The Queen heads south....

I call her Queen because of past references by her sister as the Queen of Mean. I won't say Fat and Mean like Marla did, because, well, I just won't because as far as I could see, she isn't fat. As a matter of fact, she's dropped weight since Kevin and I visited her a few months back.

Marla arrived from Oklahoma to stay with Kelly for a few weeks early last week. The two ventured down to the Valley with Marla's 12 year old daughter in tow to Char's on Thursday. Friday they all left the Valley and headed to San Diego. Which is where I come in.

I had the pleasure of their company for dinner on Friday night. It was a long drive in the car, but spirits were generally high. I mean they were at the Baril's for dinner right?

Kelly seems to be doing much better than when I saw her a few months before her surgery. She's getting around via wheelchair these days, but can use her walker for short jaunts. Her mood was good and we had a great time catching up. It's amazing what she remembers. Because even without most of the obstacles she has faced, most of us don't have the memory she has!

She will head back to Houston in October where they will check the two spots that they are watching closely - her liver and her lung. She's hoping that she won't need more surgery, but pretty much thinks that they will tell her she does. She is off chemo for now, which is contributing to her feeling better in some ways. She looks really good (probably better now since she was getting her hair done on Saturday AM). But just to give you an idea, my oldest daughter said she wouldn't know that she had been through so much and been so sick if she didn't already know. That should make Kelly feel good to know!

It was great to have her and her family over for a visit. My girls loved talking with her and hearing her stories. She still has the ability to keep center court in conversation! Even though she and her sisters give each other a hard time, the love that they all share is evident and abundant.

Keep sending healthy vibes her way! Nicole

Sideways update...

I heard from Marla (ok her blog, but she's on her way to her son's wedding in California) that Kelly is doing better. Her pain is more manageable and she is working hard at her physical therapy. Her sister Char is there with her.

That's all I got for now!

Nicole

Quick update on Monday 5/24/10

Kelly is out of ICU and doing fine. She is in alot of pain, but is on heavy doses of pain medication to keep her pain free.

More details as they come available...

Nicole

Surgery went well!

Kelly is resting in ICU right now, quite comfortably considering what she went through earlier. She was admitted to MDA on Friday, having her tumor embolized in preparation for Monday. Her nine hour surgery yesterday went very well, with the vast majority of the tumor being removed, two titanium rods screwed and cemented in place. And the best news is no paralysis!

Nicole (partially plagerized from Marla)

PS - Marla took a FANTASTIC photo of Kelly - quite possibly one of the best ever from a blackmail point of view - but out of respect for her (for now)...I won't post it. Keep your eyes out though, because as soon as she is back in Calfornia recovering at home...all bets are off. :)

Getting ready in Houston

Kelly and her friend Teresa arrived in Houston earlier this week. She spent the past few days having MRIs, X-rays, blood work and all the rest of the pre-op stuff. She checked in to have the embolization done at the hospital across the street from MD Anderson on Friday and then will be transferred over to MDA for the surgery that's on Monday. David, and her sisters Char and Marla will be there as well.

She seems to be in good spirits...she's been texting with me and making some jokes. I understand that she's also been harrassing Marla about getting a dress for her son's wedding that is 2 weeks from today. Ordering her to go out on Monday while she is in surgery with her older (sorry Char) sister to help her find just the right dress. So she is spunky and bossy still - somethings never change.

Will update on Monday after surgery.

Seventeen Days and Counting......

Yes, it's getting close again. Not only to surgery, but to traveling to Houston for prep and the big day. I will be flying out to Houston on Tuesday. May 11th and checking into the hospital on Friday, 14th. Since this is a very bloody surgery, the Dr.'s must first embolize the blood source to the spine prior to surgery. If all goes according to Hoyle, we will be in surgery Monday morning (17th) to remove as much tumor as possible from the spine (T3) and insert a metal rod.

Bionic Kelly!! Metal plates in my head, hip & spine!?! Seriously......what more could a girl ask for?
Bionic Boobies! (She said with a wink and a smile). And just to clarify, for all my sisters' “bloggers”, as much as I would like and need a new pair, at this time, unfortunately I have some other pressing matters I must resolve first :)

Theresa is baby-sitting me upon arrival on Tuesday and will stay until a few days after surgery. Marla is driving down to MD Anderson on Friday, and Char, David, Kathy (Theresa's sis), and my in-law's are all coming in on Sunday. Party Time.

Thanks again to everyone for sending good thoughts & prayers and to my very good friend Nicole who will continue to keep the blog updated. I appreciate the time and effort Nicole has offered to keeping my friends & family updated on my health. (Nic has 3 beautiful girls, that are in school, dance, scouts, parties, etc. and yet she still finds time for her friends!)

I am getting the jitters.........just a little bit. Seventeen days and counting.........

Where things stand after Houston....

The good news is that the tumor in her head hasn't changed since the last visit.

The bad news is that the tumor in her spine has grown. The doctors said it is putting pressure on her spinal cord and if she doesn't have surgery immediately, she will become paralyzed from the waist down. So, she will be flying to Houston on May 11th for surgery prep, with the surgery scheduled for May 17th. They have told her that she should plan on being in the hospital for about a week after the operation.

This surgery is not without risk. She has all the usual risks with surgery, as well as the risk of paralysis. But facing certain paralysis without the surgery, she is moving forward.

David, Char and Teresa are traveling with her to Houston. I will keep the blog updated as I get updates.

Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Nicole

*The first blog of April*

April greetings from the town of Prunedale! No, it's not Kelly. It's Nicole. I've been nominated, and graciously accepted, the role of ghost writer for Kelly. Apparently she feels like she is in the same league as famous writers and politicians...

I had the opportunity to go visit Kelly about a month ago. Well, it wasn't exactly an opportunity. It was me forcing myself on her with an I don't care that you don't want visitors, I am coming and you don't have a choice! I hadn't seen her in about 3years and I was tired of waiting for an invite. I had the pleasure of finally meeting David (and seeing his amazing vehicle in their garage!) Kelly and I spent several great hours together on a Saturday afternoon. She was in fantastic spirits, I'm sure she worked hard to get that way for my benefit. We laughed together and cried a little. It was just so good to be with my friend again. Her smile can light up the room like it always did and her laugh is still contagious. Her memory is sharp, and she remembers details of situations and stories that I can't recall. And she was the one with the brain tumor! (Perhaps it was also that I was happily cocktailing through many of our fun times together...)

On to the details....

She just had a few moles removed. One was fine, but the one on her head was found to be cancerous. Her reaction? A shrug....of course it was cancer. The doctors are 98% sure they got it all, and think that the cause was all the radiation.

Kelly is heading back to Houston from April 12-15. She will have more scans and tests and then meet with the all of her doctors to learn what her current situation is in relation to the tumors. She's very anxious to just go and get it over with. Just wants to know. She was supposed to go over a month ago, but David got sick and they had to postpone, so the wait has been longer than she'd like. Getting all the tests, doctors appointments, etc... lined up for a week is not an easy task. It took alot of energy and effort to get it done, but in typical Kelly fashion, she made it work.

Even though she might not respond, she loves getting email, pictures and mail and hearing what everyone is up to. I will update the blog for her after she returns from Houston!