Karen just arrived at southern regional, and is in room 316. the phone number is 770-909-2316, and visitor hours are from 9 am to 9 pm.
hopefully she will not be here for long.
Please keep praying for her.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Karen is Moving today
The works are on going, and i do not know exactly what time she is, but she will be moving to Southern Regional Hospital. The 3rd floor there is a full time rehab center and she will get her own room. this will cut or drive in about half.
as soon as i get a room number and phone number for there i will post it.
visiting hours are from 9am - 9pm.
as soon as i get a room number and phone number for there i will post it.
visiting hours are from 9am - 9pm.
Monday Morning
9:00AM monday morning and the physical therapist was just here. she had karen up out of bed and in the hall way walking. she took about 10 steps with a little help from the therapist and a big walking frame walker dealie bopper thingy. they really don't want me to help at all and that is very frustrating for me, but i cannot even imagine how frustrating it must be for karen or anyone with paralysis to be going through this. she has great spirits and the right attitude. after all she comes from a long line of great talkers and great attitudes.
we should hear from a therapy coordinator/social worker today to see about her moving to a rehab/physical therapy full time facility. i will update as soon as we know anything about that.
we should hear from a therapy coordinator/social worker today to see about her moving to a rehab/physical therapy full time facility. i will update as soon as we know anything about that.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday Night
It is Sunday night here at emory. No physical therapy this weekend, but karen's left leg is moving a little more today. She had a couple of nurses help her get into the chair and sit for a while...reading. she has been told to sit for at least a couple of hours while here (or more). Karen also didn't sleep very much today. i take this as a good sign, but she is very tired now at 8 PM. Hopefully tomorrow we will find out when she will be moving to the full time rehab/physical therapy facility and which one. The left hand still has not shown much improvement.
Don't be surprised if you call that Karen keeps the conversation short. the hand she has to hold the phone with is on the same side as the brain surgery, and the phone bothers her after a few minutes.
Don't be surprised if you call that Karen keeps the conversation short. the hand she has to hold the phone with is on the same side as the brain surgery, and the phone bothers her after a few minutes.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday Morning
Saturday morning is here and Karen slept alot better last night. She is ready to get out of the hospital, and really wants to go home. We both understand that 2 or 3 weeks in a physical therapy apartment will be better for her and the family. She is ready to start it so she can get home faster.
Many have asked about future treatment of the cancer. we have not talked to any doctors about the pathology or the direction she will go. we just know that whatever the next step is, it cannot even start for 4 or 5 weeks after the surgery for proper healing. some of the possible treatments inhibit self healing in some way, so all healing from the surgery must be complete.
Call if you want to talk to karen, me, or her parents. room # 404 712 3234
Many have asked about future treatment of the cancer. we have not talked to any doctors about the pathology or the direction she will go. we just know that whatever the next step is, it cannot even start for 4 or 5 weeks after the surgery for proper healing. some of the possible treatments inhibit self healing in some way, so all healing from the surgery must be complete.
Call if you want to talk to karen, me, or her parents. room # 404 712 3234
Friday, August 28, 2009
Phone Number for Karen's Room
Just talked to my mom and she told me that anybody can reach Karen at her room by calling 404-712-3234. She has been up all day and doing fine. She is recieving therapy three hours a day. Her movement is improving and they have been using some type of a stimulator on her muscles which helps her alot. She will be moving out of the hospital Monday or Tuesday to another hospital closer to her house. She will be placed in the rehab section for two weeks where she will recieve more therapy. My mom said Karen would of course be happy to talk to anyone that wanted to call. Don't be afraid to call her because she will not mind.
Just thought I would mention for those looking for the donation stuff that the paypal link is at the top of this blog and the account is open at the Bank of America . For information on the account, read the very first blog and it will give you the details or you can email me at dspurlock@pgtc.com.
Just thought I would mention for those looking for the donation stuff that the paypal link is at the top of this blog and the account is open at the Bank of America . For information on the account, read the very first blog and it will give you the details or you can email me at dspurlock@pgtc.com.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
new room finally
karen has been moved out of ICU to a regular room: G234. Apparently i only get spurattic cell service in this room only when i stand in the window on two chairs piled on top of each other holding a metal rod in my left hand andthe phone on my foot...that's the only way.
I hope these posts have been helpful for everyone. Thanks Doug for keeping up with this blog. Just wanted to let you guys know that you should see a little envelope underneath the posts. If you click on this icon, you should be allowed to send the post to someone via email if you need to fill someone in or just copy the link to this blog for them. If this isn't working, comment and let me know and I will try to fix it. Thanks to everyone for all of the thoughts and prayers. It helps all of us a ton.
tid-bit
it seems that emory is doing such good business that there is not even one room open. this may mean that there are too many sick people keeping this place in the money, but as the doctor said, it creates a bigger problem. there are several people like karen really ready to move to a regular room out of ICU, but can't and there are several people that are having to put off their surgery because there is no ICU rooms to go into. i cannot imagine being one of those families waiting for an important surgery and being told they can't do it this week because the hospital is full and there are no rooms. i hope there is a plan B for emory and where they can put poeple...maybe crawford long?
2nd round of therapy
11:00am and a different therapist worked with karen. it looks as if she is going to get an hour a day from a physical therapist and then 1 hour with an occupational therapist (i wonder what the difference is) and her student. so 2 to 3 hours a day of therapy for the next 3 weeks. it looked great. she is moving her left leg alot, but is still only having that feeling like her leg and arm are asleep. she is not quite moving her arm but there is something there.
the therapist had her sit up and even stand up (with alot of help). karen is still a little dizzy, but again who wouldn't be with brain surgery. every time is a good improvement and it really makes me feel alot better.
the therapist had her sit up and even stand up (with alot of help). karen is still a little dizzy, but again who wouldn't be with brain surgery. every time is a good improvement and it really makes me feel alot better.
continuing to improve
9:30 am karen and i are having a nice little talk about the other people she is worried about...she is just that way not really even thinking about herself but friends that need her prayers and great attitude. she looks sooo much better even this morning. just a little more feeling on the left and the swelling on her heads right side is down so she can open her eye and see with both eyes.
they have not moved her into a regular room yet, and as far as we can tell it is because there just are not any empty rooms. they are saying she will get a room as soon as they can find her one. But they are also saying that she may go home friday or saturday.
if you have any questions call or post here.
they have not moved her into a regular room yet, and as far as we can tell it is because there just are not any empty rooms. they are saying she will get a room as soon as they can find her one. But they are also saying that she may go home friday or saturday.
if you have any questions call or post here.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
physical therapy
this after noon (26th) was karens first meeting with the physical therapists. Karen had a new student being trained by a a therapist teacher. they were both very nice. the good news is that even though karen cannot move her left arm and leg, the therapists could feel her muscles tightening against their resistance. also, the left side of her face is showing much improvement. where she could not smile or her tongue moved to the right because her left muscles were not working...now her full smile is back and her tongue is great.
i know that many people all over the world have to deal with paralysis every day. if karen has some permanent loss of function we will deal with that too. I think is can say though that no one wants to have to deal with it, but you do what you have to do. I have at least one other hero other than karen and that is Kristi Justice (sorry if this is spelled this wrong) and bonnie. they have dealt and made more with a bad situation than i think i could. karen has been and will be a great wife for much longer and we will deal with what ever use or non-use she has, but i think the relief that i felt just knowing that her muscles were working some what made me and karen feel soooooo much better. i am not sure what use she will get back but we will work and make the best of it that we can.
now, to just kill out the rest of that stink'n tumor. it cannot happen fast enough for me but the doctors reminded me something they told use 2 or 3 weeks ago, and that was that they can't even start any of the options out there until she has healed for at least 4 weeks. i am trying not to be patient, but this is the one time in my life i feel i am not being very patient.
please keep praying for everyone you know who needs it, including karen please!
i know that many people all over the world have to deal with paralysis every day. if karen has some permanent loss of function we will deal with that too. I think is can say though that no one wants to have to deal with it, but you do what you have to do. I have at least one other hero other than karen and that is Kristi Justice (sorry if this is spelled this wrong) and bonnie. they have dealt and made more with a bad situation than i think i could. karen has been and will be a great wife for much longer and we will deal with what ever use or non-use she has, but i think the relief that i felt just knowing that her muscles were working some what made me and karen feel soooooo much better. i am not sure what use she will get back but we will work and make the best of it that we can.
now, to just kill out the rest of that stink'n tumor. it cannot happen fast enough for me but the doctors reminded me something they told use 2 or 3 weeks ago, and that was that they can't even start any of the options out there until she has healed for at least 4 weeks. i am trying not to be patient, but this is the one time in my life i feel i am not being very patient.
please keep praying for everyone you know who needs it, including karen please!
Dr. Olsen just in
Dr. Olsen just came in and said that the hospital was looking for a room to move her in and that is when the physical therapy would start. he is still confident that the loss of movement is temporary and that with therapy and time she will get the movement back. he also said that she would only be in the hospital a couple of more days after she leaves ICU. As for her swollen shut eye...he said tomorrow should be the worst day, and that once the therapist gets her standing up and moving, that should help her eye as much as anything. I cannot say enough about how great her parents and brother are, i am tearing up just thinking about them.
Please remember i and karen don't mind talking to you. there are just so many asking for calls that i cannot get it done. it is easier if you call us. if she is sleeping or tired i will talk to you. 770 289 2413 is my cell number.
Also, several have asked how the kids are...they seem to be great, but you can tell they are concerned. karen felt that jenna was scared to look at her after she first saw her.
Please remember i and karen don't mind talking to you. there are just so many asking for calls that i cannot get it done. it is easier if you call us. if she is sleeping or tired i will talk to you. 770 289 2413 is my cell number.
Also, several have asked how the kids are...they seem to be great, but you can tell they are concerned. karen felt that jenna was scared to look at her after she first saw her.
Morning of the 26th
Doug here. They are telling us that they will move karen to a regular room and that it could be any minute. also, that she will start some physical therapy sometime today...karen told me she met the therapist and she was very nice. when they did her test this morning to evaluate her left side, it seems as if she is feeling more but still cannot move her left leg or arm. they also noticed that her left eye was not moving all the way to look to the left. she is feeling better. if you have any questions please ask, i am not sure if i am giving enough information or if there is something you might want to know.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New PayPal Account for Karen
One more thing tonight. Someone told me I could make donations to Karen's account easier if I did it throught PayPal. So, I did this for the folks who have PayPal accounts or don't want to go to the bank. Once the money has been sent, it will tie into the account set up in Karen's name at the bank. The email address you need to type in is dspurlock@pgtc.com. If you have any questions on this use that same email and ask away. I hope this will make the process easier. if you need a PayPal account just click on this link https://www.paypal.com/.
Tuesday Night the 25th
I talked to my mom a little while ago and she said Karen was doing fine. She was allowed to eat some solid food. Her right eye is now swollen shut, but she seems to be getting a little more feeling on her left side. She will have to stay in ICU tomorrow. We don't know if that is a result of something that was shown on the MRI this morning or not. The doctor will be in around 6:30 am Wednesday. The surgeon came by this morning and evaluated Karen and he seemed please with her recovery. He still thinks her left side will come back around and that is why he said all along that he would be cautious during surgery as to not do any permanent damage. A physical therapist will visit Karen in the morning as well to start trying to get things working again. I'll keep you posted tomorrow. It might be in the evening after I leave work or Doug might post. Thanks for the prayers again. Keep em coming.
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm begging for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space.
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm begging for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space.
Doug will be posting soon
OK. I just talked with Doug and he is trying to figure out how to post to this blog. It was a little tricky on how to let him be an author as well. I'll let him fill you in on all the details, but he did say she was okay and had a little more feeling on her left side. I just made it home from the longest drive of my life. Thank the Lord for the radio and a cold air conditioner.
I wanted to mention again for those of you that asked about the donation that you can go to a Bank of America anywhere in the U.S. Tell them you want to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Trust Established in Arkansas. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I wanted to mention again for those of you that asked about the donation that you can go to a Bank of America anywhere in the U.S. Tell them you want to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Trust Established in Arkansas. Sorry for the inconvenience.
tuesday morning the 25th
this morning i talked to karen. she is doing great. She has a little more feeling in her arm and foot but cannot move them. the left side of her face which she could not feel last night has complete feeling in it today. she is still talking a little jumbled but it is better. who wouldn't talk a little jumbled after brain surgery. they just took her down for a follow up MRI and then she will be moving out of ICU into a regular room. how long she will be in the hospital, who knows but it seems things are going as planned so i hope the original dates of Friday or Saturday will stand up, but what ever we have to do. i took a picture of the stitches and head but only sent it to family...if you want me to post it let me know.
i know that everyone wants a personal phone call but it is just impossible for me to do that. i have been trying to text in large groups information...i hope you have gotten one of those. if not please text me so i can add you to that list 770 289 2413. if you call i will tak to you of course and please remember that one person calling me is sooooo much easier than me calling 400.
please keep praying for karen.
i know that everyone wants a personal phone call but it is just impossible for me to do that. i have been trying to text in large groups information...i hope you have gotten one of those. if not please text me so i can add you to that list 770 289 2413. if you call i will tak to you of course and please remember that one person calling me is sooooo much easier than me calling 400.
please keep praying for karen.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Talk with Karen
Okay, I talked to Karen and she seemed to be in good spirits. She's still tired, but she was laughing a little bit. I told her that her foot not having any feeling would be a good reason for Doug to give her a foot massage.
So to recap the days events:
The surgery went as expected with no surprises and they even took out about fifty percent of the tumor. It will take about three to five days to get lab results and then they can plan the next course of action. She is numb on her left side, but that was a possibility and it will hopefully come back over time. Again, Doug will have to update you tomorrow when he can or you can check his facebook for mini checkups. Overall todays events stayed on par for what we thought or expected and the news wasn't great but wasn't horrible. There are still alot of good options and many for Karen. Just pray for her and her family tonight for her recovery. Thanks for following along today. See you tomorrow.
So to recap the days events:
The surgery went as expected with no surprises and they even took out about fifty percent of the tumor. It will take about three to five days to get lab results and then they can plan the next course of action. She is numb on her left side, but that was a possibility and it will hopefully come back over time. Again, Doug will have to update you tomorrow when he can or you can check his facebook for mini checkups. Overall todays events stayed on par for what we thought or expected and the news wasn't great but wasn't horrible. There are still alot of good options and many for Karen. Just pray for her and her family tonight for her recovery. Thanks for following along today. See you tomorrow.
Karen's Resting
Karen is resting in ICU. She is allowed to have one visitor at a time. She is sleeping mostly. Doug is the only one she has talked to and he said that lasted about 30 seconds and then she went back to sleep. She told him she can't feel anything on her left side, but the surgeon said that was a possibility. Hopefully she will regain all of that as times goes on. The surgeon expects this to happen, but there's always that chance that it won't. Anyhow, mom will be staying with Karen tonight and hopefully all will go well. I will be leaving the hospital soon because I will be going back to Fayetteville tomorrow. I think Doug will be trying to keep everyone updated on this blog while I'm on the road. I will write one more post before I leave tonight and maybe have more news.
Karen's In ICU
The surgeon just talked to us and Karen is doing fine. He said she is a little weak on her left side. He thinks this will come back as she begins to wake up more. There were no surprises and he was able to get a good sample of the tumor. He also said he was guessing he was able to remove around fifty percent of the tumor, but did not go chasing the "dots" as he called them. He mainly focused on the most aggresive part of the tumor and that was the plan all along. The biopsy will be sent off and we will wait again to figure out the best treatment from here. He felt like it was a grade 4 like they thought based on all things he saw during surgery. This is still one of the better scenarios or considered good news. They were just hoping to get a biopsy safely and if it was safe enough, he would remove what he could. I will let you know when we see her.
Karen's in Recovery
It's 2 EST and Karen's in recovery according to the board that updates you in the waiting room. Still no word from the doctor. Hoping for some really good news.
Karen's In Surgery
Just letting you know that Karen just went into surgery. She's in good spirits as usual and was still talking to someone of course when we left her. Again, the surgery will last two to three hours. She is expected to be in ICU for 24 to 48 hrs.. I will let you know if we get any updates. The time of this blog says 7:40 for some reason, but it was around ten when Karen went to surgery.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Karen's Update
Just wanted to let everyone know that myself, my mom, and my dad made it to Doug and Karen's house. We left Fayetteville, AR around 4 a.m. Saturday and made it to Atlanta around 5 p.m.. We went to church with them this morning and it made me feel good that Karen and Doug have a great spiritual support group here. We will leave the house around 5:30 Monday morning and Karen is scheduled to have her surgery around 9:30 or 10.. The surgery is scheduled to last around two to three hours. Please say a special prayer around this time tomorrow. I will try to keep you updated as often as possible. The surgeon feels comfortable with the area the tumor is located, but there is a major blood vessel around this area. Other than that he feels this will be pretty routine which blows my mind that brain surgery can be "routine". I guess that's why he makes the big bucks. I have a hard time replacing parts in the toilet and this guy is calling brain surgery routine. What a bragger! Ha! He's my hero tomorrow no doubt.
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm asking for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space. I look forward to hearing from all of you and tell anyone else wanting to know the facts about Karen and the latest. Later!
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm asking for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space. I look forward to hearing from all of you and tell anyone else wanting to know the facts about Karen and the latest. Later!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Karen's Update
Alright! I'm here. First of all, please disregard any misspelled words or incorrect punctuation. That is not really my specialty. Second, I'm glad you are here. In case you're here and don't know who I am, I am Karen's younger brother. I have been asked by many of you about Karen's health and what the plan is for her future and I appreciate all of the comments, prayers, and the help that has been offered. So, as a result of the many questions, I decided to create this blog and let everyone know what is going on. I thought this would be the easiest and fastest way to let everyone know the latest. I probably won't be updating this every night, but I will update whenever something new happens or if you have any questions.
So, for those of you who maybe don't know exactly what is going on, let me break it down for you. As most of you know, five yrs. ago Karen was diagnosed with a brain tumor after complaining of double vision and headaches. She went on to have surgery to remove most of the tumor and received radiation and chemotherapy to complete her treatment. All went really well and things have been great for the most part aside from having the occasional side effects that people have after experiencing this condition. She had MRI's every six months for awhile and then went to yearly exams for awhile. She then went back to twice a year. This brings us to where we are today.
Karen and Doug and the kids visited us on the 4th of July week and Karen had been having seizures or "tremors" where she might have a tingling or numbness to her tongue along with headaches. We hoped it was stress, but as they started becoming more frequent, I started expecting the worst. When Karen got back home to Atlanta, she received an MRI and waited for the results. When she called me and asked if I was sitting down, I knew what she was going to tell me. I told her I didn't need to sit down and she told me it was back.
So, now that I have had time to get over the shock of the news and I have thought about the worst scenarios and at times been a complete mess by myself thinking about the kids and Doug and of course Karen, I've started realizing there are alot of good scenarios as well. This round will no doubt be tougher than the first. If you do any research on this thing, you will learn that it generally comes back within five years or may not come back at all. If it does it will be more aggressive and less responsive to treatments done in the past. All indicators as of now seem to be showing this to be true with Karen.
Here's the plan as of now:
Karen is scheduled for surgery on August 24th at Emery Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. The surgeon will attempt to get a biopsy of the tumor and even remove as much as he can. This would be like putting the cherry on top to put it in perspective. Once the biopsy has been to the labs (results will be sent to Duke University as well), the doctors will decide the next plan of action. The doctors are pretty sure that this thing is a stage 4 tumor which is the most aggressive. To complicate things, it is also a little deeper in the brain than the first bout. Once they can verify that it is stage 4, Karen will then be eligible and a good candidate for clinical trial medicines. The doctors say there is alot of good stuff out there, but to not forget that it is still a trial. Because of this, there are some negative things associated with some of these drugs and treatments. While we are very hopeful that something will work, we know that something may not, so please pray for Karen and Doug and the kids. Karen will be off work for six weeks recovering at home. My parents will be staying with them to help with the kids and try to keep things as smooth and normal for everyone involved.
I hope this blog will be useful to everyone who know Karen and Doug. My hope is that Karen or Doug might take over this blog during the six weeks of her recovery. I think it might even be therapeutic in some weird way. If you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please let me hear em.
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm asking for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space. I look forward to hearing from all of you and tell anyone else wanting to know the facts about Karen and the latest. Later!
So, for those of you who maybe don't know exactly what is going on, let me break it down for you. As most of you know, five yrs. ago Karen was diagnosed with a brain tumor after complaining of double vision and headaches. She went on to have surgery to remove most of the tumor and received radiation and chemotherapy to complete her treatment. All went really well and things have been great for the most part aside from having the occasional side effects that people have after experiencing this condition. She had MRI's every six months for awhile and then went to yearly exams for awhile. She then went back to twice a year. This brings us to where we are today.
Karen and Doug and the kids visited us on the 4th of July week and Karen had been having seizures or "tremors" where she might have a tingling or numbness to her tongue along with headaches. We hoped it was stress, but as they started becoming more frequent, I started expecting the worst. When Karen got back home to Atlanta, she received an MRI and waited for the results. When she called me and asked if I was sitting down, I knew what she was going to tell me. I told her I didn't need to sit down and she told me it was back.
So, now that I have had time to get over the shock of the news and I have thought about the worst scenarios and at times been a complete mess by myself thinking about the kids and Doug and of course Karen, I've started realizing there are alot of good scenarios as well. This round will no doubt be tougher than the first. If you do any research on this thing, you will learn that it generally comes back within five years or may not come back at all. If it does it will be more aggressive and less responsive to treatments done in the past. All indicators as of now seem to be showing this to be true with Karen.
Here's the plan as of now:
Karen is scheduled for surgery on August 24th at Emery Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. The surgeon will attempt to get a biopsy of the tumor and even remove as much as he can. This would be like putting the cherry on top to put it in perspective. Once the biopsy has been to the labs (results will be sent to Duke University as well), the doctors will decide the next plan of action. The doctors are pretty sure that this thing is a stage 4 tumor which is the most aggressive. To complicate things, it is also a little deeper in the brain than the first bout. Once they can verify that it is stage 4, Karen will then be eligible and a good candidate for clinical trial medicines. The doctors say there is alot of good stuff out there, but to not forget that it is still a trial. Because of this, there are some negative things associated with some of these drugs and treatments. While we are very hopeful that something will work, we know that something may not, so please pray for Karen and Doug and the kids. Karen will be off work for six weeks recovering at home. My parents will be staying with them to help with the kids and try to keep things as smooth and normal for everyone involved.
I hope this blog will be useful to everyone who know Karen and Doug. My hope is that Karen or Doug might take over this blog during the six weeks of her recovery. I think it might even be therapeutic in some weird way. If you have any questions, suggestions, etc., please let me hear em.
Finally, in response to those of you who have asked how they can help or have offered money, I have opened a donation fund in Karen's name at the Bank of America. I chose this bank because there are some here and some in Georgia for those of you there. Please don't think I'm asking for money. I simply did it in response to those of you who have asked about it. I do know as many of you do, that no one can prepare for the financial burden that any medical condition can present to your family. Even with good insurance! There will be many tanks of gas used for doctors visits and all of the miscellaneous or "little things" that aren't covered by insurance. She will get paid for some of her time off, but not all of it. Again, Karen needs prayers more than anything and we will deal with the bills later. If you are one of the people wanting to donate, you will have to go to your nearest Bank of America and tell them you would like to make a donation to the Karen Means Medical Fund Established in Arkansas. Sorry I could not make this Internet accessible, but the bank will not let you give any info about the account over the internet such as Facebook or My Space. I look forward to hearing from all of you and tell anyone else wanting to know the facts about Karen and the latest. Later!
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