In the past couple of weeks, mom has figured out that if she keeps all the lights in the house off when we talk via webcam, her face is only illuminated by her laptop screen and I can barely see her.  Tonight I fought back and did the same thing, and finally got her to turn on the lights again.

Her face isn’t sunken and sickly anymore.

“I think the medication they’re giving me to improve my appetite is working too well,” she complained.  “I’m eating three meals a day!“

O, the horror.

She’s not fat, but I’m sure she thinks she is.  I almost said she looks healthy, but her color is terrible, her eyes are tiny and puffy from exhaustion, and of course she has no hair.  But her cheeks aren’t concave.  Her jawline doesn’t look like a weapon.  She’s actually eating.

The next brain scan is at the end of this week, Thursday, I think.  For the moment, though, I’ll take this as a success.

She read me the report of the bone scan.  The report showed minimal tracer absorption in her bones, but she was concerned about the part that described significant and symmetrical absorption in her kidneys.  I thought fast and realized that the tracer is probably processed through the kidneys, which is why it was accumulating there, and explained that and pointed out that if both kidneys are absorbing the same amount, they’re both working properly.  I’m making this up as I go–I have no idea how the tracer is metabolized–but it seems to make sense and made mom feel a lot better.

I think she was planning on staying awake tonight until 2130.  Considering how exhausted she’s been and how early she’s been going to bed, this is pretty impressive.  Of course, chemo starts tomorrow and the fun begins again.

She’s planning on bringing a tuna sandwich to have for lunch.  The first day is long, and she’ll be there well past lunchtime.  It’s the first time I’ve heard her plan to pack food to bring for chemo.