Spring 2013

March 8, 2013

Hello again everyone!  So sorry it took so long to update you again on how Tori is doing. Life just seems to get busier and busier as the months fly by.

Tori had her most recent MRI last month and it did not show any change in the tumor.  We are taking this as a good sign and hoping that it means that the radiation has stopped the cells from reproducing.

Her symptoms of headache, nausea, & vomiting seem to continue to very slowly subside and she is not nearly as worn down as she was a couple months ago.  She has also regained enough endurance and strength to increase her work hours. She still has her days when she is not well but they are happening a little less often.  She also still struggles a bit with fatigue and is not well enough to run around too much or she wears herself down.  She also has days, understandably so, when she is sad or frustrated, but she mostly handles herself with a sturdy exterior poise and nobody on the outside would know that she is still recovering.

She likes her new job at Starbucks although she did struggle at first when she was still having more issues with the nausea and vomiting. But the job has been a good change for her and I am really happy to see her in a place where she can blossom and succeed.  I think this is a really good fit for her and could end up being a stable career where she can make pretty good money and get some fabulous benefits.

In addition, she is still continuing to eat healthy and exercise. She is currently on a dairy free diet.  She is doing this as a test to see if it reduces her episodes of nausea and vomiting.  If we can just figure out what is causing that, it would be a major improvement in her quality of life. Only time will tell if it works.

Unfortunately, the day before yesterday she nearly passed out again and now she is trying to let her body catch up from that episode. We are still trying to figure out how to control those episodes as well.

She is not scheduled for another brain check until June, so until then we just hope to learn how to manage her health better so that she can keep working and enjoy life instead of feeling like she is just trying to keep her head above water. We are very hopeful.

Once again, we love you all and thank you for all your love & support.

Tracy Collins