Missy is doing amazingly well with her recovery. Boo and I headed back to Kentucky this afternoon, but we got to spend the morning with Missy and she is really doing great. Yesterday afternoon she moved out of the ICU and onto the regular floor and the transition has gone awesome. Last night she was up walking the halls and laughing and joking with me and Boo. It was a wonderful night. She still has ups and downs with the pain level, but the doctors and nurses seem to constantly be on top of keeping her comfortable and that is wonderful.
Missy, along with both of my parents, will stay at the NIH until the end of the week. As far as we know she will continue to stay in the hospital during their entire stay, and my parents will continue to stay in the family lodge there on the NIH campus. I cannot tell you how great it was to be right there with her and to have this housing provided for free. The entire NIH complex was amazing. Everyone was so kind and helpful. It is hard to be so far away from home, where we have the support of so many of you all, but the NIH has done all they can to create the feeling of home for these families who have all traveled so far. It truly is an amazing place that I hope with all of my heart that none of you ever have to visit. Still, we are so thankful that they are here for us, and all the other families during these difficult times. It is always better together.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Surgery Day
Missy's surgery went very well today! We are so very thankful for the amazing doctors and nurses here at the NIH who worked on her and made this day run as smooth as it has. Surgery began at 8:30 and lasted right around five hours. After surgery the doctor came out to meet with us and said things went great. They tumor was in a slightly different location than they originally thought, which meant that one of the side effects they were worried about was no longer a concern. This was very exciting news!
After surgery Missy was taken directly to the ICU and we got to see her after about an hour. Her head was hurting very badly, but she was talking and even laughed a little bit. She was struggling from having major surgery, but was clearly her normal sweet self, and it was so wonderful to see.
The doctor seemed pleased with the amount of tumor removed. He said he was fairly sure that at least part (but not all) of the tumor was dead cells rather than new growth. They did a follow-up MRI this afternoon to see the exactly how much tumor is left and we will have those results tomorrow. We will have lab results on the actual make-up of the tumor in about two weeks.
For tonight, our girl is still fighting a headache but is doing awesome. She will spend the night in ICU and should hopefully be moving back to the regular floor sometime tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers and support. We so appreciate you all.
After surgery Missy was taken directly to the ICU and we got to see her after about an hour. Her head was hurting very badly, but she was talking and even laughed a little bit. She was struggling from having major surgery, but was clearly her normal sweet self, and it was so wonderful to see.
The doctor seemed pleased with the amount of tumor removed. He said he was fairly sure that at least part (but not all) of the tumor was dead cells rather than new growth. They did a follow-up MRI this afternoon to see the exactly how much tumor is left and we will have those results tomorrow. We will have lab results on the actual make-up of the tumor in about two weeks.
For tonight, our girl is still fighting a headache but is doing awesome. She will spend the night in ICU and should hopefully be moving back to the regular floor sometime tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers and support. We so appreciate you all.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Pre-Op
Well the Shepherd family has made it to the NIH Hospital safe and sound. Mom and Missy arrived yesterday and Dad, Boo and I flew up this morning. We got to the hospital around nine and Missy had already been admitted and things were rolling. She had a day full of pre-op tests, such as an EKG, x-ray and MRI. Lots of blood work and meeting doctors. It was a long day, but also enjoyable because we were all together. I am pretty sure we laughed more than most families the day before brain surgery, and it was good for us all.
Really today was basically about just getting ready for tomorrow, but we did learn that the plan on the surgery being 5-7 hours and is scheduled to start at 8:30. We are expecting a long hard day, but we are hoping and praying that there will be good news at the end of it. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I will hopefully update again tomorrow evening and let you all know details from the day.
And now just because it is sorta cute, here is Missy with me and Boo. We sure do love our sweet Melissa.
Really today was basically about just getting ready for tomorrow, but we did learn that the plan on the surgery being 5-7 hours and is scheduled to start at 8:30. We are expecting a long hard day, but we are hoping and praying that there will be good news at the end of it. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I will hopefully update again tomorrow evening and let you all know details from the day.
And now just because it is sorta cute, here is Missy with me and Boo. We sure do love our sweet Melissa.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The New Plan
Missy had her appointment at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD this past Friday and unfortunately things did not go as planned. The doctors informed her that there has been new growth from the tumor in her brain. This new growth is located in the region between the left and right lobes of her brain. The neuro-surgeon Missy spoke with at the NCI believes he can remove 90 to 95% of this tumor. As far as I have heard, the radiation treatment worked well, but the area that was not radiated is where the new growth has occurred. The purpose of the chemotherapy Missy was taking on a daily basis during her radiation treatment to prevent this was ineffective.
Nobody in our family expected this news. I think we were all expecting the doctors to say the treatment went well and Missy will begin her chemotherapy maintenance as soon as possible. We thought the follow-up's main purpose was to set a new baseline and from now on we would be comparing new cancer growth with each new MRI. We assumed she was basically finished with treatments, but instead we find ourselves starting over from the beginning. Preparing for brain surgery...again. Still, she feels extremely blessed. We know we can't take this cancer away, but she's in amazingly capable hands. At least the tumor is operable. After the surgeon removes this tumor, hopefully with a new chemotherapy treatment in place she will be on the road to recovery. We will continue to fight from this point forward. Each new piece of information is vital to this fight, so we take this information, embrace it, and use it against this horrible disease.
We know more than we knew last week, and in it's own way that is a blessing. We know why Missy has been feeling worse and not better over the last few weeks. We know why her headaches are back, why her emotions have been all over the place, and why she has been so nauseous. We know that this new growth is here, and although disappointing, that knowledge is so important. You can't fight what you don't know.
Surgery is scheduled for Friday morning in Bethesda, MD. Mom and Missy will be flying up on Wednesday. Dad, Boo and I will be making our way to DC on Thursday. Please pray for good weather and easy travel for us. A storm is heading for the Bethesda/DC area right in that time frame, and we do not want to be delayed. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. Your donations have helped allow Missy to take this time off work without the stress of how to get her bills paid. She is able to focus on fighting, and that is the most important thing. Your support has meant the world to us and we just wanted to continue to say thank you.
Nobody in our family expected this news. I think we were all expecting the doctors to say the treatment went well and Missy will begin her chemotherapy maintenance as soon as possible. We thought the follow-up's main purpose was to set a new baseline and from now on we would be comparing new cancer growth with each new MRI. We assumed she was basically finished with treatments, but instead we find ourselves starting over from the beginning. Preparing for brain surgery...again. Still, she feels extremely blessed. We know we can't take this cancer away, but she's in amazingly capable hands. At least the tumor is operable. After the surgeon removes this tumor, hopefully with a new chemotherapy treatment in place she will be on the road to recovery. We will continue to fight from this point forward. Each new piece of information is vital to this fight, so we take this information, embrace it, and use it against this horrible disease.
We know more than we knew last week, and in it's own way that is a blessing. We know why Missy has been feeling worse and not better over the last few weeks. We know why her headaches are back, why her emotions have been all over the place, and why she has been so nauseous. We know that this new growth is here, and although disappointing, that knowledge is so important. You can't fight what you don't know.
Surgery is scheduled for Friday morning in Bethesda, MD. Mom and Missy will be flying up on Wednesday. Dad, Boo and I will be making our way to DC on Thursday. Please pray for good weather and easy travel for us. A storm is heading for the Bethesda/DC area right in that time frame, and we do not want to be delayed. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. Your donations have helped allow Missy to take this time off work without the stress of how to get her bills paid. She is able to focus on fighting, and that is the most important thing. Your support has meant the world to us and we just wanted to continue to say thank you.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Update
Sorry I haven't updated you all on the last post! Time just seems to have gotten away from me. Missy is doing much better since her seizures on Monday, but she is still very tired and sore. She went to the doctor this week and they let her know that seizures are very normal after things like brain surgery and radiation. They put her on anti-seizure medications which she will remain on from now on. They said she will not have any long term damage from the seizures, and that now that she is on medications they should stop happening, so that is great. They also said that the seizures are not a sign that anything else is wrong, rather just a side effect of what has already happened. This was great news.
Next Thursday Missy will be heading back to to the DC area to meet with her Oncologist and have her follow up MRI. Hopefully it will show that all the radiation and chemotherapy did their job and that the cancer is under control! Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated as her and my mom fly up for the visit. I will update here again after we know her results. Thank you all once again for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time.
Next Thursday Missy will be heading back to to the DC area to meet with her Oncologist and have her follow up MRI. Hopefully it will show that all the radiation and chemotherapy did their job and that the cancer is under control! Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated as her and my mom fly up for the visit. I will update here again after we know her results. Thank you all once again for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Set Back
I know several people from Missy's work check in with this blog for updates on her treatment and how she is feeling, and I thought you all may be worried after her day at work yesterday and would want an update. While at work, Missy had a seizure. She was walking down the hall and all of a sudden she was on the ground. A coworker found her and they immediately took her to the ER. My parents met her there and they gave her medication to help prevent the seizures and something for nausea. Unfortunately she still went into another seizure there at the ER. They are thinking it could have been the anti-nausea medication that triggered this second one. After several hours in the ER she was discharged home with new anti-seizure medications and an appointment to see her doctor today.
They did preform a CT scan at the ER and said everything looked good, so that was good to hear. I am not sure if they will do an MRI today or not. She heads back up to the National Cancer Institute next weekend so they may wait until she is up there. According to the doctors who saw her in the ER, seizures are very normal for a person who has had brain surgery. They apparently were a little surprised this hasn't happened to her before now. We are hoping to be able to regulate this with medication and for her to be perfectly normal and live seizure free. For now she isn't able to drive for the next 90 days while we get everything worked out.
Yesterday was very scary for everyone, especially Missy. We all felt like the hardest time was behind us after getting through surgery and her intense treatments, but now we have a new set back. All of your prayers and good thoughts for Missy are so appreciated during this time while we work out her newest complication. A special thank you to all of her co-workers who were there for her and got her to the ER while we were on our way. We are so thankful to you all and all you have done and continue to do for our sweet Melissa.
They did preform a CT scan at the ER and said everything looked good, so that was good to hear. I am not sure if they will do an MRI today or not. She heads back up to the National Cancer Institute next weekend so they may wait until she is up there. According to the doctors who saw her in the ER, seizures are very normal for a person who has had brain surgery. They apparently were a little surprised this hasn't happened to her before now. We are hoping to be able to regulate this with medication and for her to be perfectly normal and live seizure free. For now she isn't able to drive for the next 90 days while we get everything worked out.
Yesterday was very scary for everyone, especially Missy. We all felt like the hardest time was behind us after getting through surgery and her intense treatments, but now we have a new set back. All of your prayers and good thoughts for Missy are so appreciated during this time while we work out her newest complication. A special thank you to all of her co-workers who were there for her and got her to the ER while we were on our way. We are so thankful to you all and all you have done and continue to do for our sweet Melissa.
Monday, January 3, 2011
DONE!
Missy finished her last radiation treatment today! She also took her last chemo pill for the next month, and to say she is relieved to be finished is a huge understatement. This process has been emotionally and physically draining on her, and she is just so happy to have it behind her. She is now planning on taking it easy and trying to start feeling like herself again over the next few days and weeks. At the end of the month she will travel back to the National Cancer Institute for her follow up MRI and we will then know how well the treatments worked. For now we are just so proud of her and ready for her to start feeling better!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support during the holidays and the new year. She appreciates each and every one of you.
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support during the holidays and the new year. She appreciates each and every one of you.
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