Home for the Holidays!!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!  We certainly did!  It was a bit of a different Christmas, but it was great to have Mom home. We opened our stockings and then went off to get Mom.  She seemed very happy to come home.  After lunch she went over to the sink and started doing the dishes!  Dad said that she didn't have to do the dishes but her reply was, "too bad"  Then we convinced her to go have a nap before everyone came for dinner.  Thanks Grandma and Auntie for the meal!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was good!  Mom said she had a great night in her own bed.  We are bringing her home again later today for 2 nights this time! We are planning a fun movie night tomorrow with our new popcorn maker. 

Thanks for all the Christmas wishes, presents and baking!  We did manage to bake our favourite cookies 2 days before Christmas though.  Have a great holiday everyone, and happy new year!!!!!

Love,
Jen and family

Good news

Mom and Dad met with the doctor yesterday he said mom could come home on Christmas and stay the night.  Me and Jen met with the social worker today.  Hope will be crazy and happy when Mom comes home.  Tomorrow is the last day of school and my class is doing chapel, I'm a shepherd.  Me and Jen are looking forward to lots of Christmas fun at school tomorrow.  After that we have to finish getting ready for Christmas.

We will try to keep you posted.

From
Kristjan and family

An update......finally

As mom would say, "Sorry we disappeared off the face of the earth again."  

First we should tell you that mom is doing alright and has continued to improve over the past few weeks.  Dr. S says that the seizure effects took a long time to wear off because of where the tumor is.  Moms up and walking around.   Personally I think that soon the 6th floor might not be a long enough lap for her!  She's also able to visit more, just not during her afternoon nap.  If you do visit, please leave a note so we know you came because she might not remember to tell us.  Mom and Dad will meet with Dr. S on Wednesday, so we'll try to keep you posted. 

Oh right, we should tell you a few reasons (or are they excuses?) why we've been so late about this.  Well I was singing with the WSO as well as our regular Christmas concerts.  Plus a school concert for me and Kris, a piano recital with my piano class.  And the best one, Kris and I curling with frozen turkeys.  Oh and then there was Christmas shopping to be done.(thanks Dad for getting us to all this stuff and thanks to all the people at Dad's work who are helping him so he can do this for us!!!)

A very big thank you for all the flowers, visits, baking and everything else!!  A special thank you to those of you that sleep over with Mom, visit her at meal times and help us out with Hope and with getting us places.  We really appreciate it!!!!!!  And we can't forget our friends and family that have come from far to see us.

As always thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. 

Love,
 Jen and family

A New Room

Karen was moved to a new room on Friday, it's much quieter than MICU and she has the room to herself.  They continued to adjust the medication and she is more alert every time we see her.

Dr. S talked to us today to show the MRIs to the kids and explain to them what's happening.  He told us that Karen has no pain and doesn't worry about what's happening because of where the tumor is.  Because connections in her brain are broken she may recognize you but can only get some people's names, for example at one point today everyone was either John the psychiatrist or a security guard.  Later she figured out most of our names.

For now she will still be in the rehab hospital and we will take things day by day.  She enjoys visitors just not too many at once and she likes having friends stay the night.  The flowers she's received brighten up the boring room.  Thanks to everyone for these gifts!

Thanks also for all the calls, meals and offers for help!  We really appreciate it!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  We will try to keep you posted.
Love,
Jen and family

Changes

We've had some changes this week. 

Early Wednesday morning Karen had a seizure while sleeping.  While we always knew this was something that could happen it was quite something to wake up to after her not having one ever in this 2 year journey.  The paramedics got her quickly to the Grace and after some stabilizing and assessing the ICU doctor made the call to transfer her to the MICU at HSC where her doctors and other specialists would be available.  Once there she had an EEG, MRI and lots of attention from old friends and great care.

Today we got confirmation that the tumour has progressed significantly since her last MRI in September and that progression had caused the seizure.  With anti-seizure medication and steroids for any swelling we have seen steady improvement over the last day and a half.  They were also able to remove her breathing tube this morning so communication is becoming easier again.

Tomorrow she will leave MICU and move to another unit to continue to rest, be assessed further and regain function and mobility

Please keep Karen (and me and the kids) in your thoughts and prayers as we move through this new phase of our journey - as she has told you many times your support means so much to us!

Doug

Late as per Usual!!!!!

Hi all!  Sorry that I disappeared off the face of the earth for a few weeks once again!!!  I have been meaning not to do that, but all I can say is I'm Sorry!  In our case that usually means good news.  My MRI results were basically unchanged.  I am back to driving - VERY CAREFULLY that is!  I am probably a road hazard these days!  I am not allowed to drive on the HWY........yet!!!!

Those pesky little platelets have come up to around 80 something now!  That's big News for us!  The plan is monthly blood work and see Dr. S for the results.  I don't know what I'll do without seeing CancerCare, as often as I have!  Don't worry.....I'm sure I will find something to do!!!!

We have had a great fall, lots of sun, mild temperatures, the wind has been crazy, especially today!  Not all the leaves have fallen yet, too windy to rake today, and I did promise Doug & kids fresh muffins for breakfast,  I must abandon this blog and get on with the day!

I may not have a paying job, but I do have a lot of things to get done!  Wish me luck, as I get distracted very easily!

One quick phone and I lost my train of thoughts!!!!  Maybe its Early Alzheimer's setting in!!!!  Any ways physically I am well,  mentally I am exhausted each day, but according to my girlfriends that is apparently Normal for Our AGE!

Thanks again for all of you who care to listen to my rants, and for all of your prayers and kind thoughts.

Love,

Karen and all

What can I say......I've been Gardening????

It has been a busy spring and start of the summer. The kids both got great report cards - a big thanks to all their teachers for the guidance, understanding, patience and love! Yes Love! Jen will be going into grade 6 and Kris into grade 4! I remember their first days of preschool, I cried all the way home after dropping Jen off, part of the reason was that Kris was sitting is his car seat asking "why you crying momma? Where JenJen go?",which only made things worse! How they grow up so fast is beyond words. We were delighted to be able to participate in the Spring Sprint once again this year. It is a walk to raise money for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. Our team the Foofighters raised around $4,000.00 - thanks to all our generous supporters and walkers that joined us we had good weather and fun was had by all! I have been feeling good. I get tired easily but according to my 40 something friends that is supposed to be normal! I did manage to get the flower beds and pots planted with a lot more energy than last year. It is amazing what can happen to a person over 19 months. It has been a crazy day today. Jen has been feeling unwell for a few days. She let me listen to her chest and she had crackles to her right base so we few out the door to a last minute appointment with a pediatrician. She had an x-ray which confirmed a RLL pneumonia and she has started her antibiotics. We came home and Doug flew out the door to get the babysitter and we headed out to CancerCare. My MRI is basically unchanged and my next MRI will be in 3 months. My platelets on the other hand are sitting at 75 which is great for me! Have a safe and relaxing summer. I will not make any promises as to when the next posting will be, as we plan to enjoy summer! Hope to see many of you! Thanks again for all the support,love and prayers that come our way, Love, Karen

Get off the Road because I am back!!!

Saw Dr. S today at CancerCare.  My MRI is virtually unchanged from the last one.  The radiologist thought that there might be a small change on one view, but none of the other doctors can see it!  Next MRI in 2 months just to be sure.

Best news was that he feels that it is safe for me to drive once again, with restrictions that is....no noisy kids in the car, no highway driving can`t complain about that!  I know that I have had lots of offers from people to drive me here and there, and I am so grateful for the rides I received, but you have no idea what it means to get some independance back!  Sobeys here we come!

Thanks again for all the support and prayers that we have received,

Karen and the gang

Happy Belated Easter!

Wow I have been really bad at updating this! Sorry! I guess in my case once again No News is Good News!

It has been a busy few weeks. We had a restful Spring Break - we went to Phenoix. We stayed in a great hotel with a water park for the kids, a lazy river for me to float on, 4 restaraunts, a wave pool, comfy lounge chairs for Doug to relax on, golf lessons for the kids (hopefully they will remember what to do and forget mom's bad tips! I always thought that kissing a golf ball before hitting over water was the proper thing to do! Thats what my golf pro Maria told me to do! Who knew that she was wrong!) Needless to say we had a wonderful time of R&R and most important some family time!

Back on the CC front I am back there tomorrow for port care and blood work I have no clue what my CBC is like these days, but I am feeling well. I did too much over spring break and Easter - so this week I am pooped! I was told to "take it easy" that is the hardest thing for me to do!
Hope is growing leaps and bounds. We need to find a good puppy school for us and her - if you have any suggestions please let us know. First she has to have her "little operation"

I am still not driving, so I must thank all the people that cart the kids and I around. That is the most frustrating thing that I am dealing with these days - so I have no right to complain! I do have to once again thank all the people who have chauffered myself and the kids around!
Thanks again for all the love, support and prayers!

Love ,
Karen

Good news.....again!

Just back from CancerCare for my MRI results from Tuesday evening. My MRI was almost unchanged from November, with slight improvment in one view (or something like that!)

I turn my brain off when I hear the words "it's good!" We have to do this all over in 3 months! Let the good times Roll for the next 3 months!

Thanks for all the prayers and support, without you all I have no idea how we would have gotten this far!

Thanks for listening!

Love,
Karen

Winter has come!

We can't complain, but this week it has finnaly arrived with a bang! Today it is - 26 C with of course a windchill. It will probably be another day of indoor recess - nothing like keeping a bunch of kids locked up in school for a whole week! I feel sorry for the teachers - I know what they are like when they get home! Growing up I never remembered having a week of indoor recesses - I think they are getting soft! I must be old! (Oh yeah we also walked uphill both ways!) I plan to meet them at the end of the day and walk home I'm sure that there will be lots of complaining! Hope is getting cooped up too - she is missing her 3 daily walks! She is doing well and growing like a weed.

I was at Cancer Care last week for port care and blood work - I'm like a car I need to go in for monthy tune ups! I have no idea what my labs are like - it has taken me this long to finally stop trying to manage my care and let my doctor and nurse do it for me! I have to admit I am a bit curious though!

Next month we have a lovely Valentines Day plans - NOT! I have my Feb MRI scheduled for then with the results at the end of the week. I am so grateful not to have to wait long for the results - they take such good care of me. I really am lucky to have such a great team at CC!

In my opinion no news is good news! Sorry for being deliquent with the blog!

Thanks again for all your support and prayers,

Karen