Visit With Dr. Black

Dearest Friends and Family,

Please forgive, in advance, the ineptitude of this post, as I am truly exhausted today. The day started off great with my daughter Ashley, baby Cecily, and god-daughter Valeska coming over and helping me washa few sections of my gross hair! This was a total blessing, as it was still all full of yuckiness. Then thry helped me get dressed and ready to go down to Cedars to see Dr. Black at 1:45. So grateful for the loving, helping, hands of servants who have been helping us so very much!!

We were about 20 minutes late to the appt, and it was okay, they're so great at his office and people come from all over the world to see him, so I am certain they are very understanding. Dr. Black and his team gave us the best news and that is that the pathology came back and the tumor is WHO Grade I, which means it is officially NOT cancer!!! Glory to God for all things!!!! He did say that the bone was really involved, so as I suspected, I will be having lifelong MRIs to check for regrowth.

Regarding the blood clot issue, Black and his neuro-oncologist seem to feel that it will resolve on its own in a couple of months. I will have another MRI in TWO months and we will then schedule the second brain surgery for the occipital tumor, ugh. Rather a daunting thought right now, to be honest! However, from what I hear, this last one was the worst one. They had to totally lift out the cerebellum to get to it, as well as that locale is the nausea/vomiting center, as well as the balance center; so that explains the horrible first two days of nausea and pain.

On the way home, I needed some food for the meds, so we stopped for tea, and it was nice, but visually overwhelming. I realize that I really do need to REST my brain in order to heal!

When we got home, we had an amazing dinner waiting for us, brought by my sweet nursing school friend, Katie Godin!!!!!!!!!!! Homemade with such care....we were TRULY blessed!!!!!! Mitch was going crazy, in fact. The Asti for later, the sweet card, just everything!!!!!! SUCH a blessing!!!!!!

Also, our sweet friends and neighbors, Karen Kinan and her beautiful adughter, Vanessa came over with one of her glorious fruit feasts, and a lovely quiche packed with zucchini (LOVE!!!), Katie's dinner had lots of fruit and veggies too.....just total YUM!!!!!!!! We were in fruit glory!!!! Also sweet Rob and Robin came by with JoJo and dark chocolate!!! So great to hug them. Just really overwhelmed by people's prayers, care, and thoughtfulness. Thank you all SO MUCH!

So we have no idea what the "new normal" will be, but we trust it will be good for us, because God is good TO us and knows what we need.

Until Later....Night Night:)! xoxoxo