"Wait And See"

-
Dear friends and family,

 Thank you again for your prayers and well wishes for Marisa.  We are also grateful for all of the ways you have cared for our family: sending cards, lawn mowing, mulching, meals, visits, and many other unique ways. 

 Update...
With the assistance of IV calcium, Marisa's levels hit a high of 9 points yesterday.  (Healthy range is 9-12).  With now being off of the IV since 4pm yesterday, her calcium levels are slowly dropping again.  The doctors are going to "wait and see" if boosting the amount of oral calcium will help.  Marisa will remain in the hospital until her levels normalize.   

 Breathing treatments are also continuing multiple times a day.  Her left ear and the left side of her face to her mouth are numb, which is causing her smile to be a little crooked.  She is not bothered by those things, though, and it could return to normal with time.  Marisa has had the ability to eat, but the options of foods that she is permitted to have are slim: purees, Cream Of Wheat, yogurt, and thickened milk almost every meal.  She is looking forward to a wider selection in due time. 

Yesterday, Ryan and Owen came to visit Marisa in the hospital for the first time.  The boys were gentle and sweet, soaking up some mom time.  The highlight of Marisa's day was laughing with the boys, hearing about their past week, whispering answers to their many questions, and giving the them hugs and reassurance!  The guys were even brave enough to taste some of the pureed menu items, daring each other back and forth. :)
The boys came bearing flowers, a balloon, and a card signed by all four kiddos. 
[Thanks to my mom and dad for setting that up :) ]  
Ryan and Owen laughing with Marisa's mom, Marilyn,
while trying on the blood clot preventer cuffs.
Also, thank you to Miss Stauffer and her 3rd grade class for sending Get Well cards to Marisa.  Caroline gave me the cards to deliver to Marisa in the hospital.  I asked Caroline if she preferred to wait until Mom was home so she could be present when Marisa opened the cards.  Caroline said, "Well Dad, they are Get Well cards, so..." [Translation: "Time is of the essence, she needs them now! What good are they going to do when Mom is home from the hospital?!]" :)
Doesn't Marisa look beautiful?!  I am thankful for how awake and alert she is now!  We'll have at least one more holiday night in Hotel de Hopkins.  


Love, 
Matt & Marisa


Comments

  1. AmberMay 28, 2018 at 4:40 PM

    Marissa! You look great! So glad you got to see your boys! Been thinking of you lots! So much love to you! Happy healing. Thank you, Matt, for the updates. Love, Amber

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 28, 2018 at 6:17 PM

    We Zellers are SO happy that Marissa is doing well! Your posts remind me that our difficult times are so rarely just that. Look at all this beauty among the challenge! (Love you, Marissa.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 29, 2018 at 3:14 AM

    Nothing like time with the kiddos to fill a mom's heart! I continue to pray for Marisa, and am so encouraged by the pictures and the steps she's made. You do look beautiful, Marisa! xo Karen

    ReplyDelete
  4. TertiusMay 29, 2018 at 4:40 AM

    Love, praying for, and missing you all! Thanks for keeping us posted!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Triple BMay 30, 2018 at 9:31 AM

    Uncle Beav and I are so glad you are doing so well, Marisa! Hang in there! God will help you heal fully from this ordeal, we are confident. You look just as beautiful as ever, and that same sweet smile is constant. We love you dearly! Hugs and kisses, Aunt Willa and Uncle Beav

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
Dear friends and family, In the last few days Marisa has had several pre-op appointments which have been informative.   After a closer look at the CT scan, one doctor shared that there is a good chance the surgeon may need to remove one of Marisa's jugular veins since one of the masses appears to be attached to it.  We do not have enough information yet to know how this may affect Marisa's recovery.  Next week, Marisa is scheduled for an MRI to rule out a link between her chronic migraines and the cancer in her neck.  Also next week, w e should receive results from blood work that will determine if Marisa will be put on a blood thinner for a month after surgery due to a pre-existing clotting disorder.  Good news... Marisa's cold is clearing up, which is helpful before the operation take place. Johns Hopkins - Pre-Op Visit ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Video greeting to Marisa from Joe Flacco:   On Monday our Young Life team i...
Read more

Medical Mystery

-
Image
Dear friends and family, After a two week lull between appointments, Marisa and I were back at Johns Hopkins on Tuesday for another post-surgical examination.  The good news is that Marisa's calcium level has consistently remained at a normal level!  Her parathyroid glands are beginning to function well on their own.  (These are the glands that produce calcium, and they are often damaged in this type of surgery.)  We are grateful for this improvement as low calcium was one of the problems that kept Marisa in the hospital longer than expected. In the last few days we have been hearing a flicker of phonation, just above her whisper, on a more consistent basis.  At first, this was encouraging to us.  However, the medical team does not know yet if this indicates good or bad news.  Throughout the appointment the surgeon and speech therapist reminded us several times that Marisa's double vocal cord paralysis is a "medical mystery."  In fact, the ...
Read more
-
Image
Dear friends and family, Two weeks ago when we first received Marisa's diagnosis we began to notify friends and family on the fly in order to ask for prayer immediately.  Now, we are trying to get more organized with communication as we focus on treatment.  As we post updates, would you join us in prayer?  Thank you to everyone who has already been in this with us in so many ways.   Below you will find the first two email messages plus a new post from today. ----- Apr 26, 2018 Dear friends and family, Marisa and I are asking for your prayers.  Just a few days ago we received a call from Marisa's doctor that a recent CT scan and biopsy results show a cancerous nodule on her thyroid and metastases in several lymph nodes throughout her neck.  We met with a surgeon at Johns Hopkins this week.  Given the complexities of Marisa's case, we are in the process of being transferred to the Director of Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery to perform...
Read more