Still in Hospital

Sorry for the delay in updating the results of the MRI. I have been at the hospital in Mobile for the past 6 days. The MRI was not done until Friday. Mom could not stay in a particular position for the amount of time it would take to complete the MRI. After two attempts, the doctors decided that they would have to use anesthesia to perform the MRI. It was scheduled and performed on Friday. Mom was extremely upset that she had not been able to do the MRI. Thursday and Friday were some of the toughest days she has had yet. She was very emotional and down. However, Saturday was a new day -- a day where everyone seemed to regroup and things began to progress. The orthopedic doctor told us that there was nothing to be done surgically. As I have stated previously, Mom has cancer in her leg/pelvic area which has spread from her lung and has caused a fracture. The fracture is actually located in the pelvis, which radiates the pain down her left leg. The doctors are unable to determine what exactly has caused the increase in pain. The fracture may have become deeper and larger or another possibility is that the cancer appears to have spread to some of the surrounding bone tissue near the fracture. This tissue is where the pain receptors and nerves are found. It was decided that radiation was the direction to take in hopes that this would help with the cancer and pain in that area. Radiation began Monday and will take place Monday through Friday for 2 to 3 weeks. The length of the radiation will depend on how Mom does. If she feels better after 10 treatments, then they will stop. The doctors have not been able to get her pain under control through oral medication. She is administered pain meds through an IV and through oral medication. Until the doctors can get her pain under control through oral medication alone, they will not release her from the hospital. Mom is right where she needs to be right now; however, we hope that the radiation will work and that we will see some improvement by Tuesday. We hope that she doesn't have to stay in the hospital the entire length of the radiation. The doctors also took into consideration that Mom doesn't live in Mobile, and they did not think the daily trips to and from Mobile would be something that she could handle well. A couple of weeks after the radiation is complete, provided that Mom is able, the doctors will try a different chemo regimen. Although the particular chemo combination was working in most areas of Mom's body, it was not working in the pelvis. The doctors want to try a different combination. Mom is in Providence Hospital in Mobile in Room 1235. She is not able to receive food, flowers, or fruit, due to hospital restrictions in that particular unit. I am at home for a couple of days and will head back down to Mobile Friday. I will update in a few days.