#PURPLESTRONG

Our beautiful mother of 4, Rhonda, woke up in the middle of the night on September 1st, 2018 , drenched in sweat, shouting that she needed to go to the hospital. We basically flew there. The next hours were absolutely agonizing as we waited for her pain to be under control. With the amount of different medications give, nothing was even coming close to touching the pain that she  was in. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Mom went under emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor at the base of her skull. was diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma on September 1st, 2018 after emergency brain surgery was necessary to remove a tumor at the back of her head.

The next two days after her surgery were the toughest. She had her head wrapped up and was mostly unconscious. Once she did wake up, she was confused but quickly regained her quirky personality. She wore her panda eye mask with pride when the lights seem to bother her too much. Every doctor came in the room through the next few days said multiple times that she shouldn't even be away yet. 

When we were told the news of cancer, several lesions were visible from the scans of her brain, lungs and liver. First it was called Lung Cancer, then Brain Cancer, then finally diagnosed as Metastatic Melanoma. The cancer had already metastasized by the time we found it. 

After being in the ICU for 4 days,  she was moved to a regular patient room to be monitored for the night before going to her Rehabilitation Facility the next day where she spent the next two weeks. These two weeks,  personally I was so thankful for. I was able to experience her work from the ground up. Learning to walk again, eat on her own. I even got to eat the macaroni & cheese that she did for her very first cooking lesson. When I came to visit and she was walking from the bathroom to her bed, I cried. It had been two weeks at that point that I was able to hug her while she was standing. Mom is the strongest person I know. 

Chemotherapy started as soon as she was healthy enough to undergo it. Mom worked hard every single day, building her strength and staying positive.  She tried radiation for a few days but it made her too sick. 

She made the decision to get her hair cut before it started falling out because the doctors let us know FOR SURE that she was going to lose it. You will not believe how well Mom can rock short hair. Super cute! After about two weeks, her hair started thinning, her hair line receding. Even though she was sad, she was still taking it as everything came at her, facing it all as the brave woman she is. Brian (at the time boyfriend) helped shave her head and I got to help do touch-ups! I really felt so honored to do so!

This past Monday (11122018), Mom had a hard time walking without feeling like she was going to pass out. The Cancer Center decided to send her to the emergency room to be safe rather than sorry. Once Mom got there, all she wanted to do was sleep, and wake up every so often to do to the bathroom (more often than normal). They did a CT Scan that didn't show anything that the doctors didn't already know. Oncology decided to admit her to keep an eye on her. Her memory through the day was really bad. She kept forgetting why we were there and also, she was in immense pain since her last dosage was at 8:30 in the morning. Once they gave her medicine, she was back to sassing and demanding snacks. We got dinner ordered as soon as she got to the room. Later that night, when they came for her to do the MRI, she started going back to her original state. Her memory started slipping and she started to get tired again. I left, knowing that she was in good hands.

Tuesday was so difficult. This is when the doctors started to worry. Her pain wouldn't subside and her regular medicine dosages weren't working. The doctor came to us with the difficult conversation that this was the last stage of the disease. All of us were so distraught. She continued the conversation by telling us that if they didn't get the pain to go down, they would have to put her into a Medicinal Coma to let her get good sleep. If it wasn't better by morning, it would be time to put her back to sleep and say goodbye. All of the department leaders from Oncology, Radiology and Cardiology were out of ideas and suggested everything could think of. We really thought that it was the end.

Then! A wonderful thing happened! A doctor suggested Ketamine, in small dosages, it can be used to fight immense headaches. My mom made the decision herself to start the Ketamine and switch to a comfort track which she had previously refused two weeks prior. You will not BELIEVE the results that happened in even 20 minutes. She was awake and talking and laughing with us. This was the night she proposed to Brian! "Baby! Will you marry me? I'm sorry this isn't more romantic but oh well." The whole room, smiling from ear to ear at her new found energy, exploded in cheering and clapping when he said yes. 

The Hospital Staff and Hospice workers were MORE than overjoyed to help throw the wedding together. They ordered a cake, hired musicians, a photographer and reporter. The Chaplain who had been working with us  was so excited to lead the ceremonies that took place. On the wedding day, Mom was so happy and absolutely glowing in excitement. She held the energy to stay awake from 4:30 in the morning to 10:00 at night. It was a long happy day full of smiles, tears, laughing, crying and being surrounded by the best people we've ever come into contact with. 

Today she is a bit tired, but her happiness and personality haven't dulled one bit. It has been a long and hard battle even up until this point but her spirit never waivers.

While the support, love and visitations have been absolutely amazing, the bills are adding up and we're trying to make it work the best we can.  Any help would be amazing! Stubbornness runs in the family which is why we've waited to ask for help until now. My mom knows she can do it all herself, but with her sitting on the sidelines, she's started asking for help little by little! 

ANYTHING HELPS; even prayers, love and warms vibes being sent our way.

Here's to the Purple Queen!