Pics...

Mom with her scarf...

Albert wearing mom's wig before she lost her hair...

Chemo #2... sorry so late!

This past Monday, mom received her second dose of chemo. Luckily, the iron injections she has been getting, raised her blood levels, which means she will not need the blood transfusions! Aunt Geri and Celina went with her to her treatment which lasts about 5 hours. Everything went well but this time around, mom was more sick. Right after her treatment, she felt weak and sore. All week, she has been feeling very nauseous and she has lost her appetite off and on too, which are new symptoms, compared to the last treatment. Today she looks good, but her spirits are quite low about her hair... about a week ago, she started losing it and she is having a hard time with that. It is almost completely gone now. She says this is the hardest part for her, but we have bought her many wraps, scarves, beanies and a beautiful wig that she has started wearing. If you didn't know it was a wig, you wouldn't even be able to tell. She did well and looked amazing during Christmas and hung in there, but we could tell she was not feeling well. She is still being very strong and we all look up to her for her strength and courage during this time.

Chemo #1...

Mom's first round of chemo went very well. She felt nervous as it became closer, but somehow the death of Uncle Raul gave her the strength. She said after what Uncle Raul went through, she was willing to face anything.

Joe went with her to keep her company. The nurses started by drawing her blood and noticed that her red blood cell count was too low. The doctor approved the treatment for the day but because the level was dangerous, he informed mom that she was anemic (low iron), and that she would now have to receive an additional treatment the next day. Once they started, me and mom talked on the phone through her entire treatment. She was excited that she was able to talk on her cell phone... we gossiped the whole time. :) It was interesting because as time went on, I noticed changes in her voice. She started getting chest congestion, so she kept clearing her throat and she sounded more and more tired. The treatment took several hours, so by the time she got home, she was very weak and tired. She ate soup and went to sleep.

This is how she looked...

Yesterday, I took her in for her second treatment. When she woke up, she still felt very weak but not as nauseous as she expected. It was crazy to see the nurses put the needle in her port because the needle is in the shape of a hook! Mom says it hurts and she cringed as they put it in. The treatment started with benadryl to help with a possible allergy mom would have. The iron treatment, called Venofer, lasted several more hours. Luckily, the benadryl made mom tired, so she was able to sleep. She even started snoring! :) It's very cold in the treatment room so she was all cuddled up.

She will now have to take the iron IV every Tuesday for 3 weeks to help restore her body. The nurses told us that if her red blood cell count did not improve, then she may need blood transfusions. Mom does not want a transfusion, so we are praying the treatment works.

After the iron, mom received her Neulasta shot, the white blood cell injection. She said it hurt a lot but she did good.

For the rest of the night, her symptoms were as expected: weak, sore, tired, short of breath.

Today she looked very good still. Same symptoms, except more bone pain and body aches. We rented lots of movies and relaxed! She has not skipped a meal which is great! :)

Love you mom! You are doing so good!!! Thank you to everyone who called to check on her and who have been here for her.

R.I.P Raul Gutierrez

On November 25, 2008, my mom's brother, Raul, was shot and killed. It was news that devastated the family, especially for my mom, during a time like this. Uncle Raul was the most loving, energetic and hard-working person we will ever know! He leaves behind 5 young children that he will now watch over from above. He will also be guiding my mom through her journey. He will be greatly missed!

This is the article on the internet about what happened...

Phoenix PD: Man arrested in car theft also accused of murder
Reported by: Katrina Wessman Email: kwessman@abc15.com Last Update: 11/25 7:07 pm

The carjacking suspect barricaded himself in this home (John Pellizzari) Phoenix police said a man, who barricaded himself inside a Phoenix home for several hours after an alleged carjacking, is also a suspect in an early morning murder.Police said that 45-year-old Adam Kenneth Swyers allegedly shot and killed a man near 35th Avenue and Buckeye Road at about 4 a.m. Tuesday morning.A report released later said Swyers and Raul Antonio Gutierrez, 42, got into a fight and Swyers shot Gutierrez.Then at about 7:30 a.m. Swyers allegedly knocked on the door of a home near 31st Avenue and Roosevelt Street and when the victim answered his door the suspect demanded the man's vehicle.According to a police report, Swyers threatened the victim with a handgun and the victim then gave him the keys to his Dodge pickup truck.Swyers fled in the vehicle and police spotted it a short time later in a neighborhood near 37th Avenue and Interstate 10. Police detained and questioned up to 11 people from in and around the home, but the suspect hid in the house and officers believed he had a weapon, according to the report. After several hours of negotation, Swyers came out of the house and dropped his gun, which fired a round.No one was injured, according to police.Swyers was arrested and booked on charges of 2nd degree murder, armed robbery, vehicle theft and a weapons misconduct charge.

Here are pics from Saturday's gathering. We are so thankful for everyone who was able to come! There were so many people... He was loved by so many.

In the limo...