Just an update....

So it's been a ridiculous week.

Mom had her chemotherapy port put in on Monday Aug 1st.
Then she officially started chemo on Wednesday, making her feel like shit and nauseous with no appetite in sight.
Friday, they took out the chemo therapy machine that she had taken home on Wednesday.
Saturday, I walked into Mom's room, took a look at her and realized but couldn't believe it; my mother had a stroke while she had been sleeping.
Lise and I rushed her to the ER because her face was drooping worse and she lost almost all control in her left hand and leg. Then after a couple of tests, we sat there. And waited...
And waited...
And waited......
Hospitals, I've decided are ridiculous. I'm not a fan, never BEEN a fan. But after the wait, they told us that she had had a series of mini strokes and that they were going to keep her overnight and at least a few days for more tests.
And well it's been 2 days and I've been watching Mom pull through all of these trials. She's incredible, really. She's got pancreatic cancer AND Leukemia, she's officially quit smoking/drinking, AND she just had a stroke and is showing SO much improvement already from it, AFTER TWO DAYS. But on a even more positive note, she hasn't had any pain in the last few days (Thank GOD) and no stomach pains, no nauseousness (well she hasn't taken her Leukemia meds lately so that's proabably why) and overall besides being a bit mad that she can't use her left hand RIGHT NOW, she's in good spirits.
Honestly if anyone could beat all of this, she can.

This, though, has done a number on my family, but as they always do, they've all risen beautifully to the occaision. Lise and Grandma are both absolute godsends. And several of my mom's friends (including Lisa Grotte and Diane for everything they've done and all of the support, the neighbors around the culdesac surprised Mom with a beautiful yard all taken care of and have started a rotation on our yard so mom doesn't need to worry about it, and so much more.) My Aunt Berit is actually on her way now from CA, Lise just brought me up to Boone because I needed to go back to work (no matter how much I seriously didn't want to, I'm doing this for Mom) and I know she's in fantastically amazing hands with my grandma embroidering penguins for something Christmas-related(?) at her bedside, Lise hovering and staring at her while she sleeps and then Mom waking up to see Lise like that and say "Damn it Lise, you need to do that? haha" and for Lise to reply "Um, YEAH MAR-NEN. WHY? IS IT MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE??? HMMM??" with a giant smile on her face. Then Grandma interrupts with an ancedote from when Mom was a little girl saying something along the lines of "well Maren, at one point, I do remember you staring at Lise when she was a baby and looking at us and asking when we need to take it back to where it came from, because you thought Lise was a funny looking alien or something and didn't like it one bit..."
Cue the goofy and loud Danielson laughter and Lise cutting in with another story, maybe about Berit trying to cut off Mom's hair when they were teenagers. A solitary beep from a machine that Mom's hooked up to brings us all back to the situation, but only for a moment.

That's the beauty of my family really. We look for the good, the positivity, the anecdotes that make us laugh and solely we just have to keep our heads above water right now. I honestly cannot imagine what Mom must be going through right now. But she knows that she has so much support and love and prayers and good thoughts and good juju and direct lines to the Big Guy upstairs. Lise kept saying "You know Maren, you send out allllll of this good energy and love and look it here, you've gotten so much back already."

Maren Louise truely is an amazing woman. And I live for her.

So that's the update, if you feel the need for more details you can either call Lise or myself. And I just wanted those who love her like I do, to know that she's okay.


Thank you everyone for everything. It means a lot. <3