[Danielle]

Thanks for all of the cards and letters, everybody. It's been nice reading them to Mom during our visits, and she's very proud to be reminded of all of the people she reached out to and touched by making this organization with my father so many years ago. Plus, it shows all of the nursing staff there that Christine is not 'just another patient' -- she's achieved and accomplished so much in her time, namely in breast cancer advocacy, and although her dementia has made it hard for her to communicate that, she certainly gets a kick out of being able to show her CNAs just how involved in advocacy she was.

Cognitively, she's become much more engaged in conversation. Granted she can only say so much at a time before she's somewhat lost focus on what she was saying, but her memory is good and her reactions are appropriate to the subject, and she can still finish the lines of all of her favorite songs.

The only problem I have is that she's lost a tremendous amount of weight. She was traditionally a size 12 or so, and now I bought her something from Target in a small size and it still seemed a little bigger. The nursing home's social worker asked me if I would want to put her in hospice, saying that because of how much weight she's been losing, many nurses working with her feel like 'it's time'. However, when talking to Mom about it (as, of course, I want this to be HER decision while she's still capable), she said that she still has an appetite, still wants to eat, and doesn't feel like she's ready for hospice at all. Some days when I bring in soup (or sneak in dessert for my 27th birthday last week), she will eat the entire thing, so I know an appetite is still there and this isn't one of those moments where she's 'given up' on eating.

So my question for all of you is: What do you recommend as far as weight gain in patients? I know as cancer patients, I'm sure you've come across circumstances where someone needed to gain weight (unless you've ever been stuck on Decadron -- that stuff is a nightmare!!), and if any of you are currently or have been caregivers in the past, you might know a thing or two about encouraging appetite and weight gain in someone who needs it. Mom's brain has been slowly bettering itself since her strokes this summer, and I don't want weight to be such a scary factor in her recovery. Hopefully, some of you have some helpful advice.

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CARDS AND LETTERS!! Seeing them coming in from all over the world has been giving both Mom (and me!) a lot of confidence and good warmth.