Movie Night

Justin went to a movie tonight with his brothers and sister-in-laws. He was looking forward to it all week. They have had him out longer than I (Mommy) would have thought wise...however, Josh and Hannah leave Monday morning, so he can catch up then. He needed a night out after the week he has had.

There's No Place Like Home

We are home and it is nice to be here. Before we left Iowa City, they set Justin up with all his meds, instructions and information. He has to get the threes staples out of his head (from the brain biopsy) in a week in Des Moines, then will have appointments with the head and neck doctors, the radiology oncologist the neurosurgery doctor in Iowa City over the next few weeks. As the doctors gather more information, then treatments will begin. Now Justin is lounging on the couch, comfy and cozy. No nurses, doctors, or needles. It is good to be home.

Morning Doctor's Report

As usual, the pack of doctors came in just after 6:00 this morning. They didn't have a lot to say this time. They are discharging Justin today after lunch. He will be able to live at home while he does treatments and appointments as an outpatient. He has no real restrictions, except to stay away from contact sports, skydiving, mountain climbing, and other activities that would be dangerous if he had a seizure. The doctors don't expect him to have another one, but said to be cautious anyway. And the best news is that he can work, so hopefully the job he got at the camp is still open and he can start there pretty soon. He will have to plan his work schedule around the treatments, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

We are all SO ready to go home! It is hard to live in and around a hospital. Justin has not had a true good night's sleep for weeks, so it will be wonderful for him to really and truly rest.
I have been trying to balance myself to learn about Justin's tumor without scaring myself to death. The Internet is a great place for information, but much of it does not apply to Justin specifically. So I will trust in God's perfect plan, trust that the doctors are doing their best, and help Justin have the best life he can possibly have.

A Normal Night

Tonight feels almost normal (if you can ignore the doctors, nurses, pills, blood pressures, etc.). Josh and Hannah brought in Godfather's Taco Pizza and we all sat around and watched TV in Justin's room. A far cry from just a few days ago! The nurses are still carefully attending to Justin, but there is not a lot to do. They ask every time, "is there ANYTHING you need?" and he always answers, "no, I'm fine." Many have commented that he is the best patient they have ever had.

We laughed our heads off at Josh and Hannah playing a game of "bloody knuckles". It was hilarious and we had to keep our laughing quiet so we wouldn't disturb others.

Hannah and I went through a computer program educating us about seizures, just in case. It was a good thing for everyone to know. We hope that it never happens again, but if it does, we will be more prepared.

Tonight will be Justin's first night to sleep in the hospital alone. We all know he could handle it alone, but why? So one of us was here every night, just to make sure he had everything he needed and didn't have lay here with no one to talk to if he wanted. Tonight most of the family has gone home, and Justin doesn't have any immediate concerns. It is not new or unfamiliar now, so we can all get a good night's sleep and be refreshed for tomorrow. It will be another big day.

Future Plans

The doctors have made a preliminary diagnosis of a low-grade glioma with Justin's biopsy. It will be a few days to a week before they will know for sure. It sounds as if the tumor is slow growing, so the doctors want to allow a few months to see if there is any change in the tumor. Unless the diagnosis is different than what they think now, they will plan a treatment once they can see what it is doing. So it may be 8 weeks or so before they know much more than they know now.The head and neck doctors will have an appointment with Justin next week to discuss treatment options for the thyroid. That could be surgery, drugs or "wait and see". Once again, we have partial answers, but that is better than not knowing anything.Now they are gearing up to send Justin home. He may be able to leave as early as tomorrow, depending on how things are going and if any of his doctors still have tests or questions. We may be back here quite often, but that's OK. He sure would rather sleep in his own bed than in a hospital! Thanks for all your prayers--we feel ourselves being lifted up and carried by our family and friends. There truly is "peace in the midst of the storm." We love you all.

More Visitors

Todd and Marty came up for a visit this morning. We were thrilled that they drove so far to pray with us and be an encouragement. And they were! Jason & Tammy's church sent and orchid. The card said on it, "we will FIGHT for you in prayer". Wow, that was powerful! We all agree that God has a plan and we are just to be faithful walking in that plan.

The nursing staff is weaning Justin off some of his meds. He is unhooked from all the monitors and IV, and is bored silly. He got to have a whirlpool bath today, all the cable TV he wants, his choice of the best hospital foods we have ever seen, and people waiting on him hand and foot. But he still wants to go home. I don't blame him a bit!

Quiet Night

Justin slept well all night. He actually woke up before 6AM and felt rested. His pain is low this morning. The doctors came in on their usual rounds and didn't have much to add to what we already know. I asked about the thyroid because I haven't heard from the head and neck doctors for a few days. One of the student doctors said that they have an appointment set up for Justin in 4 days. I am unclear what that is for, but we will know more later. They unhooked him from the heart monitors and IV. They will hook up the IV again to administer certain meds, but he won't need it 24/7. He finally got to eat, and said that was great.