Next MRI

I will get on and post later this weekend with news and pics from our trip to Kansas for Chad's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. My next MRI is scheduled for July 3 at 7:30pm. Please pray for my peace of mind and solid faith to not be fearful or worried about this scan. I will have to arrive for it by 7pm and will probably not be done until 8:30. Thank you all in advance for your prayers. I feel so blessed to have so many friends and people I don't even know praying for me. Once again, I will let you know when I know.

Marriage Retreat

Thank you all for your prayers...the shingles are gone and for the most part the headaches too! The headaches came with the shingles I believe, as it's kind of like fighting off any virus...run down, achy, headaches, fever, etc. I feel much better since they've cleared. I was very blessed to have noticed them on day 1 or 2 so I could get on an antiviral and steroids right away. The meds kept them from really spreading and from getting too yucky or painful. I am now left with just a little patch of dry skin and discoloration on my face. No biggie.

Chad and I were able to go away for the weekend up to Silver Lake for a marriage retreat. It was nice to spend some time away together. This was the first since the surgery and long overdue. We had time to focus on God and each other, away from the stressors of everydayness. Our friends Pastor Bill and Sandy Bennett have a marriage retreat, a men's retreat, and a ladies' retreat every year at their camp AO-WA-KIYA. You can visit them online to learn more about it. They are wonderful and if I were a kid, I'd be there for sure...and when we have kids, you better believe they'll be there.

Feeling much better since the shingles have resolved. Getting a little more energy back, but still pretty tired. Please pray for continued healing...I'm not back to my 100% pre-surgery self yet, but everyone says I look better and better all the time. Thank you for the prayers and support.

Love,
Laura

Shingles

When we posted that I was doing much better and had turned a corner, I really had. I've been feeling crummy lately, especially the last several days and we now know why. I've had more headaches, burning sinus/facial pain, and been more tired. I have shingles on my face! And on the right side...the same side that the tumor was on. Argh. I have a very painful and itchy rash in my right nasolabial fold (where my upper lip meets my cheek). I caught it early and went to see someone so I got put on an antiviral med quickly, so hopefully that will keep it from spreading or getting much worse. I let the neurosurgeon know in case it was of concern because of the proximity of my brain (since the shingles is infecting a nerve that directly exits my brain). He put me on steroids in addition to the antiviral. Yuck...I don't like steroids, but whatever will get me well the fastest. Please pray that this resolves quickly. If it doesn't I will not be able to see babies or my pregnant women at clinic. I need this to heal! And I need these yucky headaches to go away.

I know God doesn't give me more than I can handle...I think we all know I can handle a lot by now. Enough already. Heal me Lord Jesus and make me whole and healthy. Please pray for my speedy recovery. Thank you,

Laura

Please pray

I have a prayer request...I've started getting more headaches lately...I think from the shifting and repositioning of my brain. The membranes that surround the brain are stretching and they have pain fibers, while the brain does not. I've had to take meds for my headaches the last several days which had been rare. Please pray for the headaches to go away and for me not to need any pain medicine...I don't want to have to live on Tylenol to function. Doing well otherwise. Good days and bad days like anyone, but definitely better overall...except for the return of the headaches. Thank you for your prayers. I continue to have faith that I am still in a healing process and am not back to my "new normal" yet...I was told to give that at least a year post surgery. I hope this finds you all well.

Laura

Not much to report

I haven't posted in awhile because there hasn't been much new to report. One thing I've realized is that after you've been diagnosed with cancer and become cancer free, boring can be good! I'm working more and back to fulltime at the hospital. I think I've really turned a corner and am feeling better and better all the time. I still get tired from time to time and take a nap, but don't people who haven't had a brain tumor removed less than a year ago? I also get occasional headaches from the shifting brain due to the shift into the space from the removal of the tumor. Prayer for those is much appreciated. Otherwise life is good and as my friend always ends her blog...God is faithful.

MRI Results

I promised I would let you know as soon as I heard anything. I just got a call from my neurosurgeon and he said absolutely NO RECURRENCE!!! He does see some post-radiation changes (scarring?) but no tumor! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Rejoice with me in this wonderful news and keep prayiing for complete healing. Love,
Laura

MRI scheduling mishap

So they told me the wrong day for my MRI...it's tomorrow April 8 at 10:15am. They told me today, so Chad and I showed up today and they were not very nice in telling us that it wasn't today..."well it can't be today....the MRI machine is in Kalamazoo today, so it can't be today..." As if I knew that. "God keep me calm and give me grace" So please keep praying today and tomorrow. I will let you know when I know results.