Update April 28

Hello everyone, sorry I missed posting last week. I have been busy at my new job and then Julie's Daddy, Grampy and Uncles Josh and Chris came to Memphis to spend Easter with all of us. We had a great time. We celebrated Uncle Josh's early birthday party at the Great American Pizza Co. Julie raced go-carts with everyone (well Grampy was driving). Julie took everyone to the zoo and showed us all the animals. Julie's favorites are the Penguins, Elephants and Wolves. We ate ate her favorite restaurant The Blues City Cafe on the Famous Beale Street. They treat Julie like a Princess there. We then had a cookout on the patio of the Target House and colored our Easter Eggs. On Easter Sunday we went to a pond and fished and played with the ducks. We then went back to the Hotel where Grampy was staying and went swimming. It was a great weekend. Julie was sad to see everyone go.

Anyway, Julie is doing GREAT. She is handling the radiation treatments very well. She is getting used to the routine. She continues to get stronger and stronger everyday. She goes to her physical therapy and occupational therapy 3 times a week. Julie's right eye is moving more and more too but she recently scratched it so we are having to use antibiotic drops to prevent infection. The doctors seem to think that she does not have normal feeling in her right eye and face. This maybe why she scratches at her right eye and nostril (she has scratched her nostril as well). If you think about how it feels when your face is numb after a dental procedure I think this is what it may feel like to Julie. I remember how it felt funny to touch as the numbing stuff wore off. I think this is how it feels to Julie so she rubs those areas because it feels different. (Does that make any sense???). Julie is going to get a new stroller/chair to use because the stroller she has is to small for her. St Jude is ordering her a Pink one. Her Leg braces should be ready either later this week or next week. All in all she is such a trooper.

I want to let everyone know that New Mexico State University Alamogordo's Theater on the Hill is dedicating their Children's Theater Production of Winnie the Pooh to Julie. The play is this Saturday and Next Saturday at 7:30 PM and the next two Sunday's at 2:00PM. If you can make to the production I would really encourage you to attend. I am so grateful for Connie Breding and the Cast/Crew for doing this for Julie. I can't wait to see the DVD when they send it. Until next time.....Grammy

Update: April 15

Julie is tolerating radiation very well so far. She is still weaker on her left side than she was before the tumor removal, so the physical therapist is going to fit Julie with leg braces until she gets her strength back. She is also getting fitted for a special stroller type chair that will fit her better than the Walmart stroller she has now. Her right sided facial droop is a lil better and she moves her right eye more although it is still turned way inward. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, so keep the prayers coming...thanks. Grammy

Update April 7

Well Julie will not start radiation til Wednesday (I'm not sure why. I have been working so I have not been able to go to her appointments. I will go to her appointment on Friday.) She is about the same with the facial droop and left sided weakness, but I see her personality returning. More to come....Deidra

Update April 6

ulie will start low dose radiation to both her spine and her head tomorrow (4/4/11). She will get radiation Mon-Fri for the next 6 weeks. She will then get a week off and they will do another 3 rounds of chemo (a round last about 28days). So we are still looking at being her about another 6 months or so. This all depends on if the cancer does not return. I know every one wonders why she must still have radiation and chemo even thought the tumor is gone. A PNET tumor is an aggressive Stage 4 cancer...this means that it has a VERY high incident of returning and or causing cancer somewhere else in her body. So the radiation and chemo are done to try and ensure that they kill the cancer. Once the cancer is gone Julie will still need to return to St Jude every few months to be sure that the cancer has not returned for the rest of her life. Julie is still not as strong as she was prior to the tumor removal. She still does not have as good of balance as before and her legs are weaker. She does however get a little stronger each day. She still has the right sided facial droop, which causes her speech to be just a lil bit slurred and her right eye is still turned way in. The doctors still feel like this will improve over time. She will continue to receive speech, OT and PT weekly, even when we return home. Julie is proud that she has tattoos, yes permanent tattoos...lol. They were put there Thursday during her MRI. They are only very small dots on her head and spine...these will be the areas that they will hit her with the radiation. But she is proud of them none the less. She has i have tattoos now like my momma. The MRI on Thursday showed that the swelling from the surgery has reduced but that there is still some bruising to her pons. So it is still healing, but it is almost back to it's normal size. Today was Julie's last day on the steroids..yea!!! Well I will keep you all post. Thanks as always, Deidra...aka Grammy