Recovering at Home

Harold has been home from the hospital for a couple of day and is recovering well. There has been much less discomfort this time and no cognitive impairment. He did have an amazing shiner of a right eye. That, along with an arc of new stitches, combined to make him look a bit tough. Elodie, our three year old granddaughter declared, “Grandpa is scary.”
     

Harold sleeps a lot, which is a good thing. He needs to heal as much as possible before going back into surgery on Monday. At that time he will have two more tumors removed.

Between naps we take walks.

 “So how far are we going today,” I cautiously asked as we started our morning walk.

I’ve learned to check these things out because with Harold . . .  well, it’s just good to know. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in the middle of a steep jungle hike, already tiring and then overwhelmed by the realization that the only way out was up. So now, out of a new sense of self preservation, I asked the question.

Before Harold could even answer, I stopped and laughed at my ridiculous concern. After all, he’s the one just recovering from major brain surgery. I should be ok. And I was. We walked a mile and a half.

Update

Harold has done great today and has been moved to a regular room. He's walking with little assistance, talking normally, eating well, and generally looking for mischief - in other words, he's about back to normal. So far the recovery has been easier because he's not dealing with as much post operative swelling.

The plan is to go home on Monday.

Surgery Update

The surgery went well today but was different than originally planned. First, it was delayed by several hours. Seond, only one tumor was removed. Still, it seems things turned out as they should.

A pre-surgery MRI revealed increased swelling in the tumor sceduled for a February 13 gamma knife treatment. Surgical removal became the better option. We hoped it could be removed today with the other two but discovered that none of these tumors are located near each other. It would require three seperate incisions in Harold's head. While surgically possible, it's not a great idea as it would cause too much brain trama in one day. 

Instead Harold's surgeon chose to remove the most complex tumor and will remove the other two in about 10 days. It was really the only choice.

Todays tumor was located just above the right eyebrow and was resting on the optic nerve. Surgery started around 4:30 pm and was completed some time after 8:00 pm. It was successfully removed with no apparent damage to Harold's vision. When I saw Harold around 9:00 pm he was able to talk and respond normally. His surgeon felt things had gone really well. Since it is the weekend, we won't know the result of the labs on that tumor until Tuesday.

Right now we are in the ICU but should to be moved to a regular room in the morning. Things are going great.

The day was longer than expected but passed calmly. I am greatful for the company to two friends, also unexpected, who shared this journey today.

The Ride

Hawaii was a good idea. We hiked jungle trails and biked shoreline paths. We played in the surf and swam pristine pools. Evenings included moonlight dinners and barefoot beach walks. It was the perfect place to unwind and regroup for the challenges ahead.

Our goal was a new adventure every day. One was an ATV tour of a large private ranch which had been the setting for movies such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. Before we got too far into the tour, we were screened to make sure we could drive our vehicles safely. The last test was a descent down a steep muddy embankment full of roots and ruts. We parked our ATV’s on the rim of the embankment in preparation for the test and listened as our guide gave instructions. Getting into his vehicle to demonstrate, he offered this invitation:

 “If you don’t feel comfortable driving this descent, get out now. You may take the rest of the tour as a passenger in my vehicle.”

The ensuing silence was interrupted by a cell phone. Harold glanced down; saw the number and quickly stepped away to take the call. The rest of our small group awkwardly waited.

“Hey, was that business or family,” our guide kindly questioned as Harold rejoined the group. Looking a bit sheepish, Harold replied, “Medical.” The subject was dropped and the demonstration began.

There was no time to talk as we jumped back into our vehicles but Harold quickly whispered that the call was from our hospital letting him know that his brain surgery had been scheduled for Friday, February 1^st. *

We may not have had time to talk but that didn’t keep my mind from playing with the strange juxtaposition of ideas: driving down a steep embankment / scheduling brain surgery.

We were not afraid of taking the descent down that muddy track because we've driven ATV’s before and know what these machines can do. There was no need to accept the guide’s invitation and besides, driving was the point, the fun. We enjoyed the element of danger and excitement.

We are not afraid of Harold’s approaching surgery because we’ve taken this road before and know what our team can do. There is an element of danger and perhaps anticipation but instead of excitement, a sober recognition of the challenges ahead.

Here’s where the comparison got interesting. Unlike the ATV excursion, we’ve accepted the invitation of a ride through this cancer adventure and believe me, it doesn’t ruin the fun. Faith in the Savior allows us to be carried through the steep challenges of life while receiving the refining experiences that enrich our lives.

We are grateful for the lift.

*   Harold will undergo a craniotomy, which is a surgical operation in which a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain so the tumors can be removed. The bone flap is then replaced using titanium plates and screws. This will be the third time he’s had this surgery. He will also have another gamma knife procedure on February 13^th.

 

MRI Update

Harold had his scheduled brain MRI today. It was a good news/bad news report.

Good news:   No new tumors
Bad news:      Three previously treated tumors have increased in size.

This could mean one of two things. First it could be the normal necrosis or death of those tissues treated by gamma knife. Instead of just going away, they have created an area of inflammation. Second it could mean the tumors did not fully respond to the gamma knife treatment. They may be actively growing cancer.

In either case they have to be addressed. One is located in the back left quadrant of Harold’s head. This one will receive another gamma knife treatment. The other two are on the upper right side of his head. They will be surgically removed. 

So this will be round three for brain surgery and round five for gamma knife. Meanwhile we are leaving in the morning for a week in Kauai, our favorite Hawaiian island. We knew when we scheduled this trip it would be the day after an MRI. Harold reasoned that if it was good news we would enjoy the celebration. If it was bad news, we’d still enjoy the trip as a welcome respite before the next stage of the battle.

Harold continues to feel great despite ongoing chemotherapy treatment. We’re looking forward to some hiking adventures.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Day had about gotten away when I realized I wanted a family picture. It was cold, the grandchildren were napping, and no one was excited about heading outdoors. Harold shoveled a path through the new snow and we dashed out for this photo moment– a tribute to that day last March when we stood together and chose to rely on our Savior to guide us through Harold's cancer battle. That faith has been rewarded. Harold is still here . . . and we still choose faith. 

 

                      

Update

Harold had an MRI today to check for new tumors. This was the first scan since his October 12^th brain surgery and since he started chemotherapy. Drum roll please . . . 

 For the very first time we are able to announce
No New Brain Tumors!

I don’t know if grinning ear to ear and throwing high fives conveyed the proper “cautiously hopeful” doctor’s office demeanor. Bouncing down the hallway and announcing it to total strangers in the elevator probably didn’t either; but hey, it’s the Christmas season and we just got the best gift ever!