Coronado here we come!

This is Becky.  I don't remember if I mentioned earlier on this blog or not that we are going to celebrate Tara's break from treatment by going to a condo on Coronado Island for 4 days next week.  My family teases me constantly about how much I love planning for trips.  Well, I'm especially excited for this one because ALL of us will be there - no college students will be missing - Nate is missing football and school for a few days to come - even Ryan took 2 days off work and his family will join us.  That's a tough one to get Ryan to take off work....  Travis is flying to San Diego and meeting us there.  Then Rachel, Travis and I will drive to Utah and the rest will drive back to Mesa.

The reason I'm so excited is that Tara should actually feel GOOD on this trip.  Last week in our conversation with the doctors I asked them about boogie boarding and wake boarding and he said YES.  He said this is like other injuries in some regards.  If you break an arm and they let you out of the cast; you can return to playing football or other sports.  Her surgery and radiation is similar to that and he said it will be healed and Tara can do whatever she feels like without worrying about hurting her head.  Now if I can get Tara to not worry about hurting her head, we'll be in business! She will have to use lots of sunscreen on that head, however!  I'm just really being selfish and hoping I have a boogie boarding companion out there in the waves.  We'll have to bring our wetsuits - I've heard it's been cold in San Diego - but coldness will not stop us!  We have wetsuits and I love boogie boarding!!  I've tried to infect my children with this same love; but alas, we have not been to the beach enough.  My husband is a "mountain" kind of guy more than a "beach" guy; but I grew up going to the beach so I still love that along with the mountains.

This week is a "normal" week - what is normal around here?  Normal means no radiation runs this week at all!  No Temodar. No clinical trials, no doctor appointments, only a lab run. I even forgot about the lab run this morning.  All summer on Tuesday mornings Tara and I have gone to the lab.  I missed being the one to drive her this morning; but am glad her dad gets the chance.  Tara & Josh were over for dinner last night and Tara acted like she felt good.  Sometimes she hides how she feels from me and when I ask her how she's feeling and she says "fine" I'm not always sure if I can believe it.  Now I'm not around her enough to actually SEE if she's feeling good or not either.  But, I believe she really does seem to be starting to feel better; although it will take time for this radiation to get out of her system.  Friday she still seemed lethargic as we were cleaning up their house some and moving more stuff around.  But last night seemed better.  I'm not there to witness the "stair test" - the stairs going to work; so I'll have to drive her to work on a clinical trial day just to see how that's going!  So, now I need to return to my previous life in the mornings - start exercising again, teach piano, work on my Scout assignment, etc... maybe even be here when Nate gets home from football practice to make him breakfast!  It's a little weird to get out of the Barrows routine; but it's a good weird.  Next Tuesday Tara has her next injection; then we're off and no more doctors until the end of August when we have the MRI, trial, and doctor's appointments all at once.

I was touched again Sunday at church several times as Tara was still being prayed for by so many. Thank you all!  There was also an announcement made about a special fast for Tara by the ward members coming up. I was so touched that the ward still wanted to do this even though we're through the worst of things we hope.  What would we do without all these people around us who continually pray and love us so much?  You all are the Savior's hands through this battle we're going through. Yesterday I also learned that Tara's new ward also wants to join in the fast - both wards are fasting and then going to the temple together and then having a meal afterwards.  Wow!  I'm humbled and overwhelmed and teary eyed again.  I think I've cried every day this past week for one reason or another.  This morning it's tears of gratitude for our beloved friends and ward members who try so hard to find some way to help.  The biggest help truly is all the prayers offered in Tara's behalf.  Tara was so touched also and said, "that fast will come before the MRI won't it?"

We have been somewhat fearful of the next MRI.  We know it's out there and we just hope and pray this treatment has been working.  I read a scripture yesterday again that helped me with this. "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?  What greater witness can you have than from God?"  I have prayed and prayed and yesterday while praying specifically about this MRI again, I did feel peace.  I have to remember that and not ever get carried away by fears.

Today's a good day - Tara actually drank  her entire smoothie on the way to work - no more starving herself all morning while the Temodar and radiation do their job.  I packed a large lunch and hopefully she will have enough choices to fill her up!  Josh's family and our family take turns fixing dinners for Tara & Josh - we both look forward to the time we get to spend with those two newlyweds.  Thanks to the Bodrero family for all they do in this process also!  So many people who love these two kids.  (young adults? Kids?)

Many of you have been asking about further treatment.  It's been mentioned before that Tara will take Temodar 5 days a month for 12 months.  Last week Tara found out that instead of just doubling the dosage of Temodar, they will 1/3 that amount again!  So, for example, during radiation she took 130 milligrams per day, we thought she would go to 260 per day in September - I think they will start with that but then try to get her up to about 350 milligrams a day if she can take it.  I have to remember to be grateful for Temodar.  I really hope Tara is on the Avastin also - but she didn't feel any different after the injection last time; so we'll see.

Again, thank you all so much and we love all of you faithful readers so much!