Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas weekend 2009
So another holiday season has come and gone. What a busy time of the year it has been! I can't believe that the end of the year is here on Thursday!
We had such a wonderful time at Christmas with Brian's family. Jessie came with us to celebrate Christmas with everyone and it was great. Everyone helped to get Jessie in and out of the house to the car. It really meant a lot to me and to Jessie to have everyone help us out with her getting around the house! I cannot say enough for the love and gratitude that I have for my extended family. Always so kind and willing to help; that is what family is all about!
Jessie and I come from a small family, just our parents and us two girls. We have always been close and have learned to help each other out with everything. And to be part of the Atkins family and to see the same love and helpfulness is just a blessing to us! I am so blessed to have them all as my family and I hope someday we will be able to return the favor!
The best part of Christmas (at least for me) was watching Cecilia open her present and to play with it. She is able to walk a bit now, which is just amazing for me! Babies just progress so fast! In a blink of an eye, she walking and talking is just down the road I am sure. I feel the Christmas spirit is best seen in little children - to see the innocent joy and happiness they have from everything, not just the presents but the wrapping paper, the boxes and everything! It is like me going to Disneyworld and watching the kids see the various parades or just running into their favorite characters. It will never get old for me to see the sheer joy and excitement in their little faces. It is definitely a magical place if not just for the fact that we all - adults and children - can experience that innocent joy all over again!
On Sunday, Brian, Jessie, Lacey, Yuta and I went to the the movies to see Sherlock Holmes. It was a good movie and this time around the trip to the movie theatre went better than last time. A few weeks back Jessie and Lacey went to see the Twilight movie at the Sparks theatre and had such a hassle getting around with the wheelchair. This time around, we went to Riverside and Brian was there to push Jessie up and down the ramps. That is a lot of work! Anyways, we had a good time besides the large crowd there watching the movie. If you know me, I don't like to go to the movies, especially on opening weekend. I have to REALLY want to see the movie to go. So needless to say, I really wanted to see this movie. It was great and I would recommend seeing it. They definitely left it open for a sequel. After the movies we all went to El Pollo Loco for dinner. It was nice to have Jessie get out and about with the wheelchair. For me, it is intimidating to take the wheelchair everywhere and I am sure Jessie feels like it is a hassle to get around. But so many places are ADA and she can get around without much issues so it was nice to have that option. Our house is not ADA so that makes it a pain for her to get around, especially getting into the bathroom (that's another story). After dinner we made it home and Jessie was able to get in the house without any issues! She is getting her legs stronger everyday and I am hoping that by the end of January she can graduate back to the cane. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
No word yet on the radiation schedule for Jessie. We thought we would get the schedule last week but Dr Dardick is out of the office on vacation so until he gets back and gets the big old machine calibrated, we won't have a schedule for treatment. Once we get the schedule, we should be good to go! Will keep you all posted in 2010 :)
We had such a wonderful time at Christmas with Brian's family. Jessie came with us to celebrate Christmas with everyone and it was great. Everyone helped to get Jessie in and out of the house to the car. It really meant a lot to me and to Jessie to have everyone help us out with her getting around the house! I cannot say enough for the love and gratitude that I have for my extended family. Always so kind and willing to help; that is what family is all about!
Jessie and I come from a small family, just our parents and us two girls. We have always been close and have learned to help each other out with everything. And to be part of the Atkins family and to see the same love and helpfulness is just a blessing to us! I am so blessed to have them all as my family and I hope someday we will be able to return the favor!
The best part of Christmas (at least for me) was watching Cecilia open her present and to play with it. She is able to walk a bit now, which is just amazing for me! Babies just progress so fast! In a blink of an eye, she walking and talking is just down the road I am sure. I feel the Christmas spirit is best seen in little children - to see the innocent joy and happiness they have from everything, not just the presents but the wrapping paper, the boxes and everything! It is like me going to Disneyworld and watching the kids see the various parades or just running into their favorite characters. It will never get old for me to see the sheer joy and excitement in their little faces. It is definitely a magical place if not just for the fact that we all - adults and children - can experience that innocent joy all over again!
On Sunday, Brian, Jessie, Lacey, Yuta and I went to the the movies to see Sherlock Holmes. It was a good movie and this time around the trip to the movie theatre went better than last time. A few weeks back Jessie and Lacey went to see the Twilight movie at the Sparks theatre and had such a hassle getting around with the wheelchair. This time around, we went to Riverside and Brian was there to push Jessie up and down the ramps. That is a lot of work! Anyways, we had a good time besides the large crowd there watching the movie. If you know me, I don't like to go to the movies, especially on opening weekend. I have to REALLY want to see the movie to go. So needless to say, I really wanted to see this movie. It was great and I would recommend seeing it. They definitely left it open for a sequel. After the movies we all went to El Pollo Loco for dinner. It was nice to have Jessie get out and about with the wheelchair. For me, it is intimidating to take the wheelchair everywhere and I am sure Jessie feels like it is a hassle to get around. But so many places are ADA and she can get around without much issues so it was nice to have that option. Our house is not ADA so that makes it a pain for her to get around, especially getting into the bathroom (that's another story). After dinner we made it home and Jessie was able to get in the house without any issues! She is getting her legs stronger everyday and I am hoping that by the end of January she can graduate back to the cane. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
No word yet on the radiation schedule for Jessie. We thought we would get the schedule last week but Dr Dardick is out of the office on vacation so until he gets back and gets the big old machine calibrated, we won't have a schedule for treatment. Once we get the schedule, we should be good to go! Will keep you all posted in 2010 :)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Quick update from yesterday...
Yesterday Jessie got a call from the radiation oncologist to come in today (Tuesday) to get set up for her radiation therapy for the tumor. Radiation is going to start next week and will be 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks. So we are now rolling along into the next stage of treatment and I know that deep down in my heart that this is going to work! The next two weeks will be interesting in getting Jessie to her appointments (don't be surprised if you get a call from me to see about a ride!) For the first week Jessie's (and mine) BFF Lacey is going to see about being her RTC bus for her appointments. The 2nd week is still up in the air until we get her schedule today. Then week 3-6 will be Mom :) She will be here for a month to help get Jessie around town and to help at home. Yeah - more of Mom's home cooking....
Anyways, that is it for today. Talk to you all later.... Joan
Anyways, that is it for today. Talk to you all later.... Joan
Monday, December 21, 2009
2009 end of year update
Where did the year go? What happened to the time? It all just went by way to fast. So now it is time to catch up on the year that went by in a blink.
This year Jessie, Lacey, Jamie and I went on our first cruise to Mexico. It was a blast and we had a lot of fun. It was so much fun hanging out on the ship, playing games, watching the ocean go by.
When we came back from the cruise, Jessie was laid off from her job at The Glenn Group. That was totally unexpected and a major bummer. It would have been nice if they had told her before the trip that it was going to happen so she could have been more aware of her money (although she didn't spend that much). Anyways, Jessie packed up her stuff and went on the job search like so many here in Nevada. She fortunately kept her COBRA insurance just in case.
Well, just in case for Jessie came in July when she was diagnosed with a tumor in her spine! It was really scary (and still is). She didn't know about it until she went to the doctor to talk about her loss of balance and muscle weakness. Needless to say, this was not what we wanted to find out or hear but there wasn't much we could do. Jessie's primary doctor got us in contact with an amazing neuro-surgeon to dicuss our options and to figure what was going on. Jessie went through a lot of tests and it was later decided that the best thing to do was to perform surgery with the hopes of taking the tumor out. By the time the surgery came around on November 4th, Jessie was getting really tired just by walking, which had become such a labor-intensive act.
So Jessie went in for surgery on November 4th. Unfortunately they were not able to remove the tumor but he was able to get enough out for a biopsy. It was sent to Stanford and came back as an Astrocytoma, grade II. It is low (or slow) growing tumor. Due to its characteristic of not having a definitive shape, it was too hard for him to see what was the tumor and what was the good nerves (the tumor was in her spinal cord, not just in her spine). Jessie had to spend 36 hours laying flat due to the loss of spinal fluid with the surgery. Then her tummy never really work up from the surgery so she had some complications associated with that. Anyways, what was suppose to be 1-4 days recovering ended up being 7 days in the hospital and 2 weeks in the rehabilitation hospital so she could learn to walk and take care of herself.
Before the surgery, Jessie was pretty mobile. She was able to drive and get around with the help of AFO (ankle-foot orthodics) and a cane. However, after the surgery, she cannot drive and must get around with a walker and wheelchair. We believe it is due to the swelling and inflammation on the spinal cord. We eventually travelled to Stanford to see a specialist (although it was on the day after the biggest snow storm in five years). The neuro-surgeon in Stanford recommeded conventional radiation to try to reduce the tumor. He said that the radiation will prevent the tumor from growing but most likely will not shrink the tumor. I don't believe him; in my heart I know that the tumor will respond and will shrink and be gone.
So that is what basically happened this year. We are praying and wishing for a miracle next year with the tumor in Jessie's back. It has been the hardest thing to see a perfectly healthy 27 year old person, who exercises and goes out with friends all of the time, be reduced to using a walker and wheelchair and not even able to carry a cup of water for herself to drink. She has had some bad days, which are bound to happen. But Jessie is strong and of strong spirit. She has an amazing family and great bunch of friends that have helped us all along the way and will be there for us, good days and bad. All we can do now is pray and put this in the God's hands to resolve. Right now our wish is that Jessie can get back to where she was physically before the surgery since she was more independent then. If that is all we can do, that would be wonderful.
May 2010 bring us a miracle and a better year than 2009!
This year Jessie, Lacey, Jamie and I went on our first cruise to Mexico. It was a blast and we had a lot of fun. It was so much fun hanging out on the ship, playing games, watching the ocean go by.
When we came back from the cruise, Jessie was laid off from her job at The Glenn Group. That was totally unexpected and a major bummer. It would have been nice if they had told her before the trip that it was going to happen so she could have been more aware of her money (although she didn't spend that much). Anyways, Jessie packed up her stuff and went on the job search like so many here in Nevada. She fortunately kept her COBRA insurance just in case.
Well, just in case for Jessie came in July when she was diagnosed with a tumor in her spine! It was really scary (and still is). She didn't know about it until she went to the doctor to talk about her loss of balance and muscle weakness. Needless to say, this was not what we wanted to find out or hear but there wasn't much we could do. Jessie's primary doctor got us in contact with an amazing neuro-surgeon to dicuss our options and to figure what was going on. Jessie went through a lot of tests and it was later decided that the best thing to do was to perform surgery with the hopes of taking the tumor out. By the time the surgery came around on November 4th, Jessie was getting really tired just by walking, which had become such a labor-intensive act.
So Jessie went in for surgery on November 4th. Unfortunately they were not able to remove the tumor but he was able to get enough out for a biopsy. It was sent to Stanford and came back as an Astrocytoma, grade II. It is low (or slow) growing tumor. Due to its characteristic of not having a definitive shape, it was too hard for him to see what was the tumor and what was the good nerves (the tumor was in her spinal cord, not just in her spine). Jessie had to spend 36 hours laying flat due to the loss of spinal fluid with the surgery. Then her tummy never really work up from the surgery so she had some complications associated with that. Anyways, what was suppose to be 1-4 days recovering ended up being 7 days in the hospital and 2 weeks in the rehabilitation hospital so she could learn to walk and take care of herself.
Before the surgery, Jessie was pretty mobile. She was able to drive and get around with the help of AFO (ankle-foot orthodics) and a cane. However, after the surgery, she cannot drive and must get around with a walker and wheelchair. We believe it is due to the swelling and inflammation on the spinal cord. We eventually travelled to Stanford to see a specialist (although it was on the day after the biggest snow storm in five years). The neuro-surgeon in Stanford recommeded conventional radiation to try to reduce the tumor. He said that the radiation will prevent the tumor from growing but most likely will not shrink the tumor. I don't believe him; in my heart I know that the tumor will respond and will shrink and be gone.
So that is what basically happened this year. We are praying and wishing for a miracle next year with the tumor in Jessie's back. It has been the hardest thing to see a perfectly healthy 27 year old person, who exercises and goes out with friends all of the time, be reduced to using a walker and wheelchair and not even able to carry a cup of water for herself to drink. She has had some bad days, which are bound to happen. But Jessie is strong and of strong spirit. She has an amazing family and great bunch of friends that have helped us all along the way and will be there for us, good days and bad. All we can do now is pray and put this in the God's hands to resolve. Right now our wish is that Jessie can get back to where she was physically before the surgery since she was more independent then. If that is all we can do, that would be wonderful.
May 2010 bring us a miracle and a better year than 2009!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The extended family
Here is a picture of my in-laws. There is me and Brian in the front with Brian's dad Kevin. In the back is Adrian hold little Cecilia and sitting next to Kristin, Brian's oldest sister. There is Bradley. He is currently in Afghanistan and will be back in October 2009. Then there is Therese, Brian's mom. And then there is Kimberly and her fiance` Aaron. What a happy family we are :)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Spring at UNR
Here are some pictures from the Japanese Cherry Blossom Garden behind my office. I am so lucky to have a nice place to go to and enjoy the calm wind, the pretty blooms and the birds signing!
Monday, March 23, 2009
New Blog for me!
So now I have a new blog just for me. This is going to be a place for friends and family, near and far, to see what is going on in my life. Happy blogging and reading!!!
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