Loser Lumbar Puncture Day

Well today we are a little bummed. (Devree asks "A little? We are majorly bummed!") We got up insanely early to tell Dad goodbye and go to her first MRI at 6:45 AM folks! (Devree says which is "4:45 OUR TIME!") I keep telling her to think Memphis time. So when we get here they say they are sorry because when they called us back at 6pm last night to xray her skull to make sure there are no metal peices, the radiologist was not here to read it. So we went back through the freezing cold about 300 yds to the Grizzly House. I did some laundry and Devree went back to sleep all for about 20 min. They called us back. We go do the MRI. I was smart and wore my running shoes to slip and slide back and forth and getting lots of exercise running back to finish laundry, running back to pickup Devree. Now to sit and wait for the loser lumbar punch! Everything may get pushed back and my laundry is not quite dry so that still needs to be done, when I have another long wait.

The bright side. The Grizzly house, (which I find quite ironic because Tennessee doesn't even have Grizzly's) has huge washers and dryers and laundry soap for FREE for us. The washer and dryer are only about 20 steps from our room. They have big continental breakfasts and the food here at the cafeteria couldn't be better. Poor Devree doesn't get to eat till after all of the procedures but she informed me we are going to eat a mango gelato FIRST!

We couldn't have a better support system. The staff are all very awesome, positive, friendly, smiling and guess what? They have lots and lots of people skills! I was telling Breck and Celest it is such an amazing place because everyone is so specialized for the exact things we need. Devree complained about the "Rehab" but those people are right here in the "E" clinic. The staff is all highly experienced with brain tumor, brain cancer and how it affects everything in your body. So when she visited the speech therapist, we learned how the brain is thinking for speech, processing thoughts, exercises for her tongue and exercises for her facial paralysis. The physical therapist, worked on all of the muscles lower than her head. The audiologist is a professor, great musician along with her husband who is a professional musician. She understood our concerns with the radiation and chemo causing hearing loss. She understood how Devree loves all types of music except as uncle Ky calls "rap and crap". Even though she had to tell us bad news she mixed it with good news that said she has seen the hearing come back when the nerve endings have healed in the brain. She understood why we want her hearing checked and not lost through this process. She has published articles about the effects of cancer treatment on hearing. So don't you think it is amazing what kind of people we have here for us?

I just got a call that we are getting moved to the Target House tomorrow. That is a good thing. Breck said "Hey request it because it is newer." I wanted to move there because we can stay there the whole time hopefully and not move again. They give you more money for food and other things too. We have to check out by 11 am and we don't get to move in till 4pm. THANK YOU BRENDA for lending a VAN to travel back and forth!