On the upswing

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mom is doing amazing. She and Dad are officially out of the hotel (though they did really like the convenience) and have instead moved into a fully furnished extended living apartment almost just as close to the hospital. Gives Mom a more home away from home vibe and also allows us to leave some of her trinkets back in St. Louis and not literally live out of a suitcase every week. She has accomplished 14 radiation treatments (almost half way there!), she is walking completely on her own "with a safety net" as Dad and I follow her around like Secret Service even though she is doing fantastic, and she is chipper and energetic as ever - treatment is definitely doing its job and we all couldn't be happier. Tomorrow we have a trip out to the hair salon and then movie night back at home. Love you, Mom. Goodnight.

Saturday at home

Just going to keep it simple tonight. Mom will be the first to attest that today was a very good day, and every day in the past week has been that much better than the day before in terms of pain and mobility. She can walk entirely on her own power (though appreciates a warm hand to hold just in case). She helped Abigail cook in the kitchen during the afternoon, sitting next to the island table in a big dining room chair (or her Queen's throne, as Dad referred upon entering the house from running errands). Lively, energetic, funny, and just being Mom. She has finished 9 out of 30 radiation treatments, with double digits coming on Monday morning. For now, it's time for bed as we need to be well rested for our trip back to St. Louis tomorrow. Love you Mom. Goodnight.

The Simple Comforts in Life

For the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that the family has decided to do what they like. And the end result has been, we really enjoy the simple comforts in life.

We like to be connected to family and friends. Whether in person, on the phone, in an email, via a text, or written in a blog, we all have been in constant communication with family and friends – those we truly love and care about. We’ve seen more episodes of silly television shows like Man vs. Food, Modern Family, Gold Rush Alaska, and House Hunters than anyone can imagine, but we’ve done so together as a family and enjoyed it more than anything. We also stare at our phones like those idiots in the TV commercials, but only because we want to respond to every text or email and be in constant communication with Mom and everyone else. Bottom line, we’ve made a point to be around those that we love and ensure that they know it.

We eat what we like, our comfort food. It has become very clear what Mom likes. Cheerios, Juice, Coffee, Kraft Mac and Cheese, and Rocky Road Ice Cream –throw in a glass of wine every now and then, and what more could anyone want in life!? The boys on the other hand have made it comically apparent that we are comforted by our favorite high school fast food – none other than Lions’ Choice Famous Roast Beef Sandwiches (with honey mustard). Typical trip to St. Louis includes landing at Lambert Airport and then heading straight to Lions’ Choice without even asking if we are hungry, a new ritual that Maggie and her sister have learned all too well and laugh at every time.

We stay where we like. In the past, it was not uncommon for Dad to wake up to every light on in the house and one of the boys asleep on the couch. Typical Dad greeting to us, “Go up to bed, and I better not find you down here again tomorrow morning. Is that clear?” Crystal. Well, Mom now enjoys the comfort of background noise and a giant comfy couch. So the TV is almost always on, and Mom can be found every morning asleep on the couch. Dad greets her with three kisses and smiles every time he now sees this sight. Like I said, we do what we like and that’s what comforts him – seeing Mom happy.

Love you, Mom. Goodnight.

Finished treatment number 8, loves the hotel room attached to the hospital

Happy to report that Mom officially finished treatment number 8 this morning, 22 more to go! Already received a text from her that all is well, and she's excited to see Mark and me as we fly back for the weekend. Mom has been staying at a hotel that is directly attached to the hospital, and she couldn't be happier. She can stay indoors, warm and away from the cold, all the way from her room to the treatment center. But I'm sure she's looking forward to being done for the week so we can get her back home to Sedalia for the weekend. Have a good day Mom and see you soon! Love you.

-Adam

Treatment number 5 complete!

Mom was active with her texting and emailing today, and made sure to let us know that the 5th treatment went well and she was already back resting at 9 AM this morning. One of the good things about an early morning treatment schedule I suppose. Good luck with number 6 tomorrow! Love you. Goodnight.

Home is where the heart is

For the first time in almost a month, all of the Wuellner kids are back in their adult home cities. But all of our hearts are back at home with Mom, where she is in St. Louis tonight and starts her second week of treatment tomorrow. We're all incredibly jealous of Abigail, who lives and works in St. Louis and gets to stay and see Mom throughout the week with Dad at her side. But we'll all be back together frequently in the coming weeks. Have a great week Mom; we were sad to leave today but happy to see you looking well. We miss you and we love you. Goodnight.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone. Friday afternoon, Dad, Carrie, and I went back home to clean the house and prep it for Mom's eventual return once discharged from the hospital. We expected her to not be able to come home until after next week's treatments, but we were pleasantly surprised that she was able to leave today under her own power. The physical therapy group was initially worried that she may not be strong enough to walk on her own power, well, they don't know Mom. With a little help from Mark and Abigail, Mom made the trek home and is now comfortably sleeping at home. Even if just for 24 hours, we can proudly say that Mom spent the first day of the New Year walking around the house, enjoying time with the ones that she loves and love her right back. Not a bad way to kick off 2011. Another year has come and gone, but certainly not taken for granted by anyone. We all feel blessed for every year, every week, every hour we have with our family and friends. Happy New Year and God Bless. Welcome back home, Mom. We love you.

Goodnight.