport to any other part of the body. Multiple body scans and biopsies were taken. We had always been told it's Stage 3. Stage 3 is curable, Stage 4 is treatable....
The next step in preparation of the chemo was to have surgery to insert a port so as not to have to have an IV every week for chemo. The port is a device under your skin in your chest that directly connects to your juggler vein for infusions. It protrudes from the chest under the skin, not a nice looking bump.
The nurses, for the last 7 months have draw blood
weekly thru her arm (making sure the chemo is not killing her completely), followed by chemo directly into the port - taking roughly 4-5 hours at a sitting. After the direct chemo in to the port, we are direct to Owens where Mom would get hooked up to a battery operated chemo infusion that lasted 24x7 for 3 full days.
This battery hums every time it gives her a dose of chemo.... With the chemo killing her white blood cells and the cancer ---- she needs nuprogen shots for 3-5 days following to build her back up. Nuprogen stimulates the bone marrow to make white bood cells, it really makes your bones ache all over.
Mom actually will say the nuprogen is worse than the chemo.
Body scan's showed spots on her lungs - so guess what - another surgery, this time at Vibra for a lung biopsy.
Today she is fighting to stay alive, has numb feet, numb hands, tired and is loosing all her hair.
This has been a difficult battle where she has found little time to work. Keeping up with her medical expenses and daily living expenses has not been possible.
If you know my mother, you know she works hard and is usually at her antique store 6 days a week making ends meet, - this is the life she loves and wants to return to.
We have a strong support system with my brother Larry Smith & his partner Alisa Higgins living in Redding taking mom to all her appointments!!
Mom is just not able to keep her store open to pay for the medical expenses. If you can help, stop by her store, donate to this go fund me for her medical expenses or share on facebook. Her store is in Cottonwood right down from the eatery or new mexican restaurant.
I'm very thankful for everyones support. My mom is doing her part and fighting the fight. The cancer has spread to her lungs and the oncologist has put her on a second round of chemo to fight the colon cancer in the lungs.
She is smiling, loving life and could use your support.
It's a battle, takes a town - Cottonwood.
April Smith
In May of 2015 my mother took ill and discovered that she was losing blood, her eyes and skin color jaundice
. Something was not right.
Loosing blood is frightening, causing fatigue and an overall poor feeling daily. Her MD tested her blood and recommended Iron Infusions.
July and August 2015 we traveled to Saint Mary's for a couple hour visit with the infusion man - Dan the Man!
After two months of Iron infusions in Red Bluff and a colon oscopy we found out mom had colon cancer.
Surgery was scheduled in November of 2015 followed by biopsies and body scans. She had a week of in hospital stay at Shasta Regional, which was not pleasant.
The doctors determined that the cancer had spread to at least her lymph nodes and possibly to other organs.
Staging cancer is a difficult thing if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes can give the cancer sells a transport to any other part of the body. Multiple body scans and biopsies were taken. We had always been told it's Stage 3. Stage 3 is curable, Stage 4 is treatable....
The next step in preparation of the chemo was to have surgery to insert a port so as not to have to have an IV every week for chemo. The port is a device under your skin in your chest that directly connects to your juggler vein for infusions. It protrudes from the chest under the skin, not a nice looking bump.
The nurses, for the last 7 months have draw blood
weekly thru her arm (making sure the chemo is not killing her completely), followed by chemo directly into the port - taking roughly 4-5 hours at a sitting. After the direct chemo in to the port, we are direct to Owens where Mom would get hooked up to a battery operated chemo infusion that lasted 24x7 for 3 full days.
This battery hums every time it gives her a dose of chemo.... With the chemo killing her white blood cells and the cancer ---- she needs nuprogen shots for 3-5 days following to build her back up. Nuprogen stimulates the bone marrow to make white bood cells, it really makes your bones ache all over.
Mom actually will say the nuprogen is worse than the chemo.
Body scan's showed spots on her lungs - so guess what - another surgery, this time at Vibra for a lung biopsy.
Today she is fighting to stay alive, has numb feet, numb hands, tired and is loosing all her hair.
This has been a difficult battle where she has found little time to work. Keeping up with her medical expenses and daily living expenses has not been possible.
If you know my mother, you know she works hard and is usually at her antique store 6 days a week making ends meet, - this is the life she loves and wants to return to.
We have a strong support system with my brother Larry Smith & his partner Alisa Higgins living in Redding taking mom to all her appointments!!
Mom is just not able to keep her store open to pay for the medical expenses. If you can help, stop by her store, donate to this go fund me for her medical expenses or share on facebook. Her store is in Cottonwood right down from the eatery or new mexican restaurant.
I'm very thankful for everyones support. My mom is doing her part and fighting the fight. The cancer has spread to her lungs and the oncologist has put her on a second round of chemo to fight the colon cancer in the lungs.
She is smiling, loving life and could use your support.
It's a battle, takes a town - Cottonwood.
April Smith