why hello 2016 ...
2015 was a huge transitional year for me. With the ups of moving into our new home the RNB, came some downs, with my mom falling on Mother's Day. I chose not to speak too much about my mom and her health on my social media because in all honesty people visiting my sites probably would rather not to hear about me feeling overwhelmed about my 83 year old mother's rising health issues. It is something I cope with privately.
SANDWICH GENERATION;
noun
a generation of people typically in their thirties or forties, responsible for bringing up their own children and for the care of their aging parents....
yup, that is me..
I am my mom's only girl and I am the baby of the family. I always felt that girls typically take on more of the caretaker role as their parents age. This is true for me. As I have written on many posts, I believe that everything that happens in life is for a reason.
Before I moved to MN, my physical therapy career had been at same clinic for 7 years where I has completed my first clinical rotation. When I moved to MN, I felt like I needed to explore different environments before commiting to a single facility. So, I decided to work PRN for outside registry, where I worked in a wide variety of settings, acute care, ortho outpatients, TCU, SNF.
At the end of a year, I found myself working for an amazing company in Rochester MN. Majority of the caseload was TCU/SNF.
Why am I writing about this?
1) I learned that I really do enjoy treating the geriatric population. Strange huh? I know, it took me a bit by surprise as well. What I can tell you is this... Although they were not physically not as advanced, they could have medically complex cases. I learned to look at the whole person not just the diagnosis. There is something quite powerful when you witness a patient regain their independence. 2) I recognized doctors not communicating with each other(right hand not talking to the left) for whatever the reason... and the patient being left in the middle.
My years in MN has brought me to where I stand today, my mom's wing man and advocate.
Since her fall, I have been diligent about keeping all doctors in communication with each other about all blood work , test findings medication changes, etc.
We went to her Oncology appointment last Thursday (to discuss her Bone Marrow biopsy findings), I asked my best friend Tiffany to go, I wanted to have another set of ears listening in case my emotions inhibited me from hearing everything. I also had my brother on speaker phone , again, just in case, since I knew he would be asking me many questions. It was simply easier and I believe a sound decision.
At 83 my mom was diagnosed with CMML, a rare form of Leukaemia.
Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukaemia
There I wrote it.
Once we were given a definitive diagnosis, the doc said, "it sounds way worse than it is" I looked at him slightly puzzled. He was optimistic because her hemoglobin numbers were going up since stopping a certain medication for her Rheumatoid Arthritis. It was suppressing her Bone Marrow production. So in the last 2 weeks, she feels better than she has in the past 4 months....
The next day, we went see her primary doc. The usual pleasantries were done, then she looked at her chart.... She saw there was already a faxed dictation from her Oncologist from the day before. Her primary thanked me for the great job I have done creating this open dialogue with her doctors. She had never experienced such fluid communication.
Why am I writing a blog about this?
Well, I think it is a bit therapeutic for me in all honesty.It is my truth.You see the reality is that I try very hard to see where the lessons are in life. I look for the reasons, especially during shitty times. I realize that my years in MN were in preparation to help my mom . I trust God, even when it is difficult to see the forest through the trees.
What I can tell you with 100% certainty is that my mom has a positive attitude, strong faith and an amazingly strong constitution. We are at a place where we are in a holding pattern. No treatment plan, no cure. That's strangely ok and I am at peace.
I am a member of the sandwich generation. I will continue to make sound decisions for both my mom and my boys when given the opportunity. I am thankful to have been chosen to be her daughter and their mom. Although challenging at times, I am thankful for my tribe.
So if you follow my #daily3 pictures of appreciation, and see a post about my mom, you will understand. If you see a post with Steve, know he is my rock during difficult times. I am forever thankful for my life and my journey.
Wishing you health and happiness,
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