Now that we have digested our food from the Chinese New Year, we are officially back on track and excited to share the latest and greatest on ALL THINGS RITA!
It's been a relatively easy and quiet couple of weeks since we last checked in with you, but we certainly have lots to share.
Rita started chemo #10 on Monday, April 6th. As you may have anticipated, Rita is now on a first name basis with many of the Drs, nurses, receptionists, and even a few patients. She transitioned from the Newbie to the Queen-Bee with her natural charm. (I believe she got a foot rub at her last session?!!) Her new chemo cocktail has been enhanced with another medicine to help boost her immune system. She had her first dose starting with chemo #9 and it did bring back some nausea for the first few days, but Rita was able to grin and bear it without too much of a struggle. We are hoping #10 goes more smoothly. Chemo #12 is the next milestone we are marching towards as the oncologist will take another CAT-scan to see how chemo has been affecting her disease.
We are now on the second week of a two-day per week TPN cadence (12hr IV-nutrition) which has been going great. Rita did lose some weight out of the gate, but has been able to sustain her "new normal" weight for an extended period of time. Though Rita's appetite is back, her portions remain limited. We are all working hard to help Rita pack on a few more healthy pounds.
When Rita left the hospital she had a walker for almost two months. That transitioned to the IV pole for a full month and now we are all in shock at how quickly she is moving on her own two feet. If you are lucky enough, you may even catch her doing a loop around the cul-de-sac at the end of the driveway. Ernie (the dog) immediately returned to his regular routine and loves having his mom back.
Rita is starting to meet with a nutritionist to help combat some of the longer term effects of chemo. She received a laundry list of do's and don'ts that she has been a great sport about. Prior to the nutritionist, no celery was allowed in any of her juices, and if we snuck some in, Rita would know because she hated the taste. Following the meeting with her nutritionist, Rita is now drinking 5 oz of celery juice every morning! She is taking full advantage of Eastern & Western medicine and we all believe it's helping.
Rita continues to be Rita. Everyday we feed off of her incredibly strong and positive demeanor. She truly has been a rock in this fight.
Thank you all for following along, sending your love and support, and keeping Rita in your thoughts and prayers. EVERYTHING HELPS!
Best,
The Foderas
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