when i layed down on the ultrasound table, i looked up and saw this hummingbird.
how awesome is that? i know, very awesome. i told the ultrasound tech that i really liked it and he said "i know, it is way better than plain ceiling tiles or those stupid tiles that try to make it look like you are outside when you obviously know you aren't." um hello, the ultrasound tech is clearly my new best friend. i felt like it may make him a little uncomfortable if i told him we were now best friends so i kept that part to myself;) i almost wanted to hug him when he said that, he also hates those stupid fake ceiling tiles!!! i immediately felt like it was a good sign for me that he was the one doing my ultrasound.
he let me watch the ultrasound, showed me my lymph nodes, etc. i saw the lump. it is pretty close to the surface. it doesn't seem to have any other lumps around it (i was worried the ultrasound would show other lumps that i hadn't been able to feel because they were deeper). it looks like the lump is solid because we could see that there are blood vessels within it, which would not occur if it was liquid only like a cyst. bummer, i was kind of hoping for a totally boring cyst as the outcome of all of this. but, i will take the location and the fact that it is not in area typical for lymph nodes as good signs. the radiologist is likely to recommend a biopsy or removal of the lump, we will see what my oncologist says on monday. if i have to have a biopsy, that will leave my left leg and my head as the only two parts of my body that will not have scars on them from biopsies. oh well, i will take a scar if it means the lump is out and it is totally benign.
after the ultrasound, we went down to the gift shop, and...wait for it, wait for it...they had my cinnamon bears!!!! another good sign. that also made me feel better, it kind of felt like i was on a good luck roll. here are the bears just before they were devoured, as you can tell from the look of my desk, work was a little busy today - ugh. even though sugar is not on my new eating plan, i made an exception for the bears - i decided the good mojo was worth a little nutrition detour. i know you feel the same way, and that is why i like you.
i got a text from my friends jill and josh today who live in stoughton, wisconsin. their town is celebrating the norwegian holiday of the 17th of may. at the canoe race tonight, look at what they saw!! a racer who was dressed as captain america!!:)
jill texted me the picture right away so that i could share it on the blog - another sign from chase that he is fighting hard!!!!!! we love the captain america sightings - so awesome. chase keeps sending out signs all across the country, no wonder he is tired at the end of each day and needs a good night's rest;)
here is today's update on our little warrior:
+++ "Six entire days without even a sighting of a Neurological storm! It seems like yesterday when our complete daily focus was trying to control and prevent these from happening, and now its hardly even mentioned in our conversations with the Dr and Nursing staff-With last night being the exception. Chase was schedualed for scope of his stomache this morning to check out how the ulcer looks and make sure it was healing. As I was lying with him on his bed last night, one of the Dr. from downstairs came to discuss the upcoming events , and to explain the risks involved in the morning. After discussing with him the risk vs gain, we decided to cancel the scope and let the signs and improvements we have seen in the last five days be our "sneek peek" into his belly. We didn't want take the unnecessary risks involved with putting Chase under general anesthesia to perform the procedure. Why mess with him when he has had the best 5 days, and clearly the most comfortable 5 days, since his accident. Mom and I know we made the right choice, and I guess the lack of discussion with us from the doctors backs this up. Chaser had another good evening with Mom. They both managed to get some good rest. Chase did some more stand up therapy this morning, and he once again fell asleep while upright, an obvious sign that he wasn't uncomfortable. During Psych T, he got his first smell of vinegar-Gramma Judy said he didn't like that one. He swinched his nose, and made a funny face with his lips puckering in disgust to the potent smell. I guess he didn't get those Canadian Genes from Gramma Dawn that dad got, we have sprinkled that stuff more times than I can count over french fries, and yumm! He went for a few walks with Gramma today- and managed to give her a smell of his own vinegar by having 2 very messy BM's! Way to go buddy, you keep that stuff away from Dad :) Overall, things have been going quite well for Chase over the last few days. Although Mom and I are still longing for a few BIG moves on Chasers side, we know they are coming, and we will take the baby steps and good days along the way. When I get discouraged at his slow progress, it takes one nose to nose touch, and one inhalation of Chasers warm breath, to remind me that the Big guy is here with us ....and so is Chase! Mom , Gramma and I seem to have a fairly good routine down for taking turns being with Chase and staying up here. The one thing Mom have come to realize in the past couple days, is we have 2 more precious little ones that need our time and energy as well. I pray that we find the ability, and energy to balance our efforts between the three of them. I have a buddy on his way to hang out for a bit tonight, and going to get Chaser up and take him for a stroll in his wheels. I am looking forward to another good night with Chase, and am thankful for all the 47 prior we have been blessed with. Thanks again to all of you for your support and overwhelming generosity. May your night be as good as ours is going to be. God is Good!"
i am looking forward to a good weekend. i intentionally plan to have it be a bit of a "f*ck cancer" weekend to let melanoma know it better not mess with me on monday. i might need to sport my shirt all weekend so that the message is very clear.
our weekend is going to include campouts + s'mores (which malena has already devoured for the night) + sleeping in (as you can imagine, sleep has been hard to come by this week, hoping to get some more rest this weekend) + fun in our craft room + swim lessons + a 4k walk with friends on sunday morning for a good cause + getting some fun mail ready to send + watching cartoons + eating lots of veggies and fruit + going fishing in our new little fish pond that malena felt she absolutely couldn't live without when we saw it at the store
i hope that you all have a great weekend - make the most of it. do something fun. give lots of hugs. give some extra kisses. say a couple extra i love you's. be thankful for the days. be brave. xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment