Week 1

Me and Mom Mothers Day 2011!









One week down... Hopefully hundreds more to go. We've got 2 more weeks to wait till the surgery. Johnny and I are planning on heading over to moms tomorrow... hmmm... Bluebonnets are out... wonder if I can talk her into taking a picture in them... probably not...but you never know.

Day 5 and 6

Jerriann Garcia

Mom's surgery is scheduled for March 23 at 10:00 AM.

Mom said the surgery should last four to six hours, assuming that the lymph nodes are not involved. If the lymph nodes are involved, then they will just close her up again.

The surgery will be a Whipple procedure. They will try to keep the bypass that was done seven months ago if they can.
... .......................................................................................................................
The Whipple procedure (pancreatoduodenectomy) is an operation to remove a portion of the pancreas, as well as a portion of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and part of the bile duct. The remaining organs are reattached to allow you to digest food.

Whipple surgery carries a risk of infection and bleeding. After the surgery, some people experience nausea and vomiting that can occur if the stomach has difficulty emptying (delayed gastric emptying). Expect a long recovery after a Whipple procedure. You'll spend 10 days or more in the hospital and then recover for several weeks at home.
########################################################
That was from my sister's Facebook page... I'm too tired and I couldn't have said it better
########################################################

Anyway... mom and I met with the surgeon yesterday... I suggested that she get a recorder and tape all Dr visits... she actually listened... We both felt very comfy with the Dr and his explanation of what to expect. So now we wait 2 weeks.

Day 4...

I found a picture of me and mom from Mothers Day 2011. I plan on doing a digital diary of a sort through out this fight and recovery.

We get to go see the surgeon tomorrow @ 2PM... should be interesting and informative

Day 3... A Prayer From Jerriann... My Sister!

Heavenly Father,

I come before you with a solemn heart and in need of your intercession

I pray that the cancer that has come into Mom's life soon fades into a quick remission.
I believe in your capacity for miracles, and ask for this on her behalf.

As we grow older, I know we become closer
to the day you accept us back into your kingdom.
I ask that you delay that holy union if it be your will.
In your name I pray, Amen.

Day 2... Just the facts Ma'am...

Pancreatic Cancer Facts

An estimated 44,030 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S., and over 37,660 will die from the disease.
 

Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years.
 

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.
 

Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 6% will survive more than five years. 74% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.
 

The average life expectancy after diagnosis with metastatic disease is just three to six months.
 

Few risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer are defined. Family history of the disease, smoking, age, and diabetes are risk factors.
 

Pancreatic cancer may cause only vague symptoms that could indicate many different conditions within the abdomen or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include pain (usually abdominal or back pain), weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool, and diabetes.
 

Symptoms include pain (usually abdominal or back pain), weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool, and diabetes.
 

Treatment options for pancreatic cancer are limited. Surgical removal of the tumor is possible in less than 20% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy or chemotherapy together with radiation is typically offered to patients whose tumors cannot be removed surgically. Only three drugs are FDA‐approved for the treatment of pancreatic cancer: fluorouracil (5‐FU), gemcitabine (Gemzar®), and erlotinib (Tarceva®).
 

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible.
 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent an estimated $97.1 million on pancreatic cancer research in 2010. This represented a mere 2% of the NCI's approximate $5 billion cancer research budget for that year.

So there it is... in black and white...

I got the feeling this a'int gonna be fun...
I am hopeful that my sister Jerriann can get here before the surgery that hasn't been scheduled yet... She should just jump in her car and drive here...pack for a two week stay and tell here grown family to fend for themselves... but alas... she probably won't... she is as broke as we are... can't just drop everything when you gotta work to pay the bills... but I'm here, and I'll do what needs to be done...work and stress and then work some more.
Mom is feeling fine... we'll talk with doctors next week, schudule surgery, and then mom is thinking of Holistic Treatments instead of Radiation and Chemotherapy.
Talk to ya soon!

2:30... March 2, 2012... Day 1

@ 2:30 this afternoon... my husband called to inform me that my mom... has pancreatic cancer... Yeap... you heard right... cancer... and not just any cancer... she gets the one that has a 25% survival rate... so the next few weeks will be talking about options... Kinda feels like that Tim McGraw song... Damn this sucks...
I'm asking for prayers... I'll keep u updated... won't know anything till sometime next week... she is at home feeling ok... and not freaking out cause there is nothing she can do for now... we'll save the freaking out for later!

So Glad My Hubby Humors Me!

Last Available Light!

Last Available Light!
Originally uploaded by JackieG...

Take My Breath Away!

Take My Breath Away!
Originally uploaded by JackieG...aka jackieb163

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3

Man...I love God's paintbrush!

In this day and age of sights and sounds...there are few things that truely give me pause...but this sight...on this morning...truely....
it was with a great sense of Awe that I snapped this picture.

And it is with a great sense of Pride that I share it with you.

I hope you take a moment to breath in the view.

Answered Payers

Answered Payers
Originally uploaded by JackieG...

 I was mucking the last horse stall when the rain began to softly fall... God does answer prayer... South Texas is drying up. I smiled. The rain began falling harder.

 Suddenly, an uneasy feeling. Oh No! My Camera! I left it on the front deck. Drop everything. Run from the barn to the house. Water is not good for cameras. I should know. Hadn't Laguna Madre in Corpus Christi claimed my 1st FinePix S3100 only 2 years ago?

I grabbed the beloved camera from the wet planks. Dried it off. Be Calm. It turned on....and I took these pics....hehehe.... 2 prayers answered in one Day... Man I'm on a ROLL!

Morning Has Broken

I did warn you that this was my new favorite tree. I got some really good shots...if I do say so myself.

Hurry...Take the Picture...

Hurry...Take the Picture...
Originally uploaded by JackieG...aka jackieb163

You know me...
I don't often turn away from a Sunset to look around..
And I Don't take pictures of insects...they are quick little BUGgers... but this one wanted his picture taken.
I think he was proud of his "Nether Region"...hehehe

Take a PEEK at My.....Fungus!

Take a PEEK at My.....Fungus!
Originally uploaded by JackieG...aka jackieb163

If anyone had been watching me, they would have thought I was crazy...crawling around a mushroom...trying to get the angle, while keeping the focus...I had a Blast.

Bunny ears are REALLY SLIMMING

Bunny ears are REALLY SLIMMING
Originally uploaded by jackieb163

30 lbs and 18 inches in 6 months. I didn't notice the change much until I saw these pics side-by-side. 20 more lbs to go!