Next Stop: Nano Knife

Hi family and friends,

A quick update to let you know that tomorrow, Monday at 9am, I will be undergoing a minimally invasive procedure called "nano knife".  The goal is to help in the eradication of the remainder of the tumor by electrical impulses.  It will be a 24 hour overnight stay at Sylvester.  Three of my beautiful children came to town so I will be very well taken care of.  The doctors say it will be seven to ten days of recuperation.  Once I am up and at 'em I will update the blog again. 

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support, Love Mimi

This is a picture of me with Jessie, one of my wonderful grandchildren.  She came to visit last week and gave me a wonderful spa treatment she calls "Relajacion Total" which includes a facial, bubble bath, back and face massage.  It is the best.

An Unforgettable Weekend (or How to Pull off a Surprise)

Before I get into the follow up of my CT scan, let me share the fabulous weekend we experienced.  It was supposed to be a quiet, lovely dinner invitation to celebrate our 40th anniversary, courtesy of our oldest daughter Rocio and Steve.  They arrived Thursday from Tampa and we were having a beautiful time:  movies, coffee, pizza, etc.  Then one by one the rest of the children (4) and their families (15 grandkids and 3 husbands/wives)  started to arrive all in different fashion and in the most surprising scenarios so much that we could not imagine our kids could be such good liars (we did not teach them that--or so I thought).  All in all that is 26 members of the immediate family right there.  Our Angela came from Brooklyn and the rest from Tampa, Lakeland and Gainesville.  And then they saved the biggest surprise for the end.  When taken to dinner my two sisters from Puerto Rico were waiting at the restaurant.  That made it all seem like a dream.  What a wonderful surprise!  A special present was a visit to a photographer for a family portrait which I had begged for ever since I don't know when.  Well as you can see here I finally have our beautiful picture.

Regarding my recent post radiation CT scan, the news is good in that we are still moving in the right direction.  The tumor has decreased a bit more.  There is a good possibility that the tumor might be necrotic (dead tissue essentially) but that will need verification via biopsy.  The plan is to continue the chemo for 2 more months and at that time move forward with the biopsy and a PET scan to see what the results are.  As long as it is chemo I am happy.  Do not mention radiation--that treatment was not that kind to me--the side effects, that is.  The bigger issue still is the location of the tumor and the way it is wrapped around some of those major blood vessels.  That needs to improve more.  Even if the biopsy comes back in our favor this can still be an issue when it comes time for surgery or the like.  Keep the prayers up.  I am always hopeful trusting in His grace and I am ready to accept whatever should happen. 

 Love you all, Mimi

"He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge."  Psalms 91:4

Welcome to the Ungaro clan Baby Ezra!

Dear Friends,

We are happy to introduce a new addition to the Ungaro Family:  Ezra Emanuel Ungaro born to Ricky and Alison a week ago Sunday, September 12th.  He is a bundle of joy!  Ruben and I plan on meeting him this coming week.  Nothing like feeling and smelling the skin of a brand new baby.

As we approach the date of my coming CT scan--about 3 weeks--I am going to request prayers for a tumor that is shrunken or completely disappeared.  With God's grace by this year's end we should have a resolution to this very challenging episode.

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

With love,

Mimi

Radiation, Reunions, & Recovery

Dear Family and Friends,

Finally my 28 radiation treatments are over. Could hardly wait. Now I get two weeks to relax and get my body back to normal. No more treatments until mid September then a CT scan at the end of the month and then I should have some more news for you. I am not feeling great yet as I still have the effects of the radiation lingering in my body but should be feeling better which each passing day.

On a bright note, I was able to visit Puerto Rico last weekend for a family reunion (about 60 of us). I last saw many of them when we were little kids; now they're grown-ups with kids of their own. I have been living in the States for 40 years so you can imagine the changes. On the following day Sunday, we got together as many of the Class of 1965 of Luquillo High School for our 45 year class reunion . We managed to get 20 graduates present and 2 teachers, the group altogether totaled about 60 counting some spouses and others. We pledged to get together in 5 years for our 50th year--a tall order! Where does the time go? I am proud to be their class president.

I shall send more news your way in a few weeks, in the meantime keep the prayers up, now more than ever.

Love,  Mimi

Luquillo Highschool, Class of 1965

Summer Update

Dear family and friends,

It has been way too long since our last update so here we go.  I entered what I like to refer to as my second phase of treatment:  radiation therapy.  For five weeks, radiation has been added to the chemotherapy regimen in an effort to further minimize the size of the tumor.  After five weeks of radiation and then five weeks of "rest" from radiation, the doctors will consider surgery (or what I call "phase 3").

I have already completed 25 out of 28 radiation treatments.  It has not been easy, especially the last few weeks.  As time goes by and apparently accumulation of radiation happens, my body has felt it more each day bringing up the side effects which I did not experience before.  Needless to say this has been harder that I anticipated, especially since my first 6 months were so easy in comparison.  I look forward to completing these treatments in the next two weeks and moving on to the next.  

In the meantime, please keep the prayers up. They are needed!

I leave you with this verse from Romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Love, Mimi

P.S.  This summer has also brought lots of visits from the kids and grandkids.  It has been so wonderful to see everyone.  Here are a few pictures...

Also, some of the kids and grandkids participated in the PANCAN Stride for Life 5K.  It was a great success!  Here are a few pictures for the event.

Quick Update - More News to Come

I just got off the phone with my mother and she wanted me to post a quick update.  Today, she is at The Sylvester Center getting another round of chemotherapy treatment.  By Saturday, she should have some more news to report regarding her next phase of treatment which should include radiation therapy.  Thank you for the continued prayers.  As always they are felt and cherished.  More news soon...

Some Good News & Prayers Needed!

Apologies for such a long time between updates.  My mother has been faithfully undergoing her three weeks on/one week off chemo treatment regimen with very good results.  In an e-mail to her kids the last week, she had this to say:

I am excited about my new tumor marker number which was recorded in Broward County back in January when it was first diagnosed at 555.  The normal number for a CA-19.9 is 35 and lower.  The reading for my last marker was is mid-range 30s...yeah!  Kicking that tumor in the butt as promised.  God is good, no doubt those thousands of prayers have been heard.  Doctor told me not to get too excited, that number goes up and down, he is always so cautious, but mine has mostly gone down.  I am hopeful!

Love you all,  Mom-Boo

Since that e-mail my mother had another round of chemotherapy at home.  While her progress has been good, the side effects of the treatment continue to get tougher and tougher.  Fortunately, she remains patient and hopeful.

Here she is during her last at home treatment:

This is the "woman in the mirror", having chemo at home last month.  The black case carries my two mixes of chemo drugs connecting to my port (chest area left), see fine clear tubing in my hand.  

This Monday, my mother skipped her chemo treatment for a third set of PET and CAT scans.  These scans determine the function and basic "look" of the organs that have been affected by the cancer.  By Thursday they should have the latest results and my parents will then meet with her doctors to determine next steps.

We'll close with a verse that my mother has found comfort in and recently shared with all of her kids.  We hope you find comfort and strength in it, too...

"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you." ~ Psalm 55:22

The Latest on Chemo & Mimi's Milers

Hi Friends.  It's been a while since we've written a blog update and we know that many of you might be curious about the latest on my mom's progress.  Now that I'm back in Brooklyn, I think my mom is the best authority on sharing her progress.  Here are excerpts from a recent e-mail she sent to me and my siblings:

Today [Monday] I went to see my doctor and could not resist having a picture with Mr. Sylvester, the gentleman who donated some money to start things happening at the Center. Of course he is all bronze, as he passed away a while back, but I understand his family still supports the Center.

Well, my lab numbers are good and I am good to go for chemo at home tomorrow early at 7am. We spoke with the doctor and these are the plans: I will have a set of 3 chemos (one each week starting tomorrow), that will be 24-hr. chemo sessions at home and after the end of chemo 3, on week 4 I will have a CT to compare one more time size of tumor and overall analysis from CT #1 (done February 2nd) to CT #2 (done April 22nd).  That will happen if there are no interruptions due to low lab numbers and that will mean we go in during the week of June 7 for CT #3.  Then it's possible we go in for an evaluation with both the oncologist and surgeon the week of June 14.  From there we can make plans for the next step.  

I was told by my doctor that the tumor is about 3cm x 3cm and have I read that the size for successful surgery is better at 2 cm or smaller.  That does not account for the tumor location--in my case it is interfering with some artery or vessels and that is why we need to have it smaller and away from vessels so as not to compromise area.  You don't want to do this kind of surgery more than once as it is a major surgery.  Keep the prayers up for complete zapping of the tumor--wouldn't that be awesome?!

There has been good progress so far. Stay well and keep out of trouble. I told Ruben that the first part of 2010 has been quite a challenge in many levels for our family and friends, but God willing there will be great things happening the second part of the year.  Keep the Faith!

There you have it, friends.   Keep the faith and keep on praying.  In other family news, my sister Rocio has organized a group of my siblings, nieces, and nephews (called Mimi's Milers) to walk in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's (PANCAN) PurpleStride in Tampa Bay where families walk/run to bring awareness and raise funds for pancreatic cancer research.  Here's what Rocio had to say about why Mimi's Milers are walking: 

Our wonderful mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January of this year and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the University of Miami. She is an inspiration to her family and friends as she maintains such a positive outlook and spirit. We are walking and running in support of my mom's fight and all the families who have been affected by this cancer.

It sounds like it's going to be a great event and I wish I was there with them to walk in solidarity.  Instead, I plan on sponsoring Mimi's Milers for their walk on May 22nd.  Do you want to donate to the cause, too?  Check out her fund-raising page here!

Good News and Next Steps

It's been another busy week!  On Monday we met with Dr. Ardalan and he told us what he found in last Thursday's CT and PET scans.  We have two wonderful things to be thankful for:

1.  There is no metastasis of the cancer.  That means nothing has spread and all vital organs (other than the pancreas) are free of malignancy.

2.  The tumor has significantly decreased in size.

Dr. Ardalan says my mother is responding "beautifully" to her chemotherapy treatment.  Everything is working as desired and he wants her to continue with chemo (and perhaps radiotherapy down the line) to shrink the tumor even more.  After that, they will reassess and see if she'll be ready to have it completely removed by surgery or if further treatment is needed.  All of this is great news!

Additionally, we are grateful that my mom has tolerated the chemotherapy and its side affects so well.  In my last three months at home, I've noticed a remarkable difference in my mother's energy, appetite, and appearance.  Honestly, to look at her and spend time with her you would probably find it hard to imagine that she is living with cancer and going through chemotherapy.  That's just a testament to how much my mom rocks and how good God is.

With this bit of good news comes some bittersweet news as well.  My leave from work is up and it's time for me to return back to my job, my friends, and my life in Brooklyn.  I feel very blessed that I was able to take the time to be with my parents during this time and transition.  I'm also very fortunate to have the support of my employers, co-workers and friends that made my leave possible.  I'm going to miss my friends and family in South Florida very much, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to business in Brooklyn!

For the next stage of my mom's chemotherapy, she's going to be trying something a little different.  Instead of her Monday and Tuesday stays at The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in the CTU with our beloved nurses and hospital staff, my mom is going to start at-home chemotherapy.  It seems like it's going to be a great option with (hopefully) less waiting and more mobility for my mom all in the comfort of her own home.  Pretty cool, huh?

Even though I'll be away from Florida, I will still provide updates from time to time so anyone who's interested can stay on top of my mom's progress.  Who knows?  I may even get my mom to start doing some of the blog entries herself!  We'll see.

As always, thank you for your continued prayers, positive thoughts, and support.  We can definitely feel them.  Keep up the good work!

And now, for some lovely photos of my mom's birthday bash last week all taken Martha Font Rodriguez, a good family friend.  Thank you, Martha!

A Happy Birthday and Some Scans

It's been a while between posts.  Thanks for being patient, friends.  As I had mentioned before April has been quite the busy month around here.  We've had lots more family visits with the kids and grandkids and even my mom's sister (Titi Delia) made a special trip from Puerto Rico to see my mom.  

On Saturday, my mom (and my sister, Monica, and my niece, Maria!) celebrated their birthdays.  They are all April 17th babes.  In honor of her birthday, my mom's very special friends, Nana & Pepe, threw her a fantastic party.  With many of her dearest friends & family, an entire roast pig, four birthday cakes, and a live mariachi band my mom declared that this was her "best birthday ever."

Here's a picture of all three birthday girls.  From left to right: Maria (2 years old), Mimi (62 years old), and Monica (37 years old).

I promise to post more pictures and maybe even some videos when I get a chance to snag them from my sisters' various cameras.

As far as treatment goes, my mom skipped last Monday's chemotherapy--which would have been her 8th--due to a low platelet count.  Otherwise her numbers are still good so we were all okay with the chemo break.  Today, my mom proceeded with her scheduled PET and CT scans.  These scans will help determine what her next steps in treatment will be.  We will see her doctors on Monday to discuss the results.  

Next week, I promise to give you more more pictures and news.  Until then, please pray.

Praises/Prayer Requests:

• Praise for wonderful friends and a wonderful birthday!
• Praise and continued thanks for the amazing doctors, nurses, and other medical staff that have taken such good care of my mom during her treatment. 
• Please pray for the PET/CT scans and that the findings would be positive.
• Continued prayer for family & friends with health issues.

Chemo Round 7 and Even More Road Trips

My mom doesn't quit!  (Even if I tell her to.)

With students being off for Spring Break and holy week holidays, April has turned into quite a busy month for us.  Two weeks ago we went to Tampa to see Monica & Brian and their kids.  Here's my mom with Noah, Luke, Simeon, Jael, Skyler, and Eve.

This week my mom decided she really wanted to spend Easter with Lula & Dave and their kids in Lakeland so off we went!  There and back in one day...can you believe it?!

My mom made sure to bring her Easter bonnet which featured pictures of all fourteen grandkids.

The Peoples were totally surprised.  My mom has spent the last seven (at least) Easters with them and she wouldn't let a little thing like distance get in the way of that streak.

Dave had an Easter bonnet, too.  Oh yeah, we had a good time.

Of course, we had another round of chemo after that.  Treatment last Monday/Tuesday was business as usual but my mom had to go in again later that week for shots to boost her WBCs and hemoglobin levels.  As far as treatment goes my mom has to complete one more round of chemotherapy and then the week after that we expect to go in for a CT scan.  After that scan we'll have a better idea of what the tumor looks like and what the next steps of treatment will be.  Until then, we will keep on keepin' on.

After last week's stay at the Sylvester Center we had the pleasure of even more family fun.  Because my nephew Ethen was on spring break, Ricky & Alison and their kiddos came to see us in Margate!

We had a great time taking trips to the park & the pool.

Thanks again, friends, for caring.  It means a lot to us that you're interested in what's going on with my mom and our family during this time.  Until next time...

Praises/Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for our good friend, Archbishop Bruce Knox, who is recently dealing with some health issues of his own.  We love him and ask for healing and peace for him and his family during this time.
• Please continue to pray for our friend Buddy's progress.  Keep up the good work, Buddy!
• Please pray for my mom's continued good health & spirits.  Her progress is steady and we are anxious to see what the results of the CT scan will look like.  So I guess that means you can also pray for patience and good news!
• Praises - We are grateful for good family and good friends.  We are also looking forward to another week off after this next round of chemo.

Chemo Round 6 & a Road Trip!

After a much needed week off of treatment, we're back!  My mom and I spent last Monday/Tuesday in Tampa with family.  A very special occasion took us there--my niece Jael's 15th birthday!--and my mom insisted she wouldn't miss it for the world.  Jael, Monica & Brian's daughter, is my parent's first grandchild so her Quinceañera is a bit of a milestone for us all.

My sister, Monica, arranged a beautiful luncheon for Jael.  She invited many of the older (*ahem*),  wiser women in Jael's life (grandmothers, aunts, friends, etc.) so that we could come together and offer her encouragement, advice and prayer as she enters this next stage of her life.  It was pretty awesome...and pretty emotional, too!

We've had a few other changes in our family this month.  In March we lost our two elder dogs, Mapei and Speedy.  Both dogs lived long and happy lives.  They were 15 and 16 years old when old age and health complications finally caught up with them.  We will miss them very much and take comfort in the fact that we will meet them again some day at The Rainbow Bridge.

This Monday/Tuesday, we were back to business as usual at the Sylvester Center.  My mom felt great after a week off of chemo and her lab works showed that she is progressing nicely.  All blood counts are in the "normal" range and her tumor marker continues to make progress towards "normal."  This is awesome.  Keep up those prayers!

The doctor told my mom that she will go through two more rounds of treatment and then the following week a CT scan to determine next steps.  Next steps could be anything from more chemotherapy to radiation or surgery.  What we're really hoping is that her next step will be REMISSION and that we can eradicate this cancer with chemo & prayer.  That being said...

Praises/Prayer Requests:

• Praise for steadily improving lab work.  We're on the road to better health!
• Praise for a break from chemo & time with family.
• Continued prayer for REMISSION.  Come on folks, let's see the power of prayer and positive thinking in action can do.
• Prayer for my dad.  He does an awful lot to make treatment and life for my mom and our family comfortable.  He's got a lot on his plate these days and a few doses of prayer and relaxation couldn't hurt.

Thanks again for all you do, friends!  One last thing.  Remember that awesome company Feel Good Gowns I mentioned in the last post?  Well my mom is one of their "featured models" on their blog.  Check it out!

Chemo Round 5

On Tuesday, my mom completed her fifth round of chemotherapy treatment in seven weeks.  That means that she gets next week off so that her body can recover.  This is good because even though the chemo is doing its job by killing bad cells in the body, it's also killing good cells and that takes a toll.  In general, my mom is responding nicely to treatment.  Her CA-19.9 (tumor marker) continues to decrease and the expected side effects have been very manageable.

My mom continues to astound with her bright outlook and abundant energy.  Some days she is exceedingly peppy and she tries to do (in my opinion) "too much."  This is when I tell her to "slow down" and "take it easy" but do you think she listens?  It's funny how the roles have reversed.

Last week I mentioned a handmade hospital gown that Mary and Buddy sent to my mom.  She just loves it and we wanted to show some better pictures of her modeling the gown.

This lovely gown was specially made for her by Shalon at Feel Good Gowns.  Mary put my mom in contact with Shalon, the woman who started this wonderful company out of her experience with AVM, and she was incredibly sweet and (like my mom) has an awesome attitude.  It's amazing how something so small can really brighten up a hospital stay.  If you know someone who will be making regular visits to the hospital we hope you'll consider using Feel Good Gowns as a resource.  We just love what Shalon and the gang are doing over there.  (She had this article written about her recently.)

In other news, my mom and I are headed to Tampa for a few days to celebrate Jael's 15th birthday.  Jael is my mom and dad's first grandchild and said she wouldn't miss her Quince for the world.  We'll be sure to post some pictures when we get back.

Thanks so much for the continued prayers.  We've surely felt them.  I know it can be helpful to have something specific to pray for so, here goes.  

Prayer Requests/Praises:

• Praise - We get a week off of chemo.  Yay!
• Restoration of WBCs, platelets, and hemoglobin counts to the normal range for the next treatment.
• Continued decrease of the tumor marker (CA-19.9) numbers.
• Thursdays.  Every week has its highs and lows but Thursday tends to be that day in the cycle of treatment that my mom has been feeling consistently crummy.  It would be nice to have a Thursday that wasn't so bad.
• Remission.  Let's just get rid of this cancer already, shall we?

And now, a word from my mom...

Chemo Round 4

We had a very family-filled time this week.  On Thursday my brother Ricky, his wife Alison, and their kids Ethen, Eliana, Caleb, and Ricardo came to visit my mom (also known as "Boo" to all of her grandkids).  Here's a picture of my mom with Rick & Al's little ones:

After they left, my sisters Rocío and Lula came into town for a quick visit.  Lula brought her two little ones--Timothy and Maria.  Naturally, they love their Boo, too.

In between all this family bonding my mom had her fourth round of chemotherapy.  Her blood counts were still in the target ranges so we were able to proceed with treatment.  Her platelets and WBCs are  looking good, but her hemoglobin counts were a little on the low side.  The tumor marker test (CA-19.9) continues to make it's way towards normal.  All in all, everything seems to be right on track.

My mom continues to stay strong in spirit and in body.  While she has experienced some of the normal chemo side effects one would expect, she really hasn't had too terrible of a time with the treatment.  I know much of her strength comes from her killer attitude and a consistently bright outlook.  Another source of strength has come out of the love showered on her daily by friends and family.  She has been the recipient of many cards, gifts, meals, visits and prayers these past few weeks.  Thank you!

We had to share two things in particular that my mom enjoyed during her last hospital stay.  In this picture my mom is wearing her snazzy, new hospital gown from Feel Good Gowns.  It was generously given to her by Buddy & Mary Peoples.  This gown is much nicer that the generic ones they give you at the hospital and they even got it in purple, the color for pancreatic cancer awareness.  Thanks, Buddy & Mary!

You'll notice my mom is also wearing a lovely red shawl.  This is her "prayer shawl" made especially for her by Wendy from St. Ambrose church.  Can you believe the entire time she was knitting this shawl she was also praying for my mom?  Wow.  Thanks, Wendy!

Chemo Round 3

Look!  Mimi has another team rooting for her in Puerto Rico.  Their shirts say Team Fragosa Corcino and they loooove my mom.  ¡Gracias a todo la familia en Puerto Rico que están enviando su amor a Mimi!  Besos y abrazos a ustedes tambien.

In other news, we want to thank everyone for all the prayers and positive thoughts.  They really do work!  My mom was very diligent last week about staying away from crowds and resting.  We were happy to learn that on Monday when we went in for the usual labs and chemo check-in her blood work was excellent!  Her white blood cells and platelets went way up and were back in the normal range.  Phew.  Even her CA 19-9 (the tumor marker test) has decreased by about 30% just this week alone.  This is all great news.  Praise God!

So on Monday my mom was admitted for her third round of chemotherapy and (as usual) she was fantastic.  She even took time out to say a quick hello to all her friends and family out there.  Enjoy!

• 
  Prayer Requests/Praises:

• Continued stability of platelets and white blood cells.
• Continued good health (i.e. no coughs, colds, fevers, etc.).
• Major tumor shrinkage!  We won't see a CT scan for another 2-4 weeks, but we are hoping for the tumor to shrink and disappear.  It would be super amazing if we could skip surgery altogether!
• Our friend, Buddy Peoples, is improving daily.  Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  We know there's plenty of that good stuff to go around.

Again, thank you ALL for the love and support.  It may sound redundant, but we mean it.  You make it possible to deal.  xoxo

A Not-so-Chemo Monday

As you know, Mondays and Tuesdays are my mom's usual chemotherapy days at the Sylvester Center.  Every Monday, we go in to do "labs" (i.e. bloodwork), check in with my Mom's doctor, and if everything's in order she receives the 24-hour chemotherapy drip.

This week my mom has been feeling pretty great in general.  (The prayers and positive thoughts of all our family and friends have been a big part of her doing so well.  Thank you!)  However, when she got her lab results back it showed that her platelet and white blood cell counts had dropped. 

Platelets and WBCs work to prevent blood clots and fight against infection.  A drop in their numbers are pretty common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.  (See?  I told you I was learning new things!)  So even though my mom was feeling pretty "awesome"--her words--the doctor said we need to take the blood into account and forego treatment this week to allow her body to rest and recover.  This means staying away from crowds to prevent sickness or infection and a few shots to help boost her WBC count.  

On a side note, my mom's CA 19-9 (tumor marker test) has decreased by half since her previous labs.  That's really good!  Even though the numbers are still not in the "normal" range, it's a good sign that they're headed that way.

Thanks again to everyone out there for the love, affection, and chicken soup(s)!  My mom seriously has the best friends and family who have consistently provided moral, emotional, spiritual and physical support.  Wow.

If the spirit strikes you, we have some prayer requests:

• Continued decrease of CA19-9.
• Increased platelet and WBC counts!  Shots help to boost the WBCs but there is nothing doctors can do about the platelets except for wait for them to be restored naturally...but I hear intercession helps, too.
• Our good friend, Buddy Peoples (grandfather to Lu & Dave's kids) has recently experienced a little health setback of his own.  We love him and pray for his continued recovery and my mom insists that he must get better soon since he his her backup babysitter for the grandkids.

Chemo Mondays...and Tuesdays

Well, it's that time again.  Chemotherapy treatment round two started this Monday.

What we originally thought was supposed to be a 24-hour deal is in reality a 36-hour (at least) process which includes registration, a doctor visit, bloodwork, and of course the 24-hour chemotherapy drip.  Whew.

It turns out there is a whole lot I didn't know about cancer--especially pancreatic cancer.  But, it's a learning process and I hope that the knowledge my family gains through this experience will allow us to help others in the future.

As for my mom, she rules!  Last week had its ups and downs as far as chemo effects go, but for the most part there was nothing unexpected.  This week's treatment went really well and I had the pleasure of spending the night with my Mom at the Sylvester Center as she went through the process.  We played word-find games, watched a lot of daytime TV, paid some bills, and went for some walks around the floor.  Here she is as we made our way up and down the halls of the center.  She looks pretty good, don't you think?

Chemo Mondays

Well, it's been a long two days but my mom finished with her first round of chemotherapy last night and she did it like a champ.

We got to the Sylvester Center around noon on Monday and met with my mom's doctor before the treatment to get a little background information on how chemo works and what we could expect.  Although everyone we worked with at the Sylvester Center was very helpful and nice--we love our nurses Claudette & Andrea!--it still took a long time to get everything in order.  Hopefully, everything will run smoothly next week and it won't be as long of a process.  We'll get the hang of it soon.

My mom finally got admitted in the early evening on Monday and by 10pm that night they were able to start a 24-hour drip of assorted pre-meds and chemotherapy drugs.  My mom, dad, Lula and I hung out for a while.  We played some Scrabble, took videos on my mom's fancy new iphone, and watch 24.  My dad and I went back to the house to rest up and Lula spent the night with my mom.  My mom slept great that night--thanks to some of the pre-meds no doubt--and when we talked to them the next morning they were in good spirits.

Throughout the day on Tuesday, my mom felt fine and didn't suffer any extreme reactions to the medication.  Of course, it will take some time to see how her body takes to the chemotherapy, but for the most part she's doing great and--in my opinion--the best patient any doctor could ask for.  Right now, the biggest side effect she's experiencing is getting tired.  That's to be expected, so we just make sure to get plenty of rest.

Thanks to everyone for all the love, support, and offers to help.  I'll make sure to reach out if we need something!  We didn't get home until after midnight last night, so right now my only request is to save the calls and visits for another day or so until we're back on our feet.  (You know my mom, she's so social that she'd go out dancing now if somebody asked her.)

Besos y abrazos!

Gearing up for Treatment...

On Friday morning, my mom and dad went to the Sylvester Center in Miami to have a port put into place so that she can receive regular chemotherapy treatments.  The procedure went well and they were back on their way home that afternoon.

Although my parents knew that I was coming into town that night, they were surprised when my brother and sisters showed up along with me.  Rocio, Monica, Lula, Ricky, and I walked into my parents room around 11pm and we were all wearing these matching shirts.

Thanks Dave (Lula's hubby) for making these rocking t-shirts!  They say:  Equipo de Ungaro (trans: Team Ungaro) "Kicking Cancer's Butt since 2010."  The t-shirts are purple because that is the color for pancreatic cancer awareness.  Who knew?

The shirt also has one of my mom's favorite verses on it, Philipians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We spent the entire weekend hanging out, telling stories, playing games and just loving each other.  We even went for a walk together around the neighborhood, tried to help a guy find his lost dog, and ate LaSpada's subs outside by the lake.

It's been nearly fifteen years since the original seven Ungaros got to spend time together like this.  Although we love and missed the in-laws and grandkids, it was a very special treat for all of us.  Lots of thanks to Steve, Brian, Dave, & Alison for making this weekend possible!

Next up: Chemo starts on Monday.  Check back later for updates!

Why this Blog?

Back in November of 2009, my mom started having stomach pains.  At first she thought it was a strain from lifting heavy objects on her own.  When she still felt pain in December, she assumed it must have been stress from work.  On my dad's advice she went through a series of tests to make sure nothing was wrong.  Based on the results, it seemed like nothing abnormal was going on.

This was a relief, but a mild pain persisted and by January, my parents decided more tests were needed.  After seeing a specialist, my mother learned that she had what appeared to be a tumor on her pancreas.  At the end of January, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The good news is that the cancer has not spread to any of her other vital organs.  The not great news is that the tumor is on an important part of the pancreas where major veins and arteries are located making it inoperable at the moment.

So, without wasting any time we are preparing for chemotherapy treatment.  My mom is incredibly positive and there are people everywhere rallying around her to kick cancer in the butt.  She's up to the challenge and if anyone can beat this thing, it's her.

In order to help out my parents while my mom undergoes treatment, I've taken a temporary leave of absence from work.  (Can you believe they finally got me to move back to Florida?!)  Also, there are so many people that want to know how she's doing that I told her I'd start a blog and make it a central place for updates on her progress.  Feel free to check back here often, subscribe to the blog, and send Mimi your love and positive thoughts.