One Month

Today marks one month since the Big Ass Brain Surgery. It has been such a whirlwind, and it doesn’t seem like that much time has passed. My eyes have steadily improved since surgery, but they aren’t back to normal yet. My depth perception is still off, and I’m still restricted from driving.  

I have an MRI on Thursday to make a map for radiation. I also have appointments with my oncologist and radiation oncologist that day. We should find out if I’m going to be doing chemo along with radiation on Thursday, too. I believe that I will start radiation next Monday; i will be radiated Monday through Friday with Saturday and Sunday off [same as last time].

Fight like hell.

Packers

Well, Green Bay Packers, that wasn't so great, but I still love you 💛💚 - ‪#‎KJMeetARodg‬

Home

Good morning, everyone!

My first day back home went well, and I actually was able to sleep for 8 hours, which is impressive since I'm on a higher dose of the steroids again. I'm tapering off the devil drugs at least. 

It still feels a little surreal that this is all happening again - also that I just had an 8 hour brain surgery, I'm the same KJ, and am already home. My neurosurgeon was so impressed with how well I was doing (and how much of the bitch tumor he was able to safely remove), that he moved me to neuro general care after 2 nights in the neuro ICU, and discharged me after 1 night in neuro general care. I was supposed to be in the hospital minimally 5 days. Apparently I'm a champ, heh. 

I have to say that I got quite the compliment yesterday. A friend of ours is an ex-Green Beret sniper 1 (sniper instructor). He told me that I was a badass and that he'd take me into battle any day for how brave I've been, which is quite the compliment coming from him. He's done the stuff that they make movies about.

Ever the craft nerd, I had my mom bring a card that I had previously made so that I could give it to my neurosurgeon. Things I never thought I'd write in a card: "Thank you for saving my life."

 

This is what 8 hours of deep brain surgery looks like - 30 sutures, a titanium plate, and titanium screws.

Fight like hell.

I'm Still Me

In case you were wondering, I'm still me! - Same 'ol badass KJ.

We could not have had a better surgeon. He's the shit. Seriously. One of the best in the world.

I am so thankful for him. I'm totally making him a card. Hehe :) I'm going to craft nerd this up.

Dr.  Baskaya was able to remove ALL of the areas of the tumors that are absorbing the radioactive dye during my MRIs. The active, agressive parts of the tumor are the pieces that absorb the dye during my MRIs.

All in all, I'm feeling really awesome.

Fight like hell.

Hospital Bag

When I got admitted to the hospital on the 27th, I honestly did not think that would be my next hospital stay. I thought for sure that my next hospital admission would be when N. and I were ready to have a baby, and I was in labor.

Yesterday I packed a very different hospital bag with a Fight Like Hell shirt ... a bag that I never thought I'd have to pack again.

But, here we are on the way to the hospital to get admitted for my #bigassbrainsurgery ...

Some day, it will be different. Some day, I will pack that special hospital bag for the first time.

When I say fight like hell, this is one of the things for which I'm fighting - a future that I know we will have.

Fight like hell.

Packers Wives

Well, that was pretty awesome. Last night, I received several video well wishes from Packers players' wives! A friend called in a favor with her aunt that works for the Packers. Her aunt and the wives have asked to be kept updated with my surgery and recovery today.

I'm feeling pretty special and unbelievably loved.

Fight like hell.

Dinner

I got all prettied up one more time before the ‪#‎bigassbrainsurgery‬. We're having dinner with both sets of parents and most of the siblings ‪tonight.

Sassy Pants

Oh, I’m feeling awesome and sassy as hell today. I slept for 9 hours. NINE hours. Straight.  No getting up to pee. Just Sweet, sweet continuous sleep. I had a few errands to run, so today was my first test run at doing my new badass hair. I don’t think I did too badly, but I could use some practice still. I’d like it to be a little wilder a la Kristen Stewart. I’ll just be needing the lil smister to teach me this weekend. I’m really digging my new sassy lip color too.

My errand running today went off without a hitch [unlike yesterday]. I got a few items at a bead store to make a necklace that I saw on Etsy [listed for $25]. I looked in my craft room and found that I had 90% of the items needed to make it and bought the rest for $4. I win. :)

I also had to go to JoAnn to get some fabric for my mom and sister to make me some headbands/head wraps for after the #bigAssBrainSurgery. It was the most blissful Joann experience of my life – hardly anyone there, found exactly what I wanted, it was all on sale, I only waited in the cutting line for 5 minutes … and then I used four coupons at the checkout.

That is a craft errand FTW.

I made a stop at the chiropractor, as well. I know that since I'll be laying in a hospital bed for at least 5 days, i needed to get my lower back/hips in a happy place. I only had one neck vertebrae out of place, though, so I opted to play it safe and just let my neck be for now. [Neurology gave me the okay to have this done before surgery.]

And then I had a lovely starbucks iced latte with coconut milk on the way home.

Oh yes, it’s been a good day. I’ve got my sassiest pants on. I get to see my book club ladies, And my ARodg and the Packers will be on TV tonight.

Fight like hell.

Got a Lime in My Coconut

We met with my neurosurgeon Dr. Baskaya and his nurse practitioner this morning to go over surgery particulars and pre-op items. I also had my sutures removed from the ETV surgery last week.

#BigASSBrainSurgery is scheduled for the 18^th at 7:10 am. We will check-in at the hospital at 5:30 am, right as the surgery unit opens for the day. Surgery will last approximately 5-6 hours, depending on how much of the bitch tumor dr. baskaya is able to safely remove.  I will be in the neuro icu for at least a day, possibly all 5 days, but it will depend on how I’m recovering and if there is room/need for me on a general floor.

Dr. Baskaya will remove approximately a 5cm by 5cm piece of my skull for surgery. My skull will be reattached with titanium screws and possibly a plate or titanium mesh. From What I can determine from my latest mri report, the main bitch tumor is roughly the size of a lime [last time it was a small plum]. However, this time she brought friends that are trying to jump the bridge [corpus callosum] to the other hemisphere of my brain. Dr. Baskaya will try to remove as many of the friends as safely possible.

The goal of the surgery is to safely resect as much of the bitch tumor as possible. Any tissue removed will be sent to pathology to determine the best possible treatment route. Any bitch tumor tissue that dr. baskaya does not feel that he can safely remove will be left and later evicted by the chosen treatment method.

We are very confident in dr. baskaya’s abilities to safely remove a large portion of the bitch tumor and friends.

Fight like hell.