Doctor's Visit

Dear Family and Friends,

The pathologists found no evidence of any malignancy or any tumor cells. They believe that the mass was chorid plexus, a part of the brain that had dropped into the cavity near the brain stem. Beyond that, they have few answers as to why this happened. The sample of material that was taken was very small and Dr. Fenstermaker will prepare it and send it to M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas for another examination. He does not believe a different diagnosis will result, however, we all agree that we have nothing to lose by asking for another analysis.
The bottom line is, the doctors don't know exactly what this was, if it will return, or if it's gone for good. A follow-up M.R.I. in two months will help determine the answers to these questions.

The M.R.I. from Saturday clearly shows where the mass was removed. Some scar tissue may be forming and a there is a reduced amount of swelling around the area. These results seem to be normal for the surgery I underwent.

I am very thankful that I am not dealing with a malignant tumor or a cyst and all the therapies that would be attached to that. There were no malignant cells anywhere in my body. My good news for the day is that I can now get OFF all the pills!

Unknowns are always difficult to deal with but in the business I am in, that is what we deal with daily. We take the facts we have each day, make decisions based on those facts, and adjust as more information becomes available. This will be my approach with my health as well. Although I am getting stronger each day, I still have to remember that I did have major surgery. One effect of brain surgery is that I may tire easily. That varies from person to person but my goal is to continue getting stronger as quickly as possible and have a complete recovery.

I want to thank all of you, my dear family and friends, for the love and support you have given me and my family. I know I couldn't have made it through this difficult time without all of you. Your concern, your prayers, your positive energy and your encouraging words have been instrumental in getting me through this.

With love and thanks,
Dave

copy this link to see a diagram of the choroid plexus and the velum interpositum:
http://chestofbooks.com/health/anatomy/Human-Body-Construction/images/Fig-36-Horizontal-section-of-brain-the-corpus-callosum.jpg

Sunday 7/19

Tonight we are preparing the list of questions we have for our meeting with Dr. Fenstermaker tomorrow. Even though Dave is feeling better, he wants to be back at 100%. He has never had surgery in his life prior to this, so everything is new to him. He thought he'd be back at spinach, squash, oil, and spring mix by now! The medicine, the naps, and recent brain surgery prohibit him from opening Cutter's Edge just yet.

We are expecting to hear the final pathology report along with the doctor's prognosis and recommendations. No matter what tomorrow brings, we are prepared...with patience, love, and strength.

First Field Trip!

This morning we traveled to Roswell Park to have an M.R.I. done. The roads in Buffalo desperately need to be repaved and Dave is convinced that every pot hole found my car as I was driving. The bouncing didn't hurt him, but it surely did annoy him. Dave was a trooper, having to lie flat on his back for an hour. The stitches are beginning to bother him a little but we think they will be removed on Monday when we return for follow-up visit with the surgeon.

... a good night's sleep
... a big breakfast
... a walk in the rain
... two phone calls
... lunch
... nap
... another walk
... get the mail
......... Just another day in paradise!

M.R.I. tomorrow (Honk as you you drive by on your way to Burgerfest in Hamburg!)

It's Thursday and the sun is shining!

The past two days have not given me much to tell, other than to say that there have been no set-backs. The nausea has gone away and Dave is eating real food. He is trying to focus on eating healthy, organic, clean food - no chemicals. I guess we should have been doing that all along! Sounds and smells still seem exaggerated for him but he did have the television on for a few minutes this morning.

A follow-up phone call from the doctor's office reassured us that everything seems to be going as expected. A more thorough visit with the surgeon on Monday will fill in some of the blanks.

We hope you all will be able to call or visit once Dave is feeling more comfortable with conversation.

Wednesday 7/15

While resting on the couch, Dave is reading some greeting cards that you, our amazing friends and family, have been sending our way. He laughs, he cries, and appreciates the sentiments. The message here is that he is reading - with no trouble. He has been taking walks 2 -3 times a day around our house and then rests. He has been enjoying chicken soup, fresh fruit and a chocolate soft-serve ice cream cone...EVERY DAY! Tomorrow he is hoping to eat something different. His cell phone remains off limits, but he has used it a couple of times each day since Monday.

Your prayers and your thoughts have been helping him (and me) this week. We are thankful for each beautiful day and we know we can face whatever tomorrow brings with your help and love.

It's been a week.....

It's hard to believe that only one week ago Dave was still under anesthetic. Today he made huge improvements. He felt strong, alert, and had a hard time stopping himself from thinking. He made two phone calls and had a requested visit from a friend. He ate "real food" for dinner and we enjoyed our last evening with Drew before his return to Boston.

I wish I had more to report, but since recovery is the destination and relaxation is the process, things are moving exactly as prescribed.

Monday on Lakeview Road

Well, the big news of today is that Drew shaved Dave's head! We are calling him "Sarge" because he truly looks like someone you would take orders from.....go figure. After surgery, only one half of his head had been shaved and he decided it looked goofy. He was right. Now, he looks handsome! Dave had another good, slow, quiet day. A couple of walks around the outside of our house and a nap or two filled his day. He is appreciative of all the offers of help and requests to visit - but as many of you have heard, he wants to wait a few more days before engaging in conversation. Please keep Dave in your thoughts.

First Day Home

Today is a big day - Big Dave is home! He is doing very well. He is glad to be home and is resting comfortably. It's a beautiful, sunny day and Dave is enjoying the view of our gardens and the pool. We have plenty of extra hands helping out and all of us are so pleased with Dave's progress... including him! He is doing everything the doctors have told him and is taking his recovery very seriously. He is a model patient. Later today we will take a short walk out to the pond.

There's not much more to do other than recover. We have a folllow up MRI on Saturday and a doctor visit on Monday. Right now it's "rest, relax, and recover."

Saturday morning

As I type Dave is sitting next to me eating a popsicle and relaxing. He says hello and thank you to everyone who is reading this. He continues to improve and it looks like he'll be coming home tomorrow. He slept well last night and has kept food down since yesterday. He just walked a few stairs and was able to have a B.M. - big news for hospital patients. An odd side effect is that he is sensitive to smells and tastes.

The doctor recommends minimal stimulation and Dave is enjoying the quiet. He reassured us that he would give us the pathology report as soon as he has it. Many of you have asked what you can do for Dave and our family and right now, we don't need anything... but stay tuned, Dave's wheels are turning.

Please continue to send your positive thoughts and energy. We are all finding strength from knowing we have your love.
With love, friendship and thanks,
Lori, Adam, Andrew and Big DAVE!

Friday night

Today was a really good day. Dave went outside for an hour and enjoyed some fresh air. He has been eating more solid food as the day has progressed... some fresh fruit and half a baked potato. A few short walks and some naps made for a full day. He's feeling well and each day he seems stronger.

Friday morning

Good morning! Late last night Dave was moved out of I.C.U. and into his own room. He has a small, bright room with a beautiful view of downtown Buffalo. He has been walking a little bit on his own, is off many of the medicines, and has shaved this morning. He feels good and is healing very well. The nausea continues to trouble him, but he is able to keep jello, pudding, juice and a small amount of coffee down. He is receiving physical therapy and seems to be doing very well with all movement. His neck is stiff, but does not hurt. His positive attitude continues to bring him strength to deal with all he is facing. He is AMAZING! Today is a beautiful, sunny day and we plan to take him outside into the lovely gardens here at Roswell Park.
Adam has gone back to California and Drew will be staying here at least until next week. Please continue to send your positive energy our way - it sure is helping. With love, friendship and thanks, Lori Adam and Drew.

Still in I.C.U. but only because there are no rooms!

Dave remains under constant care. He is improving but remains nauseous and uncomfortable. He isn't in ANY pain. I continue to ask him if anything hurts, and the answer is always no. Today was tough for him because he was hoping to be able to eat something and to get into a room. Neither happened but tomorrow looks hopeful. He did have a follow-up M.R.I. which showed no remains of the mass, but a small amount of swelling (as to be expected). He is conversational and aware of his surroundings, enough so that he was able to tell us today he is, "directing things around here." (mind you he is still being pumped full of pain killers). We are being as optimistic as we can through his recovery, and continue to thank you for all your love and support!

Late night after leaving I.C.U.

The boys and I just arrived home to find many, many messages of love and concern. All of you have made this difficult time a blessing. When we said good night to Dave, he was doing great. He was speaking clearly and thoughtfully. He had spoken to Dr. Fenstermaker earlier and heard the news of the surgery directly from him. Dave is thrilled with the results but like all of us, has guarded optimism. We know this is not the end of the road, but just the beginning of the next journey. For tonight, we'll be grateful for the gifted hands and eyes of the doctor and for the wonderful care Dave is receiving from the caring staff at Roswell Park. Tomorrow we expect Dave to be moved to a regular room. We will continue to update the blog as often as possible. Thank you again, for your continued love and support.

Surgery Day

Dave is out of surgery and recovering in the ICU. The surgery went well and he has been talking and moving his hands and feet. The Surgeon said he easily removed a mass that was "hanging" from Dave's Velum Interpositum, a relatively unimportant part of the brain, it was not attached to his brain stem (good news). After an initial examination of the mass, the pathologists here at Roswell are uncertain about exactly what the mass was, but noted that it did not appear to be cancerous. They also said the mass is very abnormal and did not look like a tumor. The mass will be sent for further analysis and we should know more in 7-10 days.

We are all breathing a sigh of relief and thankful once again for the love and support of all of our friends and family.

Day Before Surgery

Dave is going in at 6am tomorrow for surgery at Roswell with Dr. Fenstermaker. He should be in surgery for 4-6 hours and out of the hospital 4-6 days after, 4-6 are apparently popular numbers for surgeons. Drew and Adam are home for the week and we are all very optimistic about Dave's prospects. We will update the blog with whatever new info we receive as soon as we hear anything from the Dr. tomorrow. Thank you all for the love and support, we are very fortunate to have such great family and friends.