Ron's Surgery

Ron's surgery went well and it is thankfully behind us! Ron seems to be feeling much better. He went back to work this week and has played golf twice. I think the golf is good for him. Hitting that little ball has got to relieve some tension from the last couple of weeks!
He handled the surgery really well, but I think it was harder than he thought it would be. He was much calmer than I was as the patient or the caregiver, but that is no surprise to anyone including me! I would have gladly taken some the nerve medicine for the procedure that he TURNED DOWN! Yes, he is a little crazy for doing that and I don't think he would turn it down if given the choice again. I have a theory that if they offer that type of medication without the patient asking for it then there is a reason and you should take it. Ron only said after "You didn't tell me that I should take it." My response because I wasn't allowed in the room when it was offered was "I didn't know I had to tell you to take what was offered!!!"
They had installed the latest version of the gamma knife machine since I had surgery in February and this made a big difference for Ron. First the machine is bigger and he's a big guy, second the planning is faster and third the procedure is faster.
So many people have asked what exactly is gamma knife, so I will try to explain. Gamma knife does not actual cut you. It is a type of radiation and the surgery part is the end of a long day full of procedures. It starts with a simple IV, some lab work, monitors, and medical history. All of this sounds familiar to anyone who has ever walked through an emergency room door. After that I was asked to leave the room, but since I have already done this I can still describe what was being done. Oh yeah, I wish I didn't have personal experience with this part because this is the worst! They give you numbing shots where they will attach they halo (this is where Ron turned down the meds that were offered!) The halo is then attached with screws to the skull in 2 places on your forehead and 2 places on the back of your head. From there you are taken for an MRI and CT. I thought this was the worst part of the day and Ron agreed with me. They add another piece to the halo and then lock all of that into the table on the MRI and CT machines. The MRI is the worst!!! After they take you back down to wait while the doctors use that information to plan your surgery. I waited somewhere between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Ron's was about 45 minutes. He surgery was simpler, but the equipment faster. His surgery took 29 minutes. He was out of surgery, halo free, and drinking juice by 10:45. We were back at the hotel by 12. It was 1:30 or 2 before I was back at the hotel after my surgery. It was such a relief to be back at the hotel and know that is was behind us and now we could move on.
I saw both of the doctors about myself while we were there. My visit went well and the tumors seem to be dying from the inside out as they should. There were not complications presenting themselves on my scans. That was a relief!
So there, it's done and we are moving on! I go back to work in 2 weeks and I'm just not ready. Ron has one more week of medicine and then we will both go back for check ups in late December. In the meantime soccer practice starts Tuesday!

Loud and Rowdy

On Thursday and Friday Michelle and I took Mollie and Jacob to Branson. We checked into the motel and hit the Disney store first. I racked up on nightgowns and swimsuits for Mollie. She really needed those 2 items. Next we headed to eat some shrimp. It was yummy! And Miss Mollie had fish. She loves it and ate a ton of it! Our first park was Celebration City and we went straight to fountains. Mollie was drenched in a matter of minutes and Jacob figured out how to use his foot on top of one and squirt people. Michelle and I just sat and watched! It was perfect. We rode all of the rides, won a couple of stuffed animals, and watched a show. From there we headed to Cakes and Cream on the strip for ice cream. Mollie has a new favorite she learned from her Pop. She started with chocolate ice cream and topped it off with marshmallow cream. It was 10:15 and she ate every bit of it!
We headed back to the motel and tried to go to bed. That is where the title of today's blog came from. I think Mollie is Loud, but took turns playing each role. Somewhere between 11:30 and 12 everyone quit giggling and crashed!
We started Friday with pancakes from a very fancy and popular restaurant--why McDonald's of course. Where else would you go with 2 six year olds. It was cloudy and not as warm as Michelle and I would have liked, but that didn't stop Mollie and Jacob at White Water. They spent hours playing on the climbing toys and we ended the day in the lazy river(my favorite.) We headed home with a couple of tired kiddos and adults. We did make one more stop as we got closer to home Martin Greer's Candy Shop. I had heard about it for years. I now know why. It was oh so yummy and the perfect afternoon snack! This trip is something that Michelle and I try to do each summer with our kids and I am so glad we did!