Heartache

Friday 22 Feb 08

Mum said she had a quiet and pleasant day pottering about, but had an episode of severe prolonged chest pain around midday. When I came in later in the afternoon and she told me, we went to see the Dr. and he believes it is cardiac pain. This is something new for Mum, but she has had a few brief twinges in recent days. She feels very calm and peaceful and obviously thinks that her heart may not carry her through a prolonged illness. She has been given a nitro medication to use if any further pain episodes come, but they will only help angina (by opening up the arterial blood flow), not prevent a dangerous arrhythmia.

We are in big trouble if Monday’s procedure does not result in a stent to relieve the pressure – this is still just a theory, because the CT did not demonstrate obstruction but all the clinical signs are there.

She is full of love and inspiration and feels a deep inner peace. She desires complete authenticity, as she too, is able to share her thoughts and feelings with honesty and grace. She sends her love to you all.

With love and blessings,

Beth for Joan and us all

Please keep and eye on my blog each time you check Mum's because I sometimes only update ours. Click on link at top of page.

or just click it here: http://www.canberracollins.blogspot.com/

Our Mum Joan - Feb 08

Thursday 21 Feb, 2008
Mum is struggling more recently with serious breathlessness and dizziness. Her face is puffy (especially her around her eyes), her neck and shoulders are swollen and on the inside there would be oedema inside her head/eyes and down her throat affecting her swallowing and restricting her breathing.

It sounds like she’s developed superior vena cava syndrome which is a restriction on the blood flow from the head/shoulders returning to the heart. Elevating the bed head has helped to reduce the facial/head oedema but apparently not in the chest.

The recent CT scan (Tuesday 12 Feb) was not helpful in viewing the vena cava so she is booked in Monday 26th Feb to have an angiogram (wire catheter into the vein) to assess the actual flow and with the possibility of a stent to hold open the vessel. This could relieve the restriction of blood flow immediately if it is confirmed that her venous return is impaired due to compression.
The other news from the CT scan is not good. Masses thought to be metastatic spread have now appeared in her liver. This is a serious complication, but we are grateful she is not symptomatic as yet.

She’s doing a fabulous job with continuing recordings about her life story. We have 100s of hours of taped memories and experiences. A couple of days ago we found hundreds of long letters (mostly from the 40s&50s) under the house, forgotten for over 35years. What treasure!! Many long letters and all the daily details and extraordinary events. War time, peace time, suitors, inlaws, coronation, family deaths, weddings and romantic letters (Mum and Dad). I tell you, there’s a book’s worth of dialogue in that lot, but we’d be a long time figuring out the order because they wrote so often that there is only the day of the week on most (not date, month, year!!) – which will make a fine diary of random days.

Well, Mum is not happy about all this getting old and sick stuff but she sure loves her time with people and is appreciating life. The light of her faith is burning brightly and she keeps saying it comes through her, not from her. Experience of love first came through Dad but most of all she feels God’ love and wisdom flow out through her.

We’d value your prayers and support, of course.
Life is so full and busy we hardly know what’s the most important job or activity for the day.

Chris is back at work (up to 5 hours now) and though the arm break is healing, her shoulder is still pretty frozen. Biggest concern, her spinal fracture was not showing any healing at 3 months, so a scan in the next weeks will indicate if it is just very slow, or if it’s going to be a non-resolving break that might need surgery for an implant. Having a mm crack will usually be not problem, but Chris’ bone has at least a 5mm gap for the new bone cells to jump across and form a new structure to ‘concrete’ around.

Her chestnut horse has gone with a professional eventing rider to take to shows with the aim of improving his condition and profile again and with the expectation of selling him in the competitive show circles. Old grey Jo is her ‘pet’ horse and he’s staying put. Chris, Mark and Michelle now have a cute bundle of energy in the form of a GRoodle puppy (Golden retriever x poodle). ‘Baby’ proofing the house again…

Mum’s dog Mitsy passed some pretty bluey/green doggy-doo last week probably from eating a rat bait (I’ve been at war with the critters in the shed, but can not imagine whare she might have got a bit?!) Anyway, she’s been on Vit K medicine and having blood tests in the middle of a lot of other things, but it looks like she’s just fine.

School’s back and it only seems like a minute ago since they started, and yet the hols went so fast I can not believe it! Steve’s still working at Dick Smith but is realising how hard it is to keep up with school work, and study now. Leah is thrilled to be a big year 6 and Benny is blitzing his work in year 3 (he went from yr1 to yr2 last year). I must show you his beaut story when I can bring it home … something about O sounding words where he tells us about "the goal in his soul to make mould" - Inspiring!

God bless you all,
Beth, for everyone in my family that agrees with me

Tomorrow, every day

Time ....
Well, time took on a whole new perspective.
And I don't like it.
Give it back, I want more.

Mum saw the Doc on Friday (8 Jan) and the pieces finally fell into place. At last it makes sense.
The renal doc was happy with her, the thoracic doc was happy with her, the oncologist (Tuesday!) was definite it was nothing to do with the cancer and said it was "slow progressing, see you in July". Even the GP, who has had weeks of repeat questions about Mum's puffy eyes and sore chest/back, and shortness of breath, cough, swallowing difficulty, ear popping and dizziness only just suggested possible reason for the mystery. He said it sounded like pressure on the SVC (superior vena cava).

He wants Mum to have another scan next week to confirm, but it sounds (to me) like she has superior vena cava syndrome, which is compression of the large vein (from head/shoulders into heart) due to a lesion obstructing blood flow. It causes oedema to head, neck, shoulders and all the symptoms of back-pressure of blood to those areas. So now she is suddenly (was gradually) becoming engorged above the heart. This is really scary.

I’ve elevated the bed head and the facial swelling is visibly better, but she has not slept well. The restriction in her swallowing and airway are unimproved.

We had a fabulous African American gospel choir visiting at church today (Sunday 10 Feb) from Newark, New Jersey. Mum came along with us and one of the team prayed for her. God is sovereign and in control, He can heal or He can cure, but one thing’s for sure, Mum is safe in His hands.

Why can't we make each minute and day really count, really value the people around us. I mean, it's not just Mum, anyone could be taken at anytime yet we think we have another tomorrow every day...

Some wonderful family recent photos and news on our Collins blogspot (click on link at the top)