as promised...

As promised the blog is being updated to keep everyone informed.... We have been extremely busy the past couple days, Wednesday {Jan 6} we had to be in SLC bright n early! for an MRI then we had an appointment with radiation oncology department to make a mask, for the radio surgery. after a long wait in the oncology department, we went to talk to our main cancer Dr, and his melanoma team.We were once again given options, well sorta, we were given 2. the IL2{which we were told of earlier} and a trial that they are conducting {which we don't qualify for as of now} due to Jason's brain tumor. All of the Dr's are very nice, and seem to really see us, and not just a dollar sign. After speaking with them for about an hour, our pulmonary Dr came in to talk about taking out the tumor is Jason airway. he was very confident that he would be able to get the entire thing out. He told us that he was in shock that Jason was breathing as well as he was, we must have given him the {huh?!} look because he asked if we had seen it yet. {which we had not} so he showed us! {if you look where the mouse clicker is pointing that is the tumor, the right{your right} shows how his lung looks {on his left} which is how its supposed to look. After trying to figure out our surgery schedule for the next day {Thursday 1/7} it was finally decided. Jason would receive the radio surgery in the morning at Huntsman, then head over to the U of U and get the tumor removed from his airway. then at about 5:35 ish we finally got to leave the hospital!! :) We were so ready to come home!! but werent exactly ready for the LONG ride!! Jason had never eaten at Del taco, so we wanted to eat there!! but we don't exactly know our way around SLC, we don't spend too much time there{at least we didn't before} so i searched for the nearest one on our tom tom {navigation thingy} found one, followed the directions way out into the boonies, to find one that was {CLOSED!!} and not just closed for the night. the building is for {rent} ahh!! we were so mad!! but we did end up finding one which made it all okay! :) we finally made it home around 9 and went to bed!

Thursday morning Jason had his radio surgery, which as far as we know all went well, but we wont know the the tumor is cooperating until we have our follow up appointment in March. while Jason was in the back receiving treatment me Jennifer, and Tim were waiting out in the waiting room, trying to give Courtney, steppy, Dall, and Jesse directions on how to get there. and obviously they are the worst listeners in all the world!! they were searching for us in the U of U. which made it a good laugh for us along with everyone else in the waiting room. The radio surgery took about 30 minutes then we headed over to U of U. and waited n waited n waited, our surgery time was for 11:30, and he finally went into the OR around 2:30. it took about an hour in surgery and about another hour in recovery {due to waiting for the Dr to come talk to us!} He finally came back to talk, told us the the surgery went really well he was able to get the entire tumor out of the airway, along with a lymph node that the cancer team had asked him to get while in there. and he again, showed us pictures!! :) the left is how it looked before the surgery{nasty giant booger type thing is the tumor} the right pic is how his airway is now!! {he can breath again}

We are so glad to have the surgeries done and over with, and plan are starting Chemo in about 4 weeks. Jason has to be completely off of the steroids for at least 2 weeks before it can begin. so hopefully we are done with Dr visits for a little while, we need time to be together at home!! away from the hospital {it becomes all too real while we are there}