Lucky 4

After reviewing the MRI, Dr. Iskandar decided that it would be safe to remove almost all the rest of the tumor.  (Everything with the exception of what is on the optic nerve.)    I think all of our surgeries are really making the case for the hospital purchasing a surgical MRI.  So we are back at it tomorrow. 

Ellie is feeling pretty nauseated today, as well as last night apparently.  She is low on some of her electorlytes (potassium and phosphorous) but her sodium has remained steady (yeah!!  go salty!)  The head bandage is also bugging Ellie as her face is begining to swell and the bandage is feeling tighter and tighter.  Esther is reading the classic book , Eloise to Ellie right now (that's a lot of "E" names isn't it?)  Ellie keeps correcting her pronunciation of characters and french words, based, of course on the way I have enunciated them in the past.  Which means I am, in fact, always right (take note, Thom.)      

Yesterday we were trying to figure out how to get Thom to work as much as possible today.  I called our great friend, Lainie (her husband, Argyle, and I were resident assistants together in college).  I asked if she could watch Ben for a few hours.  Even though Lainie had already promised to watch a friend's two-year-old, she  agreed to watch Ben, saying, "I mean, really what's one more?"  (She already has a 3-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy.)  A great big thanks, not only for her courage, but for her willingness to take Ben at the very last minute.    

Once again, please let me thank all of you who helped out yesterday, making our day so much brighter.  Cynthia & Caitlyn, as well as Karly & Val for making Ben's day super-de-duper fun!  Esther & Brittany for entertaining me at the hospital, making the day just fly by.  For phone calls from my sister and the appropriate amount of indignation when it was called for, the voicemail from my mom, e-mail from my Dad and e-mails from my mother-in-law (and more bubble wrap!) and texts from my sweet brother Kirk.  (If I didn't mention you for your contribution yesterday, please excuse me, I stubbed one of my little toes this morning and it is making it hard for me to think clearly...sort of like when Gretyl from Sound of Music hurts her finger in her brother, Kurt's mouth, and she can't possibly sing. If you don't know whtat I'm talking about, you need to go rent the movie right now.  Seriously.)