A Second Opinion

Dad got a second opinion today. I'm not sure what the doctor's name is but I know his office was at Wash U. This doctor said pretty much the same thing that Dr. Martin said as far as a diagnosis is concerned however his approach would be slightly different.

This second doctor (I'll figure out his name eventually) would want to do a more detailed MRI before putting Dad through surgery. This MRI would show the tumor's exact size, what parts of the brain it is near, and if there was anything intertwined inside the tumor. We already know the tumor is close to the part of the brain that controls motor function, this explains the problems Dad has been having with his left hand. After having this MRI done, the doctor would then do the surgery and take as much of the tumor as he could without having any impact on the brain. During the surgery, this doctor would also conduct a second MRI to double check that they have gotten all of the tumor that they can get.

As of now, this is the option that I think Dad is leaning towards. The only disadvantage is that the surgery with the second doctor would be in St. Louis versus being local, however that is not even a big enough issue to really consider it a disadvantage.

As far as a timeline goes with the second doctor, the detailed MRI could be as early as this Thursday, July 30th, with the surgery being next week or the week after. This all depends on the doctor's availability as well as the lab that conducts the MRI.

Mom and Dad have both noticed that Dad is starting to regain a little bit more movement and function in his left hand.. We're hoping the steroids have started to work and have maybe shrunk the tumor a little bit. Regardless, it's nice to have small pieces of good news!

Mikayla is still getting ready for school, this morning her, Dad, and Mom went shopping for a mattress for her new college apartment. She will be moving in roughly a week and a half but plans on making lots of trips home. Dad wants her to continue going to college, especially since she is very close to graduating. I've been saving my time off from work this week so that I can spend time with Dad closer to surgery and post surgery. The four of us had lunch today in between all the errands that they had been running and it's been extremely wonderful getting to spend the mornings before I work with my family. Tonight Mom and Dad went out to eat with another long time family friend and when I talked to Mom on the phone not too long ago, sounded like they were having a wonderful time!

Father's Day 2015... we had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream cake.. Delicious!!