GBM - SEPTEMBER 2023

June 5 diagnosis in Anchorage June 12 tumor removal at Northwestern I had to put those dates down so I could see where the summer has gone. 3 months! Sometimes it seems like a blink of an eye, and other times like an entire lifetime. 

Speaking of … my medical professionals have never talked about my prognosis, but none of us know when Jesus will welcome us home. JUST BE READY! I am choosing to live like my neurosurgeon told me, “patients that make the most of each day, have the greatest long term success with treatment.” 

 On Tuesday, October 3 will be my first return visit to NWM for an MRI and doctor appointments. They’ve warned us that this scan is more of a baseline for moving forward with treatment and it likely won’t show true results. I’m ok with all of this. I’d rather not have the gray cloud of “number of days, weeks, months, YEARS!” hanging over me as I pour my time & energy into my kids and grandkids. Jeremiah 29:11 Hope & a future. 

In happier news: I was able to reach my nose with my left hand today! For the last 4 weeks I was barely able to lift my hand off my leg. My nose is cleaner than it’s been in a while. Other things many of you don’t think about: holding a jar in one hand so you can take off the lid with the other, wringing out a washcloth, pulling up your pants, putting on socks. Simple tasks but very difficult one-handed. Also, the last few days my brain has seemed to settle a bit. Keep praying for my poor radiated brain – I keep telling Dave I have brain damage, and I’m convinced it’s true, then he sweetly reminds me of everything I’m succeeding in, and we have another good cry together. Maybe we are figuring out the correct steroid dose to reduce the radiation inflammation, while still keeping my physical mobility where it needs to be. 

 I’m very pleased with the knowledge and prescription expertise that Dave provides! He truly is amazing in his care for me. We’ve got a Prescription Charcuterie on our kitchen counter and he manages it well, giving me various drugs about 4 times a day. 

How could I forget our September highlight of a trip to Curacao with my brother and his lovely wife of 50 years! I’m so honored they wanted us to celebrate with them on a perfect little island. We were super lazy, laid by the pool, got lost in a roundabout, ate dinners on the beach, watching the sun sets. I managed to get into the ocean … getting out however was another adventure all together … lets just say we provided free entertainment to everyone on the beach watching. Wilbur & Sarah took such good care of us, just like they always have. 

 

We had so much soul-warming and inspiring conversations about our Dad (Lloyd), his love of travel and people (hmmmm… maybe I got wings on my feet from him?), family business the good, the bad, it truly is the BEST!- proud of each person in our family that are bravely forging their own path – you know who you are! It’s hard work, but so worth it! Parenting adult children – it ain’t easy! And of course reliving so many fun memories of Dave & I babysitting their kids and Jason giving us permission to sleep together when we stayed overnight. It simply was the best break from cancer treatments and appointments! Thank you for blessing us with the week away!

And finally...Photo of the grands that bring us so much joy! 

Jeremiah 29:11 - Hope and a future