Support Mrs Zapata in Her Battle with Cancer

Hi my name is Nicole or as many of you know, Nikki. My mother is my whole world and she has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma.

Long story short:

My mother has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer that has spread to her lungs and liver. We're managing her pain with medication to keep her stable and alert. She can’t swallow and is being fed through a tube. Her lungs cause additional challenges, with heavy coughing episodes and fluid buildup, which we drain regularly. I’m sharing this to convey the seriousness of her condition and its impact on our lives.

Short story long:

Just before my parents’ 50th anniversary weekend on October 12th, they took a bus to San Antonio for emergency imaging, as my mother’s swallowing issues had worsened. I worked to get her scheduled as quickly as possible and even arranged an allergy test to rule out other issues. At that point, she could still eat but felt discomfort after each meal. I drove them back home at the end of the weekend, and she started feeling achy with a low-grade fever. By the time I returned to San Antonio, her fever rose to 100 degrees, and she went to urgent care, where they sent her home with some medication.

Throughout the week, I noticed her occasional nighttime cough worsening, sounding like a smoker’s cough, and her voice had changed. Sensing this might be serious, I quickly arranged leave from work and headed back to help her. I drove to pick up my parents, and by then, her cough had become more constant. At my place, I suspected aspiration pneumonia from her swallowing issues and decided to take her to the ER. This was confirmed, and she was given antibiotics and sent home. Unfortunately, her condition worsened overnight. The next night, her blood sugar dropped suddenly, and I called paramedics to help as I was 30 minutes away.

She was taken back to the ER and admitted to the hospital at 3 AM on October 19th. We’ve been in the hospital since, navigating an emotional journey with many diagnoses. We’ve accepted most of it, though her post-hospital care plan is still being arranged. Per her wishes, she doesn’t want chemotherapy and has requested to stay in a nursing home with hospice care for medical needs, allowing us to be with her as family. Medicare will likely cover hospice, but we’re still unsure of the exact out of pocket cost for the nursing home. We were told it will start at around $5,000 per month.

Support: Although my father holds no reservation on paying for her care, any support would be a big help during this difficult time. Many of you have generously offered to help with meals, which we truly appreciate. However, it's hard for me right now to coordinate pickups or make specific requests, so this option is easier for us to manage. Thank you so much for your understanding and support.

I hope that this information helps everyone to understand what our family is going through as well as shed light on things in your own life. In all of this, my mothers words are, “Always get the operations/imaging that you might need when told.” She believes that her denying things like this has led to the sudden diagnosis. Either way, as I tell her for reassurance, “God has the wheel and we are only the passengers.”

Her energy is low and her pain is being managed but even so, she is such a champ and continues to use her moments of slight energy for laughter and socialization. I will share some photos of our memories here. Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you all.