The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Well, the good news is that we met with an incredible Neurosurgeon today.  He was extremely thorough in explaining the MRI, the surgical procedure, and what to expect during the weeks of recovery.  We felt extremely comfortable with him and his staff, and we have decided to move forward with surgery in a few weeks.

The bad news is that the diagnosis is essentially the same.  He believes that the tumor is either a low-grade astrocytoma (the same diagnosis as before), or a low grade oligodendroglioma (try saying that 10 times fast).  We won't be sure of the actual type of tumor until surgery when a biopsy is performed.  At that point, our neurosurgeon will be able to provide us with a treatment plan and prognosis.  At this point, he was reluctant to make any assertions about life expectancy.  However, he did agree that our previous doctor's estimate of 10-15 years was fair.

There really isn't an "ugly" part, but I feel the need to stay true to this entry title, so I'll just tell you something gross.  Our surgeon has agreed to entertain Pete's morbid curiosity by taking some before/after brain pictures during surgery.  I don't plan on posting them on here because, well, I don't plan on looking at them.  If you want to see them, ask Pete.  He'll probably carry them around in his wallet, or put them on his laptop background.

Now that we've gotten all that out of the way, I need to brag on some people.  Peter's co-workers have really stepped up to the plate this past week and taken care of so many things we didn't even realize we would need.  To those of you that are reading this, we are so humbled by your generosity and willingness to help.  We don't even know how to begin showing our gratitude, but I promise you, we are sure going to try!  Peter has been truly blessed with some amazing co-workers and for that, we are truly grateful.

To everyone who has been praying for us, thank you!  We have been feeling the effects of your prayers all around us, and have truly experienced a "peace that passes all understanding".  You have encouraged us, lifted us up, and reminded us we are not alone.  I wish I could give all of you a well-deserved high five!

And last but most definitely not least, a big fat thank you to our sweet friend Melanie, who is seriously the best kind of friend anyone could ask for.  She has made herself available at the drop of a hat to care for and love on our kiddos while we're out kicking some cancer butt.  We are very blessed to call her our friend!

Those are all the updates I have for now.  We go in for pre-op testing sometime next week, so you can look forward to a play-by-play in the upcoming days (I'm sure we'll find some way to make it entertaining).  Oh!  And according to Tennessee state law, Peter isn't allowed to drive for 6 months, so I'm his official chauffeur until further notice.  Keep your eyes peeled for a blog entry where Pete teaches me the finer points of driving technique.  It's gonna be a good one!