Nina's Progress & Family Thoughts

Update on Nina

Hello to all! I am sorry I have not had the ability to update Nina's blog, as our computer broke and have little access to a computer. Nina graduated from high school June 12. She was a commencement speaker, won the outstanding student award and received a five hundred dollar scholarship to help defray the cost's of furthering her education. I have to say, her speech was perfect and most of the guests gasped when she shared her "tumor" portion of the speech! It was a very emotional day for all of us! I was so proud of her. Nina was on a four week break from chemo until last Friday. She went for her maintenance round of chemo and had a pretty severe reaction. Her face turned very red, along with her ears, neck, back and arms. Her lips were purple, she had some trouble breathing also. The next few chemo transfusions will be done in the hospital to monitor her and try and slowly build her tolerance to the drugs. If that is not successful, they doctors will meet with me to come up with a new plan (new chemo drugs). Nina has been in very good spirits. Happy as always! Please continue to pray for her and thank you for your support!

Nina's progress

Nina had chemo again on Friday. It went very well. Her memory continues to improve and she is my hero! She is such a great girl! The rest of the family is doing very well! I am looking forward to the day that this will be behind us!

Nina's progress

Nina had chemo the last two Friday's. She is a true warrior! She amazes me daily! She is doing so well. Seems nothing can get my girl down. She still has most of her hair. The Easter bunny brought her a clip in ponytail for Easter. It looks so cute on her. She loves it! She kissed it when I put it on her. Looks like her hair did before she got sick. Her memory continues to improve. She saw the urologist last week. She does not have to go back for six months! One less doctor to see! She also saw the neuro psychologist. Nina will begin testing with her this week. The testing will take six hours total, broken up in to two hours once a week. They will provide a very comprehensive report at the end of testing and be able to guide me to help Nina continue her recovery and with furthering her education. Nina's sister Amber is in counseling now. It seems that she has been having anxiety attacks. This may be causing her headaches and feeling of dizziness. The counselor is teaching Amber how to control the anxiety and medication will probably be a part of her therapy as well. Nina's younger brother and sister, Luke and Jasmine and I went for a very specail day to Disneyland. We had a great time. I wanted to be sure that they know how very special they are to me. I know at times it is hard for them because Nina get's so much attention. It was their special day. Last Friday was one year ago that Nina got sick and almost lost her life. We celebrated her life with twelve of her friends and family having spaghetti dinner and Easter bunny cake and coloring Easter eggs! Everyone had a blast. Nina was very happy.

Another special thak you!

Kay and Lori from Grants wishes met Nina and I at the cancer institute on Friday morning. They presented Nina with a beautiful scrap book of her very special day (shopping, make over, dinner, movies and limo ride). They also had a gift from Torrid for Nina................Torrid's (also the owner of Hot Topic) president sent Nina a card and enclosed two five hundred dollar gift certificates to their store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Both Nina and I were shocked to say the least! Thank you so much to Kay, Lori, Grants Wishes and Torrid!!!!!!!!! Nina is ready to go shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nina's progress

Nina was not able to have her scheduled chemo therapy last Friday. Her blood counts were too low. Instead she had another blood transfusion. This turned in to a seventeen hour day (travel time and time at the cancer institute and CHOC hospital). She is scheduled to have chemo this coming Friday provided her blood work is okay. She is doing well. Laughing and happy as usual. She has an appointment with a neuro pschologist this Wednesday. They will conduct testing to gage her deffecits and help with regaining what was lost from the trama to her brain. She will also see the psychologist to have some one to talk with about her feelings. The rest of the family is doing well.

NINA'S TUMOR IS SHRINKING!!!!!!!

We saw the neurosurgeon today. He confirmed that the tumor is shrinking!!!!! He told me he never expected it to shrink, only stop growing. He smiled the entire time we were in his office. He said that oncology may consider the tumor to be stable and stop chemo. Nina's oncologist is on vacation this week, so we will talk with her when she is back. My feeling is to continue treatment as long as Nina is doing well to get maximum results. We will see what the oncologist says. The neurosurgeon also said that Nina's memory and eye sight should improve as the tumor shrinks. He showed me the last MRI (November) and the new one sided by side. There is no mistaking that this tumor had shrunk! This is all such great news! Nina is a warrior. She continues to defy the odds of this disease!!!!!!!

Nina's progress

Yesterday was a day filled with doctor’s appointments. Nina’s platelets were low on Friday (23). They should be no lower than 20. On Sunday she had a spot on her arm that would not stop bleeding. She also had petechia (small purple spots on her body from small blood vessels bursting near the skin due to low platelets). So, our first stop was CHOC cancer institute to have blood drawn to check platelets. After this we went to have her three-month MRI. Then we headed to her ob/gyn appointment. The doctor said that they were unable to read the ultrasound of her uterus and ovaries. A MRI will be done instead. Nina’s bone density test read low / average number. The test will be repeated yearly and if the number drops at all she will have to be treated (with medication). The reason there is a problem with her bone density is because she has very low estrogen levels due to the tumor. Estrogen effects calcium in the bones. Therefore, low bone density. After this appointment we headed back to the Cancer institute for blood work results. Nina’s platelets had dropped to 8 over the weekend. Nina had to have a platelet transfusion. She had a reaction during the transfusion (hives on her face). They administered benadryl (two doses), and steroids. The hives subsided. Next we headed to the neurosurgeons office to have both of her shunts adjusted. The neurosurgeon was not in to the read the MRI.Today CHOC cancer institute called me and told me they received the MRI and there is a reduction in tumor size!!!!!!!!!! I know the reading of the MRI can be subjective. So, we have an appointment scheduled for Wednesday with the neurosurgeon to have him read the MRI.