Hi Everyone!

April did not go the way we wanted. On April 8th (yes, we missed the eclipse) we were in the Emergency Room. I had back pain, tingling down my legs, I had a hard time walking, and couldn’t pee.

After many scans, it was found that there was a tumor on my spine which fractured two discs and caused some paralysis below my waist. During surgery they fused the discs and removed the tumor. Scans also showed a couple of very small lesions in my lung.This cancer can be very tricky and surprising!!!

The paralysis so far means I need a catheter and cannot walk on my own, so I need to use a wheelchair. After my release from Hillcrest, I was taken to Concord Village Rehab Center. The rehab is hit or miss. Sometimes I get 20 minutes – if two people work with me that totals 40 minutes. Today I was able to walk 155 feet with the help of a walker and a therapist. I can move my legs a lot more than I could in the hospital, so some movement has returned; we are hoping and praying for more. I am also working on going up steps. They tried taking the catheter out but I couldn’t pee on my own, so I still have the catheter.

Tim visits every day, he is a saint! I couldn't do what I do without him. He sometimes brings food, as the food here is your basic cafeteria food and sometimes, I just can’t eat it. Everyone here is very nice and the aides are wonderful! They help me with my daily needs such as showering, changing clothes. I can do this mostly on my own but need help getting my pants over the catheter.) They also help me going to the bathroom – They have been giving me a lot of stool softening medicine, so this can be a mess

Scooby is allowed to come for visits, so Tim brings him when he can. We had date night the other day. Tim brought chips and dip and we watched the Guardian’s game. I have a private room with a TV.

I stopped taking Orserdu and started a new chemo drug today (Enhertu). Enhertu is an infusion that takes 90 minutes. I will be taking it every 3 weeks. Tim can take me for my treatments at Hillcrest. It’s not that Orserdu didn’t work (I only took it for 2 mos.). Enhertu targets cancer cells while Orserdu attacks all cells.

In between today and my next treatment I will be having radiation for 10 days. While this was a setback, I am glad to STILL BE HERE and hope to be home or at a Guardians’ games soon!

Love you all! Keep up the prayers!