Phase II

Ann continues to do well here at home. Since coming home, she's especially enjoyed going to the bathroom without an escort and wearing clothing that closes all the way in the back. However, today was not Ann's favorite day. While some of us are afraid of snakes, going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, clowns, or the Jonas Brothers, Ann is afraid of IVs and blood draws. Ann had the pleasure of having both today at an appointment with her radiation oncologist.

Beginning on May 10th, Ann will have radiation treatments Monday through Friday for 6 weeks. This will cut into her mani/pedi schedule. So, don't ask her about it :). The clinic where Ann will have her treatments is about an hour drive from Bloomington. Ann and Doug have been thinking of different topics to discuss to pass the time in the car. Some of these topics include, but are not limited to: Where did God come from? Why are cats so much better than dogs? Why is going to the dentist so awesome?.

All kidding aside, Ann has her good days and bad, just like we would expect. We are hoping for an uneventful course of radiation treatment, so that Ann continues to heal well. Thanks for all of your continued love and support. Love, M

Independence Day!

(Meagan typing. Ann dictating.)

Hello Everyone,
I am home! It is my Independence Day! Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers over the past few weeks. Mentally and physically, I am feeling better every day. Your support through prayers, cards, gifts (a special thanks to whomever anonymously sent the cherry blossom CD we're listening to right now), and get-well wishes have been overwhelming. Thank you so much!
I love you all,
Ann


PS (from Meagan) Ann will begin radiation treatment on Tuesday, and will continue speech and cognitive therapy during the next several weeks. We're all anxious to begin this leg of recovery and move one step closer to the finish line.

Rehab

Ann was admitted to the inpatient rehab program at Mayo yesterday. Our hope is that she will continue to make great strides to move forward with the physical and mental part of her healing. We expect that she will be there through the week. From there, she'll sleep in her own bed and continue with therapy on an outpatient basis.

She continues to do well and it is so apparent to us that the power of prayer has played a mighty role in this recovery. Sometimes, I think we forget that Ann is just one week out from her surgery. The fact that she is walking and we're talking about coming home is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Ann's case will be discussed at a tumor conference on Friday. From what we understand, Ann's surgeons and oncologists will discuss what the next steps in her treatment should look like.

In the past few days, I've watched Ann have to re-learn so many things that I take for granted. From putting shoes on to grabbing a kleenex, I hope to always remember what a gift it is to be healthy. Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers. This verse is from a song that Ann, Doug and I heard at a Maundy Thursday service a few weeks ago. It has never felt more appropriate.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

Love, Meagan

Improvement

Hello,
We are feeling very good about Ann's continued progress! She is walking pretty regularly with help from us or the nurses. But, we're mostly just there to help with balance and to keep her from running into the wall on her left side :). Her left leg is recovering very well. Ann's arm and upper body continue to need a bit more help, but we have still seen improvements even in the past 24 hours. If I had to choose whether I'd want a weaker arm or leg, I'd choose arm every time. That gets us out of the realm of wheel chairs and walkers. So, we're grateful that the leg is doing so well. The doctors feel that Ann will most likely have 100% movement in 6-12 months. This is such a relief, considering there was a possibility for paralysis to be permanent.

Because of Ann's way-ahead-of-schedule physical progress, we are expecting a MUCH shorter hospital stay than originally planned. The surgeon told us to expect 3-4 days of recovery from the surgery itself and then 3-4 weeks of inpatient intensive rehab before she would be released. Because Ann is moving her legs so well, she may be able to complete a lot of her rehab as an outpatient.

Aside from the physical recovery, Ann says that her brain feels "full" a lot and it doesn't have much energy to engage in anything extra, like lots of emotion or talking. The way she describes it, it takes so much thinking to get her left side to move and process what people are saying, she gets mentally fatigued very easily. As you can imagine, lots of questions and conversations get overwhelming very quickly. I'm sure this is frustrating for Ann, but know that she continues to correct me on facts and memory issues where I'm lacking. Ann still isn't feeling up to much in the visitor or phone call department. Thanks for your continued understanding.

We are still waiting on a recommendation from the oncology folks here regarding possible continued treatment. This may not be given for another 2-3 months. No matter the recommendation, there will be lots of complex decisions for Ann and Doug to make. This would be a great thing to keep praying about.

On behalf of all of us, I want to thank you so much for joining us in all of this. We are so aware that not many people have the fantastic extended network of support that we have. It has been such a lifesaver for us. Love, M

Hopeful

Today has been a very big day for Ann. She was moved from the ICU to a step-down unit at the hospital. All of the staff have been blown away by how quickly Ann has been progressing with her movement. She actually went for a little walk today. It looks like her legs will make a full recovery. She has been moving her left arm and fingers more as well. It will probably take some hard work to regain strength and movement above her waist.

We also received the results of the tumor pathology today. The doctors are classifying the bulk of the tumor as low grade (grade II) with a small area of high grade (grade III) potential cells. The plan is to allow Ann to recover for the next 2-3 months and then neuro-oncology will decide on the need for radiation and/or chemo. We're happy that Ann can spend some more time focusing on recovery.

While Ann has made exceptional progress and we are hopeful about the tumor pathology, we know that Ann is adjusting to a new normal for her body. This is very difficult. She has a lot of hard work mentally and physically ahead of her. Because of this, we are asking everyone to please hold off on visits until you hear from us otherwise. Thanks for understanding.

Many of you have asked about a place to send flowers. We are now on the 9th floor of the Mary Brigh building at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. We are expecting to be there through the weekend. On Monday, Ann will most likely move to an intensive rehab floor. Cards can be sent to our home address in Bloomington.

This hospital is truly outstanding. The nurses and doctors have been attentive and sharp. I feel like the hospital culture is a sociology experiment. It's really strange that families a few yards away from us are finding out the best and worst news of their lives. It makes me wonder how a roof can contain all of the emotion around here. In my privileged little life, I've never been exposed to this intensity. It really makes me believe in God more than ever. How else could Ann be walking two days after a 7 hour surgery was performed on her brain? What an amazing Creator. We are feeling really blessed and really hopeful. Ann could still use the prayers.
With love, M

Movement on the Left!

Ann had a good night. At midnight, the nurse administered a test on Ann's left foot and hand to detect movement...and movement there was. Ann was able to wiggle her toes and squeeze the nurse's hand! Even the doctor's were impressed by her ability to move her left leg so soon after the surgery. The upper left side of her body is still very weak compared to the lower.

Currently, they are conducting another MRI to use as a baseline for subsequent MRIs. I asked the nurse if I could accompany Ann to the MRI, but was turned down quite quickly. Looking to lighten the mood, I asked if I could go into the actual MRI machine with Ann. My attempt at a joke was lost on the Nurse, but not on Ann as I saw a smile from her face.

The pathology report will hopefully be ready tomorrow.

Thanks for your love and support, Douglas

Done

Ann is out of surgery. Praise the Lord! We are processing a lot of information from the surgeon right now. We are cautiously optimistic about movement. Ann will be in recovery for the next 2 hours. Thanks for all of the prayers. I probably won't be able to update too much more for a bit. Ann will have a long night ahead of her. Love to you all!

Waiting Game II

They are working on closing right now. This process will take an hour or more. To our knowledge, Ann has been stable throughout. We will meet with the surgeon when they're finished. This will be a big meeting. Thanks for praying. Keep them coming.

Waiting Game

Ann is in surgery right now. We expect to hear updates from the OR every 2 hours. I'll report significant updates as I'm able.

Counting Down

Friends and family,
Ann, Doug, and I have spent the day here in Rochester getting prepped for tomorrow. Mom and Dad arrived this afternoon, and they were happy to complete a 6-hour drive instead of a 13-hour plane ride this time around. Although, they did note the lax passport control at the Iowa-Minnesota border.
1. We ended the day meeting with the lead surgeon. Ann will be the first surgery of the day tomorrow. We will check in at 5:30 AM, and the surgery itself is estimated to take between 5 and 7 hours, not including prep and recovery. So, please don't worry if you don't hear from me. We expect tomorrow to be a lot of waiting. Ann will be in the ICU following the surgery. I will update as much as I can tomorrow.
2. Ann is in really good spirits. She said, and I quote, "I'm psyched to get it out!" She wanted me to convey that to everyone.
3. We are so grateful for all of your prayer support. We continue to covet it tomorrow. I know that our extended family is taking very literally the command to pray without ceasing. They even have a schedule :) Our ultimate hope is that God be glorified in all of this. As JK says, Like a lamp on a hill, Lord, I pray in your will, to reveal all of you that I can.
Love,
Meagan

Almost Time

I set up this blog to keep everyone updated on Ann's progress without having to send mass emails. I know that there are people out there who will cringe at my lack of creativity on blog design. But, we're just trying to keep things simple. I'll save the creativity for when I have my 6th child.... I'll try to post as often as there is news. Please feel free to continue with calls and emails. We love hearing from everyone!

1. Ann is feeling great! We had a Get the Tumor Out party here last night, and we were still celebrating at 2 AM. She has been weaned off of several anit-seizure meds and is thinking with a bit more clarity. Actually, Ann's thinking is so sharp right now, Doug and I are wondering if we're the ones with tumors.
2. We'll head to Rochester on Tuesday, April 13th, for a day of pre-op appointments. Mom and Dad and the Jacobsons will meet us there. The surgery will be on the 14th. Many of you have asked what time the surgery will take place. We won't know until the night before.
3. Keep the prayers flowing. We have so much faith that everything is going to go well! I'm hoping to someday laugh about all of this with Ann and Doug- Remember that time Ann had a brain tumor in Japan? Hopefully, that day will come very soon.
With continued love and thanks, Meg