Guess Who's Home?!?! (:

This is day three post-op people, and Lee Lee came home today!!! How crazy is that?! Having BRAIN SURGERY and being discharged three days afterward. She is like Superwoman. No, she IS Superwoman (:

To keep the good news going, we were woken up this morning with the pathology report, and it turns out that the brain tumor is breast cancer metastasis to her head and not primary brain cancer. This is exciting because 1 We don't have to come up with another blog name & 2 more importantly, she will not need chemotherapy, just radiation. The tumor tested positive for progesterone and negative for estrogen, which is different than her original breast cancer (which tested negative for both) so that's throwing all of us for a loop, but we will figure it out next week when we go to the radiology app. There's also an appointment for her to get a PET scan next week which make sure that there are no more tumors in her body and that was the only one, fingers crossed.

I would like to send a big HUGE thank you to all of the visitors and texters and emailers and callers and all of you out there that take time out of your day to brighten ours. Words cannot describe how amazing it is to feel all the love and support being sent our way from you nice people all the way from California to Virginia. It feels like the world got dropped on our heads last week, and you guys are right here to help us pick it up and put it back together. That comfort that we're not alone in this shitty adventure, and that there are so many wonderful people out there to help us get through this makes it a whole lot less shitty. So, thank you thank you thank you thank you, and oh yeah, THANK YOU (:
-Lauren

Day 3!

Hello all you peeps! Meghan ( the wonderful author and creater of this blog) and my aunt Joy flew back to Virginia today, so now it's up to us! She set the bar high, but we're gonna try (: so here goes nothin'..
LeeLee has had a very productive day today, she went on two walks before 11:00! Afterwards, she met with her speech therapist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist. Her OT washed her hair, and it turns out that she is the daughter of a woman my mom worked with at Mesa until she passed away of Breast cancer 5 years ago, what a small world. Dr. Hemley, her neurosurgeon, came and visited today and she said that if my mom really wanted to, she could have even gone home today! How crazy is that, having brain surgery and two days later having the option of going home. She is doing so good (: Tomorrow is supposed to be the worst day as far as brain swelling goes so she wanted to stay in the hospital just in case, but with her nobody really knows! She is doing great and surprising all of us on a daily basis. We should get the pathology report back tomorrow and then we'll know if the tumor is a primary brain tumor or if it is a breast cancer metastasis, and fingers crossed it's breast cancer because otherwise we'd have to come up with another name for the blog! :) I'll keep you all posted!

Night number 2...

LeeLee is settling in to her new "temporary" home for the night. She is in the room at the end of the hall and has a beautiful view of the mountains outside of her room. She has had a busy day of therapy, visitors, MRI, and moving rooms. She is still doing FANTASTICALLY. doctor never came up to discuss the results of the MRI which the nurses say is probably a good sign. The nurse said that if the doctor saw something concerning that she would have came up to let LeeLee know. Lauren will be staying with her mama tonight so she will be well taken care of! This will probably be my last post since I will be leaving in the morning :(. BUT, don't fret, the coloradians will take the reigns and keep ALL of us updated. I'm so pleasantly shocked with how well LeeLee is doing. It's absolutely amazing to witness her grace and strength through all of this! Ok, I'm leaving so LeeLee can get her beauty sleep...we'll continue to keep you updated.

Watch out world...

She's up and walking at 10:30. Slow, small steps but she is very steady and very determined. She even asked the doctors, "so, do you want me to show you that I can walk without holding your hand?" and the doctor said "no babe, we'll take the training wheels off tomorrow." I'm sure he was liking holding such a pretty girl's hand :) So, she is doing very very well! Her cath is out now and they say she will be going to the regular neurological floor around 2 o'clock...YAY! We'll probably post again when she gets moved to the other floor, until then, she'll just SIT pretty in her chair. Visits from PT and OT are going to occupy her time for a little while but I'll keep you posted!

Oh What A Night

Oh what a night, late September and we're feeling right! Throughout the night LeeLee has been saying less and less her head hurts! As of 6:15 she says she isn't in pain or nauseated. she has had a bath, been to CT scan brushed her teeth and now waiting to get the catheter out. sometime later today she will go for a MRI. At various times during the night she has been asking stuff like "did somebody call (fill in the blank) and we assure her we called or text everyone we could. still a few to get in touch with today, but that's typical LeeLee making her list and checking it twice and would be horrified if we find we missed one single person. She looks like Herself, for those that can't imagine. There is one bandage small on the right side of her head half inch or so back from her hairline so she has been shaved a small area there to put in the drainage tube called a ventriculostomy. Her hairstyle probably isn't what she would normally do but is curling on her pillow. Her surgical bandage is running parallel to her spine and on the back of her neck so not really even visible. An icepack laying around her neck for muscle pain and a small grenade size clear drain coming out of her surgical site. No swollen eyes, face, hands, etc. She really does look just like LeeLee.

Nurse just left after removing the catheter so the plan now will be up to bedside commode while in ICU and later woohoo....undergarments. A typical LeeLee crack when the nurse offered to find some hospital underwear that was probably not so fun but definitely serve the purpose, LeeLee laughs and says "funderwear, no I brought mine and I will just wait for now".

I wish each of you could be here to see how great she looks, but until then, we will certainly share on this blog what we can. Until later

First nite post op

We arrived back after dinner and short break to find LeeLee awake, very alert, chatting and doing so well I would dance if movement didn't make her dizzy and nauseated! She admits she doesn't remember the time immediately post op, but of course that is totally expected. Erin and Joy are spending tonite in the ICU with her, but she is doing so well it's probably more for us than LeeLee! Vital signs are on target. Morphine and Zofran are maintaining some pain and neasea control and she is able to sleep reasonably well. Her RN mentioned a bit ago that some of the tubes (not all) will be coming out at six in the AM. Per Dr orders and that she will be getting out of bed to sit in a chair tomorrow.....all great normal strides post op, but seem even more heroic following brain surgery to remove brain cancer. Now we have to wait to find out what kind of cancer (or confirm if it's breast cancer metastasis) by weeks end. Thanks to all for the comments, thoughts, hugs, and prayers we have been blessed with today! LeeLee has so many wonderful, giving, and selfless friends, many of which were here today either in person or spirit.

She's blinking, squeezing fingers, and wiggling her toes. She is also talking some. She is still in recovery and will be heading to the ICU in about an hour. Praise GOD that she made it through surgery. We all know she has a long road ahead of her but so far, she is doing GREAT!