I got my daughter back!

This is Becky.

My daughter is back today.  After months of headaches, tiredness, surgery, who knows what else; I saw the OLD Tara today; except she is new and improved because she is so happily married.  Tara had energy - she moved boxes around, organized her little place, moved out of our place, and just generally worked all day without getting tired or feeling weird in the head.  She hasn't been like this since March.  Even though previously she had some hours every day without headaches, or an occasional day or two with no headache, they were kind of always there in her head bothering her now those headaches are GONE.  We will enjoy these days of feeling good.  They could last a long time.  The doctors said the chemo and radiation shouldn't be too bad - we are hoping for that.  I got some good advice today again that I have heard time and time again - "just take it a day at a time."  (at least we're up to a day at a time instead of 10 minutes at a time!)

Tara is right - she needs to be in this clinical trial - so pray for that and pray that the treatments will do their job on Tara and her body will respond to them and that the cancer will not return.  Hopefully that is a pretty specific prayer for you all.  We are still going to pray for that miracle - if you don't ask for the miracle; then you can't get it, right??

Here's why Tara is sleeping better.  Ever since the week before surgery, Tara has been on a drug for brain swelling called Decadron - it's a steroid. It keeps her wired.  The week of surgery, she was on 16 milligrams a day.  We are on a "taper" of this drug - which means we gradually get the dosage down.  Today she took 1/2 a milligram.  The first week after surgery she was still taking a narcotic to ease the pain; but once she didn't need pain meds anymore; she stopped sleeping; which was one week after surgery.  So, it is so nice that she is medicine free for a few days.  I'm sure it doesn't hurt that she is happily married- that helps the sleeping situation I am sure.

It will be interesting how we work out the driving from North Scottsdale to Barrows, back to North Scottsdale and home to Mesa routine.  We figure on good days where we don't talk to any doctors, it will be at least a 2 hour run.  This is only for 42 days - so we will happily do this.  I think she'll finish radiation about the time school starts or the week after here in Mesa.

I don't know how we would have gotten through the past month without Scott and his problem solving skills.  I always knew why he was successful in business, but now I've had a bird's eye view of what he does every day.  He just applied all his skills to Tara's problems.  I know we had the Lord's help also; but we had to do all we could and then the Lord would bless us and He did.  I think now the worst of everything is over and Scott can return to his normal work.  I sent him to the mountains in southern Utah today to go fishing at his most favorite place on earth, the Boulder Mountain. He was not going to go because he has missed so much work and his church work is also piling up; but I prevailed upon him to go and be with his sons and other male members of his family.  I told him his clients and ward members would understand that this has been a very irregular month and he really needed this break and they would still be there when he got back.  Before leaving, he made sure Tara's chemo drug was all worked out and it would be ready in time. 

Love you all and thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers!!