Welcome, home Brigitte.
Sounds like you have had one heck of a time. I am glad everythign
worked out as well as it did. Scary, scary stuff!!
    Rose   @}>->--
    Being educated means that rather than fearing the unknown, one seeks to understand it. RB

    Please remove "Ima" to reply.

Welcome back, Brigitte.  Sounds like you really went the rounds in October.
Lots of hugs for you, your son, and your mother.
(((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))

Navy
Take out the FISH to email me.

heyyyyyyyyy, good to see you again!

who'dda thunk your plate was THAT full!  man, your family has been through
some very scary stuff!  seems like a good time for some gentle hugs of
relief---((((((((((((((((((((brigitte))))))))))))))))))))

a perfect bill of health is all that matters now.  how frightening that
entire ordeal with your son's sepsis must have been for you.  i know i
wouldn't have handled it as well as you did.

i'm glad your mother is hanging in there and that her cancer is curable.
i'm sure she's enjoying having her family around her.

as for you, sweetie, i think your idea of taking off for a week by yourself
is one of the best things you can do for yourself.   caregivers rarely get
the chance to take care of themselves.  when you get back, check out your
local hospital or your mother's cancer clinic to see if they can set you and
your mom up with "respite care".  it might give you a break of a couple of
hours a week.  i know i wish i had known about it during my husband's
illness.

take good care of you,

kate

I see a few names that I recognize.  Glad to see you all still here.
Sorry that you have to be here.  But all in all, I needed someplace to
go today and I remembered this group.  Where else can you go for good
friends, support, kindness, tears and laughter?

Just a quick update on my family and myself.  It's been a horrible
month.  My health is pretty much the same.  Sjogren's Syndrome,
arthritis and the works.  But I'm hanging in there.  Most of the time
not too badly.  In September, my son Cameron and I went to California
to pick up my mom.  We left on the 25th and got home on the 28th.
Cameron did all the driving.  He is now 16 1/2.  He did a great job.
I am so pleased with him.  His driving skills are superb!  (done
bragging for the moment)  My mom has bladder cancer.  So..... we get
home on Friday morning at 6am and sleep for the day.  Take the weekend
off and start Monday to make all of her doctor's appointments.  We
need a primary, urologist, you name it, we need it.  I get a couple of
them made and the whole family rallies around to visit and so on.

Wednesday Oct 3rd, my mom is having trouble with her catheter.  I tell
her I will take her to the Emergency room in the morning to get it
checked.   Cameron is not feeling well and he doesn't look good
either.  His eyes are all ringed in black like he is not getting
enough sleep.  His skin is kind of pasty looking and I ask him if he
feels bad enough to go the ER right now.  He says no, he can wait til
the morning.  Why make two trips.  Ok, we all go to bed.

I wake up around 8am and call Cameron on his cell phone.  He doesn't
answer.  I tried three times.  Growling I get up out of bed and go
knock on his door.  Still no answer.  I go to my room, get his room
key and tell him I'm coming in.  He's sound asleep and snoring.  I
think...wait...Cameron doesn't snore!  My mind springs into action...
there is something wrong here.  I try to wake him up.  Shake him, slap
his cheek (gently of course), nothing.  he isn't waking up.  He is
totally unresponsive.  So I panic and call my girlfriend who is a
nurse.  She says call 911.  Oh yeah...duh!   The paramedics come and
take one look and take him out to the ambulance on a run and they are
gone.  Sirens blaring, lights flashing and I know we are in trouble.

When I got to the hospital, they were workiing on him.  They told me
that he was hooked up to all kinds of machines, lines going everywhere
because his organs were shutting down.  They told me to make my
arrangements because they didn't think he was going to make it.  I
called the family and then I told the nurse that I needed to see him.
I don't ever want to see anything like that again.  He was sooooo
still and sooooo sick.  Somehow or other he got a staph infection
which turned into pneumonia and sepsis.  4 days later as he was being
discharged the doctor just stood there shaking his head and said, "As
sick as you were, I just can't believe I'm discharging you today".
We've had our share of follow up visits with doctors, cardiologists
and everything else and he has a perfect bill of health.  Talk about a
miracle.

Then back to my Mom.  We are now in Seattle at Virginia Mason getting
a very thourough examination to find out the status of her cancer.  We
spent thursday driving up here all day and then three hours at the
hospital.  yesterday we spend 6 hours there and are going on Monday
for a biopsy and related stuff.  Hopefully then we can go home.  We
are staying with my brother right now.  That's interesting in
itself....lol  But for Mom, things are looking pretty good.  She is in
good health other than the cancer and anemia caused by the big C.
It's a good cancer because it's the kiind that doesn't usually
spread.  It's confined to the bladder and can be "cured" one way or
the other.  Will keep you posted on that.

After we get home and I get Mom squared away it will be time for me to
start my round of doctor's appts again.  I lost my medical a year ago
and just got it back.  What a relief.  Get everything taken care of
and then I'm leaving to take a week off by myself and go somewhere
where no one can find me!  I need a break so bad....but I keep on
going.  I feel like the energizer bunny....lol

Well, we are going to the aquarium in a bit so I better get off here
and get ready to go.  I'll be back...sounds ominous, doesn't it????
Sea ya

Brigitte

Brigitte,

good to see you. I have missed seeing you around.

I am sorry to hear about this horrible month you have had. I hope all goes
well and all heals well from all that you all have been thru. You take care
and hang in there.

Glad to see you got your medical back. I hope all goes well for you from
here on out.