The first exciting news is that I had more Brain Surgery, this time with Radiation (Photon Torpedoes). That was yesterday. It was forty minutes with my head strapped down unable to move more than 1/2 mm. There were masks on both my face and the back of my head attached to the machine. I had 2 mg of Adavan to help as I'm somewhat claustrophobic. I expect that it blasted this new tumor and completely destroyed it. I expect to recover from this as I did the 30 rounds of radiation therapy I received back in July and August. It took 2 to 3 months to feel I had my brain working again. This new cancer was confirmed after chemo 5 and is likely the cause of my language difficulties as it's next to the original tumor on the left side that controls language among other things. With it gone there's some hope.
The second change is that I'm on a different chemo treatment. The first is no longer considered effective as it allowed a visible (to an MRI) tumor to return. I'll have to get the new medicine name from Melody. It's not oral any more. I get it into an IV for and hour and a half to two hours every two weeks.
I ended up in the ER at TMC on Mother's day. Sorry Melody! I had pain and sensitivity in my legs that started on the trip home from Utah visiting our children a week earlier. A week or so later, gross sores appeared along the left side of my legs and the small of my back. It turns out I have Shingles! I laughed when our chemo doctor diagnosed it and said it's fairly common for old people :-) Warning: if you haven't had chicken pocks or your children haven't, stay away from me. I'm contagious. I won't be at church for a at least a few weeks or longer until the sores are closed up.
Up until this second tumor appeared I was feeling like I would recover well enough to go back to work for a year or so. I no longer see this as likely. I enjoy work, the people, and the challenges we face and hoped I would live long enough and be healthy enough to return.
As always, I'm taking things as they come. I'm grateful for all the love and support and visits I've received from friends and family. I'm still up beat and seem to have my sense of humor.
Today I read aloud page 273 of 531 of the Book of Mormon. Ammon praises the Lord for their mighty success in converting many Lamanites to Christ. Ammon's brother Aaron rebukes him for boasting. Ammon answers by saying who can glory too much in the Lord. I've always found this interesting that after 14 years as missionaries, brothers are still brothers, and may point out perceived faults.
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