15 Jul 2010

Lynne was sitting in a chair when I arrived this morning. She is having extreme difficulty verbalizing her thoughts and struggling to assemble full sentences. Imagine the frustration that causes for her. I am reassuring her that this will take a little time. The physical, occupational, and speech therapists will begin working with her today. She is also scheduled for a follow-up MRI this evening.

Regards,
Darryl

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14 Jul 2010

Lynne was still under sedation when I was allowed to see her. She looks great and able to respond but had to work hard due to the sedation so we decided to leave for the evening to allow her some time to rest.

Regards,
Darryl

14 Jul 2010

Lynne is out of surgery and in recovery. She is being moved to ICU shortly. I can't wait to see her. The surgery lasted much longer than planned but the surgeons assured me that was not due to complications. The assisting resident did state that Lynne moved her right arm and leg, which is very good news at this point. Thank you Father.

I plan to post one additional update later today.

Regards,
Darryl

14 Jul 2010

Lynne was taken to surgery on schedule this morning. The surgeon shared the results of the MRI taken on Monday. The tumor has invaded the motor strip, which increases the risk associated with the surgical outcome. Lynne was offered the option of an aggressive or non-aggressive surgery. The risk of the aggressive option is paralysis on her right side. The benefit is longer life expectation. The reverse is true for the non-aggressive option. Lynne and I prefer and agreed to pursue the aggressive option. With the aggressive option, the need for rehabilitation is a near certainty. We will know more after the surgery and much more within the next couple of days.

We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.

Regards,
Darryl

7 Jul 2010

The Barrow Neurological Institute tumor board recommends another brain surgery followed by additional chemotherapy. Lynne is anxious but prepared to undergo her third brain surgery, the fourth when including the Gamma Knife treatment. She is scheduled for pre-operative work on 12 Jul 2010. The pre-operative work includes a functional MRI, blood work, and an appointment with the surgeon. The functional MRI maps brain function to provide a guide to the team during the surgery. On 14 Jul 2010, she starts admission and pre-operative procedures at 6:30 with the surgery scheduled for 8:30 in the morning.

As always, we appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Regards,
Darryl

29 Jun 2010

Lynne, Jessica, and I met with the neurooncologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute. We discovered that Lynne does not qualify for the clinical trial mentioned last week because this is the fourth recurrence for Lynne. The protocol for the trial dictates that the treatment only be applied at the first recurrence. The doctor outlined several other treatment possibilities but wants to review the images from all MRIs since her last surgery in September 2010 to evaluate the extent of the recurrence. I copied and mailed the disks today. The doctor will review and present his additional findings to the tumor board next week. We expect to hear something more in the middle of next week.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers on our behalf.

Regards,
Darryl

22 Jun 2010

Lynne is scheduled to meet with the oncologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute next Tuesday, 29 Jun 2010. We will have additional details about the proposed clinical trial after that appointment.

Regards,
Darryl