Road to Recovery (sorry, this is long)

Hey everybody! We've been home for nearly a week now and are still trying to get adjusted to having kids that are still not quite sure how to act with Mom not at 100%. Sometimes they are sweet little angels that want to do anything to care for and take care of Mommy, and the next second they are lying, fighting, and/or just generally difficult to parent. We're really hoping that things settle down in the next few days. The girls have both shared (and caregivers corroborate) that things were better when we were gone!

Aimee, my parents, and tons of volunteers have been a Godsend. Erika is probably the best housecleaner I know, but these people are like machines! They keep up with the laundry and dishes on a daily basis, and are always looking for ways to keep the house clean and keep Erika comfortable. THANK YOU!! I've been able to return to work all week, which (as you might imagine) is kind of important - although I'd rather be at home taking care of Erika. Erika is doing okay, but the recovery is slow going for now.

Every 12 hours Erika gets loaded up with Lyrica, Dylantin, Keppra, and Zantac. Then, she is also taking Oxycodon and Super Tylenol for pain. All of this results in some really creative dreams. Top 3:

• Giant rabbits with huge (terrifying) fuzzy ears
• Feeling that she is flying whenever she closes her eyes
• Mary Poppins Spoonful of Sugar (repeating continuously)

Party at our place this weekend. Bring your own heavy medication..... *wink wink

Erika wants everyone to know that she has had the glorious privelege of taking hot showers with lots and lots of nice soap. Still can't wash the hair completely (staples come out Friday), but after 9 days, soap and water in the shower is a beautiful thing.

I know the ACC tournament is this weekend, and we (I) are really excited to watch some basketball. But, we got some really exciting news today: Erika's pathology report came back! The tumor is not cancer! (Erika wanted this purple) For the medically minded, here is the actual diagnosis:

HYPERCELLULAR BRAIN TISSUE
COMMENT: The frozen section slide exhibits features of a low-grade glioma but
they are not apparent on the permanent sections. The NeuN might suggest the
possibility of a migrational disorder. If this is a glioma it is low-grade.

From what I understand, this is a low-grade/benign/slow growth tumor that developed as a result of a not-fully formed cellular structure in the brain while Erika was still in the womb. This is a very rare event, and Erika does not show any signs of any other disorders related to this hypercellular brain tissue. So, really great news! We'll be going for follow up to the Brain Tumor Center in April.