Midland Adventure

Mom's gamma knife surgery began with a consultation appointment on Monday, November 5. Suzy took her down to Mid Michigan Medical Center in the morning and they were done around noon. They went to Bob Evans for lunch and shopped at Meijer afterward.

I didn't arrive at the Fairview Inn in Midland until a bit after 8:00 p.m. I took M-20 from Big Rapids, and just as I was leaving Big Rapids the sleet started. Then the snow fell. At times it was a complete white-out. Put an extra hour on the trip but it was worth it once I got there.

We went to Applebee's for dinner and feasted on the appetizers - they were half off. We ate and talked and laughed, and in the end Mom got a chocolate mousse dessert with extra chocolate.

You may be catching the theme by now - it's all about the food. Since Mom has been on steroids, food has risen in status from sustenance to favorite pastime.

pastime
noun
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly); "sailing is her favorite pastime"; "his main pastime is gambling"; "he counts reading among his interests"; "they criticized the boy for his limited pursuits"
pastime. (n.d.). WordNet® 3.0. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pastime

Mom has gained a lot of weight very quickly on the steroids. She is bigger now than she has ever been in her life. Quite the change from her low weight last summer. She just loves to eat!

We talked and laughed a lot back at the hotel before we went to bed. We got up early for the 7:45 a.m. appointment for the surgery. Everyone at Mid Michigan was wonderful to us. They loved Mom. Her nurse Jennifer told Suzy and me at one point, "You have the sweetest Mom!" She's right, of course.

The appointment began in a very comfortable room with two chairs and a recliner for Mom. Jennifer briefed her on all the steps of the procedure, then took her to have her IV inserted for sedation. Once sedated, they took her to another room to have her frame put on her head. The gamma knife head frame is held to the head with four tiny pins that go through the skin and into the skull. The frame keeps the head still for the MRI and the surgery.

After having the frame placed on her head, Mom came back to the room to rest. The sedation only lasted about half an hour, but she drowsed off a lot afterward. Somewhere in that time, Suzy's friend Nancy Medford came from Shepherd to join us. We talked and I knitted while we waited for the next step.

Mom then went for her MRI. The MRI used prior to gamma knife is more precise than others; if there were any additional tumors found they could then treat those at the same time. The results came back negative for additional tumors, and then Mom went for her surgery.

Mom was laid on the table and her head frame was attached to the head of it. The table was then drawn into the gamma knife equipment. The procedure took only ten minutes or so. We watched from the room via closed circuit television. There wasn't much to watch, only Mom laying still with a halo of machinery around her head.

After the surgery, Mom came back to her room to rest and wait for discharge instructions. Suzy and Nancy brought her a broccoli chicken casserole and a chocolate dessert from the cafeteria, which she ate with great appreciation - especially because she could not have breakfast before the procedure. Another MRI is scheduled for January 8, 2008 to see the results of the surgery, but that appointment will be at Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey.

I can't say enough about the marvelous service Mom received at Mid Michigan. The staff were professional and kind, and they seemed to genuinely care about Mom. The office had more of a spa feel to it than a medical treatment center. Before we left, Mom said, "I really enjoyed myself. Do I get to come back?" Jennifer smiled and told her she hoped not.

Suzy took lots of pictures of Mom's Midland adventure. I'll post some of them when we connect again. Mom's next chemo appointment is Tuesday, November 13. Thanks, as always, for your prayers.