Well...my cancer is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite mother feels it necessary that i put a new picture up so I will write under the one she has posted. Thanks Mom! :)  You can't even tell that I am rather thin on the right side of my head...my comb-over is working wonders! 

Okay so Mom filled you in a little with what is going on lately but here it is again. 

Tuesday = MRI day but it was more than any other MRI day....it could potentially be the very last MRI day of treatment! :) I love seeing Shapiro...it is amazing how he went from the bottom of our list of favorite doctors to the top. He probably could easily be one of my favorite doctors of all time. I guess I have never known one as well as he! He has seen me more in the last 1.5 years than any other...well he has a rival with Smith...and luckily...we love him too! I am so blessed to have doctors that I love. I actually hug them every time I leave no matter what the news are. They have become a part of my family. I am sure you other fellow doctored people understand. 

Okay so here are the results...

let's just say I asked Shapiro if I could have more medicine and he said NO! :) He said that there was no reason that I would need any medicine right now. My brain looked fine. 

MY CANCER IS IN REMISSION...IT IS GONE FOR NOW!!!!! and hopefully never coming back! Man I knew we could do it. I knew that we could kick this thing to the curb! :) it still does not seem real to me and really I think I am still in shock. I don't think it has hit how big this is. 

I think the main reason that it has not hit me hard is because of what I have known since Friday. Well tomorrow....I am having surgery number 6 on my head. Josh and I have decided that we wanted to have as many children as we did surgeries so it is now urgent that we slow down. We will be lucky to get what we do get :) We would love to have a big family but I think our definition of big goes to rather XL when we go over the 9 children range (just a person thing) so I think my head needs to be done. 

We are not sure why I am leaking yet but I did see Smith (Nuero-Surgeon) and the plastic surgeon again so we will have them both in there to try to solve the problem. They may try to add titanium back in and shave more bone out (infection may be in bone). The really really really good news is that the scan looked amazing so this is just a simple brain surgery. They only scheduled the operating room for 1.5 hours I think which is rather short compared to the last procedures my head has endured.  I wanted to keep that little fact a secret but my Mom brought it out so I guess it is not a secret anymore. She brought it out for good reason. There is always need for prayer but please remember that I am not the only patient of these good doctors. I see so many people go in and out of those doors each and every day. They need comfort too. Especially those little ones... it breaks my heart. 

So here we go...

5 this year but that is Chol and Nate and Lori's favorite number...anyone else??? if not...please pretend tomorrow that it is. 

Last round of chemo - coming up!!

I really hope Tara posts soon; but I felt like I needed to post today; so if she posts also and repeats some things; I know you readers won't mind because I know how much you love to hear from her!  But, I also know she wouldn't post this picture; so I just had to do it!  Isn't she just beautiful??

Good news first..... Tuesday was MRI / Dr. Shapiro day.  Dr. Shapiro said there was NO CHANGE in the MRI. Do you know how good those words are in the brain tumor world?  Really, really good.  Other good news - last night Tara started her LAST round of temodar (chemo).  She said on the way to Dr. Shapiro's office that she thought this day would never come.  First we start with counting down 42 days of radiation; then we progressed to counting down 12 months of temodar treatment (which turned into 15).  We have counted other things, such as days to get off those dreaded antibiotics.  Just to make it through this very long treatment is a milestone!  We are celebrating the end of treatment with a family cruise at Christmastime - Dec 18 to 24.  We are just a tad excited.  As of Tuesday, the doctors cleared Tara for getting in the water and having the time of her life!

Okay, now that I've told you the good news.... we have to remember the good news as we move forward to other issues.... we still need your prayers.  Tara's left arm is not behaving again.  Last week she said when she closed her eyes, she didn't know "where her arm was".  I convinced her to play womens' softball with our church group last Wednesday evening; and she couldn't make her arm with the mitt move to catch the ball.  That's just an example of what it's doing.  Shapiro classified this as "small mini seizures" and Tara has them multiple times per day.  Her arm "comes and goes".  It's not in any pain; but Shapiro wants to get this stopped.  So, he has her taking some more of her Zonogram seizure med (which causes appetite loss for Tara) to try to help this.  We are supposed to call him in 2 weeks and see if it's working.  The down side of this is the appetite loss - Tara really wants to enjoy eating on the cruise in December.

Okay, now for the last thing to pray for - Tara's head started leaking AGAIN this morning. The good news is that it's clear fluid; not green or yellow.  But, it's still fluid and still leaking.  Tara is on her way to Dr. Smith's office now.  (I'm in St. Louis with Scott & Nate)  We really need your prayers that her head will close up; and the fluid will be taken care of. The thought of surgery again is very troublesome to say the least.  We so appreciate all your prayers that we know you consistently send heavenwards.  We've come this far; but we still have more paths to travel on this brain tumor road.  It's testing my patience, for sure!  I had my brave break this morning; but after many tears and a long prayer; I'm feeling better.  Just needed to write this blog and enlist the troops again!  Thank you all!!