I’m extremely thankful for all the email I have received concerning MomGeeding.  Read on for an update if you are interested.

The good news is all the emotional hateful baggage is gone, and we are on positive terms again.  Thank you for all the prayers, as it was tearing me up inside.  The bad news, she’s still in the hospital and in poor health.

Her kidneys are basically not functioning because of lupus, and she had to start dialysis. The first dialysis treatment was on Saturday, and it had her feeling better since it removed a lot of built up toxins.  To get her body accustomed to the treatment (three times a week for the rest of her life), she also had a dialysis treatment for the next three days as well.  The dialysis is making her extremely tired and weak, so much so I thought she had a stroke because her speech is slurred and her movement is very slow.

The doctors are consulting on what to do next concerning how to treat her lupus.  Remember, at the end of August she had her first chemotherapy treatment, then started to cough up blood a few days later.  The doctors are not sure if the lupus has spread to her lungs or if coughing up blood was a result of the chemotherapy.  If she is coughing up blood because of the chemo, we will have to find an alternative treatment.  Right now the docs are trying to decide if she will go through chemo again in the next few days.  If they have her go through chemo again, and she coughs up blood, that will be the end of chemo.

Along with this, she is the lightest I have ever seen her, her blood pressure is remaining close to 200, and she is extremely depressed and lonely – calling me up to 5-8 times a day.  So far the docs are thinking she can come home anywhere from 2-5 more weeks. Working a full day, studying for the two night classes I teach, visiting Mom, as well as other responsibilities is taking it’s toll on me.  Friends often ask howÂam I doing, and I usually just say OK, but truth be told, I’m a wreck.  Thankfully dogGeeding and otherdogGeeding are there to comfort me, oh, and wifeGeeding and sisterGeeding as well.

I have an older brother that for some reason stopped talking to the family.  He stopped showing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas for the past 2-3 years, never returning any of our calls.  I tried my best to reach out, even transferring some home made videos to DVD and sending them to him, but never received a response.  This was tearing Mom up, and then she reached a stage of acceptance, I guess that is what you can call it. However, for the past several days Mom has really missed having him in her life, and wants to know if she can correct any wrongs.  WifeGeeding and I have called him and left him messages regarding her health, but he still refuses to be part of the family.  The real sad part . . . he lives less than two miles from us.

I’m sorry if this is sounding like a sob story, but I gave you the option of reading this.  Many of you have sent me emails asking for updates, and I thought this would be the best way to respond.  Once again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.