Hello dear readers,
A friend of mine called tonight to say she'd heard my mom "wasn't doing well." I was delighted to hear from this friend, but I was shocked to hear that my mom wasn't doing well. Despite the fact that she is having her third brain surgery tomorrow, she seems to be doing very well. I guess "well" is always relative. And the key is perspective.
This month, she started having headaches and feeling unsteady on her feet. She and Dad let the doctor know this was the case, so they bumped her regularly scheduled MRI up to last week. The day of her appointment was a tough one-- lots of nausea and dizziness. So the doctors re-upped her steroid dose (Decadron-- they had been experimenting with weaning her off of it, which told us what we needed to know: she needs it!). The Decadron made her feel better very quickly, but the swelling that the MRI picked-up indicated some activity in the cerebellum. A follow-up MRI showed some tumor growth, so the tumor board voted for surgery. Dr. Warnick will be the lead surgeon this time around.
Mom and Dad have checked into the hospital and will report for surgery first thing tomorrow morning. Dr. Warnick said to expect a four to six hour surgery. They will remove all visible tumor cells and try some radiation "seeds," or internal radiation, to help prevent further growth. So we have every reason to feel good going in. Mom admitted to being a little nervous but feels good about the decision and the team. UC has been so good throughout this little adventure; we expect them to continue their streak.
Thanks for all the queries and well-wishes. Sending love right back atcha.
From all the family,
jk
