Nicolette Cariveau

Nicolette Cariveau is 12 years old and in 6th grade at Schroeder Middle School in Grand Forks N D.
On Friday April 20th 2007 as a parent our worst nightmare happened, they found a brain tumor in Nicolettes head.
If you don't know Nicolette personally , she is the sweetest most caring person I know, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother .


Nicolette was getting headaches first we started with the eye check up she did get glasses but she was still getting headaches. When she got a headache she would just say I have a headache. she wouldn't cry or say it was really painfull . But a couple a weeks ago the school office called and said she wasn't feeling good we picked her up and she later threw up 5 times when she got home , but then felt fine I thought maybe she got some bad food. Then a week later the office called again and before we got there she threw up again . Then I thought this isn't right. Lots of people said sounds like Migranes she's at that age being close to 12. I called and got her a doc apt on Tues April 17th It was a Nurse Pract. Christina Olson . She checked her over from head to toe said it sounds like Migraines but I'd like to do a cat scan .So we got the aptt for Friday April 20 . I picked up Nicolette from school she was her happy self she came skipping to the pickup with her big bright smile on! Picked up her dance stuff since she was going to dance right after the aptt. When they did the Cat scan Danny and I were in the room with her. she did so good! But I noticed through the veiwing window I could see them looking at the screen I had a knot in my stomach. We then went to the waiting room to wait. a few min later the surgen and a Doc came into the room carring the Xray the knot became bigger , he held it up to the window and told us our wost nightmare!! There was a mass in her brain and so much spinal fluid they needed to do an MRI. She laid so good she closed her eyes as was still for 45 min>. We then went into the waiting room he came to show us the scans. It was a brain tumor the size of a golf ball and it was blocking the Ventracles so there was so much spinal fluid in her brain they said they had to admitt her to the hospital then because if she went home and anymore fluid went in she would go into a comma. And she needed to have surgery at 8:30 the next morning to remove the tummor. It was the begining of a nightmare that I haven't still woken up from yet! She was so brave I have never seen anyone as little and as strong as her! We did't get much sleep that night Dad & I stayed in the hospital room with her that night.
The next morning she went to surgery still as brave as ever. She was in Surgery for 2 Hours They think they got 80 - 90 % of the tummor , but couldnt get it all because it would have caused her to be parilized on her right side.
We got to see her about 45 min later she was a wake and alert and knew everyting and everybody !!!Sat. Night was a tough night she had some reaction to med and was talking crazy and seeing things it was horriable about 3:00a.m. they gave her some Valum and I think we all feel asleep at the same time Danny and i slept right beside her in SCCU.
She got out of SCCU on Sunday about 2:00 p.m. And Monday afternoon she got the bandages and drain tube out. and he said she could go home. We went home about 6:00 p.m. on Monday . We couldn't beleive how well she was doing that quick after brain surgery.They sent the tumor away for tests and Monday April 30th they are going to give us the name of the tumor and what the next step is. They think radiation to get rid of the rest of it.
So please anyone that is reading about Nicolette please please pray for her because she Is our light !!! Thanks for caring !!