1.13.11

AYNSLEY:
Honestly, today I was out of the loop. I didn't have a chance to speak with Mom until tonight at 11pm (EST), but she sounded great then. Ross and Claudia were in the middle of "spa treatment" as she called it: hand and foot massages. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but Mom particularly likes the massages that Ross and Claudia give. At one point when I was there, she requested a foot rub and I started to pull off a sock. "No, thanks, honey-can you please send Ross and Claudia in? They were doing such a good job earlier." So it's very lucky that I live in NY and they live in Seattle and not the other way around.

Radiation was moved to later in the afternoon because one of the machines was out of order. So Mom had physical therapy at 11:30am, (and that's now on the schedule for 11:30 every day) and then chemo right afterwards. She called it her shot in the head when I spoke with her. Today the chemo headache wasn't as severe as it's been in the past, which was great. I volunteered Ross and Claud for a head massage when they were done with the hands but Mom said she didn't need it.

Despite making an effort to eat more yesterday, it continues to be a struggle to get enough calories in. She enjoyed last night's dinner so much that she ate leftovers for lunch, which was great. And Dad is planning to surprise her tonight when he comes back from showering at home with her favorite favorite snack: stove popped popcorn. Of course, popcorn isn't super calorie dense, but I think it will peak her appetite and maybe prove a gateway food for other options tonight. I also got her to start making a list of things she wants from NY when I come back next week. So far:

• corned beef and rye bread ("of course")
• pickles (oh, how my plane mates will love me!)
• bagels (though this may have been a Ross request...),
• black and white cookies (which I like to give Gary credit for introducing her to-for those of you who don't know these NYC cookies-they're basically cake and amazing! And Gary's favorite)
• a pretty head scarf. She said her hair would pretty much be gone when I come back (though I think it's gone now) and I told her I'd look for something in reds and golds-everything she has now is blues, greens and purples, which are definitely her favorite colors, but she's going to need many options

She continues to sound like herself and is really fun to talk to. I'm hoping to head back out the 22nd or 23rd; I have a ticket for the 27th, but my work is being SO AMAZING for me and I'm having a hard time being in NY, so I think I'll just go sooner. Plus another dear friend of hers will be coming for a long weekend visit next weekend and I want to see her, too. Though it's really important for me to come home, recharge, work, see my friends, work out and get acupuncture, I don't want to miss any more moments with my mom than I absolutely have to.