Just diagnosed. Mom is in stage four!!!

All right, I am over my poor me.
Mom goes for her "simple mastectomy". I was there to hear the information. Now that I have the hospital info, what do I need to know to keep Mom comfortable, and feeling good?
Any tips?

I take Mom in at 6:45 am tomorrow morning for her surgery.
We went to Summerside today for a Cat scan. I am nervously awaiting those results.
I don't know why we ended up in Summerside instead of our hospital, but what a lovely hospital it is in our second largest "city". The machines are new too. Mom had a first scan in Charlottetown and so thought she knew what to expect.
I was sitting in the waiting room and heard Mom shout and then start laughing. The Machine "talked" to her. It told her to breathe and then hold her breath. The technicians got a good chuckle out of it too. In Charlottetown, the technicians do all of the talking, giving the directions!
Send her some prayers that the surgery goes well tomorrow!

She got home today. We picked her up this morning. She was supposed to go home YESTERDAY - the day after the surgery- but she has an appointment to see her onc.
And good news! The lesions on her lungs are getting smaller. Mom said he came into the room smiling!
She is so happy.
More good news. Mom can feel her hair growing. And it must be 1/4 of an inch now.
We are in our happy places now.

1: What the heck is LE?
2: I will ask the doc on Tuesday.

Mom has inclined her bed, so she is getting both taken care of.
And I agree on the arm, Carrie.

Thanks. Mom didn't have anylymph nodes removed. Is there still a chance she will get it?

Mom came in and spent the night at our home in Charlottetown Monday. She got a call on Friday saying taht her clot factor is too high and that she needed to go back in on Monday. So Monday we were at the hospital and Tuesday all morning we were running around.
She had to see her "bone" doctor. She doesn'tlike his nurse and so goes directly to the doctor, even when told to wait! He is a great guy too. Well, Sandra, I do believe we will order the x-rays. Next time, just tell the receptionist to fill out the request and you won't have to wait!!!"
Her leg is healing, filling in nicely, much quicker now that the chemo is over.
Her mast incision is healing nicely. All staples are now out.
We rented her a wheel chair, to help manoeuver her whenever we go somewhere that requires a bit too much walking. Her left leg and right mast don't make for easy mobility!

Mom's clot factor (INR) isn't settling. SHe is out of range again.
She also got an infection in her mast. site. She has been on antibiotics for a week now. We go and recheck tomorrow.
Today we went for bone stregthener.
Her wheelchair isn't through medicare. I don't think she is eligible as she has no private healthcare. It was only $50, so she doesn't mind. It is just a push one, to help us get her around when she is too sore to use her walker.
Overall, she is doing well.
Here is a funny question. Whenever someone asks me how she is doing, I always say great, because she is. They then assume that she has been cured. Here, I have two choices. I can do the full story, which most don't want to hear, as it isn't short and sweet, or I can slip around the subject. It is a little awkward. I am sure they are only asking to be polite. How much should I divulge?

Just to complain for a minute here. I told Mom that whenever she needed me she could call. So now that I am home on summer vacation from my job teaching, I am driving out to get her every day that is needed and taking her home. On days when Dad is off, she calls. I have to balance her, the kids and my home life.
I told her that next week, I am on a one week course and told her that Craig (my dh) would drive her in for her INR check. She also has an extra one, a visit to the surgeon and a onc. doctor check up, on three different days. When I told her to get Dad to drive her in on Tuesday, she said that Craig could do it too.
On top of that, my sister is angry that Mom won't let her drive her in. Mom refuses to have my sister. (Not that I blame her, as my sister is eternally unhappy, constantly seeking attention and extremely negative - all traits that aren't good when you are dealing with cancer). Her nose is going to be even more twisted when she realizes that a non blood member of the family is going to be driving her to town.
Mom needs rides in to her appointments two to three times a week. I love my Mom, so I won't complain to her. I am happy that she trusts me, but it's hard to get the kids to their sports days every morning, hard to plan summer around my Mom. I feel like such a b***h complaining, as what is a little inconvenience when it comes to Mom's life and health, but still...
Mom's incision got infected, btw. It broke open and she had STUFF running out of it on Tuesday. IT was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gross. I took her in to the doc and all he did was tell her to put compresses on it until all the infection is drawn out. She said it is slowing down now and not sore, so I guess it is coming out. But man! How much more does she have to go through?

I would like to help you, but don't know the answer. Mom was diagnosed in March, but hasn't had any radiation. She also doesn't work, and has a broken leg. She got lots of rest during her chemo and still now. She cannot drive and cannot remain standing or walk for long periods of time.
You should post as a separate entry so someone can answer you.