update on Mami - 2009 07 23

Hola everyone

It's been a while, I am sorry.
Lots going on.... Let's just say that
since March 2008, my life has been
like a roller coaster... Major betrayal,
10 creative years wasted, you live,
you learn, you forgive but never
forget the burn....I have been
strugling with my own scary
health issuesand my worst
night mare.... my mother
fighting cancer.

I hope everyone is doing well and
enjoying the summer time even with
the odd weather. I know this email is
going all over the globe, but here in
Ottawa, it's "wait and see what the
weather will be in 15 minutes!"
Sunny then rain, then sun again
then rain and sunshine together,
then black skies and 3 minutes
later sunny again??? Somebody
give mother nature some Prozac
allready! LOL!

Just wanted to give an update on
our precious Mami. Sorry for not
updating,,,hard to stay on top of
everything lately. To the new add's
to the MAMI email list, my family
apologizes, it has been difficult
to get a master email together.

Mom has done 10 of 33 radiations,
and 2 of 8 chemos. Her radiation
treatments havebeen transferred
to the Civic from the General which
is at the other end of the city. So that
is a good thing. The cancer lodge is right
there at the Civic, so now all she has to
do is take the elevator from her lodge
down to the radiology unit in the
basement.... No more commuting
to the other end of the city!

The chemo treatments however,
remain at the General, but that's
okay as they are only once a week.
More manageable and less stress
on mom.

She was excited today and talking
about going home to Nat's tomorrow
for the weekend and seeing her babies
(the kids) and her cats too! She misses
her grand kids desperately and she cherishes
the weekends away from hospital and cancer
lodge in a way that we probably take for granted.

The renovations of the family home are
almost done and we anticipate that Mom
will be able to return to her new surroundings
in about 2 weeks on weekends.

We learned today that the MRI scan
they did last week for Mom is CLEAN!!!!!!
It has NOT spread and the masses remain
only onher lung and in the chest lymph glands.
We believe the prayers and positive thoughts
and wishes are working along with Mom's
unyielding determination.

Even though Mom is experiencing this
strange and foreign time in her life, taking
enormous amountsof medications / treatments,
she continues to have an incredibly admirable
spirit and positive attitude. She continues to
joke and make us all laugh and assures us that
everything is going to be allright and doesn't
want anyone to worry and that we are going
home to Mexico next winter for our family time.

She continues to gaze at the photo of the
Acapulco sunset and is adamant the she is going
back. Mami is truly an inspiration to all of us.
She is doing remarkably well and has not been ill
with the chemo treatments as of yet.
Although her hair is starting to fall out,
she insists that it's only hair and it will
grow back. What an incredible woman
she is!

Tuesday, my sister Nathalie and I
wentwith her and she picked out her
wig and had it cut and styled and she
looked like a million bucks! She is
prepared and ready for what lies ahead.

Next Tuesday, she is going back to the
General for chemo #3 and another CTC
scan to see how the treatments are working.
We should hopefully have some news on the
progress by next friday when we meet with
the oncologist. We remain hopeful and EXPECT
positive news.

Thank you for all your calls and emails
and all the beautiful flowers and gifts...
We are going to have to rent another
room soon at the cancer lodge for all the
goodies being sent! LOL!

Please know that Mami reads every email
that I print for her daily, and she is astounded
with all the love, support and prayers in the emails
people have sent. She gets emotional when she asks
how she can ever thank everyone for allthe support
and we simply tell her that it's not hard for people
to reach out and encourage someone so incredible
as her and the love being reciprocated goes without
question.

I realize more and more that my Mom
does not know that she is an amazing human
being and that is what makes her the beautiful wife,
mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend that she
is to us all. She is our rock, our foundation, our first
lady of my family's core existance.

Please keep the prayers and good thoughts
flowing. It means alot to Mami and she says
thank you for all you have done, for all the
prayers, the love and support.

Keep you posted.

xo DEVON NIKO