Merry Christmas + Radiation Update!

Merry Christmas to all of you! Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season! I'm a few days late in posting this - several of us caught the nasty little flu virus that is going around, but luckily Dad and Canaan have missed it so far.

Aside from the flu, we had an absolute perfect Christmas - so blessed that Dad was feeling great and we were able to relax and enjoy the last few days. This year, as part of Mom and Dad's present, we hijacked all of our old VHS childhood tapes and videos from Mom and Dad's vacations with Friends over the years and converted them to a DVD set for them. There were a lot of tears (mainly from Mom) but we think they liked the present? :) Thank you so much to the Litteken Family for allowing us to borrow your converter/recorder!! We have a few more to convert (We needed several versions of converter tapes and we knew Dad had them, so we waited to record some until after the fact in order to not blow the surprise). We will make sure we wrap those up and return the recorder to you soon - thanks again for helping us put together such a priceless gift. After opening presents, we spent the day watching the old movies and playing games - it was the perfect Christmas. If any of you would like a laugh, stop by for a visit and watch a few - many of you are in the vacation videos and they are pretty hysterical :) I'm sure Dad would enjoy the visit (just don't bring the Flu with you!!!)

Now that Christmas is passed, we are back to business, tackling this radiation process - Dad started whole brain radiation on Tuesday. He will go 5 days a week for the next 3 weeks straight to complete the whole brain and Gamma Knife radiation process. The purpose of the whole brain radiation is to zap any little cancer cells that may still be floating throughout the brain. The Gamma Knife radiation on the other hand is a targeted "spot" radiation, where they will target the radiation to hit the two places Dad had brain tumors. As I mentioned in my earlier posts re: Dad's brain surgeries, the Neurosurgeon did believe he was able to get all visible signs of both tumors (amazing) but the radiation is a needed follow up, because there are always remaining microscopic cells still present and they want to ensure they reduce any chances of another tumor surfacing as much as they can through completing the radiation process.

To give you a little info about the actual radiation: each appointment consists approximately of about a 20 min set up period and then the radiation takes about 2 mins, so the appointments themselves are pretty quick. The side effects are supposedly not too terrible either - fatigue, minor pressure and a chance of temporary hair loss are the main effects. So far Dad had a little ear/head pain, but we are working through it and are ready to get this radiation checked off the list, none the less.

He is supposed to also have a follow up chest x-ray as a follow up from the pneumonia, but this hasn't been scheduled yet - I'm also personally hoping he will be able to have his all body scans again soon too, to make sure everything else still looks ok, but the Doctors are suggesting we finish the radiation first. More to come, but please, PLEASE keep those prayers coming that the flu stays away, the radiation goes smoothly, Dad keeps his motivation and positive attitude and that he does not have Melanoma surfacing in any other area between scans. I know we're asking for a lot of prayers for a lot of different things and I've been a little sporadic in posting lately, but Dad really enjoys reading your comments (and so do I) and we need the prayers more than ever.

Here are a few photos from Christmas at the Strieker household - Thanks again and may God Bless all of you and your families' this holiday season!

Radiation

Small update: Dad has thankfully been feeling better - we hope to have a follow up chest x-ray soon to make sure the pneumonia has diminished, but we're still in the process coordinating a date with the doctors re: scans - Hopefully next week.

On another note, Dad was finally able to be fitted for his radiation mask today and he will officially start radiation next week after Christmas. It's nice to be able to fully take a holiday break, but so ready to get the brain radiation checked off the list and behind us!

More info to come when radiation starts next week, but in the meantime, here is a photo my sister, Ariel, took a few weeks ago of Dad and Canaan at Wally's. Probably one of the sweetest photos I've ever seen and one we will cherish forever.

Please keep the prayers coming so that his scans look good and radiation goes well - As always, thank you for all of the endless support - hope you are all healthy, well and enjoying the holiday season!

Not a Great Week

Dad spiked a fever this past week, and ended up going to Barnes to visit the Dr. and run tests and an MRI to check for infection and/or find out the source of the fever. The blood tests and MRI came back negative/good, but his chest x-ray showed a small area of infection in his lung. The Dr. thinks it's likely a phenomena or some other respiratory infection (hopefully it IS just a small infection - prayers). They put Dad on some medication - he is still running a fever, but hopefully the medicine is able to take care of the infection soon. Nevertheless, the fever/infection has delayed starting radiation unfortunately. Dad is feeling ok, but we have to wait for the infection to clear up before he can start treatment. Many many prayers, as we (I) really want to keep his treatment moving. I'll make another update later this week, but in the meantime, please send some prayers are way. Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season.

Earl's Kitchen

This week, things really felt back to 'normal' - Dad decided it was time to once again make one of his famous steak dinners :) - just like the 'old days' we had prime rib, a variety of potatoe dishes, salad and of course desserts too. Dad loves to BBQ and make new 'creations' in the kitchen - so great he is able to enjoy doing these things, just like old times.

This week, Dad will get fitted for his radiation mask and will likely start radiation treatment. I'm hoping they will do whole body scans again just to make sure all still looks good - from what we hear, the side effects for radiation aren't too bad, fatigue being the worst, but more to come this week as the treatment begins.

In the meantime, here's a few photos of the 'Master Chef' in action :)

Annual Holiday Traditions Continue!

Every year since I was one and a half months old (and even a few years before, I understand) our whole family has gone to Daniken's Christmas Tree Farm together to pick out a Christmas tree - I always look so forward to this day. It's one of my favorite days of the year and I'm extra thankful we were able to carry on the tradition this year.

We bundled up as usual, although thankfully for Dad (and Canaan) it wasn't too cold out this year. From time to time, we've added new family members to the bunch - a few years ago, Austin's fiancé, Kristen started joining and this year was Canaan and Ariel's boyfriend, Brett's first year (they were equally excited).

The last couple of years we've gotten lazy and picked a pre-cut tree out of the shed, but this year we got ambitious and picked a pre-cut tree from just outSIDE the shed :)

As always, we huddled up in our usual spot to take our annual family photo and after we've had our fill cracking peanuts and browsing through ornaments and wreaths, we headed over to talk with Santa and drink a cup of hot chocolate. This was Canaan's first experience with Santa - or should I say, Santa's first experience with Canaan :) Santa was a woman, which I found strange, but Canaan was his usual social/chatty self, not scared one bit! He even waved to Dad when we were in the shed drinking our hot chocolate - this was his first real (open-handed, intentional) wave! Such special moments. Before we left, we took a wagon ride, which we haven't done in years - I think it was just an extra special trip this year, so we spent more time than usual.

So much to be thankful for - it's all of the little things you don't think about on a day to day basis that make life so special. Anyway, here are a few photos - hope you all had a safe and healthy Thanksgiving weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you - I always try to be thankful, not take things for granted and keep life in perspective, but I am extra thankful this year, today. :) Dad is doing GREAT and recovering well - truly a miracle. Two more weeks and he will start radiation! Today though, the focus is on life, giving thanks, kiddos, relaxing, turkey ...and pie! Kyle and I started a little tradition where we host Thanksgiving breakfast for our family - this year is year 3 and we look forward to many many more. The house was filled with yummy smells, kids laughing, conversation and a lot of smiles! We plan to spend the rest of the day relaxing before heading to our Grandma and Grandpa's house tonight for Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you all for everything you have done for my family - wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday!

we missed austin in this one :(

Superman is home!

Dad is home and doing great! He was able to come home from the hospital last night, free of pain and doing great - such a miracle! Next step will be radiation in a few weeks, but for now we are just enjoying life and looking SO forward to the holidays!! Thank you again sooooo much for the endless generosity and support - we cannot thank you enough!

Here's a photo of Dad's "battle wound" - his new nickname is"zipper-head" :) (ignore the shotty photo quality - I think I need an iphone update :))

Doing Great!

Sorry for the delay in posting - Kyle and I both have a really busy week with work, so I haven't been able to spend as much time at the hospital this time, but Dad is doing GREAT!  He moved out of the ICU today and it's looking like (if things continue this well) he will be coming home as early as Thursday or Friday!

He really is Superman - the doctors say that can't believe how well he has recovered. Today when I visited, Dad had just finished brushing his teeth, shaving, texting and snacking :) He is able to move both hands and legs and remember everything just fine - we are so so fortunate and thankful.

Thanks you all again so much for the prayers - all great news to report!

Here are a few photos:

Surgery Update

The day is bittersweet - we heard news this morning that a family friend's 21 year old son passed away last night after a long and tough fight with cancer. Times like these make you really question how something like this could happen to such an amazing person with so much life and love to still give - all we can do is trust our faith I guess and hope God has a bigger and better plan in mind. Many thoughts and prayers today.

Re: Dad, thankfully all good news so far. The actual surgery ended up beginning at 8:45am this morning. Dad was really fortunate because they used a special "MRI room" to operate, allowing the surgeon to complete an MRI test during surgery. With this capability, the surgeon has been able to see mid-surgery whether or not he was able to resect all of the tumor or if he needs to continue operating. We've received a few updates over the past couple of hours, letting us know Dad is stable and things are going well. We just received another call saying the surgeon had finished removing the tumor and they are going to proceed with "closing 'em up" (yikes! :)). She said Dad is stable and things are going well (yes!!!!!). It sounds like it will be another hour to an hour and a half before the entire surgery is complete. Following, the surgeon will come talk to us personally. I will give another update after we talk with the surgeon, but things are going well so far!!!

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Another small update, we just spoke with the surgeon - they did not wake him up yet, but surgery is complete and overall went well. The surgeon said he was able to resect all visible signs of the tumor! This being said, there are always additional cancer cells "floating" around the areas where the tumors were, so radiation will be a necessity but the surgery today was a big and really positive step forward!! We can't get our hopes up quite yet because Dad still needs to wake up and needs to be assessed etc, but very happy the surgery went so well. More updates soon!

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We were just able to see Dad! He is really tired, but otherwise doing great! Once again, he is able to remember everything and is able to move both hands and feet - such a blessing and relief. They have moved him out of recovery and into the Neuro ICU, where he will stay tonight. He's not out of the woods yet - they haven't had him stand at all yet and swelling/bleeding will still be a risk in these first couple of days, but he's doing great! Thanks again soo much for all of the prayers and positive thoughts - they are clearly working and we are so thankful!

Photos to come, but we'll let him take a nap first :-)

Extra Prayers for the AM!

Extra prayers again for Dad's second (and hopefully last) craniotomy in the morning. Same schedule as last time, surgery at 7:30am - I will update once the surgery starts and again throughout.

I've said this a million times...but I am so grateful, I feel the need to say it again. THANK YOU to all of you so much for everything you have done and continue to do for my family...the cards, the cleaning, the thoughts, prayers, blog comments, gas cards, special surprises to keep my Mom going, donated vacation time, work flexibility and support, flowers, dinners, the list goes on and on and on - Words cannot articulate how much we appreciate everything and we are forever grateful for your kindness and thoughtfulness. We thank God every day to allow us to be surrounded by such an amazing and supportive group of family, friends and community - we could not get through this without you. Thank you!!

Dad had such a great weekend and as usual, lived each moment to the fullest. Here are a few photos from Saturday when he visited with friends and family at Hidden Lake Winery and one from today with his fresh set of "cheerios" ready for Game Day tomorrow.

Life

We took a break from the hospital a few weeks ago and took some engagement photos for our brother, Austin and soon-to-be sister inlaw, Kristen. We need to get Dad through treatment and into "remission" by next July when we celebrate their wedding in Hawaii!

 

More Info + The Plan: Surgery Monday

Here’s a little more info behind the reason why last week was so great – we’ve all been researching like crazy and learned that MD Anderson in Houston is a nationally recognized cancer facility and one of the top ranking in the nation in terms melanoma cancer research and treatment. Given this, mom put in an application to see if there was any chance we could get a second opinion on Dad’s case. Barnes has been amazing, but Dad’s case is unique and we want to acquire as much information as possible and explore all treatment options in order to decide on the best plan of option – after all it is cancer we are dealing with here!

Long story short, but Mom got a call last Wednesday saying they had a cancelation the following day (which was huge, since they initially said the first opening would be mid-November) and that if Mom and Dad could make it there, they would see him and give their opinion. SO we scrambled to make arrangements and Mom, Dad and my Aunt NAK flew out first thing Thursday morning. Talk about FATE, prayers and miracles coming to fruition!!!

Similar to the Neurosurgeon and Oncologist at Barnes, MD Anderson suggested a second surgery to remove the remaining tumor, followed by radiation to ensure any cells in the brain are disseminated. Given Dad’s great health and the fact that there are no other visible signs of melanoma within/on his body, surgery is the “ideal” treatment option in the sense that it is the least time consuming and most effective in removing the tumor. However, after we tackle this tumor, Barnes suggests monitoring closely, where MD Anderson does provide PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS – this is huge! Again if there are no signs of cancer after we tackle the brain, Dad could essentially be in “remission” but the preventative treatment, in concept, is supposed to help ward off any evil cancer cells from showing up at a later date!

FOR now though, we are focusing on tackling this brain tumor! Dad is scheduled for a second craniotomy this coming Monday at Barnes. He preferred (and we all agreed) to use the same neurosurgeon who did such an amazing job on his first craniotomy.

I will post updates again surrounding his surgery, but for now thank you God and to all of your prayers – obviously they are working!!!!!! Also, big thanks to my aunt NAK for making the impromptu trip to TX with Mom and Dad last week and to my cousin Lynn for making time to bring them to and from the airport and hospital – so sweet of you.

More than ever – Prayers! Positive Thoughts! Prayers! Positive Thoughts as we approach surgery on Monday.

Good Week

Sorry for the delay in posting - we have been meeting with a series of different doctors this week, gathering opinions re: the best next step in tackling the remaining tumor. -More to come soon after we finalize decisions, but overall it was a really great week.

The oncologist we met with Wednesday said it is amazing that dad does not have signs of Melanoma in any other part of his body - he said he is a really rare case (in a positive way). If we can tackle the remaining tumor and ensure all signs of melanoma in the brain have been decimated, since there are no other signs anywhere else in his body, dad could essentially be in "remission." We may still explore preventative treatment options when we get to that point, but otherwise it would just be a case of monitoring closely (every 2 months).

It's actually a blessing that dad had the episodes/symptoms that he had - otherwise he could have gone much longer with the two tumors in his brain, allowing the chance for the melanoma to spread further before diagnosing/treatment.

The oncologist also said it's a "good time to have melanoma." He said as recent as two years ago, there were not any drugs approved by the FDA to treat the disease - now there are 2 and several research-based treatment options. He also made it sound like we are on the verge of seeing more advances in options - Thank God for technology, research, donations and amazing doctors!

I will post again soon, but I will leave you with this: We were having a serious conversation with the Oncologist and in chimes Dad with "well........ if the Cardinals can do it, I can do it!!!" typical dad - love it. Thank you all for the ongoing support - please keep up the comments, they really keep Dad motivated!!!

Diagnosis

Sorry for the delay in posting - it's been such a great week, we almost forgot about the cancer..almost! Dad met with his neurosurgeon yesterday and we were told that the cancer is in fact, Melanoma. In looking at the positive, a diagnosis of any kind is better than not knowing, so that you are able to apply the best/most applicable treatment, but we have a lot of work ahead.

After meeting with the neurosurgeon, Dad met with an oncologist and he will meet with another next Wednesday, who specializes specifically in Melanoma in the brain. After the appointment on Wednesday, the three doctors along with the tumor board (likely the following Monday) will determine the best plan of action to attack the remaining tumor in Dad's brain. 

At this point, the goal is to tackle the remaining tumor. They are still (thankfully) not able to see signs of melanoma anywhere else in his body. I now understand the original source can start anywhere on or within the body and sometimes the original source will recess or “disappear” completely and you never find it (which is a bunch of BS in my opinion!) - But, because the cancer cells can travel through the bloodstream, the cancer can appear/metastasis to other parts of the body – when melanoma metastasizes, the brain is a common location.

After we tackle the remaining tumor, it is likely dad will just continue to be monitored closely (brain and whole body) to watch for any new signs of melanoma and tackle any as they appear. As with many cancers, there is no "cure," but thankfully dad does not have signs of Melanoma in other organs. Although the disease is unpredictable, it is treatable if you catch it early and stay on top of monitoring/treatment.

More to come after the tumor board meets re: next steps - In the meantime, Dad is keeping up his positive attitude and his recovery from surgery has been amazing - aside from his healing scar, he is pretty much back to tip-top shape! We plan to spend the next couple of weeks just enjoying life!

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On another note, Dad was able to attend game 6 of the World Series this week! He was SOO excited (h’hmm, understatement). Big thank you to close family friends, the Martin Family, for giving up one of their two tickets, allowing Dad to attend the game – he had an amazing time! A memory he will surely never forget!



Great Weekend

Not much new news to report - we had a nice, 'normal' weekend. Dad is feeling good, eating balanced and his blood sugar is now doing great! His hair is even growing back quickly – I must have missed this gene! J We spent the weekend relaxing, visiting ...and Canaan broke out his Halloween costume a little early! rrrr!


It sounds like Dad will have his next appointment on Friday, so the results will likely have to wait until that day, but if for some reason we find out earlier, I will post another update. Until then, as always, thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts!

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future and not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly"

Home!

Superman has made his arrival home! Brain surgery, 2 days in the hospital post-op, no pain meds and moving around as if nothing ever happened - the doctors are amazed! His blood sugars are a little high as a result of the steroids he is taking, so we are limiting his ski and french-fry intake for now (and you know dad, I'm sure this is probably worse for him than the surgery!) He is trying hard to eat "balanced" and being a good sport about it. Other than the blood sugar levels, everything else is going well!


We are supposed to find out the tumor pathology results 6 days or so after the surgery date, but Dad's next appointment with the Neurosurgeon isn't until next Friday (the 28th) so there is a chance we will not find out until then.


I will keep you all posted, but in the meantime thank you again for EVERYTHING! We are planning to enjoy the weekend and are looking forward to a more "normal" routine next week.

Home and doing well

Posting Comments

Well, I finally figured out how to change the settings to make it a little easier to post comments (sorry, I'm new to this too :))


In case you missed my previous post, here is a really simple way to post a comment:
-Click # comments below the post you want to comment on
-Select "Anonymous" and just include your name at the end of your post (much easier than creating a profile but remember to include your name in your comment so we know who you are!)
-Click Post Comment


I know I've said this many times now, but I am incredibly amazed and so grateful for the AMAZING support system of family, friends and our community. Not sure how we would get through this without all of you. Seriously, it makes me cry - from the cards, to the comments to the prayers..the cleaning...the babysitting the meals - I am in awe and I can speak for my entire family in saying we are forever thankful.


More posts to come soon, but in the meantime thanks again.

Moving out of the ICU

Dad is doing great - his neurosurgeon met with him again last night and said he is "one tough cookie." He is still in the ICU, but it looks like he might be moving to the General Neurosurgical Floor later today! It was a busy morning - dad met with PT and OT. He was able to sit in his chair, eat breakfast and lunch, watch TV, brush his teeth, take a bath and do a little light walking.


So great to visit with him - I think I was most concerned he would lose memories and or have trouble speaking/thinking as a result of the surgery, but he is sharper than ever...even calls me out when I don't get the story exactly straight :)


This surgery was a big milestone and we are trying to focus on the many positives and take things one day at a time, but we still have a lot of work ahead, so keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming!


I will try to post more later today or tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are a few photos!

Photo says it all: Day 1 after craniotomy!

Had to make sure dad was ready for the game tonight: Cards shirt, ski and snickers....and who doesn't need Superman jammies?!

Thumbs up to dad kicking ass :)

Game Day - Craniotomy

Dad was in great spirits this morning. Finished prep at about 9:15am. Surgery started at approx. 9:20am. One of the nurses plans to step out from time to time to give us updates. I will update this same post once the surgery is finished. Thanks again for the prayers - keep them coming.

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SURGERY COMPLETE!
The Dr. just came to talk to us and said the surgery went well and dad is in the process of waking up. They said he is moving both sides of his body and trying to talk some...all good signs. He will remain in recovery for another hour or so and then move to the Neuro ICU.


The Dr. said he was able to remove the entire tumor - the shape, location and other characteristics still imply it is a metastasized tumor streaming from another location in the body. They have sent the tumor to path to test the cells - we should hear the results in a week. (this will be another really big day). ....for now the focus is on recovery though and things seem to be going well (whew!!!) BIG thank you for all of the prayers and positives thoughts - they have obviously made a difference!


Will try to post a photo and/or more info later after we are able to see him - until then, thanks again!

"Cheerios"

Well, here he is, prepped and ready for "game day." Of course dad is his usual self, cracking jokes as always. He and mom stopped to eat on the way home from Barnes today and she said "are you sure you want to go in looking like that?" and he said "what, I can't see them (the cheerios)" any time people gave him a stare, of course his response is he is a "brain surgery patient this year for Halloween" :) As always, thanks again to all of you for the support - dad has loved reading all of your comments so far. Extra prayers in the AM.

"cheerios" - Canaan loved the cheerios

bald-men's club

Surgery Details + Haircut

Here are the details for surgery this week - Dad will go to Barnes on Monday for pre-surgery tests, including an MRI with brain mapping where they will put a series of "cheerios" on his head (we’ll be sure to post a picture of this part!). The purpose of the "cheerios" is to act as a blueprint/map to help guide the neurosurgeon during surgery.


Dad will then come home Monday night (because of course insurance does not cover keeping him until the surgery) and will return to the hospital the next morning at 5:30am for surgery at 8am Tuesday. Surgery is expected to take anywhere from 2-4 hours. After surgery recovery, Dad will move to the Neuro ICU for a day and then to the neurology floor for a few days before coming home. We will keep you posted that day re: additional updates and info.


In the meantime, Dad got a "crew-cut" this morning - here is a photo ...hmmmm really adds to his “cheek-appeal” - I can see the resemblance :)

Surgery Tuesday

Sorry for the delay in posting, as a family we were trying to make decisions last night and I was extra tired when I got home - The PET scan also came back clear of any cancers in other parts of the body. Great news, but they still believe the brain tumors are coming from another source in the body. Moving forward with the original plan to to have surgery to remove the left tumor and send it to biopsy to hopefully identify cell type/diagnosis.


Dad's Crainiotomy (brain surgery) is scheduled for Tuesday. If anything changes with this date/plan, I will let everyone know. In the meantime, prayers prayers prayers...and positive encouragement too. It's going to be a long week next week, but I personally am ready to get this surgery behind us and move forward.


Thank you all again for the support


Also, a few of us who are new to blogspot (or to blogging in general - me included). Here is a little clarity re: how to post a comment:
-Click # comments below this post
-Select "Anonymous" and just include your name at the end of your post (much easier than creating a profile)
-Click Post Comment


Thanks again to all of you for taking time to post comments - Dad has already really enjoyed reading them and I truly believe it is making a big difference in keeping him positive and motivated!

No News: Still Waiting on Results

Looks like no new news to report tonight after all. Dad completed his PET Scan today at noon, but we haven't been told the results yet. The results from the PET as well as all of the results from his other tests were however reviewed as part of the discussion at the board meeting tonight. Dad will likely have to visit the hospital again in the morning to meet with the Dr. about the PET results and the board meeting to determine the final plan.


The "unknowns" are killing us, but I guess this just gives us a few extra hours for prayers. Hoping to have good news to report tomorrow.

Impromptu Driveway Party

We had a little impromptu driveway party today - Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello and visit with Dad. He really enjoyed getting to see everyone and all of the additional support has really given him the extra encouragement and positive energy he needs for the upcoming week! Special thanks to the Robke family for hosting, to my aunt Cheryl for helping with photos and again to all of you, for taking time out of your day to visit! Prayers for positive results tomorrow!

Further Testing + Initial Diagnosis

After arriving at Barnes, Dad completed another MRI w/ contrast as well as a full body CT Scan (to test for cancers/infections in other parts of the body). The full body CT Scan came back clear, which was a great sign. The MRI results on the other hand indicated the two "masses" are likely cancerous tumors - because of their location and the fact that there are two of them, the doctors believe (regardless of the full body CT Scan being clear) the tumors are coming from a cancer in some other part of the body (possibly a cancer/mass somewhere that is too small to yet identify).


Over the next couple of days, Dad also completed a full body skin exam as well as a complete eye exam to test for melanoma and eye cancers, since neither of these cancers would show on a CT Exam. In addition to the full body CT Scan, his skin and eye exams also came back clear.


The doctors say dad is an unusual case (this can be a good thing - I asked :)) for a few reasons: 1. because he has 2 tumors in his brain, but they are on opposite sides, yet both affect the same area of function, fine motor skills (typically if there are two tumors in the brain, they usually affect different areas of function) and 2. Because all other full body testing up to this point has been clear of cancer and they have not been able to identify a source (They believe there is a cancer somewhere in the body that may just be too small to pick up at this point – or we hope).


The tumors are small in size and in areas where the Neurosurgeon believe they are easy to remove (great news), but because both tumors affect the same area of function, the tentative plan is to surgically remove the left tumor (the one causing the symptoms) and biopsy this tumor to identify a source. After testing this tumor and hopefully identifying a source, the plan is to remove the 2nd tumor and target/treat the source. The surgery is tentatively scheduled for this coming Friday, October 14th but, because Dad’s case is unique, the doctors have decided to present his case to the Board of Surgery for this area of specialty to discuss "the plan” prior to moving forward with the surgery this Friday.


We are all still in shock I think – especially because Dad really didn’t have many symptoms and he looks, acts and talks just fine. He is his typical humorous, stubborn self! J There are still a lot of unknowns, but we are thankful the tumors are operable and there are no other visible signs of masses/cancer in other parts of the body – hopefully the next two weeks will continue to lead to more results that are positive and easily treatable. In the meantime, we are keeping our spirits up and putting Dad’s stubbornness to good use J

PET Scan

One more quick update to get you up to speed – Dad ended up seeing a cancer specialist yesterday (the Doctors, Nurses and staff at Barnes have been AMAZING by the way). This Dr. has 42 years of experience specializing in cancer?! Anyway, he suggested my Dad get a full body PET Scan as an alternative full body scan to see if it will help in identifying a source before moving forward with the surgery next Friday.


If the PET Scan reveals a source, the brain tumors would no longer need to be sent to biopsy for testing, so in this case they would still be removed before targeting/treating the source, but it’s likely they would be able to use a different method to remove them (Gamma Knife Radiation or Traditional Radiation or other). The PET scan and the Board meeting will be on Monday, so we will try to give another update re: the final plan after we hear the results on Monday.


In the meantime, thank you for all of the love, thoughts, prayers and encouragement – my family is so blessed to have such an amazing support network of friends and family. We are so thankful for all of you and definitely need the support now more than ever – the next 2 weeks are going to be big weeks for us. Mom and Dad are trying to keep up with all of the voicemails and emails, but it’s been a challenge so please refer people to this blog for updates, etc and keep the prayers and encouragement coming – I know Dad is really going to love reading your comments, jokes and encouraging words on here.

Symptoms

Where to start...so much has happened over the last week or so, but I guess before getting into details about what we know and don't know at this point, we should start at the beginning and fill you in on dad's initial symptom(s).


Life was busy as usual...from work to weekend outings to family time, we were all enjoying the end of summer and looking forward to the fall - nothing out of the ordinary. September 15th, dad was trying to put on his shoe - he mentally knew he needed to put it on, mentally knew how to put it on, but couldn't physically do it. A few minutes passed and he was able to put his shoe on just fine - of course he didn't tell any of us about this at the time (you know Earl - "it's nothing").


A few days later a similar situation happened as he was trying to write his name to sign a receipt at the gas station. After 5 small episodes and 2 weeks passing (and my mom and aunts begging him to go see a Dr.) he finally went to St. Joseph's on Tuesday October 4^th to get checked out. The Dr. thought he may have had a mini stroke and decided to do an MRI - aside from a little back pain (he pulled his back lifting a 5 gallon bucket), these 5 mini fine motor incidents have been my dad's only symptom.


When the initial MRI results came back, they revealed two "masses" in Dad's brain, both in the frontal lobes of the brain - one on the left side measuring approx.. 2x4cm and one on the right side measuring approx.. 1x2cm. The "mass" on the left proved to be the one causing the fine motor incidents. The Dr. called Dad and told him to go to Barnes for further testing (Tuesday, October 4^th).