Kyla flew with Jill to San Francisco on Wednesday of this week for another scan. The MRI shows a larger bright white spot and after being presented before the tumor board the consesus is that it looks like necrosis. However, they can't be positive without a biopsy. She is scheduled for surgery to remove the tissue and have it biopsied on March 14th. So it looks as though we will be in San Francisco for a week again soon. We are still waiting to talk with her surgeon as to what type of surgery, time, and how long she will be in the hospital.
Kyla returned to work half time in February and had two migraine headaches unexpectedly. We think that she became too tired which triggered the headaches. But because of the nature of this illness, we can't be sure. It could be that the headaches were caused by pressure from the necrosis. She says she is not nervous and would rather have it now than wait until later since her hair is not all grown back. The only bad part is that she will be back on the steroids again....she was just beginning to feel better. I admire her greatly. She has such a positive and good spirit.
Lucy and Emma have colds again. Just seems to keep going around and around. Spring can't come soon enough. Prayers.
Friday, March 3, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
MRI Results and Fun With Emma and Lucy
Kyla and Kelli flew to San Francisco early yesterday for her appointments today. Kyla just called to say that her MRI was clear except some bruising and scar tissue. We will hear tomorrow if she needs to go back next month or in two months. It depends on what the tumor board has to say about the scan.
She is continuing to heal and aside from the usual side effects from the Decadron (weight gain, joint pain, etc.) is doing well. Her hair is growing back but she says not fast enough for her. Unless things change, she plans on returning to work the first of February.
Dave and I kept Lucy and Emma Monday through about noon yesterday. Both girls were very good but sure keep us running. I had to have a tea party with Emma on the floor and of course Lucy just wants to be on the go constantly so not much else gets done. Sometimes I wonder how I did this with four kids......
She is continuing to heal and aside from the usual side effects from the Decadron (weight gain, joint pain, etc.) is doing well. Her hair is growing back but she says not fast enough for her. Unless things change, she plans on returning to work the first of February.
Dave and I kept Lucy and Emma Monday through about noon yesterday. Both girls were very good but sure keep us running. I had to have a tea party with Emma on the floor and of course Lucy just wants to be on the go constantly so not much else gets done. Sometimes I wonder how I did this with four kids......
Kyla, Lucy and Emma on Christmas day
Jill, Wade and Byron on Christmas day
Emmy decorating Christmas cookies with Gram
Little Christmas girl, Lucy
Byron decked out to go see Auntie Kyla in the hospital
Hard to believe there is three months difference in age
Lucy with her usual big smile
Emmy trying to maintain the wriggling Byron and Lucy for a picture
Thursday, January 12, 2006
A New Year and Update on Surgery and Treatment
We arrived in San Francisco on December 26th and stayed in The Millwood Inn and Suites close to the SF airport. The staff at the motel were very helpful, the price was reasonable and the rooms were clean and comfortable. I would highly recommend this place. Plus it was just a hop on the freeway to go to UCSF....took about 15 minutes especially with Wade driving like a true Californian! Thanks Wade.
Kyla checked in to the hospital at 10:00 and her surgery took place at noon. It lasted until 7:00 p.m. and they were able to place the cathetars for the treatment at the same time. She was pretty sick in the ICU from the anesthesia but the next day began to feel a little better. They moved her to a shared room on the neuro floor that afternoon and began the infusion. Jill, Kelli and I took turns staying with her in the room at nights and other than not much sleep and the boredom of being confined for four days, she did well. The cathetars were removed on Sunday afternoon, the 1st and we checked her out on Monday, the 2nd and drove home. She is now home recuperating and beginning to be very tired of being housebound. That is a good sign that she is feeling better. Kelli, Jill and I are taking turns watching the girls during the days and Jed keeps Lucy at night. Kyla will be going back to SF on the 24th for an MRI and a check-up. She is also slowly being weaned off of Decadron and hopes to be back to work the first part of February.
Thank you to everyone for the prayers and good wishes as well as financial donations for her multiple trips. Words can not express how blessed we are.
Kyla checked in to the hospital at 10:00 and her surgery took place at noon. It lasted until 7:00 p.m. and they were able to place the cathetars for the treatment at the same time. She was pretty sick in the ICU from the anesthesia but the next day began to feel a little better. They moved her to a shared room on the neuro floor that afternoon and began the infusion. Jill, Kelli and I took turns staying with her in the room at nights and other than not much sleep and the boredom of being confined for four days, she did well. The cathetars were removed on Sunday afternoon, the 1st and we checked her out on Monday, the 2nd and drove home. She is now home recuperating and beginning to be very tired of being housebound. That is a good sign that she is feeling better. Kelli, Jill and I are taking turns watching the girls during the days and Jed keeps Lucy at night. Kyla will be going back to SF on the 24th for an MRI and a check-up. She is also slowly being weaned off of Decadron and hopes to be back to work the first part of February.
Thank you to everyone for the prayers and good wishes as well as financial donations for her multiple trips. Words can not express how blessed we are.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Surgery Date
The date for Kyla's surgery is December 27th. She is in San Francisco today getting all the pre-op things taken care of such as a scan, blood work up, etc. She will be back on Friday and will be able to spend Christmas with her little ones. I know she is happy about that but at the same time just wants to get this over with as quickly as possible. She is able to use the IL-13 treatment again thankfully. We will all leave on Monday the 26th and it looks as though we will be there a good 10 days. The infusion is set for January 2nd due to the holidays and weekends.
Kelli and I are watching Lucy and Emma for these couple of days so things are hectic. I will try to keep everyone updated while in San Francisco if possible. Thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Kelli and I are watching Lucy and Emma for these couple of days so things are hectic. I will try to keep everyone updated while in San Francisco if possible. Thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Monday, December 12, 2005
December MRI Results
Kyla's MRI on the 9th was not what we hoped for. The spot that was there last time has doubled in size and has been determined to be cancer. This is a new spot, not in the same location as the three years ago....that continues to be clear. The good news is that it is operable at this time and we are hoping to use the IL-13 treatment again. However, that is not a for sure thing since it is still tied up in FDA approval and she is no longer on that protocol. Dr. Butowski is trying his best to see if she can use it. If that is not an option he is talking like the Gamma Knife is the next option. He wants to get her in for surgery as soon as possible.....before Christmas. We are hoping to hear the date and outcome tomorrow some time. I will keep everyone posted when we find out.
Needless to say, we are anticipating being in San Francisco during the holidays and/or shortly after. So we are sorry to miss family and friends and want to wish everyone the very happiest of this holiday season and want you to take the time to hug your family and tell them how much you love them. Kyla is in good spirits and she has a strong faith and a strong family and friends network.
Needless to say, we are anticipating being in San Francisco during the holidays and/or shortly after. So we are sorry to miss family and friends and want to wish everyone the very happiest of this holiday season and want you to take the time to hug your family and tell them how much you love them. Kyla is in good spirits and she has a strong faith and a strong family and friends network.
Friday, November 11, 2005
MRI Results and Grandkids, Grandkids and Grandkids
Kyla's MRI showed a small white spot this time. But the doctor as well as the tumor board at UCSF thought that it looked like a blood vessel dying off from radiation effects and the IL-13 treatment. It was like this on one other scan a while back and that is what it turned out to be and had completely disappeared by the next scan. However, she will have to go back in December for another scan just to make sure.
Jill and Kelli went with Kyla this time and they decided to drive and spend one extra day for a little fun. These trips are usually quick over night trips and filled with anxiety for Kyla so they hoped to have a little fun. However, mother nature was not cooperating. They had to chain up over the mountain pass and had to stop and spend the night in Weed, CA because of two feet of snow. So it cut into their time but they took the coastal highway back so the roads were better.....just a bit longer.
Dave and I took care of the grand kids with help from Wade, Jed, GG and Jo, Jill's sister-in-law. There was only one afternoon/evening that we had all three at once. I do not know how parents of twins do this but we really enjoyed the time we spent with them. They are so darn cute!
Jill and Kelli went with Kyla this time and they decided to drive and spend one extra day for a little fun. These trips are usually quick over night trips and filled with anxiety for Kyla so they hoped to have a little fun. However, mother nature was not cooperating. They had to chain up over the mountain pass and had to stop and spend the night in Weed, CA because of two feet of snow. So it cut into their time but they took the coastal highway back so the roads were better.....just a bit longer.
Dave and I took care of the grand kids with help from Wade, Jed, GG and Jo, Jill's sister-in-law. There was only one afternoon/evening that we had all three at once. I do not know how parents of twins do this but we really enjoyed the time we spent with them. They are so darn cute!
Lucy in her Johnny Jump Up
Byron waking up after a nap
Emmy eating her dinner
Jill and Kelli laughing at Kyla with her posing
Kyla goofing off before her trip
Lucy wants to play with Byron so bad
Monday, October 31, 2005
More Birthdays, Next MRI Date, Happy Halloween, Goodbye to a Friend
The beginning of this month said goodbye to a good friend and retired professor, Steve Keele, who passed away from an inoperable brain tumor. I so much enjoyed talking to him about huckleberries, his horses, cows and trips he had made and admired his work as an educator. He will be greatly missed!
The month has been a busy one. Emma helped me pick out fabric to make her "Glynda, The Good Witch" Halloween costume so I spent most of the month sewing. Jill dressed up little Byron as a yard gnome, much to my sadness. Poor little boy! Little Lucy was a Winnie the Pooh Honey Pot and they really looked cute. We had a weekend visit from Alicia, my niece, who is going to school in Portland. She gave us copies of her beautiful art work, one of which was a pencil drawing of Lucy and Emma. She is very talented! Thanks Alicia for sharing with us. I also spent a little time in our pool, but not by choice. I guess you could say I was trying to have a "shocking experience". I was using the electric leaf blower and tripped and fell in backwards with the blower going. I don't know why I was not electrocuted but the blower shut off as soon as it hit the water. I have never swam so fast in my life.....a little spooked I guess! Glad we live out where no one could see how silly I looked!
We had more birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to Max, Lisa, Marisa, Brian, Braedyn and Dave as well as Happy Anniversary to Max and Delpha! We took Max and Delpha to dinner with Mike and Linda for his birthday at River Ranch and went to Braedyn's birthday party as well as had a family dinner/party for Dave. Brian had to spend his 30th alone in Spain but we called him and celebrated by having his favorite thing, huckleberry sauce on cheesecake. If it counts Brian, we love you and were thinking of you with every bite! Halloween was spent with Max & Delpha since it was their anniversary and Dave's birthday. We also had a nice lunch with Tony while he visited.
Kyla goes to San Francisco next week for an MRI. Jill and Kelli will go with her this time and spend an extra day doing something fun. These visits are usually very quick and make Kyla very anxious so it will be good for her to have a distraction. I will watch the grand kids which will keep us all very busy.
The month has been a busy one. Emma helped me pick out fabric to make her "Glynda, The Good Witch" Halloween costume so I spent most of the month sewing. Jill dressed up little Byron as a yard gnome, much to my sadness. Poor little boy! Little Lucy was a Winnie the Pooh Honey Pot and they really looked cute. We had a weekend visit from Alicia, my niece, who is going to school in Portland. She gave us copies of her beautiful art work, one of which was a pencil drawing of Lucy and Emma. She is very talented! Thanks Alicia for sharing with us. I also spent a little time in our pool, but not by choice. I guess you could say I was trying to have a "shocking experience". I was using the electric leaf blower and tripped and fell in backwards with the blower going. I don't know why I was not electrocuted but the blower shut off as soon as it hit the water. I have never swam so fast in my life.....a little spooked I guess! Glad we live out where no one could see how silly I looked!
We had more birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to Max, Lisa, Marisa, Brian, Braedyn and Dave as well as Happy Anniversary to Max and Delpha! We took Max and Delpha to dinner with Mike and Linda for his birthday at River Ranch and went to Braedyn's birthday party as well as had a family dinner/party for Dave. Brian had to spend his 30th alone in Spain but we called him and celebrated by having his favorite thing, huckleberry sauce on cheesecake. If it counts Brian, we love you and were thinking of you with every bite! Halloween was spent with Max & Delpha since it was their anniversary and Dave's birthday. We also had a nice lunch with Tony while he visited.
Kyla goes to San Francisco next week for an MRI. Jill and Kelli will go with her this time and spend an extra day doing something fun. These visits are usually very quick and make Kyla very anxious so it will be good for her to have a distraction. I will watch the grand kids which will keep us all very busy.
Lucy and Byron
Another tooth lost for Emmy
Auntie Kelli snoozing with Byron
Lucy and her big smile
Grandad Dave holding little Byron
Glynda the Good Witch, Yard Gnome and Honeypot
Poor little Byron as the Yard Gnome
Lucy as Honeypot
Emmy as Glynda the Good Witch
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)