Guess who? Finally an update direct from the source, it’s me Kelly! I figured everyone would know it wasn’t the witty sisters’ (Marla) pen in hand, however I need the therapy so please suffer reading my attempt at updating “the blog” Kelly style!
Over the last year, while I was pretty much “comatose” my family thought it humorous to use me as the butt of many of their jokes. Okay, I admit most of the stories were not only true, but they are pretty funny too! Yes, I am still Mean & Fat as described by my middle sister however, there are several updates since my last blog written by Marla.
Readers Digest Health Update: As most of you know (Praise God!) brain surgery went well and after 4 weeks at MD Andersen I was released to rehab back in California. Unfortunately weaning off the steroids put me in bed for 6 1/2 weeks until the Dr’s changed my meds. Hooray! Finally, within 2 weeks of taking me off the steroids I started to feel like a real person again - for the first time in two years.
As usual I returned to MDA in early July for my regular scheduled tests which had been delayed by 2+ months because of the steroid withdrawals. Hubby David, my niece Liz who has been helping me at home since January, sister Char (as in sibling, not the nun kind) and I flew to Houston for the usual fun of flipping me on & off MRI tables, scanners and X-ray machines. The results were generally OK. The tumors on my liver, spine and chest wall have stabilized showing no growth since the last scans. The brain tumor shows some slight enlargement since surgery in Feb, which could be as a result of scar tissue from the surgery. The Neuro-surgeon wants to re-scan in 3 months before making any other decisions relative to the brain. The area of some concern right now is on my lung which has grown over the last 5 months. I will be starting chemo sometime next week and will stop this annoyance in its' tracks! Good news - I’ve been on this chemo (Temodor) before and was able to tolerate it pretty good. AND, maybe, just maybe, I’ll drop a few lb’s (a girl can always dream) during this treatment.
After MDA, Char, Liz and I swung by Hansen farm (Marla’s house) and were able to visit Dad Casas for a few days. Although the trip was brief, it was great to spend time with Dad and the Hansen clan. Rachel’s children are growing up so fast, I wish we all lived closer so we could see them more often. Seeing Dad was good but sad. He still makes me smile and laugh, but at 89 he is really not the Charles Casas, “Uncle Charlie”, most of us remember. He’s now a frail little old man.
Char, Liz & I returned to Calif 7/14, and have been trying to get back into the swing of things. I finally started Physical Therapy (AGAIN!) last week. One key goal is to be able to walk up a stair (even w/a walker) so I am no longer a prisoner in my bedroom, Never, EVER, did I think walking up a stair would be a goal, but trust me, when you can’t walk, goals change, as well as, life perspective.
Thank you for all the cards, letters and prayers. They have kept me smiling, positive and overall HAPPY. My best wishes, love and support to you and your families.
Hugs and kisses,
Kelly
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Everybody Sing! ~ There Once Was A Girl By The Name Of Kelly Jeanne
This is Marla. There, you have all been fairly warned. Seems Kelly has decided to make my life a living nightmare until I agree to update her blog again. It's almost like having my mom back every time the phone rings.
"Hello?"
"When are you going to update my blog?"
"Uh, hello to you too. So how are you feeling?"
"Don't change the subject and by the way, why haven't you called?"
Yep, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree. So, here is the latest on Kelly Jeanne. Hey, that reminds me of a song my dad use to sing to her every morning. He would come into our room, flip on the light and start playing our toy organ whilst crooning the following:
"There once was a girl by the name of Kelly Jeanne and oh boy was she ever mean."
And people wonder why the Casas girls are so screwed up. Anyway, back to the latest medical update. Now, you need to understand medical updates can come in many forms. For instance, I could give you the boring medical terminology for what Kelly has been enduring over the last few months but where's the fun in that? So instead, I will give you the gory and yet fascinatingly funny folderol. Let me start with facial hair removal.
Seems steroids make people grow facial hair. Not a bad thing in men. Could be a great thing in women if they are looking for work in a circus. Kelly, having lost her drive to work, did not find the suggestion of Barnum & Bailey amusing and chose rather to go the waxing route. Being barely able to walk, she was delivered like a wrapped package to the closest salon where the very nice Vietnamese workers tenderly cared for her every need. First, they did her manicure and pedicure. It had been six weeks since she had been able to have them done and come to find out, this is disastrous when you have fake whatever they put on your fingers. Again, not being a beauty queen myself, I opt for the chew em off style so please forgive my ignorance regarding such earth-shaking matters. Anyway, once her fingers and toes were back to looking fake .... I mean normal .... they proceeded to suggest a full facial waxing because she was "fuzzy" from the steroids. Of course, Kelly agreed knowing that fuzzy would never cut it in beauty queen world so the waxing commenced. This is when the nice Vietnamese ladies stopped speaking English and began rapid-firing Vietnamese to one another. Seems the wax had burnt Kelly's paper-thin steroidal skin leaving her a lovely shade of fuschia. Kelly felt fine and didn't understand what all the fuss was about until she returned home to David's, "What the hell happened to you??" Again, another reason for au natural. I'm just saying!
That was the last outing Kelly had over the next few months as she has been absolutely miserable coming off the steroids. I believe her daily mantra to Char for weeks on end was, "I think I'm dying." She only said it to me once. Might be due to my reply of, "Big deal, we're all dying. Life is hard and then you die. Feel better?" Of course, her typical Mom guilt-laden reply was, "You are going to feel really bad for being so mean to me when you're standing at my graveside" to which I replied, "Nope. If you go first I'm gonna look down at ya and say, she was damn lucky to have me." Sisters. It's a good thing!
Anyway, things are finally looking up. Kel is feeling better. She isn't quite ready for company but she loves email so write. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
"Hello?"
"When are you going to update my blog?"
"Uh, hello to you too. So how are you feeling?"
"Don't change the subject and by the way, why haven't you called?"
Yep, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree. So, here is the latest on Kelly Jeanne. Hey, that reminds me of a song my dad use to sing to her every morning. He would come into our room, flip on the light and start playing our toy organ whilst crooning the following:
"There once was a girl by the name of Kelly Jeanne and oh boy was she ever mean."
And people wonder why the Casas girls are so screwed up. Anyway, back to the latest medical update. Now, you need to understand medical updates can come in many forms. For instance, I could give you the boring medical terminology for what Kelly has been enduring over the last few months but where's the fun in that? So instead, I will give you the gory and yet fascinatingly funny folderol. Let me start with facial hair removal.
Seems steroids make people grow facial hair. Not a bad thing in men. Could be a great thing in women if they are looking for work in a circus. Kelly, having lost her drive to work, did not find the suggestion of Barnum & Bailey amusing and chose rather to go the waxing route. Being barely able to walk, she was delivered like a wrapped package to the closest salon where the very nice Vietnamese workers tenderly cared for her every need. First, they did her manicure and pedicure. It had been six weeks since she had been able to have them done and come to find out, this is disastrous when you have fake whatever they put on your fingers. Again, not being a beauty queen myself, I opt for the chew em off style so please forgive my ignorance regarding such earth-shaking matters. Anyway, once her fingers and toes were back to looking fake .... I mean normal .... they proceeded to suggest a full facial waxing because she was "fuzzy" from the steroids. Of course, Kelly agreed knowing that fuzzy would never cut it in beauty queen world so the waxing commenced. This is when the nice Vietnamese ladies stopped speaking English and began rapid-firing Vietnamese to one another. Seems the wax had burnt Kelly's paper-thin steroidal skin leaving her a lovely shade of fuschia. Kelly felt fine and didn't understand what all the fuss was about until she returned home to David's, "What the hell happened to you??" Again, another reason for au natural. I'm just saying!
That was the last outing Kelly had over the next few months as she has been absolutely miserable coming off the steroids. I believe her daily mantra to Char for weeks on end was, "I think I'm dying." She only said it to me once. Might be due to my reply of, "Big deal, we're all dying. Life is hard and then you die. Feel better?" Of course, her typical Mom guilt-laden reply was, "You are going to feel really bad for being so mean to me when you're standing at my graveside" to which I replied, "Nope. If you go first I'm gonna look down at ya and say, she was damn lucky to have me." Sisters. It's a good thing!
Anyway, things are finally looking up. Kel is feeling better. She isn't quite ready for company but she loves email so write. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Beauties, Bovines & What A Girl Wants
Seems a threat has been made against Queen F&M. She called me today and firmly stated that I “must update the blog and be funny” in order to thwart the attack of the enemy. That’s right. David has threatened to update the blog unless I do it and we all know what happened last time he did that….. Fat, mean, deaths door, etc. I repeatedly told Kelly she was more than capable of doing her own blog plus she is much funnier than me and these are her friends anyway.
Her response, as usual, was, “You know what I’m hearing? Blah, blah, blah blah, blah!”
So fine. Here I am, updating the Queen’s blog. Some of you will be delighted to once again enjoy my sardonic wit and wisdom while I am sure others will respond with wailing and gnashing of teeth. Either way, lay the blame on the Queen.
Before I give Kelly’s latest medical update, I must get something off my chest. On my last day with Kel last week, she asked me to place her scarf on her head in order to cover her scar. As I was attempting for the sixth or seventh time to accomplish this task, she looked at me in the mirror and calmly stated the following:
“I think you need to go back to milking cows.”
Having gone through six weeks of her steroidal abuse and knowing my escape was near, I let the comment slide. Now that she has insisted on using my writing skills once again, I feel it only fair that I address her parting shot.
Dear Kelly~
If anyone ever doubted you had a brain tumor, they would surely no longer wonder at the validity of that claim based upon your request for ME to do any type of beautification procedure. It has always been a well known fact that I can saddle a horse, birth a baby, grow a garden, cook for an army and milk a cow. But what on God’s green earth would give any sane person the idea that I know anything about manicures, mascara or tying scarves? Have you seen me?? For future reference, I am the short, round sister that usually has dirt under her nails and smells like the barn. The old gal is the one that you want to ask for if looking good is your goal. Ask for me if you need your horse saddled, your butt wiped, or your in labor.
Love ~
Mar
One last thing. Kelly keeps saying she does not know how to repay me for staying with her. She has a bad habit of thinking this way, that she has to repay a kindness. Last year she sent me so many boxes that the neighbors thought I was “seeing” the UPS guy. I have given this great thought and have finally figured out what it is I want and deserve for putting up with…..I mean for helping Kel this last go around.
I want you to get up out of that bed everyday, shower and get dressed, realizing how loved and blessed you are by God and so many others. I want you to go to therapy even when you don’t want to and work until you think you are ready to pass out then go a little further. I want you to get everything there is in this life that God has planned for you. I want you to focus on what’s good and right in your life, even on the days when it’s nothing more than the cat loves you. I want you to be happy and healthy and live. Really live! Shut the TV off. Go outside. Plant flowers. Milk a cow! Ask God to show you something new and exciting everyday. He is not done with you. This is just the beginning, so begin again!
I love you ~
Her response, as usual, was, “You know what I’m hearing? Blah, blah, blah blah, blah!”
So fine. Here I am, updating the Queen’s blog. Some of you will be delighted to once again enjoy my sardonic wit and wisdom while I am sure others will respond with wailing and gnashing of teeth. Either way, lay the blame on the Queen.
Before I give Kelly’s latest medical update, I must get something off my chest. On my last day with Kel last week, she asked me to place her scarf on her head in order to cover her scar. As I was attempting for the sixth or seventh time to accomplish this task, she looked at me in the mirror and calmly stated the following:
“I think you need to go back to milking cows.”
Having gone through six weeks of her steroidal abuse and knowing my escape was near, I let the comment slide. Now that she has insisted on using my writing skills once again, I feel it only fair that I address her parting shot.
Dear Kelly~
If anyone ever doubted you had a brain tumor, they would surely no longer wonder at the validity of that claim based upon your request for ME to do any type of beautification procedure. It has always been a well known fact that I can saddle a horse, birth a baby, grow a garden, cook for an army and milk a cow. But what on God’s green earth would give any sane person the idea that I know anything about manicures, mascara or tying scarves? Have you seen me?? For future reference, I am the short, round sister that usually has dirt under her nails and smells like the barn. The old gal is the one that you want to ask for if looking good is your goal. Ask for me if you need your horse saddled, your butt wiped, or your in labor.
Love ~
Mar
One last thing. Kelly keeps saying she does not know how to repay me for staying with her. She has a bad habit of thinking this way, that she has to repay a kindness. Last year she sent me so many boxes that the neighbors thought I was “seeing” the UPS guy. I have given this great thought and have finally figured out what it is I want and deserve for putting up with…..I mean for helping Kel this last go around.
I want you to get up out of that bed everyday, shower and get dressed, realizing how loved and blessed you are by God and so many others. I want you to go to therapy even when you don’t want to and work until you think you are ready to pass out then go a little further. I want you to get everything there is in this life that God has planned for you. I want you to focus on what’s good and right in your life, even on the days when it’s nothing more than the cat loves you. I want you to be happy and healthy and live. Really live! Shut the TV off. Go outside. Plant flowers. Milk a cow! Ask God to show you something new and exciting everyday. He is not done with you. This is just the beginning, so begin again!
I love you ~
Thursday, March 5, 2009
I May Be Fat, But You're Ugly And I Can Lose Weight
Today was the first day out of the hospital, so we decided to sleep in. As fate would have it, Kelly had to use the bathroom at 6am and then Dr. Weinberg’s office called around 7:30am asking if she could come in. Obviously, this day had more to offer than rest and relaxation.
After a quick breakfast and showers, Kel and I headed off to Dr. McDreamy’s for her appointment. The report was good and they are weaning her off the steroids. This is a very good thing ……. for all of us. Steroids are a bad thing! As David so poetically put it way back in the beginning, they make you fat and mean. Let me give you an example:
Last night Kelly said, “You need to give me my shot and then help me to the bathroom.” Sounded simple enough. I had done it many times in the recent past. It seemed like a safe enough request. So, I got her shot and asked if she was ready to which she said yes. So I gave her the shot, again, like I have many times. Her response is usually benign such as, “Thanks.” Not last night!
“You hurt me! Why are you so mean to me?”
I tried to hide my deer in the headlights look and responded as calmly as possible, “What did I do? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Then the waterworks started and I was informed how much nicer the nurses were and how mean I was and something about wishing she had a BB Gun right then. I slowly backed away having dealt with wounded, crazed animals before. You never turn your back on em.
Thinking today was a new day with a new start, I tried to forget about last night and hope for the best. As I said earlier, the morning seemed to go just fine with a good report and later a nice lunch together. Once back in our room, we took a little nap and then when it was time to get up, those darn steroids kicked in again. Kelly’s back was hurting so I suggested she move into a different position to which she suggested I move closer so she could kick my lower extremity. The final straw was the following comment.
“I am going off my steroids and I am going to lose this weight and you're still going to be a chunky monkey. Then I am going to kick your a** and then you’ll be sorry.”
That’s the last time I ask for one of her cookies.
After a quick breakfast and showers, Kel and I headed off to Dr. McDreamy’s for her appointment. The report was good and they are weaning her off the steroids. This is a very good thing ……. for all of us. Steroids are a bad thing! As David so poetically put it way back in the beginning, they make you fat and mean. Let me give you an example:
Last night Kelly said, “You need to give me my shot and then help me to the bathroom.” Sounded simple enough. I had done it many times in the recent past. It seemed like a safe enough request. So, I got her shot and asked if she was ready to which she said yes. So I gave her the shot, again, like I have many times. Her response is usually benign such as, “Thanks.” Not last night!
“You hurt me! Why are you so mean to me?”
I tried to hide my deer in the headlights look and responded as calmly as possible, “What did I do? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Then the waterworks started and I was informed how much nicer the nurses were and how mean I was and something about wishing she had a BB Gun right then. I slowly backed away having dealt with wounded, crazed animals before. You never turn your back on em.
Thinking today was a new day with a new start, I tried to forget about last night and hope for the best. As I said earlier, the morning seemed to go just fine with a good report and later a nice lunch together. Once back in our room, we took a little nap and then when it was time to get up, those darn steroids kicked in again. Kelly’s back was hurting so I suggested she move into a different position to which she suggested I move closer so she could kick my lower extremity. The final straw was the following comment.
“I am going off my steroids and I am going to lose this weight and you're still going to be a chunky monkey. Then I am going to kick your a** and then you’ll be sorry.”
That’s the last time I ask for one of her cookies.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
We Are So Outta Here!
Kelly has had two solid days of MRIs, Cat Scans, Blood Tests plus who knows what else. Tomorrow morning she will have OT at 8am followed by another MRI and then she will be officially released. Upside, she is out of the hospital. Downside, she is trapped in a hotel room for the next two days with me. Wahahahahaha!!
They removed her stitches this afternoon, so her look has deteriorated back to normal. This leaves me with very little material to bag on her appearance. All in all, it has been a great six weeks with my sister. She once again has come out smelling like a rose even though the odds were on her becoming a permanent stinkweed.
David arrives on Friday and he and Kelly fly home on Saturday. Bob picks me up on Friday night so we can head back to Oklahoma. I sure do miss my kids, grandkids, critters and even the Old Spaniard, as Sarah calls him.
Thanks for allowing me to keep you all updated …… not that you had much choice. Watch for my tell all book coming out later this year titled:
Kelly, Dearest: The Truth Behind The Legend
They removed her stitches this afternoon, so her look has deteriorated back to normal. This leaves me with very little material to bag on her appearance. All in all, it has been a great six weeks with my sister. She once again has come out smelling like a rose even though the odds were on her becoming a permanent stinkweed.
David arrives on Friday and he and Kelly fly home on Saturday. Bob picks me up on Friday night so we can head back to Oklahoma. I sure do miss my kids, grandkids, critters and even the Old Spaniard, as Sarah calls him.
Thanks for allowing me to keep you all updated …… not that you had much choice. Watch for my tell all book coming out later this year titled:
Kelly, Dearest: The Truth Behind The Legend
Monday, March 2, 2009
Every Party Needs A Pooper That’s Why We Invited Kelly
Seems MD Anderson is obsessed with, how do I say this gracefully, well, with poop. One of the doctors actually did his thesis on IT. He’s proud of this! IT is such a big deal here that they check daily, several times a day really, to make sure you did IT. This, needless to say but I shall say it anyway, has led to some alarming circumstances for Kelly.
Kelly is not a daily IT doer which has MDA ready to flush out the details of why she is not a daily doer of IT . This has actually become a battleground between the MDA North and Kelly’s South. I, being a very regular daily doer of IT , have even offered my services to Kelly, for a small fee. She thought about it but declined stating she is not a quitter even of IT .
Things got so bad for a few days that MDA stooped so low as to slipping her IT mickeys with disastrous results. After three days with no forward movement, they brought in the big guns, Milk of Magnesia. The results were explosive leaving Kelly battered, bruised and ticked off. The North had delivered the final blow to Kel’s South and IT wasn’t pretty. I know because I was the war correspondent on duty that day.
A meeting on neutral territory was called with the following outcome. No more weapons of mass destruction will be launched on Ms. Pittner’s South and she will be allowed to go back to her normal IT schedule. I am just happy this war has ended because as we all know, war stinks.
Kelly is not a daily IT doer which has MDA ready to flush out the details of why she is not a daily doer of IT . This has actually become a battleground between the MDA North and Kelly’s South. I, being a very regular daily doer of IT , have even offered my services to Kelly, for a small fee. She thought about it but declined stating she is not a quitter even of IT .
Things got so bad for a few days that MDA stooped so low as to slipping her IT mickeys with disastrous results. After three days with no forward movement, they brought in the big guns, Milk of Magnesia. The results were explosive leaving Kelly battered, bruised and ticked off. The North had delivered the final blow to Kel’s South and IT wasn’t pretty. I know because I was the war correspondent on duty that day.
A meeting on neutral territory was called with the following outcome. No more weapons of mass destruction will be launched on Ms. Pittner’s South and she will be allowed to go back to her normal IT schedule. I am just happy this war has ended because as we all know, war stinks.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Funeral For A Friend
First, apologies to Elton John for stealing his song title. It just seemed to fit this blog so well.
So, today was a strange day but then what day hasn’t been these last five weeks. Kelly was worn out from the get go. She has been working so hard with her therapies that her body, brain and spirit are surely feeling it. However, being the trooper she is, she went through the day completing every part of her daily rehab with a smile on her face. This last part, the smile on her face, is what threw me when the “rest” of the day happened. I believe now, I was lured by that smile into believing it was safe today. Foolish me!
It actually started this morning when I was helping Kel get dressed and she informed me I better stop calling her a baby. Now, I honestly don’t recall calling her a baby. I do recall her telling me yesterday that I better stop treating her like a baby. I also remember her actually being the baby of our family. The baby name calling accusations? .... never happened! Not that it would be a bad thing if I had called her a baby since, well, technically she IS the Casas baby. But I digress.
Once the baby thing was swept under the rug, we went about our day with little else in confrontation. Well, except for the part when I was trying to encourage her in how well she was doing in front of PT and she told “the Peanut Gallery” to “pipe down.” Are ya kidding me? Peanut Gallery? Pipe down? First, I resent being compared to peanuts considering they have been found to be deadly in the news of late. And as for the pipe down remark, when have I EVER smoked a pipe …….. well after the ‘70s anyway? So once again, we both agreed to let it go. Obviously we were tired and had spent more time together than should have been medically allowed, mental health wise.
Then another doctor, at least the tenth today, came in to deliver great news about how wonderful Kelly was doing, and how she won’t have to take the stomach shots as long as they thought, and how happy they were with her progress. They even removed the brain drain! This would have been a great time for him to just leave, but noooo!!! The guy looks at us and asks, “Are you two twins?” Now, Kelly is mad because SHE IS THE BABY and he just insinuated she is as old as me. Big deal. Three years. Not to mention I am a very young 50! I’m mad because she is covered with bruises, her hair is matted with bloody hell and she has steroid action happening if you get my drift. He leaves and we “discuss” who should be more offended. She may have won that one but I am not ready to concede.
Finally evening arrived and we ordered dinner. The plan was to enjoy a meal together in her room while watching American Idol. Sounded like a perfectly fine plan ……. UNTIL! Seems one of us, and I swear it wasn’t me but I think she swears it was, brought up a topic that would have been better left un-brought up. The conversation turned to yelling followed by crying followed by the infamous Casas women SILENCE! Then dinner arrived. Well, of course we had to talk then because one thing we know for sure. We may want to never speak to each other again but do you think we are really gonna turn down food? Come on! Everyone knows you have to comment on the food and how good or bad or better yours is, so we talked again. Until the final accusation that is.
So we finish dinner, I help Kelly to the bathroom, get her changed into her nightgown, help her into bed and a small, insignificant accident happened. I guess somehow, and I am NOT saying I had anything to do with it, her gown was tied a little tight in the back…….around the neck. So as I am swinging her legs into bed, the top of the gown ……. well ……it sorta wrung around her neck. Of course, she starts making a big deal out of it.
“How are you gonna explain I made it through brain surgery only to be choked to death in my bed by my nightgown?? Huh??”
BABY!
So, today was a strange day but then what day hasn’t been these last five weeks. Kelly was worn out from the get go. She has been working so hard with her therapies that her body, brain and spirit are surely feeling it. However, being the trooper she is, she went through the day completing every part of her daily rehab with a smile on her face. This last part, the smile on her face, is what threw me when the “rest” of the day happened. I believe now, I was lured by that smile into believing it was safe today. Foolish me!
It actually started this morning when I was helping Kel get dressed and she informed me I better stop calling her a baby. Now, I honestly don’t recall calling her a baby. I do recall her telling me yesterday that I better stop treating her like a baby. I also remember her actually being the baby of our family. The baby name calling accusations? .... never happened! Not that it would be a bad thing if I had called her a baby since, well, technically she IS the Casas baby. But I digress.
Once the baby thing was swept under the rug, we went about our day with little else in confrontation. Well, except for the part when I was trying to encourage her in how well she was doing in front of PT and she told “the Peanut Gallery” to “pipe down.” Are ya kidding me? Peanut Gallery? Pipe down? First, I resent being compared to peanuts considering they have been found to be deadly in the news of late. And as for the pipe down remark, when have I EVER smoked a pipe …….. well after the ‘70s anyway? So once again, we both agreed to let it go. Obviously we were tired and had spent more time together than should have been medically allowed, mental health wise.
Then another doctor, at least the tenth today, came in to deliver great news about how wonderful Kelly was doing, and how she won’t have to take the stomach shots as long as they thought, and how happy they were with her progress. They even removed the brain drain! This would have been a great time for him to just leave, but noooo!!! The guy looks at us and asks, “Are you two twins?” Now, Kelly is mad because SHE IS THE BABY and he just insinuated she is as old as me. Big deal. Three years. Not to mention I am a very young 50! I’m mad because she is covered with bruises, her hair is matted with bloody hell and she has steroid action happening if you get my drift. He leaves and we “discuss” who should be more offended. She may have won that one but I am not ready to concede.
Finally evening arrived and we ordered dinner. The plan was to enjoy a meal together in her room while watching American Idol. Sounded like a perfectly fine plan ……. UNTIL! Seems one of us, and I swear it wasn’t me but I think she swears it was, brought up a topic that would have been better left un-brought up. The conversation turned to yelling followed by crying followed by the infamous Casas women SILENCE! Then dinner arrived. Well, of course we had to talk then because one thing we know for sure. We may want to never speak to each other again but do you think we are really gonna turn down food? Come on! Everyone knows you have to comment on the food and how good or bad or better yours is, so we talked again. Until the final accusation that is.
So we finish dinner, I help Kelly to the bathroom, get her changed into her nightgown, help her into bed and a small, insignificant accident happened. I guess somehow, and I am NOT saying I had anything to do with it, her gown was tied a little tight in the back…….around the neck. So as I am swinging her legs into bed, the top of the gown ……. well ……it sorta wrung around her neck. Of course, she starts making a big deal out of it.
“How are you gonna explain I made it through brain surgery only to be choked to death in my bed by my nightgown?? Huh??”
BABY!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Drainage, Discharge & Other Natural Disasters
Well, it looks like they have finally figured out Kelly's drainage problem. She has been bleeding from her port and is also putting out too much bloody drainage from her brain. I won't even mention the other end. And you thought you had problems! After adjusting and readjusting meds over the last few days, it looks like things are heading in the right direction. Her platelets are back to normal and the drainage is slowing way down and not so bloody. Kelly has used the phrase “Bloody Hell” throughout the years and now I know what it means.
A discharge date has tentatively been reached. Yeehaw! Looks like March 6th is the day Kel will be busting out of this joint. Again, barring any further drama. Bloody Hell! So now we are in the planning stages. Does she go to Oklahoma with me for a month so she can return for post-op follow-up? Does she go straight back to California? If she goes to California, does she fly or go back in our cousin Cher's motor home? Decisions, decisions! I have set a deadline of Friday for her to have this all figured out. She works best under pressure.
As I think the possible choices through, several strike me as natural disasters waiting to happen. Let's look at Kelly coming to Oklahoma for a month. I have walked this dog before. Picture it. My dad, who thinks he is a 45 year old ladies man-world boxing champion-fighter pilot-etc, and Kelly, sit on the couch together pretty much all day. Sounds sweet enough, right. Oh no!
Dad ~ “Do you need anything, baby?”
Kelly ~ “No, Dad, I'm ok.”
Dad ~ “Marla! Get your sister something to drink!”
Now repeat this conversation every 20 - 30 minutes. Like I said before, family. Good times.
One of the other possibilities is traveling back to California in Cher's motorhome. This option sounds like fun actually. Well, until you throw David into the mix. Don't get me wrong. I love my brother-in-law and would do anything for him. Well, anything except be locked in a motor home for 4 days with him. Can you say Hyperactive? David will be bouncing off the walls, Kelly will be crying and I will be praying the rosary …... and I'm not even Catholic.
What ever happens, what ever choice Kelly makes, it's all good. Kelly's walking, talking, laughing and happy. I couldn't ask for anything more. Or in the words of my dad, “I could ask but what good would it do me?”
A discharge date has tentatively been reached. Yeehaw! Looks like March 6th is the day Kel will be busting out of this joint. Again, barring any further drama. Bloody Hell! So now we are in the planning stages. Does she go to Oklahoma with me for a month so she can return for post-op follow-up? Does she go straight back to California? If she goes to California, does she fly or go back in our cousin Cher's motor home? Decisions, decisions! I have set a deadline of Friday for her to have this all figured out. She works best under pressure.
As I think the possible choices through, several strike me as natural disasters waiting to happen. Let's look at Kelly coming to Oklahoma for a month. I have walked this dog before. Picture it. My dad, who thinks he is a 45 year old ladies man-world boxing champion-fighter pilot-etc, and Kelly, sit on the couch together pretty much all day. Sounds sweet enough, right. Oh no!
Dad ~ “Do you need anything, baby?”
Kelly ~ “No, Dad, I'm ok.”
Dad ~ “Marla! Get your sister something to drink!”
Now repeat this conversation every 20 - 30 minutes. Like I said before, family. Good times.
One of the other possibilities is traveling back to California in Cher's motorhome. This option sounds like fun actually. Well, until you throw David into the mix. Don't get me wrong. I love my brother-in-law and would do anything for him. Well, anything except be locked in a motor home for 4 days with him. Can you say Hyperactive? David will be bouncing off the walls, Kelly will be crying and I will be praying the rosary …... and I'm not even Catholic.
What ever happens, what ever choice Kelly makes, it's all good. Kelly's walking, talking, laughing and happy. I couldn't ask for anything more. Or in the words of my dad, “I could ask but what good would it do me?”
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Healthcare Has Gone To The Dogs
Saturday morning Kelly went to WAGS, Willing Animals Giving Support. This is an amazing program at MDA that partners patients with pooches for therapy. Watching people of all ages and in all stages of cancer recovery “playing” with these great animals was really inspiring. Kelly walked about 10 feet with a walker as Cowboy barked encouragement along side her. Then she threw a ball to Minion for at least 20 minutes , who was more than happy to work Kel’s arms. Finally, KJ did leg lifts with the help of Porter, a fine yellow lab mix. All in all it was a very good day!
Kelly is in three hours of daily rehab, including OT, PT & Speech Therapy. The speech therapy really deals with her brain power and trying to remember and locate what is stored in there. The OT is helping her find ways to be more independent and the PT is pushing her to the limits with rebuilding her strength. She is really happy I am here to inform them when she is lying. Like when the therapist asks if she is able to walk at all and she answers, “No, I can’t walk at all.” This is when tough love kicks in. “Excuse me Mr. PT man, my little sister CAN walk!” I was very happy I could not read her mind at that moment.
My little sister is one tough chick. She has a scar from ear to ear and a drainage tube hanging out of her head attached to a bulb that catches all the ooze. I helped her get dressed the other day for the first time. I have seen her in a hospital gown for a week so when she was in her own clothes, with that drain hanging out of her head and the ball of blood attached to the end of it, I stepped back, took a long look and burst out laughing. When Kel asked what was so dang funny I had to tell her the truth. “Kelly, you look like you are wearing the most AWESOME Halloween costume. Dude, you would win FIRST PLACE as Head Wound Harriet!!” Luckily, my sister is also warped and enjoyed the thought immensely.
As if the Head Wound Harriet look wasn’t enough, she ended up with an added bonus this weekend. Both of Kel’s legs & feet swelled to the size of tree trunks. This meant PT had to come in and wrap her legs and feet in ace bandages from toe to thigh. After a few hours, it became evident the wraps were too tight and she was also having some kind of allergic reaction to something, so they unwrapped and rewrapped and also cut the bandages here & there giving them a rather rag tag appearance. By the time it was over her resemblance to THE MUMMY from the 1950’s movie was simply uncanny. I don’t know how much more we can take before they kick us out for howling with laughter.
Kelly may not look the same, think the same or even function the same as she did 2 years ago, but know this. She is one tough chick and I am so glad she is my sister! She is bound and determined to get back home & start cooking and bossing everyone around again. Failure is not an option for a Casas/Walter woman!
Kelly is in three hours of daily rehab, including OT, PT & Speech Therapy. The speech therapy really deals with her brain power and trying to remember and locate what is stored in there. The OT is helping her find ways to be more independent and the PT is pushing her to the limits with rebuilding her strength. She is really happy I am here to inform them when she is lying. Like when the therapist asks if she is able to walk at all and she answers, “No, I can’t walk at all.” This is when tough love kicks in. “Excuse me Mr. PT man, my little sister CAN walk!” I was very happy I could not read her mind at that moment.
My little sister is one tough chick. She has a scar from ear to ear and a drainage tube hanging out of her head attached to a bulb that catches all the ooze. I helped her get dressed the other day for the first time. I have seen her in a hospital gown for a week so when she was in her own clothes, with that drain hanging out of her head and the ball of blood attached to the end of it, I stepped back, took a long look and burst out laughing. When Kel asked what was so dang funny I had to tell her the truth. “Kelly, you look like you are wearing the most AWESOME Halloween costume. Dude, you would win FIRST PLACE as Head Wound Harriet!!” Luckily, my sister is also warped and enjoyed the thought immensely.
As if the Head Wound Harriet look wasn’t enough, she ended up with an added bonus this weekend. Both of Kel’s legs & feet swelled to the size of tree trunks. This meant PT had to come in and wrap her legs and feet in ace bandages from toe to thigh. After a few hours, it became evident the wraps were too tight and she was also having some kind of allergic reaction to something, so they unwrapped and rewrapped and also cut the bandages here & there giving them a rather rag tag appearance. By the time it was over her resemblance to THE MUMMY from the 1950’s movie was simply uncanny. I don’t know how much more we can take before they kick us out for howling with laughter.
Kelly may not look the same, think the same or even function the same as she did 2 years ago, but know this. She is one tough chick and I am so glad she is my sister! She is bound and determined to get back home & start cooking and bossing everyone around again. Failure is not an option for a Casas/Walter woman!
Friday, February 20, 2009
A Change Of Heart
Kelly continues to face some real challenges however her attitude remains that of a fighter. After all, as our dear cousin De stated, “Hell hath no fury like a gang of Casas girls.” The more Kel and I ponder on that quote the more we like it. As a matter of fact, we are in discussions right now regarding tattoos and leather jackets. I am also pushing for nose rings.
Even though Kel has a battle or two to deal with right now, she is actually feeling much better than a few days ago. So much better in fact that she has had a change of heart in a few matters. Let me tell you about last night’s conversation.
We were relaxing in her room, chatting as usual, when I asked if she ever got to wear her jewelry anymore. Kel said that even though she can’t wear any jewelry when she is going through all the tests and such, she still wears her wedding rings when she goes out to eat or to shop. That’s when the Casas mean chip kicked in and Kelly said, “Hey, I feel so good I might ask your kids to return all the jewelry I gave them when I thought I was gonna kick the bucket.”
We both started laughing like hyenas and proceeded to plot how to go about this dastardly deed. My thought was, let’s do a formal letter with a great letterhead from “an attorney”.
Dear Nieces, Nephews, Family and Supposed Friends,
It has come to our attention, as representatives of Ms. Kelly C. Pittner Sewart, or whatever she calls herself these days, that the aforementioned has once again fooled us all and lived. Therefore, it is imperative that all goods she gave away in her delusional state be returned immediately. Of special note to her sister, Marla: Ms. Pittner understands any priceless heirlooms that were sold on Ebay can not be returned therefore she will accept the Ebay proceeds.
Sincerely,
Rob M. Blind, esq.
Attorney at Law
Tasteless, yes, and yet so satisfyingly funny!
One last note. Some of you, and you know who you are, have asked where to send fan mail, so here is the info:
Kelly Pittner
Room # P-811
PO Box 300206
Houston, Tx 77230
For anyone crazy enough to actually visit:
Kelly Pittner
Room # P-811
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Houston, TX 77030
Even though Kel has a battle or two to deal with right now, she is actually feeling much better than a few days ago. So much better in fact that she has had a change of heart in a few matters. Let me tell you about last night’s conversation.
We were relaxing in her room, chatting as usual, when I asked if she ever got to wear her jewelry anymore. Kel said that even though she can’t wear any jewelry when she is going through all the tests and such, she still wears her wedding rings when she goes out to eat or to shop. That’s when the Casas mean chip kicked in and Kelly said, “Hey, I feel so good I might ask your kids to return all the jewelry I gave them when I thought I was gonna kick the bucket.”
We both started laughing like hyenas and proceeded to plot how to go about this dastardly deed. My thought was, let’s do a formal letter with a great letterhead from “an attorney”.
Dear Nieces, Nephews, Family and Supposed Friends,
It has come to our attention, as representatives of Ms. Kelly C. Pittner Sewart, or whatever she calls herself these days, that the aforementioned has once again fooled us all and lived. Therefore, it is imperative that all goods she gave away in her delusional state be returned immediately. Of special note to her sister, Marla: Ms. Pittner understands any priceless heirlooms that were sold on Ebay can not be returned therefore she will accept the Ebay proceeds.
Sincerely,
Rob M. Blind, esq.
Attorney at Law
Tasteless, yes, and yet so satisfyingly funny!
One last note. Some of you, and you know who you are, have asked where to send fan mail, so here is the info:
Kelly Pittner
Room # P-811
PO Box 300206
Houston, Tx 77230
For anyone crazy enough to actually visit:
Kelly Pittner
Room # P-811
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Houston, TX 77030
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Jokers Anonymous
Let me tell you about Kelly’s “face lift”. The day of her surgery, Dr. Weinberg came out to tell us how great everything went. He also told us that Dr. Hanasono was NOT going to have to do all the extra atrocities to Kelly because he was able to close the wound by pulling her facial skin forward a bit. He jokingly said, “So she got a free face lift.”
The next morning, we all took turns going into ICU to be with Kel. David, on his turn, proceeded to jokingly tell Kelly, in her medicated stupor, that she got a free face lift. Next, when one of the ICU doctors came in, she asked him about the face lift and he jokingly told her, “They got your eyebrows a little too high.” Finally, when Char & I went in Kelly started to quiz us about her face lift and, “how bad is it really?” The more we tried to tell her she didn’t get a face lift the more upset she became. This in turn distressed us more and more because obviously our little sister had her brains scrambled by the surgery and was now a character from “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest“. After 15 minutes of “Who’s On First?” the three of us got it all figured out. Notice anything about the three JOKERS in this story? All boys! Need I say more?
Fast forward, Kelly is out of ICU and doing a little better each and everyday. She has had a set back here and there but continues to overcome every obstacle. She’s also had a few emotional meltdowns along the way, but unfortunately for her, I am my mother! “You’re fine, go to school!!”
That’s the short story for tonight. Kel is reading your comments so keep em coming! Well, at least from the girls out there!!
The next morning, we all took turns going into ICU to be with Kel. David, on his turn, proceeded to jokingly tell Kelly, in her medicated stupor, that she got a free face lift. Next, when one of the ICU doctors came in, she asked him about the face lift and he jokingly told her, “They got your eyebrows a little too high.” Finally, when Char & I went in Kelly started to quiz us about her face lift and, “how bad is it really?” The more we tried to tell her she didn’t get a face lift the more upset she became. This in turn distressed us more and more because obviously our little sister had her brains scrambled by the surgery and was now a character from “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest“. After 15 minutes of “Who’s On First?” the three of us got it all figured out. Notice anything about the three JOKERS in this story? All boys! Need I say more?
Fast forward, Kelly is out of ICU and doing a little better each and everyday. She has had a set back here and there but continues to overcome every obstacle. She’s also had a few emotional meltdowns along the way, but unfortunately for her, I am my mother! “You’re fine, go to school!!”
That’s the short story for tonight. Kel is reading your comments so keep em coming! Well, at least from the girls out there!!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Miracle on Holcombe Blvd
There truly was a miracle yesterday. The doctors told us that Kelly would come out of surgery worse than she went in, because they didn't want us to panic when she came out paralyzed. They hoped that she would only be paralyzed in her right leg, but there was a chance her entire right side would be paralyzed.
Well, God stepped in and performed a miracle. There was so much power from so many people praying for Kelly that she came out of surgery better than when she went in. She looks awesome this morning. She's sitting up, brushing her teeth (you don't know what a joy it is until you cannot do it), wiggling her toes, moving her right foot and leg (just as good if not better than before) and having a good time. It is totally awesome and I want to thank everyone. There is nothing stronger than the power of prayer. There is no other explanation for her condition. Thank You - David
Well, God stepped in and performed a miracle. There was so much power from so many people praying for Kelly that she came out of surgery better than when she went in. She looks awesome this morning. She's sitting up, brushing her teeth (you don't know what a joy it is until you cannot do it), wiggling her toes, moving her right foot and leg (just as good if not better than before) and having a good time. It is totally awesome and I want to thank everyone. There is nothing stronger than the power of prayer. There is no other explanation for her condition. Thank You - David
Friday, February 13, 2009
Amazing Grace
God is truly amazing. Tonight when Char & I went to ICU to kiss Kelly goodnight we had the most awesome conversation. The three of us were talking about the day and the days to come. We were plotting and planning regarding what needed to happen for Kelly to heal and move forward. That's when I told KJ how many people blogged today and were praying. Kelly started to cry and said something that sent shivers down my spine.
"You know, Marla, last night I did something different. I thought about all the people that were praying for me. I thought about how many I knew & how many I didn't know but had heard were praying. Whole churches. Then I started to pray. I didn't pray for me or my surgery though. I prayed for all the people that were praying for me."
I have never been prouder of or loved my sister more than I do tonight.
"You know, Marla, last night I did something different. I thought about all the people that were praying for me. I thought about how many I knew & how many I didn't know but had heard were praying. Whole churches. Then I started to pray. I didn't pray for me or my surgery though. I prayed for all the people that were praying for me."
I have never been prouder of or loved my sister more than I do tonight.
The Queen Is Back!
Well, we just got back from ICU. The first thing Kelly said when we walked in was, "Oh, how nice of you to tear yourself away from dinner and FINALLY come see me!" I looked at the nurse and asked her to please call Dr. Weinberg because he had obviously forgotten to remove her mean chip. The queen actually smiled!
Kelly is in a lot of pain but through it all is still as nasty towards her sisters as ever and teasing the snot out of her poor nurse. God is good!!
We are on our way back to ICU so keep praying and we will update again tomorrow. Love you all!! Marla
Kelly is in a lot of pain but through it all is still as nasty towards her sisters as ever and teasing the snot out of her poor nurse. God is good!!
We are on our way back to ICU so keep praying and we will update again tomorrow. Love you all!! Marla
Praise Jesus! The Tumor is Gone.
Thank You Jesus. The tumor of 11 years has been removed. Praise Jesus.
They still have a couple of hours to go to close her up, she's getting a "free" face lift in the process, but that damn tumor is gone.
David
They still have a couple of hours to go to close her up, she's getting a "free" face lift in the process, but that damn tumor is gone.
David
Surgery Updates
Kelly was taken to surgery at 7:45 am this morning. It took an hour to position her and surgery began at 9:30 am. We have had two updates so far, at 10 am & 12 noon. Both times we were told things are going well and her vitals are good. Dr. Weinberg will be with her another 2-4 hours and then Dr. Hanasono will take over for another 5-7 hours. Updates will be given every 2 hours and we will then update the blog.
Thanks for all the prayers and comments. Kelly will be so happy to read them tomorrow. What a nice Valentine for her to see how loved she is!
2:45 pm UPDATE
The surgical nurse just told us Dr. Weinberg is finishing up & Dr. Hanasono should be taking over shortly. She said all went well, Kelly's vitals are good and that she had several units of blood given to her. The next update should be around 4:00 pm. Also, Dr. Weinberg should be coming to speak to us as soon as he is free so an earlier update may be possible. So far so good!
4:45 pm UPDATE
As David said, the tumor is gone! Dr. Weinberg said all went well, with the almost complete removal of the tumor after 11 years. Dr. Hanasono is closing the wound now and has decided to NOT take the back muscle & skin graft but instead try to close it by using the existing skin. If it does not take by mid-week next week they will need to do the skin flap surgery. Please pray for Kelly that all goes well and she will heal better than hoped for in the next few days. We will update when Dr. Hanasono finishes, hopefully in the next hour or two.
Thanks for all the prayers and comments. Kelly will be so happy to read them tomorrow. What a nice Valentine for her to see how loved she is!
2:45 pm UPDATE
The surgical nurse just told us Dr. Weinberg is finishing up & Dr. Hanasono should be taking over shortly. She said all went well, Kelly's vitals are good and that she had several units of blood given to her. The next update should be around 4:00 pm. Also, Dr. Weinberg should be coming to speak to us as soon as he is free so an earlier update may be possible. So far so good!
4:45 pm UPDATE
As David said, the tumor is gone! Dr. Weinberg said all went well, with the almost complete removal of the tumor after 11 years. Dr. Hanasono is closing the wound now and has decided to NOT take the back muscle & skin graft but instead try to close it by using the existing skin. If it does not take by mid-week next week they will need to do the skin flap surgery. Please pray for Kelly that all goes well and she will heal better than hoped for in the next few days. We will update when Dr. Hanasono finishes, hopefully in the next hour or two.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Countdown To Freedom
Kelly had her angiogram today at St. Luke’s and all went well. The findings were good enough that they didn’t have to embolize the artery. After a long day of resting and waiting she was finally taken back to MDA by ambulance. We made sure she was safe and sound in her room before we came back to the hotel. It is now 12:33 am. A long day indeed!
Kel will be taken to surgery at approx 5:15 am with the actual surgery beginning around 7 am. We will receive updates from the operating room every 2 hours. We will do our very best to update the blog as we receive updates.
Even though the future is uncertain right now and Kelly certainly faces some challenging days ahead, tomorrow begins her countdown to freedom from steroids. There is hope she may walk again, not be so miserably uncomfortable and lose those puffy pounds she hates so much. It may not be an easy road but please pray it is the road to freedom.
We love you all because of the way you love our little sister. Thank you for your prayers and please don’t quit.
Kel will be taken to surgery at approx 5:15 am with the actual surgery beginning around 7 am. We will receive updates from the operating room every 2 hours. We will do our very best to update the blog as we receive updates.
Even though the future is uncertain right now and Kelly certainly faces some challenging days ahead, tomorrow begins her countdown to freedom from steroids. There is hope she may walk again, not be so miserably uncomfortable and lose those puffy pounds she hates so much. It may not be an easy road but please pray it is the road to freedom.
We love you all because of the way you love our little sister. Thank you for your prayers and please don’t quit.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Short & Sweet, Like Us
It’s after 10pm and we have to be up again at 5am, so this will be short & sweet, like us.
Today Kelly had only ONE MRI. Woo Hoo!! It was also the shortest one ever, only 25 minutes. That’s not counting the 2 hour wait, not that we’re complaining. One observation however. Putting Kelly and me in a room alone for 2 hours can and does often lead to strange and bizarre conversations. For example:
As I was helping Kelly change into scrubs this morning for her MRI, we had the following conversation.
Marla ~ “Hey, when you get off steroids and lose all your weight, I’m taking all your new clothes you just bought. I’ll have a whole new wardrobe!”
Kelly ~ “I just hope you don’t get them this Friday.”
Marla ~ “Yeah right. Like I’m gonna say, hey wait, before you take her away let me get those clothes off her.”
At this point we both burst out laughing hysterically, which turned to crying, which led to more tasteless comments from both of us which led to more laughing. Stress is a strange & yet wonderful thing ….. Or maybe you just had to be there.
Anyway, after the MRI we headed back to the hotel with Char & Theresa where we had breakfast and then went back to the room for a 2 hour nap. Then we ate lunch in the room, in bed of course! The grand finale to our day was dinner from Dominoes, in bed, while we watched one of our all time FAVORITE movies, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane!! A must see!!
One last thing. Seems Char put on a production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane in high school. She was the producer and starred in the lead role……or something like that. Anyway, in the crux of the movie, Baby Jane, who is a REALLY scary Bette Davis character, breaks out in song & dance. It’s super creepy, scary to say the least. Right in the middle of the scene, I look over to see Char singing & dancing with Baby Jane. It gave me chills. Kelly laughed but I think she was actually terrified. We will definitely be sleeping with one eye open tonight.
Keep Kelly in your prayers. She has her angiogram tomorrow at 6am and then gets checked into ICU where she will rest until surgery at 7am on Friday morning.
Today Kelly had only ONE MRI. Woo Hoo!! It was also the shortest one ever, only 25 minutes. That’s not counting the 2 hour wait, not that we’re complaining. One observation however. Putting Kelly and me in a room alone for 2 hours can and does often lead to strange and bizarre conversations. For example:
As I was helping Kelly change into scrubs this morning for her MRI, we had the following conversation.
Marla ~ “Hey, when you get off steroids and lose all your weight, I’m taking all your new clothes you just bought. I’ll have a whole new wardrobe!”
Kelly ~ “I just hope you don’t get them this Friday.”
Marla ~ “Yeah right. Like I’m gonna say, hey wait, before you take her away let me get those clothes off her.”
At this point we both burst out laughing hysterically, which turned to crying, which led to more tasteless comments from both of us which led to more laughing. Stress is a strange & yet wonderful thing ….. Or maybe you just had to be there.
Anyway, after the MRI we headed back to the hotel with Char & Theresa where we had breakfast and then went back to the room for a 2 hour nap. Then we ate lunch in the room, in bed of course! The grand finale to our day was dinner from Dominoes, in bed, while we watched one of our all time FAVORITE movies, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane!! A must see!!
One last thing. Seems Char put on a production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane in high school. She was the producer and starred in the lead role……or something like that. Anyway, in the crux of the movie, Baby Jane, who is a REALLY scary Bette Davis character, breaks out in song & dance. It’s super creepy, scary to say the least. Right in the middle of the scene, I look over to see Char singing & dancing with Baby Jane. It gave me chills. Kelly laughed but I think she was actually terrified. We will definitely be sleeping with one eye open tonight.
Keep Kelly in your prayers. She has her angiogram tomorrow at 6am and then gets checked into ICU where she will rest until surgery at 7am on Friday morning.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Oompah Loompahs Unite!
So here is the latest on the Queen and her court. Today was a fairly slow day. It started with Char & I getting KJ into the shower. I cannot begin to describe this picture. Let’s just say, it would have been Funniest Home Videos million dollar winner if they accepted videos of two middle-aged women getting a naked middle-aged woman into the shower whilst slipping, sliding, harassing and harping on one another. Not a pretty sight but definitely pretty funny.
Then it was off to lunch, yes it took us that long with the shower, where we spent as much time laughing as we did eating. This is good since we need something to divert our attention from food these days. Seems stress brings out the voracious appetites in the Casas girls. Forget fruits & veggies. I’m talking JUNK FOOD BABY!
After lunch we picked up some medical records, printed off the rest of the weeks agenda in the business office and thought we better head back to our room so Kel could lay down. But not before stopping for ice cream, of course. Hey, it’s a long elevator ride to the fifth floor.
Once back in our room and with ice cream bellies, we attempted to get Kelly back into bed. This is when things often go south. Let me explain. Whenever it’s time to get into bed at night or out of bed in the morning, KJ can get overwhelmed. I think that moment or two she takes to prepare mentally for the physical hurtle she faces in regards to getting in & out of bed, can sometimes lead to her feeling emotionally swamped by all she is facing on a daily basis. Today was no different. As she prepared to get out of the wheelchair so we could hoist her into bed she said, “I’m starting to sink.” This means the tears are not far behind. She started in again about her weight, and feeling miserable, and hurting everywhere. It makes me mad at Cancer and sad for her every time this happens which is everyday. As I said before, I am not allowed to cry per orders of the Queen. So I did what any court jester would do. I began to sing the Oompah Loompah song from Willy Wonka. You know the one from the original Gene Wilder version. The one where Violet eats the bubblegum that makes her blow up into a giant purple ball. As I promised in song that we would roll Kelly to the Juicer in the morning to have her squeezed back to normal size, she started to laugh. I live to hear Kelly laugh these days.
So tomorrow we take Kelly to the “Juicer” aka another MRI. Then Thursday to her angiogram and Friday is surgery. Saturday is Valentines Day so it’s “Party in ICU!!” Be there or be square!
Then it was off to lunch, yes it took us that long with the shower, where we spent as much time laughing as we did eating. This is good since we need something to divert our attention from food these days. Seems stress brings out the voracious appetites in the Casas girls. Forget fruits & veggies. I’m talking JUNK FOOD BABY!
After lunch we picked up some medical records, printed off the rest of the weeks agenda in the business office and thought we better head back to our room so Kel could lay down. But not before stopping for ice cream, of course. Hey, it’s a long elevator ride to the fifth floor.
Once back in our room and with ice cream bellies, we attempted to get Kelly back into bed. This is when things often go south. Let me explain. Whenever it’s time to get into bed at night or out of bed in the morning, KJ can get overwhelmed. I think that moment or two she takes to prepare mentally for the physical hurtle she faces in regards to getting in & out of bed, can sometimes lead to her feeling emotionally swamped by all she is facing on a daily basis. Today was no different. As she prepared to get out of the wheelchair so we could hoist her into bed she said, “I’m starting to sink.” This means the tears are not far behind. She started in again about her weight, and feeling miserable, and hurting everywhere. It makes me mad at Cancer and sad for her every time this happens which is everyday. As I said before, I am not allowed to cry per orders of the Queen. So I did what any court jester would do. I began to sing the Oompah Loompah song from Willy Wonka. You know the one from the original Gene Wilder version. The one where Violet eats the bubblegum that makes her blow up into a giant purple ball. As I promised in song that we would roll Kelly to the Juicer in the morning to have her squeezed back to normal size, she started to laugh. I live to hear Kelly laugh these days.
So tomorrow we take Kelly to the “Juicer” aka another MRI. Then Thursday to her angiogram and Friday is surgery. Saturday is Valentines Day so it’s “Party in ICU!!” Be there or be square!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Roll Over Minutes in Heaven
As I wrote the title for the latest update I thought, “I bet I could make millions with this. Tell me it doesn’t sound like a country western song!”
So the latest, as you know from David’s blog last night, is that
the surgery was postponed. Kelly met with the surgeons nurse today for the latest info and here it is.
Thursday, we will walk Kel across the street to St. Lukes for an angiogram. This is not like a candy gram even though it is almost Valentine’s Day. Kel has had one before so she seems to be pretty calm about it. Char & I talked it over and decided we would both be dead by now if we were Kelly because we are cowards and would have refused to go through 1/10 of what KJ has endured. Kelly is definitely the brave one in this family.
Once the angio is done, an ambulance will take Kel back across the street to MDA where she will be checked into the hospital. Surgery will take place the next morning at approx 7 am and last 12-14 hours. NOTE: Friday is the 13th!! I cannot begin to tell you the fun we are having with this new fact. Other than Kelly crying when she first realized the date, we have had nothing but tasteless hysteria since. We informed her she didn’t need to cry because it is only a bad date if she was a witch. We then had to clarify since she was not officially a card carrying member of a Wiccan coven she wasn’t “technically” a real witch. She bought it.
So there is the latest. Oh yeah, regarding the blog title. When people found out the surgery was postponed we heard this,“ I have my whole church praying TODAY for you.” This, of course, was perfect new material for us. So does that mean there are no roll over minutes in heaven? Pray today pay today only? Just in case that is right, pray everyday for Kelly.
So the latest, as you know from David’s blog last night, is that
the surgery was postponed. Kelly met with the surgeons nurse today for the latest info and here it is.
Thursday, we will walk Kel across the street to St. Lukes for an angiogram. This is not like a candy gram even though it is almost Valentine’s Day. Kel has had one before so she seems to be pretty calm about it. Char & I talked it over and decided we would both be dead by now if we were Kelly because we are cowards and would have refused to go through 1/10 of what KJ has endured. Kelly is definitely the brave one in this family.
Once the angio is done, an ambulance will take Kel back across the street to MDA where she will be checked into the hospital. Surgery will take place the next morning at approx 7 am and last 12-14 hours. NOTE: Friday is the 13th!! I cannot begin to tell you the fun we are having with this new fact. Other than Kelly crying when she first realized the date, we have had nothing but tasteless hysteria since. We informed her she didn’t need to cry because it is only a bad date if she was a witch. We then had to clarify since she was not officially a card carrying member of a Wiccan coven she wasn’t “technically” a real witch. She bought it.
So there is the latest. Oh yeah, regarding the blog title. When people found out the surgery was postponed we heard this,“ I have my whole church praying TODAY for you.” This, of course, was perfect new material for us. So does that mean there are no roll over minutes in heaven? Pray today pay today only? Just in case that is right, pray everyday for Kelly.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Surgery Postponed
Dr. Weinberg just called and postponed the surgery. Her tumor is located on the main vein that's splitting the left and right sections of the brain. Initially, they thought the tumor had not invaded the artery, but he got two radiologists to review her scans and now they think the artery is clogged, which is actually good news. If it is clogged, then there will be less damage to the brain when they remove the tumor. If it were not clogged, the surgery would be much harder and chance of injury greater.
They're sending her to a specialist tommorrow Feb 9th, to do an angiogram. He's still trying to perform the surgery this week, but does not know when. We will keep you updated.
Meanwhile, Kelly has to walk around with plastic dots (about the size of quarters) on her forhead and top of her head. They are really attrative and I think she's starting a new fashion trend. I would have posted a picture but she would have none of it. Thank You - David
They're sending her to a specialist tommorrow Feb 9th, to do an angiogram. He's still trying to perform the surgery this week, but does not know when. We will keep you updated.
Meanwhile, Kelly has to walk around with plastic dots (about the size of quarters) on her forhead and top of her head. They are really attrative and I think she's starting a new fashion trend. I would have posted a picture but she would have none of it. Thank You - David
Saturday, February 7, 2009
THE VERBAL BERMUDA TRIANGLE ~ BE AFRAID ~ BE VERY AFRAID
All the test results are in and Monday’s surgery is a go. Kelly’s heart looks good and her potassium deficiency has been addressed. After lots and lots of discussion, Kelly seems more at peace with the decision to go forward with this. Well, as much as any person could be at peace facing a life-altering surgery such as this. Her spirits are good, she is reading the blog comments and emails daily and feels encouraged by you all.
Now, for the nitty gritty of hanging with the Casas girls. Yesterday, the three of us were on our way to another MRI when two of us, (I won’t say which two however one of them was NOT me) got into another verbal altercation. How these things start I will never understand. I am beginning to believe they are some kind of Verbal Bermuda Triangle. Kind of like this: you are walking along with your sisters having a nice sisterly conversation when all of a sudden……and I mean out of the blue……..one of us says something that sends all three of us into THE VERBAL BERMUDA TRIANGLE! Things go ugly real quick. We all seem to be speaking a foreign language, the volume becomes ear-splitting, nothing makes sense and we go into hysterical laughter as the conversation nose-dives into the great abyss of the abnormal.
So, like I said, the three of us were on our way to another MRI when two of us got into another verbal altercation. It went something like this:
KJ ~ “That’s stupid.”
Char ~ “You’re just mean.”
KJ ~ “Marla, would you rather be stupid or mean?”
Me ~ “Well, mean you can change but stupid is forever.”
Making the fatal mistake of allowing myself to be drawn into this VBT conversation has the dire consequence of uniting the two of them against me. A common enemy is an amazing unifier. Of course, the entire thing ends with the three of us laughing until we are crying. I am sure MDA has hired extra security while we are on the premises.
Well, Kelly is threatening to take the mirror off the wall and throw it at Char if Char looks in it one more time. This is my cue to go. I must do all I can to save them from THE VERBAL BERMUDA TRIANGLE.
Now, for the nitty gritty of hanging with the Casas girls. Yesterday, the three of us were on our way to another MRI when two of us, (I won’t say which two however one of them was NOT me) got into another verbal altercation. How these things start I will never understand. I am beginning to believe they are some kind of Verbal Bermuda Triangle. Kind of like this: you are walking along with your sisters having a nice sisterly conversation when all of a sudden……and I mean out of the blue……..one of us says something that sends all three of us into THE VERBAL BERMUDA TRIANGLE! Things go ugly real quick. We all seem to be speaking a foreign language, the volume becomes ear-splitting, nothing makes sense and we go into hysterical laughter as the conversation nose-dives into the great abyss of the abnormal.
So, like I said, the three of us were on our way to another MRI when two of us got into another verbal altercation. It went something like this:
KJ ~ “That’s stupid.”
Char ~ “You’re just mean.”
KJ ~ “Marla, would you rather be stupid or mean?”
Me ~ “Well, mean you can change but stupid is forever.”
Making the fatal mistake of allowing myself to be drawn into this VBT conversation has the dire consequence of uniting the two of them against me. A common enemy is an amazing unifier. Of course, the entire thing ends with the three of us laughing until we are crying. I am sure MDA has hired extra security while we are on the premises.
Well, Kelly is threatening to take the mirror off the wall and throw it at Char if Char looks in it one more time. This is my cue to go. I must do all I can to save them from THE VERBAL BERMUDA TRIANGLE.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Latest News From Houston, Y’all
Here is an update on Kelly per Kelly‘s request written by Marla. Now that you have the disclaimer, shall we proceed?
The last four days have been wall to wall appointments, testing, doctors and needles. There were blood draws, ultrasounds, CT scans, echocardiograms plus meetings with Doctors galore. Tomorrow it’s MRI’s and Anesthesia Assessments plus a planning meeting or two. Her potassium is low so they are pounding her with pills hoping the surgery won’t be postponed. There is also a question regarding her heart, so we are waiting for test results.
If all goes as planned and test results are as hoped for, surgery will take place Monday morning. Dr. Weinberg will remove the entire brain tumor . Dr Hanasono will then take over once the tumor is gone and complete the surgery. The entire surgery should be 10-12 hours. Kel will be in ICU for 1-3 days and in the hospital for several weeks at least. Within the first week they want to begin therapy to get her up and moving and learning how to work with what she has. The best news is they will be weaning her off the steroids which will bring her weight down and stop destroying her bones, skin and internal organs.
Kel, Char & I have had an interesting week to say the least. We have had our usual sisterly bickering and bantering. More importantly, we have been brutal with one another as we always are in stressful situations leading to absolute hysterical laughter. Some people are touchy feely. Others keep their emotions buried deep inside. We beat the snot out of one another verbally and feel better. Look up dysfunctional. This will all make sense.
One example, just in case you still don’t get it. We were all in the plastic surgeons office. Dr. Hanasono will be doing the closing of her wound. He will need to take a muscle from her back, a vein from her leg and skin from the other leg for grafting. He then began explaining how they will “teach” me (Marla) how to keep all this clean. I am pretty sure at this point all three of us girls were feeling rather light-headed ……. Especially Kelly (no pun intended)
This is when we got the great idea to suggest they might use skin from her buttocks as she could be quite a butthead at times. This sent the three of us into hysterics. I am pretty sure that is why a behavioral psychologist has been added to the schedule of appointments. We all need help ……. Obviously!
Most of the rudeness can’t be shared because, well, you needed to be there to get it and maybe even then you wouldn’t. We are just a weird set of sisters. I can say, I have never seen a Dr. laugh the way we had Weinberg laughing one day. The dude was howling!
The truth is Kelly is scared and Char & I are heartsick for her. Proverbs says, Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. That pretty well sums it up.
The last four days have been wall to wall appointments, testing, doctors and needles. There were blood draws, ultrasounds, CT scans, echocardiograms plus meetings with Doctors galore. Tomorrow it’s MRI’s and Anesthesia Assessments plus a planning meeting or two. Her potassium is low so they are pounding her with pills hoping the surgery won’t be postponed. There is also a question regarding her heart, so we are waiting for test results.
If all goes as planned and test results are as hoped for, surgery will take place Monday morning. Dr. Weinberg will remove the entire brain tumor . Dr Hanasono will then take over once the tumor is gone and complete the surgery. The entire surgery should be 10-12 hours. Kel will be in ICU for 1-3 days and in the hospital for several weeks at least. Within the first week they want to begin therapy to get her up and moving and learning how to work with what she has. The best news is they will be weaning her off the steroids which will bring her weight down and stop destroying her bones, skin and internal organs.
Kel, Char & I have had an interesting week to say the least. We have had our usual sisterly bickering and bantering. More importantly, we have been brutal with one another as we always are in stressful situations leading to absolute hysterical laughter. Some people are touchy feely. Others keep their emotions buried deep inside. We beat the snot out of one another verbally and feel better. Look up dysfunctional. This will all make sense.
One example, just in case you still don’t get it. We were all in the plastic surgeons office. Dr. Hanasono will be doing the closing of her wound. He will need to take a muscle from her back, a vein from her leg and skin from the other leg for grafting. He then began explaining how they will “teach” me (Marla) how to keep all this clean. I am pretty sure at this point all three of us girls were feeling rather light-headed ……. Especially Kelly (no pun intended)
This is when we got the great idea to suggest they might use skin from her buttocks as she could be quite a butthead at times. This sent the three of us into hysterics. I am pretty sure that is why a behavioral psychologist has been added to the schedule of appointments. We all need help ……. Obviously!
Most of the rudeness can’t be shared because, well, you needed to be there to get it and maybe even then you wouldn’t. We are just a weird set of sisters. I can say, I have never seen a Dr. laugh the way we had Weinberg laughing one day. The dude was howling!
The truth is Kelly is scared and Char & I are heartsick for her. Proverbs says, Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. That pretty well sums it up.
Monday, February 2, 2009
You're Not The Boss Of Me
So here is the latest conversation between the two “intelligent” ones.
Queen F&M: “I mean it! You need to listen to me.”
Old Gal: “No I don’t. I’m the big sister.”
Queen F&M: “Yes, you do too! A, I’m the boss and 2, you’re not.”
By now I am laughing hysterically with Kelly joining in heartily. This irritates the fire out of Old Gal, who makes the comment, “ and YOU better not blog this!” I believe this was followed by something about me being a “blogging wench” or some such thing. Family. Good times!
Next subject ~ I am getting ready to give Kelly a shot in her stomach. She hates it and I wish I didn’t have to do it. Actually, I don’t mind giving the shot, I just wish she didn’t have to have them. I think she is a bit nervous about me administering this hypodermic cocktail. I have tried to comfort her with the knowledge that this is not the first time I have given someone a shot. I have given many a jab into the neck of our horses. I even helped with the amputation of one of our goats legs. I threw that in just so she would relax should I need to do something about “Lulu” (the name of her right leg}
Final thought for the day ~ David called and was concerned not everyone knew how to get to the comments people leave regarding Kelly’s blog. In case that might be true, here are the directions:
Read the blog. At the end you will see this: Posted by Kelly at (time) (#) comments Links to this post . Click on the part that says comments. Read the comments. Post your own comment. Any questions?
Queen F&M: “I mean it! You need to listen to me.”
Old Gal: “No I don’t. I’m the big sister.”
Queen F&M: “Yes, you do too! A, I’m the boss and 2, you’re not.”
By now I am laughing hysterically with Kelly joining in heartily. This irritates the fire out of Old Gal, who makes the comment, “ and YOU better not blog this!” I believe this was followed by something about me being a “blogging wench” or some such thing. Family. Good times!
Next subject ~ I am getting ready to give Kelly a shot in her stomach. She hates it and I wish I didn’t have to do it. Actually, I don’t mind giving the shot, I just wish she didn’t have to have them. I think she is a bit nervous about me administering this hypodermic cocktail. I have tried to comfort her with the knowledge that this is not the first time I have given someone a shot. I have given many a jab into the neck of our horses. I even helped with the amputation of one of our goats legs. I threw that in just so she would relax should I need to do something about “Lulu” (the name of her right leg}
Final thought for the day ~ David called and was concerned not everyone knew how to get to the comments people leave regarding Kelly’s blog. In case that might be true, here are the directions:
Read the blog. At the end you will see this: Posted by Kelly at (time) (#) comments Links to this post . Click on the part that says comments. Read the comments. Post your own comment. Any questions?
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Rumors Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Ya gotta love Mark Twain! This is Marla, updating the fat & mean girl's blog per her request. I must add at this point, if my husband ever posted those endearing words on the internet for the entire world to read, the rumors of his death would not be greatly exaggerated. Nevermind that they might be true words. That is beside the point.
Now onto the reason for my nomination as the blog updater. It seems my sister, you know, the fat & mean one, in a moment of brain cell loss, sent out an email leading many to believe her imminent demise was at hand. This email was then followed by the last blog update by Mr. Fat & Mean which ran along the same thought track as the aforementioned email. Most people on the receiving end of these two fine literary masterpieces immediately went into hysteria, writing and/or calling Mr. & Mrs. Fat & Mean to express their heartfelt melancholy. I am ashamed to say when I opened the email my first thought was, "Kelly! Have you lost your freaking mind!?!?" Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, she has." Which brings me to one of her favorite cards she ever received. It has a silly, smiling Jack O Lantern on the front with the question, "Ever wonder why Jack O Lantern's smile like that?". The answer inside: "You'd smile like that too if half your brains had been scooped out." Ok, so I thought it was funny when I bought it and she seemed to like it so here's my point.
We are all going to die. Only God knows when.....unless your a Kevorkian follower that is. Kelly is going to die someday. So am I. So are you. She aint dead yet! My little sister has had a miserable two years that she has handled with amazing grace at times and like a pitbull on speed at others. The best I can do is refuse to be miserable for her or with her. She much prefers me when I am making my morbidly tasteless comments regarding her situation and life in general. I believe I have only had two meltdowns in the last two years in front of her. She did not dig that at all and reminded me I was not allowed to cry. Everyone else was but not me. I must remain humorous at all times per the Queen's request.
So, I was summoned by Queen Fat & Mean today and ordered to update her blog, "and be funny, change the tone, let people know I'm ok." So there you have it. I hope I was funny. I will NEVER change my tone so I hope I have changed yours. Oh yeah, and Kelly is ok.
Now go find the rudest card you can legally buy without losing your salvation, write a snide remark or two in it, and mail the little bugger to Queen Fat & Mean. You'll thank me later.
Now onto the reason for my nomination as the blog updater. It seems my sister, you know, the fat & mean one, in a moment of brain cell loss, sent out an email leading many to believe her imminent demise was at hand. This email was then followed by the last blog update by Mr. Fat & Mean which ran along the same thought track as the aforementioned email. Most people on the receiving end of these two fine literary masterpieces immediately went into hysteria, writing and/or calling Mr. & Mrs. Fat & Mean to express their heartfelt melancholy. I am ashamed to say when I opened the email my first thought was, "Kelly! Have you lost your freaking mind!?!?" Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, she has." Which brings me to one of her favorite cards she ever received. It has a silly, smiling Jack O Lantern on the front with the question, "Ever wonder why Jack O Lantern's smile like that?". The answer inside: "You'd smile like that too if half your brains had been scooped out." Ok, so I thought it was funny when I bought it and she seemed to like it so here's my point.
We are all going to die. Only God knows when.....unless your a Kevorkian follower that is. Kelly is going to die someday. So am I. So are you. She aint dead yet! My little sister has had a miserable two years that she has handled with amazing grace at times and like a pitbull on speed at others. The best I can do is refuse to be miserable for her or with her. She much prefers me when I am making my morbidly tasteless comments regarding her situation and life in general. I believe I have only had two meltdowns in the last two years in front of her. She did not dig that at all and reminded me I was not allowed to cry. Everyone else was but not me. I must remain humorous at all times per the Queen's request.
So, I was summoned by Queen Fat & Mean today and ordered to update her blog, "and be funny, change the tone, let people know I'm ok." So there you have it. I hope I was funny. I will NEVER change my tone so I hope I have changed yours. Oh yeah, and Kelly is ok.
Now go find the rudest card you can legally buy without losing your salvation, write a snide remark or two in it, and mail the little bugger to Queen Fat & Mean. You'll thank me later.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Finally an update – and David has to do it!
It's been an extremely rough year; between blood clots, several trips to Houston (in the car), and new forms of chemo, as a result, the year flew by.
The Good news is that the tumors haven't grown significantly. The bad news is that all the treatment Kelly has received over the last 11 years has really thrashed her body, from her brain to her legs. The main culprits are radiation and chemo. The doctors in Houston told her she has been over radiated way too much, way too much. Her mobility and motor skills on the right side are gone. She doesn't have any balance either. Now it's starting to effect her left side so she has to get the brain tumor removed, which is an extremely dangerous operation. We have been told that she has a 50% chance of being parallelized on the right side (which is not good). So why do the surgery? Because she is basically parallelized on the right side now and she constantly has what we refer to as “helmet head”. Helmet head is the feeling of having a tight helmet squeezed on your head and there is no way to take it off. This gets really old 24 hours a day.
Kelly's brain is swelling because of the radiation and the steroids aren't working any longer. They are making her mean and fat, and health wise, they aren't working. She really struggles to get out of bed in and out of bed just to use the restroom. This takes her about 30 minutes and is heart breaking to watch. It can take her 3 to 4 hours to write one thank you card, so feel lucky if you get one. She can barely keep up. She appreciates all your calls, emails, pictures, cards, etc and is looking forward to when she can reconnect with everyone.
I cannot tell you how much I respect her for struggling through everyday with such a positive attitude. It puts everything else into perspective, so when I have a bad day at work, I slap myself and get back to reality when I get home. She really has it tough. She wants to be independent so bad she's about to explode. As Bob Rothstein says, “she's my hero”; which I totally agree with. She is a true inspiration and model of courage. She hasn't given up to a horrible disease that would have broken my spirit long ago.
Kelly's wonderful cousins, Cherie & Kelly Fitzgerald have volunteered to drive her to Houston in their motor home for her surgery. This will make the trip so much more bearable, like switching from a covered wagon to a limousine. Kelly cannot fly because of the blood clots and I think another trip in a car would have driven her over the edge.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 9th. So everyone should put in their pray requests. The goal of the surgery is to remove the brain tumor that Hoag Hospital said was not removable. Last year at University of San Francisco we were that the total hip replacement was not possible, and that turned out great at MD Anderson. MD Anderson is a wonderful place. It was by the grace of God that we found them (and a little help from her sisters, well okay LOTS of help!).
The surgeon will have about 20 units of blood for the surgery. I think the body holds 6 or 7, so they expect a lot of blood. As I said before, there is a 50% chance of right side paralysis. We hope that she ends up on the other 50% side and is able to move her right leg, etc. Hopefully her head will clear up and she finally gets to take off her helmet. Her balance should return with a lot of hard work and physical therapy and her brain should clear up (she's currently in a fog). She should be able to stop the steroids which will put her in a much better frame of mind.
Kelly, her cousins (Cherie & Kelly), her sisters (Marla & Char) will start their road trip on Thursday, Jan 29th. Her first appointment is at 7:30 AM on Monday, February 2nd. Kelly's week is full of tests, preparing her for her Monday, February 9th morning surgery.
Please pray for her.
I will post to the blog after the surgery to let everyone know how she comes out.
Peace & Love, Peace & Love,
David
The Good news is that the tumors haven't grown significantly. The bad news is that all the treatment Kelly has received over the last 11 years has really thrashed her body, from her brain to her legs. The main culprits are radiation and chemo. The doctors in Houston told her she has been over radiated way too much, way too much. Her mobility and motor skills on the right side are gone. She doesn't have any balance either. Now it's starting to effect her left side so she has to get the brain tumor removed, which is an extremely dangerous operation. We have been told that she has a 50% chance of being parallelized on the right side (which is not good). So why do the surgery? Because she is basically parallelized on the right side now and she constantly has what we refer to as “helmet head”. Helmet head is the feeling of having a tight helmet squeezed on your head and there is no way to take it off. This gets really old 24 hours a day.
Kelly's brain is swelling because of the radiation and the steroids aren't working any longer. They are making her mean and fat, and health wise, they aren't working. She really struggles to get out of bed in and out of bed just to use the restroom. This takes her about 30 minutes and is heart breaking to watch. It can take her 3 to 4 hours to write one thank you card, so feel lucky if you get one. She can barely keep up. She appreciates all your calls, emails, pictures, cards, etc and is looking forward to when she can reconnect with everyone.
I cannot tell you how much I respect her for struggling through everyday with such a positive attitude. It puts everything else into perspective, so when I have a bad day at work, I slap myself and get back to reality when I get home. She really has it tough. She wants to be independent so bad she's about to explode. As Bob Rothstein says, “she's my hero”; which I totally agree with. She is a true inspiration and model of courage. She hasn't given up to a horrible disease that would have broken my spirit long ago.
Kelly's wonderful cousins, Cherie & Kelly Fitzgerald have volunteered to drive her to Houston in their motor home for her surgery. This will make the trip so much more bearable, like switching from a covered wagon to a limousine. Kelly cannot fly because of the blood clots and I think another trip in a car would have driven her over the edge.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 9th. So everyone should put in their pray requests. The goal of the surgery is to remove the brain tumor that Hoag Hospital said was not removable. Last year at University of San Francisco we were that the total hip replacement was not possible, and that turned out great at MD Anderson. MD Anderson is a wonderful place. It was by the grace of God that we found them (and a little help from her sisters, well okay LOTS of help!).
The surgeon will have about 20 units of blood for the surgery. I think the body holds 6 or 7, so they expect a lot of blood. As I said before, there is a 50% chance of right side paralysis. We hope that she ends up on the other 50% side and is able to move her right leg, etc. Hopefully her head will clear up and she finally gets to take off her helmet. Her balance should return with a lot of hard work and physical therapy and her brain should clear up (she's currently in a fog). She should be able to stop the steroids which will put her in a much better frame of mind.
Kelly, her cousins (Cherie & Kelly), her sisters (Marla & Char) will start their road trip on Thursday, Jan 29th. Her first appointment is at 7:30 AM on Monday, February 2nd. Kelly's week is full of tests, preparing her for her Monday, February 9th morning surgery.
Please pray for her.
I will post to the blog after the surgery to let everyone know how she comes out.
Peace & Love, Peace & Love,
David
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