March 29th

Our week has gone well. Robert worked each day since his appointment on the 24th and even had some energy to spare. I honestly don't know how he does it- going to work each day and working longer days to make up for the time missed on Monday. He has some inner strength that keeps him energized throughout the week. Robert begins his third round of chemo this Sunday and we know that this means he will most certainly be more fatigued. We look forward to resting this weekend in preparation of the week ahead.

Now that the weather is getting warmer we will have to start walking to build up the strength to walk the 5k Race for Hope in D.C. on May 4th. We have been so grateful for the money raised by all of the teams that are planning to attend. We have never been involved in anything like this and are excited about the opportunity to participate with so many families that are experiencing the same things that we are AND to be doing it while surrounded by our friends. I expect that it will be an inspirational and emotional day. Thanks to everyone for supporting our efforts to raise money for treatments and the search for a cure.
www.braintumorsociety.org

March 24th

In general, today's meeting with the oncologist resulted in a positive report [This is a Tammy K. dictation!]. The MRI showed no change from the last one done on Feb. 28th. This is a good indicator that the spot being monitored is not a tumor, but rather irritation from radiation. The doctor would liked to have seen more improvement in this MRI, but is still satisfied with the results so far. She will continue to monitor the situation over the next three months to make sure that the spot is not growing and begins to heal.

Thanks for checking in on our progress.

March 22nd

We are excited that sping is offically here and looking forward to the warmer weather coming soon. I said the other day that is felt better, just to say that it was sping, even if the weather was still cold. As we sat and ate breakfast this morning I noticed that the sky was a beautiful shade of blue and the grass looked greener. When we went outside after breakfast, there were snowflakes falling. No- I'm not crazy, we all saw them. Either the grass is greener or just knowing that it is spring gives us the sense that everything will be in bloom soon. Regardless- I am not wishing time move faster, but trying to take in the beauty of the day.

We are excited that the Easter Bunny will be coming tonight and ready to have him hide the baskets in the house. Last year the boys were concerned that the Eater Bunny was entering the house and Robert wrote the Bunny a note- asking him to leave the baskets on the front porch. The Easter Bunny complied and I guess that they now trust him enough to come into the house. We will of course leave out our Easter Bunny Bait and keep our fingers crossed that he leaves us baskets of treats.

Robert got a haircut today. I know! His hair had grown and needed to be trimmed. He went to the Barber Shop. He looks great and is feeling well. We return to Hopkins on Mon. for another MRI and appointment with the oncologist. We hope for a positive report and will post the results to you as well.

Happy Easter to everyone and as always thanks for your support over the changing seasons.

March 19th

We apologize that we have not posted anything in weeks. The last several weeks have been chaotic and we have all been doing our best to get through each day with some energy left in the evening. We have some positive news to report. Robert completed his second round of chemo and felt well during the week of treatment and the week after. He was tired, but did not feel sick. This was a great relief as they had increased the dose for the second round and for the months ahead. He worked and did not even feel as fatigued as he had last month. He is working longer days this week to make up for the long appointment day that we will have on Mon 3/24. Robert will have another MRI and we will meet with our oncologist to review the results on the same day.

As always we are so thankful for the love and support that we receive from the people closest to us, the people that surround us, and from people that we have never even met. Your prayers and support help us to find peace.

Feb. 28th

Good news! Robert had is MRI this morning and the doctors office has called to report that the MRI scan looks the same as the one in Jan. We have not spoken with the doctor, but the person on the phone stated that the doctor said that there was no change and that she was happy with that. We will accept this report as good news and be grateful for the report. Each and every night we should all focus on the things that we are grateful for. Tonight we are grateful for everyone who is reading this. You all touch our lives and we thank you.

Feb. 27th

I spend time trying to figure out what information to post and typically have no idea what we will write about, until I sit down in front of the computer. There are obviously so many emotions that we experience throughout this journey. Today - we will focus on the good news that we have to share. The good news is that Robert did feel stronger and more alert just as he entered his third week after the chemo treatment. It was a dramatic difference as he woke up over the weekend with much more 'spunk.' He was able to enjoy time with the boys and was much more energetic then he has been in a while. We all tried to take advantage of Robert's new burst of energy and get out of the house.
Robert will go for another MRI tomorrow and we look forward to getting a positive report from the doctor. We will not meet with her this month, but we will be in contact with her sometime soon regarding the result of the scan. We will post with an update as soon as we can. Thanks to all.

Feb.20th

It is snowing outside - Bryce is ready to play, Trey is napping, and I am ready to curl up with a blanket and watch the snow falling. While Bryce is ready to jump in and play in the snow, I am content to sit inside and enjoy the snow fall without ever touching it. It strikes me that everyone tends to appreciate things in their own unique way. We all can appreciate the same things for different reasons. We each look at the same things with different perspectives and therefore evoke different feelings. For Bryce the snow means fun sledding, snowball battles, and eating the snow. For me it means beauty- until I have to shovel the driveway, clean off the car, and drive on the roads. And yet- If I force myself to seek a different perspective, I recognize that I can enjoy the moment much more if I view the snow as the children will. I will enjoy watching them laugh& play and remember that some of my most fondest memories as a child were playing in the snow (sledding, building snowmen, snowmobiling, etc.) The point is --- there is always a different perspective and we must attempt to find the perspective that brings us joy in the moment. We know that if we never had the snow- we would miss it.
Robert had to drive home in the snow as he is still working a full 40 hour week. He is beginning to feel more energized heading into his third week behind treatment. We stayed up to watch most of American Idol. I'm not kidding. While we joke about his early bed time I find myself falling asleep while watching television- sometimes while sitting up in the chair. We continue to be thankful for the incredible amount of support that has been showered upon us. Thanks to all.