Pre-habilitation to Prepare for Surgery

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January 19th, 2022 – Post #28

It’s been a while, so I thought I’d just drop a few paragraphs in here about how my mom is doing. She’s been plugging away at her “prehab”, wearing a Fit Bit for motivation. I’d say 70% of her steps are spent searching for her cane. I know mine have certainly increased trying to keep track of that sneaky black stick (which we’ve dubbed Waldo, because it’s like we’ve entered into a real-life version of “Where’s Waldo?” – trying to find it in the most obscure places). If this Waldo was a real person, he’d surely have abandonment issues. I’m considering decorating it with red and white stripes of electrical tape, so it will match the original character and be more visible – lest I lose my mind circling the house.

Here she is, keeping her head warm in her Beth-E Crockett hat paired with a bathrobe – quite appropriate attire for tracking lost items and lounging in between. Speaking of which, I’m posting a picture of “A Day in the Life of Beth Purcell” – according to GPS tracking, alongside a picture drawn by her granddaughter, Lily. Does anyone else see any genetic similarities on display?

My mom’s hair is starting to grow back in, little by little. She’s been through the peach fuzz phase, and a short stent where her head felt like a tennis ball. Now she’s got some strands that are starting to rise up above her cute, little noggin, and looks like she’s ready to go back on duty in the Navy – with a crew cut this time. Along with this progress, she’s had about four or five “bangs” that are almost to her eyebrows and her eyelashes are starting to come back, so that’s pretty exciting.

Next week she has a CT scan, followed by a visit with her surgeon, to discuss whether she is a candidate for a Whipple Procedure. Depending on what he says, and what she decides she wants to do, she’ll have a Preoperative Assessment and Planning appointment, too.

She started PT today, though she’s been doing it informally with me for a while now. Here’s a picture we took in honor of a dear lady named Jean Wilson of Wabash, Indiana, who was known for still being able to kick her legs up over her head at nearly a hundred years old (I’ll give her credit for an entire century, because I’m sure she was practicing those kicks well before she was born).

Ever since my mom was about seventy-two, anytime she complained of being tired, or “stiff and sore” I’d say, “Well, you are almost eighty” to tease her. I’ve been saying that for nearly a decade, but I mean it for real this time. She really and truly is almost eighty. Her big day is Tuesday, January 25th. Ironically, her hair looks about the same as it did in her baby pictures – here’s our little Beth-E at three months old.

Thank you again for all the love and support you all have shown for her and for our family. Love, Jody

It’s almost my mom’s eightieth birthday. Here’s a word from my dad.

*To read more on my mom’s cancer journey from the beginning, or share it, please click below:

It’s Cancer