Bored & Reevaluating

Monday, October 13, 2008
Subject: Lloyd in Autumn...

Hi, everybody. I haven't written because there hasn't been much to report, but since "check-in" emails are arriving I thought I'd send an update. Here is the main item: I'm bored. This, oddly enough, is great news. When I first had the seizure I simply sat around for weeks not interested in ANYTHING. I didn't watch TV, I didn't read, I didn't talk much. I just sat. Of course this was due to the brain swelling and the drugs, but it was so unlike me. So—if I'm healing enough & have booted enough drugs from my system that I'm actually bored, I take this as a great sign. I'm looking forward to getting back to work & having something to do other than organizing and re-organizing my house.

I have had the same box of Pop-Tarts in my pantry for weeks, as I only rarely have one now. In fact, I read about the role of nutrition in fighting cancer, and guess what? Pop-Tarts apparently are no help at all. Lol. They seem to think that leafy greens are better. Imagine that. So—we have now purchased a juicer and are having surprisingly delicious juiced vegetables and fruit for breakfast. A vegan diet is supposedly the ideal, and while we aren't planning to completely go that route, we have been surprised at how tasty and easy a lot of the recipes can be.

I've been walking to regain my energy and make a dent into the 20 pounds I acquired through this ordeal. It has been so beautiful here in Baltimore, the leaves are just starting to change, and we enjoy getting outside as much as we can. I still take a nap most afternoons, but I can feel my stamina coming back slowly.

We go to the surgeon next week for the 2-month post-op check-up, at which I expect to be given permission to go back to work. The following week we go in for the 2-month MRI, which is when we'll start seeing how Lloyd really behaves. The next six months of post-surgery MRI's are going to give us a much better picture of his behavior. Everything so far points to a slow-growing Grade 2, but we won't know that until we observe him for some time. If he is, indeed, very slow growing, we won't need to do anything for some time. If he is more aggressive, we'll have to decide what treatment to proceed with. Mark has been doing lots of research and contacting various programs for additional opinions, so we are staying abreast of as many options as possible.

Thank you all for your continued care and support—I'm still receiving cards, goodies, and messages every day. It really helps us feel connected to you all and the world in general—thank you for thinking of us. I think that a person can't help but reevaluate their life and how they spend it when something like this comes along, and I am happy to have discovered that I wouldn't change anything. I have a great life—no matter how much of it I get to have—and you are all a big part of that. Thank you.

Love,

-Kristina (& Mark)