Christmas & More

Kid's Rules Apply (no time to worry about grammar, punctuation or run on sentences, etc.)

Angela has traditionally cooked a seafood gumbo for her family for Christmas. She would make her usual run to Tony's Seafood and buy enough crab meat and shrimp to where you could almost eat the gumbo with a fork.... talk about good. Well this year our friends at Tony's Seafood provided Christmas Eve dinner for us. They loaded us down with fried fish, fried shrimp, boiled crabs (do you know how hard it is to eat boiled crabs when you have two little boys who also eat boiled crabs...anyway), all the sides and two pies. It was a feast. Sebastian, Angela's brother-in-law, kept the gumbo tradition going by bringing a pot to add to all the delicious food from Tony's. The kids opened their gifts from the family and we eventually got them to bed for Santa's visit.

Christmas morning my sister and her family came over to cook us brunch and play with the kids. The boys got motorized jeeps from Santa. They put on their firemen outfits and road around in their jeeps all day putting out fires and helping people. Karlie and Vance, my niece and nephew, did a great job keeping them entertained. Kat got a baby doll with a stroller. When she wasn't riding with her big brother Alex in his jeep, she was holding her baby doll and strolling her like a big girl. Angela really enjoyed herself watching the kids play and open toys.

My B-Day (the 26th) my sister came over after work to give us a night. The night out turned into a much needed nap at home and an opportunity to soak in the tub. It was great!

Overall Angela has been really tired lately. She is finally feeling the effects of the radiation treatments. She has had quite a few headaches because of some mild swelling of the brain.... again the radiation's side effects. Christmas has been a little bittersweet for her given her lack of mobility, fatigue and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. She plan's on having on better Christmas next year ..... THANKS and PLEASE keep up the prayers!

Time to get back with kids ... they want to play on their "computers" Santa brought them.

1st MRI - GOOD NEWS!

This will be short ....we're about to be on our way to see Santa at Tammy and Joey's house. The results of Angela's MRI yesterday were good. There were still no signs of the tumor. Thanks for your prayers! I'll post more later when I get a moment.

Goodbye to Rad Treatments !!!

Just spoke with Angela at 1:50 p.m. and they are setting her up for her LAST radiation treatment at 2:00 p.m. - - THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT - - she is so very grateful to be through with this tedious part of her treatment and so looking forward to this weekend to celebrate Alex's 4th birthday.

Angela will go home after her treatment today and sleep for a few hours until her meds wear off and to get some rest before this weekend. She presented her treatment team at Mary Bird Perkins with a cake yesterday afternoon to express her appreciation for all their TLC.

Angela - you are an inspiration and example to all of us with your hard work in therapy and how far you have progressed in a short period of time !!!

A FEW CHANGES

There are a few changes to my post from yesterday. The doctor has decided not to wait until after her visit to Duke to begin the next round of chemotherapy. Nothing is wrong, just with the holidays and her not being able to get an appointment at Duke until January, they are making some adjustments. The doctors don't like to wait that long between rounds of chemo so they will begin the next round within the next few weeks. Her next MRI is scheduled for December 18th. At this time, they will be able to see if the radiation and chemo are producing the results that they anticipate. After the results are in, they will then begin the next round of chemo. Angela is very nervous about the MRI and the results so please keep her in your prayers that day.
Regarding her radiation treatments. She was not able to take her treatment today as the radiation machine was "down" at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Treatment Center. Therefore, tomorrow will not be her last treatment. BUT, Thursday is the last day and she is looking very forward to the end of that chapter.
GREAT NEWS! Today was her last chemo treatment for this round. She will definitely enjoy the break before beginning the next round. Actually, she is ready to get started. She doesn't want to waste any time!!!!
This coming Sunday, we will all celebrate Alex's 4th birthday (his actual birthday is 12/11). Please remember Angela and her family on this very special day. Days like these are very important to them and somewhat emotional.
Once again, I ask that you keep Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine in your daily thought and prayers. For we know and believe that THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

THE NEXT STEP

As Angela's first round of Chemo and radiation comes to an end, she celebrates with a great deal of joy and relief. As of now, there are NO future plans for any type of radiation treatment. Her next appointment at Duke is scheduled for January 6th & 7th. It appears that she will begin her next round of chemo after her visit to Duke. Dr. Stagg (her oncologist) did mention that there is a drug she could possibly take between the scheduled rounds of chemo so I expect that she will find out more on that in the next week or so.
I did talk to her this morning and she stated that the Christmas tree is up and the kids are extremely excited. They cannot wait for Santa to come!!!! Angela is excited that she will be "treatment free" during the Christmas Season.
Her physical therapy has been going very well. She is no longer using the 4-prong walking cane ~ she is using a regular single "leg" cane. She is doing a great job in regards to getting back "on her feet". It is amazing how far she has come in such a short time. Some days, she has to be reminded how far she has come but with that being said, she is VERY thankful.
She wants to again send thanks to everyone for their words of encouragement, prayers, flowers, gifts and delicious meals. The entire family is blessed to have all of you in their lives. They have gotten where they are now because of all of you. So, thanks to everyone for beings such an important part of this journey.
OH!!!! One more thing from Angela...............GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!

Holidays

We had a great Thanksgiving. As this is a time of thanks I would like to express my family's gratitude to all our friends and family who have helped us in this difficult time. Since we enjoyed Thanksgiving lunch at my Aunt Lucy's, I want to take this opportunity to single her out. Lucy .... thanks for sleeping on the couch when Angela did not want to be alone. Thanks for bathing her, rubbing her feet, driving the kids to preschool, shopping and the list goes on.... As I am writing this ... and trying not to cry..... Lucy is in the driver's seat of our Expedition and I'm in the passenger seat updating this blog. My sweet observant son Christian, just handed me a tissue from the backseat. The sitter could not make it today, so I get Kat to myself. We just dropped Angela off at PT; and we're bringing Alex and Christian to preschool.

Angela is doing great a PT and her radiation treatments. She asked me to post a Kudo for Mike Stuart, her other radiation technician at Mary Bird. Both Mike's have been very caring and patient to help her through the radiation treatments.

The holidays are a bittersweet time for anyone in our situation. I can tell the whole weight of the situation is starting to wear on her. She is doing her best to keep up the "can do" attitude .... but with Kat's B-day, Thanksgiving, Alex's D-Day, Angela's B-Day, Christmas, my B-Day, New Years ...it is kind of like a holiday marathon for us. Anyway please keep praying .... all I want for Christmas is a miracle.

We're pulling into preschool..... got to go.

KATHERINE TURNS 1

Yesterday we celebrated Katherine's first birthday.....her actual birthday is 11/21. It was a great party and a very special day. I thought that I'd share a few pictures will all of you. As you can tell, she really enjoyed her cake!

Hi Everyone ... It's Me.

This is my first post and I want to thank everyone who has put me in their prayers, it is hard to express what this truly means to me. I want to thank those who have sent cards, flowers, and words of encouragement. To everyone who has helped with food, cleaning, babysitting and the list goes on, we truly appreciate it. Every one's love and support is truly what has helped us get through this difficult time. Thanks for your kind words and thoughtful comments on your posts . It is hard to read the blog without crying. I have all the confidence and faith in God that with every one's prayers we're going to beat this monster. I'm making plans to attend my kids' college graduations. I feel God has a plan for me. I hope and believe it is to help someone down the road to give them hope; like so many angels have given me and my family through this difficult journey. At some of the hardest times, God has appeared through people to remind me not to doubt and he is walking every step with me.

I have had a few difficult days recently with my hair loss and still minimal use of my left foot; but I'm still working hard at therapy everyday and trying to be patient. My PT, Chad, is amazing and goes beyond in helping me reach my goals. My left arm is regaining strength but I had to type this with my right hand only. With all that said, I thank God every day how lucky I am because it could be so much worse.

Today was a day of mixed emotions, we celebrated Katherine's 1st birthday. Her actual birthday is November 21st. It is so surreal to think a year ago I was pregnant and now a year later I'm dealing with this monster in my head.

I know God is seeing me through every moment of this, but I do have my moments. Please keep praying. David and I have been blessed with 3 little miracles and now we need one more so we can raise these little miracles together.

My love to everyone
Angela

Tomorrow Marks the 1/2 Way Mark on the Chemo/Radiation

Angela had another good weekend. We started around 8:30 to make church at 11:00... and we still managed to be 30 minutes late. After another good Burn Paige sermon we headed off for a family outing. We picked up 3 Happy Meals and headed to park by the Zoo. Christian managed to drop his hamburger before the first bite. Luckily daddy's meal came with two. From there we headed to the zoo joined by friends and family. We all had a great time. Angela got a little burned last time.... this time she put on plenty of sun screen. This weekend also marked the first time Angela started loosing some hair. While she still has a lot of hair .... the loss is more pronounced where the radiation treatments are focused. She is starting to where a cap. She still looks great in her Tulane baseball cap. Tammy took her wig shopping last week. She still doesn't need it yet ... but the day is coming.

Tomorrow marks the 1/2 mark for the first phase of her treatment. She is starting to tire out more quickly and I can tell the treatments are beginning to take their toll on her energy. Even with the chemo/radiation wearing her down .... she is giving 110% at therapy to walk and regain her mobility. She goes everyday and works hard for at least two hours. Her therapist Chad is giving her better than his best. When I'm pulling up to pick her up he is always working her to the last minute. I can't say enough about how they have helped her regain some of her mobility. I no longer follow her around the house stabilizing her with a gait belt. She is walking on her own with her cane and a brace on her leg. Angela is also back in her bed. She can get up on her own now when shes needs to. She has come a long way since her surgery.

We both have our moments of hope and despair ... but all in all we're both holding up pretty well. Again thanks to everyone for your prayers and kindness. Please keep praying .... we're holding out for a miracle.

Back in the Saddle

As I write this 3 kids are bouncing around me.... Angela is gaining her mental strength back after the setback on Friday. Saturday night was pretty tough. She was really depressed from Friday's consult with the Neurosurgeon. My sister took the boys to the park to play and Angela broke down that evening while they were gone. I convinced her to to take a Xanax and she finally fell asleep before the boys came home. After a lot of prodding I convinced her to go to church Sunday morning. As usual Burn Page's sermon seemed to be tailored made for us. From there things started looking up. We met my sister for a picnic lunch before heading to the zoo. Angela thoroughly enjoyed the outing as Alex road in her lap and Steele pushed her chair. Her Family Sunday outing was what we needed to get her back on track. She still has her moments but....but she is getting back to where she needs to be.
Thanks for the prayers, support and help! Did I mention the 3 kids....gotta go.

Never Give Up!

Today we saw the Neurosurgeon.....he is a fantastic surgeon....did a better than great job on getting out all the visible tumor.....but he might as well change his name to Dr. Doom. Angela was in tears after her post-op checkup when Dr. Doom gave her his usual you might have a year or two......you might want to make a video so the kids will know that you loved them......take some family trips... make some memories..... enjoy everyday as if you were dying... yadda... yadda... yadda. We all know this is going to be an uphill battle, but with God all things are possible. This thing is beatable. I'm going with Duke's motto "At Duke there is hope!" and Mary Bird Perkin's staff "We have cured people with this." She was in such despair she didn't think she could go through with the radiation treatments. I gave her a Zannex to calm down. While we were waiting for her radiation therapist (Mike Miranda.....incredible bedside manner...great guy!) to come get her, a FrenchQuarterMarket.com customer called on her cell phone from California. I told Sandy that Angela was getting ready to go into a treatment; and I ask could I take a message. She told me she had heard about Angela's tumor and just wanted offer some words of encouragement. She said she has a friend that was diagnosed with a tumor and given a year to live. That was six years ago! Instead of taking a message I gave the phone to Angela..... this was her Angel... her ray of hope ....just at the perfect moment. After Sandy's call Angela's hope began rebounding. The therapist came and took her to radiation.

While I was in the lobby waiting for her a volunteer came up to me and offered me a cup of coffee. I accepted and she began telling me that she volunteers her time at Mary Bird Perkins because she wants to repay the kindness and help that was given her by the physicians and the staff of Mary Bird Perkins. Her 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 5 years to live. That was 33 years ago! Her 37 year old daughter is doing just fine. I asked her to please tell her story to Angela, which she gladly did. Two Angels in one day! Angela and I both believe God was telling her "Don't give up - I am with you". Angela's spirit is one of hope again.

THANKS everyone for your prayers and kind words of encouragement. She reads every post. Please keep praying and encouraging her.... post often .... your posts really mean a lot.

Halloween Night

ANGELA & KATHERINE





ANGELA, DAVID, ALEX, CHRISTIAN & KATHERINE

Radiation, Halloween & Stuff

Halloween was great last night at Tammy & Joey Culmone's. The kids dressed up in their costumes and Angela tagged along in her wheel chair. The kids actually got tired before Angela did. The nausea seems to be a lot better now. She is only taking one nausea pill at noon before taking the chemo drug.

She is now moving her ankle about 30% and her toes are her next target. They're at about 10%. She is doing great in therapy and working hard...about 2 hours a day! She is actually walking a little bit around the house without me. I'm having to get on her a little bit about that....but for someone with her mindset (stubborn)...not to mention that I'm her husband...translation...I'm talking to the "wall".

Today she tried to do radiation treatment ("the mask") without taking an anxiety pill before her session. She made it through the session but she was definitely traumatized by it. I think tomorrow she go back to taking the anxiety pill to take the edge off. Today I saw a grown man twice her size walk out saying "I just can't do it."

Thanks again to everyone for your prayers, support and of course the delicious food! Excuse the poor grammar and all the "....." but with 3 kids and someones yummy lasagna baking in the oven..... you'll have to give me a pass

David

Monday Momentum - Moving Forward

Physical therapy went very well again today - Angela and David wish to express their tremendous appreciation to Mike and Chad at Morgan Physical Therapy for seeing to it that she gets the most out of her therapy sessions. Chad has diligently worked with Angela day after day to see that she maximizes the benefit of her time there. Angela is working hard and getting the job done !!!

Today was a record also for minimizing time under the "mask". Her radiation treatment was completed in a record 20 minutes. Still no fun, but Angela's learning how to manage it. Four down and 26 to go !!!

Angela had some pretty serious problems with nausea over the weekend - got pretty bad on Sunday - she asked David not to come straight home after he brought the kids to church - he brought them out to lunch and to play at the park for a couple hours - that gave Angela a little window to get some much-needed rest. Hoping this nausea may subside after a few days of her system adjusting to the chemo meds.

Visits are a little dicey right now - safer to call ahead - she loves to have people around when she can enjoy them, but that is not always possible. David said he hated the thought of eating out for lunch with all the home-cooked food at his house, but it was necessary in order for Angela to get some quiet and rest.

You will notice that a food/meal calendar has been added to this site. David requested this so that nobody's food preparation efforts will be wasted. They have cleared some freezer space to store extra food, but capacity is limited, so the calendar will help to eliminate duplication of efforts. David and Angela said the food has been spectacular, and I can verify that fact for you, because I have "participated" in several of the meals.

Angela went to Aunt Lucy's house Monday afternoon to take a nap and David took the kids home to play.

Thanks for the outpouring of love and support during the past few weeks. It has truly been overwhelming in the best possible way.

END OF WEEK UPDATE!

Angela has completed her first week of treatment. I am happy to report that she has ended her week on a positive note. She is becoming more comfortable with the radiation treatments or should I say, she is becoming more comfortable with the mask. The first day her treatment took a little over an hour and the second about 45 minutes. Today her treatment only took 25 minutes and she was very excited. She and I celebrated this accomplishment over the phone and you could hear the excitement in her voice!!!!! What a beautiful sound! She has also completed her first week of chemotherapy and so far so good. She was a little queasy this morning but she thinks it was from eating breakfast too early.
Physically she continues to get stronger. She is still showing signs of movement in the left foot and toes. Today she was able to do circular movement with her left shoulder. She was able to dry her hair and put on her shoes. Just to let you know this is a major improvement. When I stayed with her at the rehab hospital she could not do any of this. She is also walking better everyday. She is becoming stronger physically which in turn is making her stronger mentally.
David and Angela would like to again thank all of you for your prayers, words of encouragement, gifts, food and visits. They would like to send a special thank you to their Aunt Lucy Priddy. Lucy has been spending the nights with them and helping Angela tremendously. She is God sent and truly a blessing for the entire family.
Please continue to pray for Angela, David and the kids as it is evident everyday that our prayers are being answered.

The first day of treatment

Angela had a busy day today. It began this morning at 8:30 with physical therapy at Morgan’s Physical Therapy that lasted until 10 a.m. Angela says the physical therapy went well and her therapist stimulated her muscles with electrodes. There isn’t a lot of movement in her left foot but there was some movement, and that is encouraging. Though she won’t be going to physical therapy tomorrow due to a scheduling conflict with her radiation treatments, she will be going through outpatient physical therapy Monday through Friday as she continues to work on regaining full use of her left arm and leg. Her movement and use of her left arm continues to show noticeable improvement and small signs that she is gaining use of her left leg and foot continues.

Today was also the day in which she began both her chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She is taking her chemotherapy orally seven days a week and her radiation treatments are taking place at Mary Bird Cancer Center in Baton Rouge daily from Monday through Friday. Angela’s radiation and chemo are following the protocol that was mapped out for her at Duke University last week. The treatments are scheduled to last six weeks with a total of approximately 30 radiation treatments during that time period, adjusting for holidays. Angela says the entire staff at Mary Bird has been incredible to work with and she is very pleased with the care she is receiving there.

The radiation got off to a rough start because she was nervous and scared but she made it through it. Though she took a Valium to calm her nerves, she says it didn’t kick in while she was there. However, this blogger can tell you that the Valium finally did kick in a few minutes after 5 p.m. as she was dictating her experiences today to me.

With Angela now sleeping, I don’t have a lot of first-hand information to add. However, she did tell me that the medical professionals say the first day is the longest and the hardest and Angela was wearing her radiation mask for 42 minutes today. In the future she says she’s told she’ll be wearing the mask about half that amount of time and though she was very anxious going into Mary Bird today, she now knows what to expect and is much more comfortable with the procedure.

“They say that about half the people freak out over the mask and one person refused to wear the mask and left without taking radiation,” Angela told me, adding, “I told them I have three small children to raise and there is no way I’m not going through these treatments.”

Angela wants to again thank everyone who is keeping up with her through this blog and she appreciates everyone who has taken the time to offer his or her messages of hope and prayer. She reads them daily, often re-reading old ones and she gains strength from them.

GREAT NEWS!!!!

Today Angela completed her 2nd day of physical therapy. It must be working because today she was able to move her left foot and toes. Although it was a slight movement, this is a big improvement. She has been unable to move her left foot and leg below the knee since before surgery. This is awesome!!!! In addition, her left arm is getting much stronger. Yesterday she was able to put on Alex's shoes as well as her own. She even changed diapers.

Since surgery her mode of transportation has been a wheelchair. Well, today she left therapy using a cane!!!! She is now able to transfer herself in and out of the vehicle and bed with little assistance.

As you can see our prayers are being answered. Keep up the great work.

Please say a special prayer for Angela as she begins her radiation and chemo treatments tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers and please don't stop!

MOVING FORWARD

Joey and I visited with Angela and David last night and we were amazed at how much stronger physically she has gotten. She has more strength and mobility in her left arm which has her feeling very positive. Last night, she was able to put Katherine's socks on which she was unable to do a week ago. As you can all understand, this is a big deal!!!!
The kids are very happy to have Angela and David home. David's Aunt Lucy has been staying with them and has been a big help. They appreciate her being there and helping them with the kids and the everyday operations of the house.
Now regarding Angela's cancer treatment plan. The next 6 weeks are mapped out and it all begins this coming Wednesday. She will have 7 days a week of chemotherapy treatment. This will be an oral medication which she will take in pill form. What a blessing!!!! She will have radiation treatment 5 days a week which will be done at Mary Bird Perkins. The treatments will last for 6 weeks. At the ends of the 6 weeks, the medical team will redo all of her tests and scans to check the progress and then move forward from that point. She reports back to Duke in 3 months for her follow up visit with the medical team there.
As far as her physical rehabilitation, she begins out patient physical therapy this coming Monday at Morgan Physical Therapy. They have an office in Port Allen which will be very convenient for her. She is very anxious to begin physical therapy in order to achieve the goals that she has set for herself. Walking soon is a major goal for her and with her determination, I know that she will achieve that goal very soon.
We will keep all of you updated on her progress. Thanks for all of the prayers and words of encouragement that you have posted on this blog. She reads all of them and sends many thanks for thinking of her.
Please continue to pray for Angela, David, Alex, Christian and Katherine.

Happy With Their Decision

Angela and David have returned home and are very happy that they went to Duke. I talked to David tonight and he stated that he and Angela definitely made the right choice. He said that Duke is the place to be when it comes to treating brain cancer. All or most of their questions were answered and they left their appointment feeling very positive. The treatment plan is in place and they are ready to begin the journey.
They also wanted me to thank Gretchen for opening their home to them. David said that he felt Angela was more comfortable being at her house as opposed to being in a hotel. So, thanks Gretchen for all that you did for Angela, David and Theresa.
Angela has an appointment tomorrow morning at 7:45 with her radiologist.
I will post more information as soon as it is available.
Please continue to pray for Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine.

Duke offers hope

On Tuesday evening, Angela, David and Teresa had a great flight to Raleigh. While in North Carolina they are staying with one of Angela's high school classmates, Gretchen Nadler Clifton, and her family.

The muscle spasms which have given Angela fits since last Friday are better now, I'm told, but she still had some difficulty sleeping Tuesday night.

This morning they met with the medical team at Duke, who explained their process and gave them a lot of reasons to be hopeful. A treatment plan is now in place and she will be treated primarily in Baton Rouge though some of the medicines she will require are not available here and she will return to Duke as needed. Though no huge promises were made, Angela is finding comfort that there is a plan in place and enough success stories out there to make her feel optimistic.

David and Angela were able to get a good nap this afternoon and tomorrow they will be back at Duke again to meet with a social worker. Then it's back to Baton Rouge tomorrow evening and an appointment with a radiologist is already scheduled for Friday.

Angela's Super Heroes: Christian, Alex and Katherine

SAFE AND SOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Angela, David and Theresa have arrived safely in North Carolina. I spoke with Theresa last night and she said that Angela had a good flight. They were greeted at the airport by Gretchen Nadler Clifton. Angela graduated from high school with Gretchen and she has been kind enough to open her home to them. God Bless her for that!
Angela's appointment is Wednesday morning at 9am. She is going to call me later this afternoon so I'll give you an update as soon as I can.
Please continue to pray for her!!!!
tammy

The last morning at the Rehab Hospital

It's 8:30a.m. Tuesday morning and Angela is sleeping comfortably in the easy chair that's she's been finding comfort in for the past few days. Since Friday night, Angela has been dealing with a tremendous amount of pain from muscle spasms we believe were brought on by an overly-rigorous physical therapy routine. She’s described the pain as being “100 times worse than childbirth” and on a 1-10 scale, where a 10 is the worst, she’s given her pain level as a 15.
The pain has been so intense that we worried she may have kidney stones but yesterday’s x-rays showed no kidney stones and the medical staff believes that it’s just intense muscle spasms. The spasms have kept Angela from getting physical therapy for the past several days.
Angela’s friend of 40 years, Tammy Sharon Culmone, came in with food from Brewbacker’s last night and we chowed down on hamburgers, fries and greasy onion rings. Tammy spent the night with Angela last night, allowing David to spend a night with their three children before today’s trip to North Carolina. When I arrived this morning, Tammy told me Angela sleep well last night and she’s been sleeping peacefully since I arrived.
Today’s schedule includes Angela checking out the rehab hospital this afternoon and then taking a private flight to Raleigh at 4 p.m. She will be joined by David and her sister, Teresa Lawhon.
For those of you who are relying on this site to stay posted on Angela’s progress, please know that Tammy, Steele and I are going to work to keep everyone informed on a more regular basis.
And once again, Angela and David want to thank everyone who has sent cards, flowers, gifts, food and those who have given their time to stay with Angela and with the children.
John Michael

UPDATE ON ANGELA

I have visited with Angela several times over the past few weeks. She has become stronger both mentally and physically. Angela has a very positive attitude and is ready for the fight ~ which she plans on winning!

She has been in physical therapy 3 hours a day 6 days a week and has been working very hard. Angela had a little set back a few days ago when she pulled a muscle in her lower back while in therapy. This has caused her to have muscle spasms in her lower right back which has been very painful. But you know Angela, she is dealing with it and only looking to the future.

David and Angela leave on Tuesday for Duke University as she has an appointment Wednesday morning with Dr. Henry Friedman. David and Angela are both excited and anxious as they prepare for their trip. Please continue to pray that God will guide Dr. Friedman, Angela and David through this process. For we know that through Him ALL things are possible.

Angela and David have asked that I thank all of you for your flowers, visits, phone calls, food, but most importantly your prayers. She asked that you continue to pray for her to have the strength to continue her fight.

I ask that you continue to pray and ask God to please bless Angela with the recovery that she so deserves. I also ask that you continue to ask God to give Angela and David the strength to continue the fight and remain strong and positive through this journey. Also, please pray for their 3 beautiful children who love their Mommy more than anything ~ Alex (age 3), Christian (age 2) and Katherine (10 months).

New Scenery

On Wednesday evening, they moved Angela to the NeuroMedical Center Rehabilitation Hospital to begin rebuilding her strength and mobility. Since the surgery, Angela has had some paralysis on the left side of her body. This was expected since her first warning signs came from a loss of feeling in her left leg and her doctor had cautioned her that the paralysis would get worse before it got better.
Angela has a beautiful, spacious corner room on the top floor of the Rehab Hospital with floor to ceiling windows on two sides that give her an incredible bird’s eye view of Perkins Rowe. The change of scenery suits her well and the staff here has been very positive and responsive.
Angela’s current routine includes three hours a day of occupational therapy and physical therapy. Current plans are to have her at the Rehab Hospital for a week to help her build her strength back and regain use of her left side.
Last night the kids came for a visit. I slipped out the room to enjoy some of Tammy Sharon Culmone's meatballs and spaghetti by myself in the common dining area. Through three walls I could hear our middle son Christian scream "Spiderman, Batman". Fortunately the staff here appreciates our circumstances and never even gave us a frown.
All of Angela’s medical records were sent to Duke University this week and we are waiting for them to schedule her visit there. Dr. Henry S. Friedman is well-respected in his field and has given us encouraging words, which have been very comforting at such a difficult time. Below is a link that illustrates the success of his program:
http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=5429

Thank you for respecting our privacy while we were coming to terms with our situation. She is now up for having visits from family and friends. We're in room 602 at the NeuroMedical Center on Blue Bonnet (Perkins Rowe).

Thanks again for all your prayers, support and words of encouragement.

Friends and Family of Angela Carville Fluker

This past Labor Day weekend Angela began loosing control of her left foot. After a couple of weeks worth of doctor's visits and several MRIs later she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had the tumor removed at the Lady of the Lake hospital this Friday. The surgery went well and all of the visible tumor was removed. Unfortunately the tumor was malignant (Glioblastoma Multiforme). Considering the circumstances she is holding up well as anyone could. There have been lots of valleys and very few peaks during this past week. When she is able to travel we plan to treat the tumor at Duke University with Dr. Henry S. Friedman. This world renown brain tumor specialist personally called us back at 9:00 pm on the same day we requested a consult. Incredible! We're hoping this is the miracle we were praying for. The support from our family and friends has been overwhelming, it has given us hope in a very bleak situation. I want to thank everyone who has called, visited, emailed, cooked or shown us love and support in anyway. However right now we need a little time by ourselves to regroup and mentally come to terms with our situation. I'm sure we'll be in a better place mentally to visit and talk with our friends and family in a few days. Your prayers and support have really meant a lot. We are still in the tower at the Lake room 426. I'm not sure when we'll go home, but it will be soon.


We'll do our best to keep this updated. Please feel free to post your comments of love and support. I promise Angela and I will read them.

A Sincere Thanks to Everyone,

David, Angela, Alex, Christian & Katherine