Oopsy

Oopsy. It's been awhile since I've posted an update. Sorry about that. Must be something about having to plan a wedding in 2 months. ;)

So, mom had radiation on Tuesday. They pinned (yes pinned. actual pins through her skin (but not all the way to the skull)) a 3 pound "halo" to her head and then did 5 direct shots of radiation into the spot where the tumor was. They said that it was possible for swelling to occur around the pin sites (sometimes so bad the eyes would be swollen shut!), but she has had hardly any swelling! They also warned us that it could cause swelling in the brain and she might experience some loss of movement again. She was fine and had all movement right after the radiation Tuesday, but today was a little weaker in her right side than she has been. She still has no movement in the left leg. Although we were talking about it tonight that she can feel pain in her leg, knows when you're tickling her feet, etc. but just has no movement. Come on brain, work!

So next week she'll have a full PET CT scan of her body to see how the rest of her body is doing as far as the cancer goes, and we'll meet with her oncologist at Huntsman next week as well. Then maybe she'll get to move to a facility in St. George. We'll see!

Here's a picture of the halo:

Can I post a little something about me?

So I don't have a blog......So I hope it's okay with all of you if I borrow this blog to post some exciting news! I'm engaged! :) His name is Sosaia Haini Leaaetoa and we've been dating for 2 years now. We're getting married on June 20th in the Salt Lake Temple. Exciting!
Here's some pictures of us:




And at the Provo temple the night he proposed

Time for another update I suppose....

Hi again everyone. Does anyone else think someone besides me should write a few of these posts? ;)
Anyways, to give you all another update, mom is now in Aspen Ridge Transitional Rehab. We've heard good things about this center, and hope that it is a good stay for her. She continues to do rehab, and is slowly getting more strength back. My dad said she moved her left knee yesterday! She also continues to be very tired and sleeps a lot. Or "plays possum" as my dad puts it - she'll lay there with her eyes closed, and we can't tell if she's sleeping or not. :) It is good to see her sleep since she hasn't slept much since all of this started.

I can't remember if I mentioned it before, but she was scheduled to have radiation to the brain today. However, she had an appointment yesterday with Dr. Hazard, a radiation oncologist from Huntsman, and it was determined that she was not in good enough condition to do the radiation treatment this week, so it has been postponed until next week.

She has an appointment with her principle oncologist, Dr. Chen, at Huntsman tomorrow, and we'll probably have some more information after that. It's been over a month since her last chemo treatment, so we're curious as to what needs to happen there.

Your continued prayers are needed as we all continue this journey......Thanks so much for your love and support!

Muchas gracias!!

Oh yes, and a great big thank you to all of the staff and teachers and Pine View Middle School for the very nice card you sent. We all really appreciate your love and support and well wishes! I can tell my mom is loved. Thank you!

My mom also said to say thanks to EVERYBODY! For the cards, and flowers, and thoughts, and prayers, and support, and everything!! THANK YOU!!

Moving

Yep, it's time for an update. So, my mom will be moving to a skilled nursing home tomorrow. Insurance will no longer cover this "accute care" facility, but has approved a nursing home stay. So, she will be moving to Aspen Ridge here in Salt Lake (Murray I guess?). My dad went and checked it out yesterday and says it's pretty fancy. The dining room has little round tables with tablecloths and crystal glasses. ;) The reception desk was marble. The therapy room was carpeted. The rooms are nice - twice as big as the one she's in. And maybe with it's own temperature control unit - unlike the 75 degree room we've been in for the past couple of weeks. ;) Refrigerator, microwave, TV, etc. Yay!! Hopefully it's as good as it sounds. We think it will be a positive move for her. She's so ready to get out of this dang hospital! We've heard good reviews from the staff here about Aspen Ridge, so we feel good about it.

I was at work all day yesterday, but my dad said there were some good improvements. She's been real sleepy this week. Starting to sleep better at night, but also sleepy during the day. But yesterday my dad said that she actually got a little bit of strength in the thigh of her left leg yesterday. She still can't move it on her own, but is gradually getting more strength in her back, and still has strength in her arms and right leg.

On another note, she is scheduled to have radiation on Tuesday. From reading the information about it, it sounds pretty intense and could have some side effects that would put her right back to where she was after surgery. So we've been concerned about going forward with the radiation until she has gotten some of her strength back. My dad talked to the Doctor's office this morning, and a consultation with the radiation doctor is scheduled for Monday morning. It will be a chance for the doctor to evaluate and see if she feels like my mom is in good enough condition to go forward with the radiation. So by Monday we'll know about that. She is also scheduled to see Dr. Chen - her oncologist at Huntsman - on Wednesday, to see about the rest of her cancer treatment.

I think that's all!!

Not much is new

It's been awhile since I've written an update, so I know you're all wondering. I feel like there's not a whole lot to report. It seems like things are pretty much the same since the last time I wrote. She still has no movement in her left leg. But tonight she said she had a weird pain in her knee cap. So she could feel pain there - maybe that means it's coming back??? But as I massaged it for her she said, "Can you tell I'm trying to move my leg?" So, I guess she thinks about it, tells the leg to move, but nothing happens. I'm sure you can all imagine how frustrating that must be! However, she is getting more strength in her back, and the physical therapists continue to work with her, so she's getting better at being able to balance and hold herself up when she's sitting on the edge of the bed. They also continue to do stands with her everyday to get her standing up for at least a little bit, and she also spends at least a few hours sitting up in the wheelchair each day. Just keep praying for her!!