WEEK 21 & JOSH UPDATE

 

Hello everyone.  My update this week will be short on the crafting front and long on the Josh medical update front.

Hubby's first sock is complete.

I was smart and cast on sock #2 right away.

This was taken yesterday afternoon so it is further along this morning.  Hopefully it will be completed before Thanksgiving day.

I also have a Thanksgiving surprise

My cactus is blooming.  I know everyone calls them Christmas cactus, but after looking at a nursery I found out they are actually Thanksgiving Cacti.  Christmas Cactus have a different leaf shape as does the Easter Cactus.  Who knew.  This is the first time my cactus has bloomed during it's actual season.  It seems to love the new spot I put it in and is doing well with the transplanting too.

That is all from Leftycrafter.  The following is the post that was put out publicly from Josh (my son).  Needless to say, my posting over the coming weeks may be a bit spotty.

OK Friends and Family, update time, and a long one. We got the pathology from the biopsy on 11/13 and it is indeed a cancerous tumor (we call it Felix). The molecular results were not yet conclusive but it is trending towards a grade 3 glioma. More molecular results are pending. In other words an intermediate form of cancer. So what's next? Great question. We have an amazing medical team at St Joes BNI. Dr. Nadar Sanai is our primary Dr. Look him up, you will not be disappointed. I chose him and requested him to be my Dr. after doing my research. For those of you that don't know, you always have a choice in doctors. Do not let anyone tell you different. 

 Next is surgery on Nov 30th with a check in time of 4:45 AM to remove the tumor. It is a 6 hour procedure starting at around 7-7:30 AM, including knocking me out and waking me up. The Dr. is confident he can remove the entire tumor. Says he does close to 10 of these a week. After the tumor is removed, there is no guarantee all the little glioma cells get removed because you can't see things at the cellular level. So meds and radiation treatments will follow. We still need to meet with the oncologist on this. We will get these options once the final molecular pathology is received. The other good news is I am being offered a clinical trial med before surgery to see if it invades the tumor. If so we can continue with the trial after surgery if the oncologist approves to use as a treatment. Positive, my trial and treatment could save more lives. 

 Yes, I am scared and terrified beyond what anyone could ever imagine. I am also afraid for what Stacie and Josie will have to witness before and after the procedure. I always envision myself as the one to protect them from pain, not cause it. This procedure requires cutting and pulling back a flap of skin and making a half dollar sized hole in my skull to remove the tumor. I will be in the hospital for about 3 days. Sorry to gross anyone out but these are the thoughts in my head and the reality I now live. This stress and anxiety obviously is not healthy. I am reading literature and reached out to brain tumor support groups for additional mental and emotional help. I have an amazing family, and support system of friends, and even strangers. I am and will continue the fight! I will not give up, and I will be here for my family for a long time!

People always ask what they can do to help. PRAY! I truly believe in the power of prayer and that God has put every single person in our lives for specific reasons. Some people have been in our lives for over 20 years and now it is glaringly apparent why they have been with us for so long. Not just because they have been great friends during that time, but because they had resources we would need later in life and didn't know it until now. We may ask for meal trains, help at home, or other care options, but until things happen, we cannot say for sure. We won't be shy to ask. I will be potentially out of work recovering at home for 6 weeks. The, do not overdo it, approach is important.

 Speaking of being out of work for a while, a big thank you HairClub! The people in this company have been behind me, supporting, and treating me like a family member instead of an employee. They check on my well being, come to visit me, call and offer help, and even offering up personal assets to help us. And this is from the top leadership down. This is why I have stayed with this company for over 26 years, the people! I love and thank every single person in this organization!

And with that, I will close my blog for today.  And before you ask, Hubby and I are doing pretty good with all of this.  Like Josh said, we have a wonderful network of family and friends who are by our side.  Our Christian faith helps to sustain us also.

Until Next Time....................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!