A tough week...

Rick asked me to update the blog today after a rough week or so.

Last week, an MRI showed that one of Angie's brain tumors had grown and the 'cyberknife' type treatment was reccommended right away. Angie was accepted at the clinic in Boulder after more scans and assessment and received the treatment on Monday of this week. It is an intense gamma ray treatment that focuses the radiation on that spot and since the tumors have reacted well to radiation in the past - we were all hopeful that this would shrink the tumor. Chemo has been stopped while attention and treatment were focussed on her brain.

On Sunday - Father's day and Jacob's 6th birthday - Angie went to the ER with chest pains but everything checked out okay so she did not have to stay.

I talked to Rick and Angie on Tuesday after the treatment and it went well. Angie is tired and was experiencing more weakness which they thought might be due to the brain treatment/tumors. They were looking forward to a quiet week before chemo starts again next week (on monday the 23rd).

However, yesterday (Wed) Angie was feeling very fatigued and so they went back to the hospital where she received a transfusion and met with her doctor briefly (he is going on vacation next week). He wanted to do an MRI and new tumor was found in her spinal cord at the base of her neck.

This is very serious - it is NOT reachable via surgery and can result in paralysis or neurological damage. The doctor was able to arrange for emergency radiation on this tumor at Greeley hospital (she has been at Loveland until now) and the team stayed late to adminster the treatment to Angie last night. Angie is very weak and not really able to get around right now so she is staying in the Greeley hospital. Kathy and Rick are with her. The kids are staying with Aunt Julie (Kathy's sister).

I will update this again when I hear from Rick...send them your strength as there is a lot of fear, despair and tremendous sorrow they are wrestling with at this time.