‎8/12/12

I have bad news and good news. Jason fell yesterday after getting out of bed. He started to lose his balance and before I could grab him he fell forward into the wall and window hitting his head and scraping his knees. For me, it was just like the other time he fell. I was telling him to lie down because he was trying to get up and was shaking so badly I wasn't sure if this was a seizure or not.

I took him to the ER where they did a CT scan. It revealed a small amount of bleeding in a couple of area's on the right side of his head (where he had surgery). They sent the scans over to Dr Baird who reviewed them and according to the ER Dr (which I didn't like one bit) he said that it wasn't too worrisome (not sure exactly what that means - bleeding to me is worrisome). 

The good news

 is that Jason said that yesterday was the best he has felt in a while....minus falling of course. We were just talking about going to feed the ducks and Makaylin and I were singing Adele's song "crazy for you" to him right before he fell. He says even after he fell that he felt fine.

So my worst nightmare about returning to work has now come true….what if he were to fall and no one was here to help him? If anyone is willing to help us I would really appreciate it. I can’t tell you how scary it is to watch him fall face first toward the wall….twice now. I am so worried that one of these times (God forbid this happen again) that he could end up really really hurting himself.

Family and friends – please let me know if you can help be here for him. I have set up a schedule and will be trying to fill the time when I am away from work. My brother has been here most of the time and I will be asking him what times/days he won’t be here so I know when I need someone to come over. I know for sure I will need someone on the 14th. Thank you in advance for your help.

‎8/8/12

Jason has been extremely tired and sleeps 16-22 hours a day. I am not sure if it is the aftermath of the radiation treatments, normal healing, or a combination of everything. He hasn't eaten much in the last 24 hours and the Cellect that he took tonight with his vitamins made him throw up. I am guessing it was because he hadn't eaten anything. Hopefully he is feeling better tomorrow. 

This week has been really hard. Monday I went to work and was crying at my desk talking to my friend because I am just having a hard time dealing with everything. I really am trying to hold it together but this new reality of working, taking & picking up Makaylin everyday, getting home late and then trying to find time for the kids is really exhausting. If it wasn't for my brother being here since I returned to work I would be a bigger mess than I am. Thanks Jes ♥ 

I got a message from CTCA that they are trying to schedule Jason's surgery to replace his skull flap on 9/14. Jason will need to have a CT scan that will allow them to make him a custom skull flap. I have concerns about them replacing it with anything other than his real skull, but his surgeon said that once it is removed it is dead anyway.

We found a company that offers free flights for cancer patients. It is called Corporate Angels (thanks Bonnie). We have to register with them 3 weeks before we need to fly out so hopefully CTCA will let me know by the end of this week.

I have left his surgeon 2 messages asking for more details about his MRI, the skull flap and the possibility of swelling causing complications....I have not received a call back yet. It is hard to be patient during this time in our lives. 

Thanks to all the wonderful people that have helped us and continue to help us! I don't wish this upon any of you but I hope you know that if you ever needed us we would be there for you as you have been here for us. 

I have learned how precious life is and how most people take it for granted, including me. I would encourage all of you to make sure that you tell the people that you love you love them and enjoy the simple things in life. Don't put off something you want to do because you think you can't do it. The week before Jason starting experiencing headaches we had talked about going down to the Great Cat Worlds Park. We were both on vacation for a week. We talked about it and realized it how much it cost to go and decided against it, as we were saving for our wedding that was planned for 6/20/13. I can't tell you how much I regret not going. 

I also realize that we are not the only ones that are being faced with a life threatening illness. I have been reading other people's stories on indiegogo and I am so heartbroken. I have read many stories but one story broke my heart into pieces. Tammara is pregnant with her first baby, Annabella Rose. She recently found out her daughter has Ectopa Cordi, which means her heart has developed outside of her chest cavity. Not only that but her liver has done the same. Her baby has a 0% chance of survival. I reached out to her through FB and let her know how sorry I was for what she was going through. I can't even imagine. I wish things didn't have to be this way for us.....as I wish things didn't have to be the way they are for an innocent baby. I try to find the reason's for these things but it is so hard. 

Again, thank you for your continued support. I am afraid our journey will be long but will be a journey worth while especially when the day comes that we can say that the MRI shows no more cancer and Jason is back doing the things he loves to do.

‎8/2/12

We had Jason's MRI images sent to Tulsa for Dr Baird to review. His response to Jason's nurse nagivator @ CTCA was "MRI looks great, no concerns" Which is amazing news but I was hoping he would tell us more details. I am going to call him directly just to see if I can find out anything else. 

Today is my 3rd day back at work. Jesse Garratt (My wonderful brother!) has been at our house this week helping Jason. Thank you Jes!!!

Check out what Julie Lipchitz made! It is great! Thanks Julie!

Help Strike Out Cancer

Click on the photo to make it larger

Please save the date and attend this event to help Jason.  

September 29th 5:30-8:30 pm

‎7/29/12

It has been 3 months since Jason was diagnosed. Time seems to have gone by fast and slow at the same time, if that makes any sense at all. The radiation has been very hard on Jason and he has decided that he does not want to continue treatments any longer. When we went to the doctor the other day, he asked us if Jason had been hit or if anything had happened to him because there was a small amount of blood in his ear. The blood was dry. Nothing (thankfully) has happened to him. Could this be from the radiation? I don't know, but it certainly couldn't have been from anything else that I can think of.

We have been faced with so many tough decisions and this one is not any easier. Although, we do know that the best decision is what Jason feels is the right thing to do. Only he knows exactly how he is feeling and has learned through this experience to listen to what his body is telling him.

We said a prayer yesterday for God to help us make a decision and for all of the alternative treatments we are doing to help him.

This is a picture of Jason with his mask on for radiation. I wasn't even sure that I should post this picture but I want our friends and family to really have a good understanding of what he has been going through. This has been really hard on him both mentally and physically. He said he didn't think that radiation was going to be as hard as it has been on him.

Jason is so important to me....It is hard for me to watch him go through this. I wish I could do more.....I wish I knew more answers. I love him so much ♥

7/27/12

We are still working on scheduling his next surgery. Looking forward to having it behind us. Jason is doing good. Still really tired and sleeps most of the day. 11 treatments to go. Went to the doctors today for a follow up. I got another paper copy of his MRI. It is all so very confusing. I have requested the the MRI images be sent by FedEx to Dr Baird for review. He should have them on Tuesday. 

If you can please take the time to help out with one of these fundraisers. Our family and friends have spent a lot of time and effort putting these together and we could really use the help! The money raised will continue to go to Jason to pay for his alternative treatments not covered by our insurance. We also have a ton of medical bills but our first concern is getting Jason better.

***VOLUNTEERS NEEDED @ Centenial High School in Gresham - JULY 28th and 29th LINK THE PINK/RELAY FOR LIFE EVENT***
There will be a booth during this entire event Saturday at 10 am through Sunday July 29th 10pm. I am hoping that others will be able to come down and man the booth for Jason. The longer we have someone there the more links we will sell which means more donations for Jason's cause!
We will be selling gray links starting at $1.00 each. If you would like to volunteer your time then please contact Katrina Mascher (360) 241-0635 or krmascher@gmail.com.

***ORDER BY JULY 30th - PARTYLITE***
Through this Saturday only. 50% of your purchase will be donated to Jason! Go to http://www.partylite.biz/sites/camsflameslit/fundraisers-products to view the 3 products and 10 fragrances available for this fundraiser, then call Dena with your order 503-654-4924 it is that easy! Checks or cash only. Online ordering is not available for fundraiser.

***ORDER BY JULY 31st - DECALS & MONKEY FISTS ***
You can purchase a $5 decal that says "My Friend Battles Brain Cancer" Or it can say "My neighbor" or "My nephew" or "My Cousin" or whatever you want it to say. You can also purchase a brain cancer awareness ribbon decal for $2.50. A portion of all Proceeds will go to Jason Wilsons Benefit Fund. To place your order call Casey Sallee 503-396-6927 or email caseysallee@boatcscg.com. You can also order a monkey fist keychain. 

‎7/26/12

Jason has completed 21 of 33 radiation treatments. He is so tired and has lost some hair but is still as handsome as ever! I return to work next Tuesday...*tear* I also am in the process of scheduling his next surgery in Tulsa.

I wanted to explain the reason for all the sites. I am not sure if any of you have been wondering but in case you have here is an explaination =) 

The We Love Jason Facebook page is a great way to share Jason's story with friends and family however some of our friends and family are not on FB so we also have the Caring Bridge We Love Jason page as well. 

In addition, there is the www.fightingforjason.org page...this is the site that we share with everyone and is the site that is printed on the wristbands. This is the easiest way for those not on FB or caring bridge already to see the updates. We have met a lot of people through out this process and have shared that website with them. It also is a way for people to donate and we appreciate everyone that has donated to helping Jason fight cancer!

I recently have been searching FB looking for glioblastoma survivors and came across a few pages that were very helpful to me. So that made me think that there must be others that are searching for the same thing I am! So I created another page called Glioblastoma Fighter on FB which will allow people who are searching for answers as I am to find our page and ask us questions as I am doing on other people's pages. We are really hoping that we can connect with other people sharing the same experiences and be able to help them as well!

I update the same thing on all of these pages so you do not need to go to ALL of them as they all have the same information...the only thing that you may be interested in is seeing other people's responses like on the new Glioblastoma Fighter page.

7/22

These were pictures taken in Tulsa right after Jason's last surgery. I hadn't posted them before and wanted you all to see how great Jason's surgeon was with him.

One day after surgery in Tulsa at CTCA

This is Dr Baird the most wonderful surgeon ever! He is a great person who cares about his patients and it really shows!

Jason's surgeon, Dr. Baird, came and took off Jason's bandage
and got him up for his first walk after surgery!

This is Jason's bed at CTCA. It is an air bed that adjusts positions. We were so happy that they had this bed there because the other beds really hurt his back. This one was great!

7/20/12 - MRI UPDATE

We were able to view the MRI today with one of the resident radiologists and I also reviewed the report that was written (I am not sure who writes it though). It was a paper document. There was a lot of stuff I didn't understand but basically it was saying that there was possibly some residual tumor but that it was very very small. I also recieved a call from Jason's PCP tonight. He left a message regarding the final results of the MRI. He basically said the same thing in his message as the resident doctor said, so I suppose that at least it is good that we are getting the same information. It sounds like sometimes it is hard to tell 100% that something is or is not a tumor when it is really small like it is. Here is the great news.....no matter what is still there it has not grown!!!! That is amazing news!!! We will continue to figt hard to get rid of it!!!

There are several fundraisers that our amazing friends have going on right now for us! Please now how much we appreciate all of you and all that you have done for us! Here is a recap of what is going on:

DECALS & MONKEY FISTS - Through July 31 you can purchase a decal like the one pictured below. You can also order a monkey fist keychain. Casey Sallee will be donating a portion of all Proceeds to Jason Wilsons Benefit Fund. To place your order call 503-396-6927 or email caseysallee@boatcscg.com.

24 HOUR FITNESS & LINK THE PINK - Event is this Monday July 23 from 2-7pm at 800 S.E. Tech Center Drive, Vancouver, Washington 98684. Links can be purchased and funds will benefit Jason! It sounds like there will be other things going on to help other poeple battling cancer!

PARTYLITE - 50% of your purchase will be donated to Jason! Go tohttp://www.partylite.biz/sites/camsflameslit/fundraisers-products to view the 3 products and 10 fragrances available for this fundraiser, then call Dena with your order 503-654-4924 it is that easy! Fundraiser runs through July 30th. Checks or cash only. Online ordering is not available for fundraiser.

QUILT - For every $10 donated at www.fightingforjason.org you will be entered to win an amazing quilt made by Jason's aunt! A picture of the quilt is available at the above website. Drawing will be held in August!

Thank you to everyone who is helped us! We are so grateful for you all!

‎7/19/12

Jason just had his MRI at 5 tonight and I already recieved a call back from his doctor..................the radiologist said that his MRI looked really good and mentioned nothing about seeing a tumor!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am trying to contain my excitement right now.....this is a preliminary report but still....that is amazing news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to Dr Tremaine for calling us so late to tell us the news and thank you to the wonderful lady at the diagnostics imaging desk who helped get the results to his doctor tonight (sorry I don't recall your name) but you are all so wonderful and we can't thank you enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

‎7/17/12

Jason will have an MRI this Thursday. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers ♥ We are hoping and praying for amazing news that his tumor is smaller or evern better gone. His appointment is at 4:30. I am not sure how soon we will get the results back.

We want to say a very special thank you to our friend Tad and Hanger Inc for their amazing work in getting Jason a custom helmet that actually fits him and is comfortable!!! We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives and can even begin to explain how much appreciate what this company has done for Jason! The helmet he had before was a piece of junk that hurt his head. His new helmet does not hurt him at all and still protects his head! If you know any one who is in need of prosthetics or orthotics I would definitely contact this company. Go to www.hanger.com for more information. Check out the picture of Jason with his new helmet! Jason said he likes that it fits his ears! Liz - no ear jokes - =)

The Link the Pink event is this next Monday! Please come out to this event and help not only Jason's fight to beat cancer but others as well!!! You can visit link the pink athttp://linkthepink.org/events

Here is the event information....

24 hour fitness is hosting an event on 23rd of July at the Tech center location off of Millplain (Vancouver, Wa)

Link the Pink will be there from 2-7pm

Ulta will be providing stylists to cut hair for “Hair for Me” that will be donating to Locks of Love. This is a high school project for two ladies who attend Heritage High.

We will be selling links for a family in need with two small children with a Dad who has brain cancer

Please come support the community at this event!

7/16/12

After a couple of rough days last week Jason is doing a lot better!!! We even went out to Rainier on Saturday to spend time with his family for his Uncle's 70th birthday and go with them to Rainier Days which is a fair and firework show! Jason had a great time spending time with his family and we were so happy that we were able to go. The firework show was amazing!! Check out the pictures that Suzanne posted of her and Jason on the We Love Jason page!! Thank you to all of Jason's family for having us over and making that a great day to remember!!

Jason has started to lose his hair from radiation and also he has extremely dry skin on the right side. He said that before he started radiation that if he started to lose his hair he was going to quit treatments. He is finding it hard to make that decision now that losing his hair has become a reality. It is hard to know whether the radiation is causing more harm than good or more good than harm. We struggle with knowing what the right thing to do is all the time. As of right now he has completed 12 treatments leaving 21 left. Not even half way and already seeing the negative side effects is very hard for him, and for me. We are hoping that he can get an MRI soon and maybe that will help him decide whether to continue or not. 

We have the most amazing people in our lives, I will not be able to tell you all enough time how grateful we are and how blessed we are to have you all in our lives! Thank you for your continued love and support! We would not have been able to get through the last 3 months without all of your help and donations to our family! Our only income has been Jason's disability which is enough to cover our first mortgage only. Your generosity is heartwarming and we love you all so much!

Here are some amazing things that our friends are currently doing for us to help raise money and awareness about our situation. Please help out if you can....we appreciate it very much!

BOWLING FUNDRAISER ORGANIZED BY Katrina Schalz Mascher - Here is her post "I am working on a couple of fundraisers to help out with the extra costs. Please put your heads together if you know of anyone who would like to donate gifts, gift cards, gift baskets etc. I need these items for a bowling fundraiser that is scheduled for September 29th and any contributions would be greatly appreciated. Please call me, text me, facebook me if you can help! I really could use the help so I can make this an amazing fundraiser event. Watch for more details on the bowling extravaganza event! I will post the details and have flyers available shortly if anyone wants any."
Please email her at krmascher@gmail.com or FB message her at katrina.mascher@facebook.com 

PARTYLITE FUNDRASIER ORGANIZED BY DENA THORBURN - 50% of your purchase will be donated to Jason! Go tohttp://www.partylite.biz/sites/camsflameslit/fundraisers-products to view the 3 products and 10 fragrances available for this fundraiser, then call Dena with your order 503-654-4924 it is that easy! Fundraiser runs through July 30th. Checks or cash only. Online ordering is not available for fundraiser.

Thank you!!!

7/12/12

Last night was very hard.....Jason had a fever of 101, the chills, increased weakness and headaches. It was just me and Makaylin here and I was being faced with the decision to take him to the ER. In May, before his last surgery, these were some of the symptoms he was experiencing. It scared me so much I was crying to my brother on the phone. I asked Jason what he wanted me to do....he just said "what are they going to do at the ER" my response "I don't know" Really all they can do at this point is another MRI. 

Radiation can cause inflammation and swelling so getting an MRI right now may not give us an accurate picture of what his tumor is doing. In fact, radiation can cause the tumor to get mad (for lack of a better word) and things can actually get worse before getting better.....**tears**

I decided to do the only things I could....cold washcloth on his forehead and 2 fever reducer Tylenol. Over the next couple hours I changed and changed that washcloth. His fever did eventually go down, the chills went away (in fact he started to get really hot). Makaylin and I slept on the couch with Jason. This is the only place Jason is comfortable sleeping because he is not comfortable laying down, he sits up on the couch and sleeps.

Today he continues to be extremely tired. He chose not to go to his radiation appointment today. I called all of his current doctors, his PCP, his Radiation Oncologist and his surgeon in Tulsa Oklahoma (on his cell phone by the way). They all agreed that we should take him to the ER if things continued the way they were. At this time he seems to be improving. I am still scared as heck.

I want nothing more than Jason to get better….why does it have to be so damn hard? Hasn’t he been through enough? Doesn’t God know how badly we all still need him here on Earth? Please tell me that He is listening to all of our prayers….

Portland Tribune!

I am amazed by what wonderful family and friends we have! Our friend Stancia had this published in the Clackamas Review regarding Jason's fight to beat cancer. Thank you with everything we have for your support and help Stancia xoxoxo

http://portlandtribune.com/cr/24-news/111956-family-takes-aim-at-deadly-brain-cancer

http://portlandtribune.com/cr/24-news/111956-family-takes-aim-at-deadly-brain-cancer

portlandtribune.com

He has completed 10 treatments.....23 more left.

Jason was very tired today....more than usual. I am guessing it is from the radiation. He has completed 10 treatments.....23 more left. Feels like forever.

He will not get his skull flap replaced until 4-6 weeks after the radiation. We will travel back to Tulsa to see Dr. Baird for that surgery. Tulsa is not my favorite place but Dr. Baird is my favorite surgeon and saved Jason's life so there is no way we will go anywhere else.

He gets his new helmet on Friday! Really praying this one works out because the current one hurts his head and he never wears it any more which is really scary. Thank you Tad for helping us with the new helmet!

Thank you Suzy and Stancia for putting up the meal website again! We will never turn down food =) Things are so crazy here it is hard for me to keep up with it all....so food is a blessing on a crazy busy day. Jason used to have dinner made by the time I got home from work....he spoiled me and he is a great cook....I sure miss those days. He did make me breakfast this morning which I thought was so sweet. It is so great to see him doing things he used to.

If you want to sign up here is the site....WE CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR ALL YOUR ARE DOING FOR US!!! LOTS OF LOVE AND HUGS!

http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=KGLI2404

Meals For . . . Jason, Nicole and family Wilson

www.takethemameal.com

Click on the link above to view the meal schedule for Jason, Nicole and family Wilson on TakeThemAMeal.com.

The garage sale was a huge success!

Wow!!! I feel like I haven't posted anything on here in a long time!!! We have been really busy.....

Jason has finished 7 radiation treatments. Still no major side effects which is great! I think it is the brown seaweed vitamin that he is taking. We found out that he will not get another MRI until 4-6 weeks after he completes his radiation......kind of scary since we do not know what the tumor is doing. I am praying the darn thing will be gone by then!!! His radiation onocologist recommends that he waits 6 weeks after radiation before having his skull flap replaced....we will of course be checking with Dr Baird since he will be doing the surgery.

The problem is....we think that the skin laying directly on his brain may be causing him alot of the problems he is having with his hand. Sucks to have to wait so long when this is bothering him so much. He has a hard time sleeping because when he lays down it hurts him. I am so frustrated for him! Just can't get a break.....

The garage sale was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who helped run the sale, let us borrow quickshades and tables and donated to our sale! It was not an easy task running it for 3 days but we did it and it was worth all the effort! Thank you so much for all your love and support!

Yard Sale

Yard sale this weekend at our house proceeds are for JASON'S ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS -You know, the really good stuff he needs that insurance doesn't cover!!!. We have had a lot of really great things donated to us for the sale! Thank you everyone you are wonderful! 

Address is 17639 SE Paradise Dr Milwaukie 97267

Planning on Saturday and Sunday from 9-4 (depending on weather of course)

We plan on having a fill a bag deal on certain items!

Come check it out, say hi and help a great cause!

PLEASE REPOST THIS ON YOUR PAGE TO GET THE WORD OUT! THANK YOU!

3 radiation treatments completed

Jason has completed 3 radiation treatments. At the first one I almost cried because they have to put this mask on him that covers his whole head except for his nose. It is straped down to the table so he can't move. It reminds me of a spiderman mask. They have to do this so that the radiation hits the same place everyday. 

It was really hard for me to see him having to go through that. He lays on a very narrow table and they strap his arms and body on to the table. He asked for them to do this because the table is so narrow there is no where to rest his arms and his left arm being weak, was hard to hold up. 

The radiation he is receiving is like getting 1,000,000 x-rays at one time. It is all supposed to go to the tumor, but I think we all know better. The door says it all. It is about 3 feet wide....and he is in the room with nothing but a mask on. I am really worried about the effects it has on the rest of his body.

He said that he felt a little nauseous after the first two but did not today.

We reviewed his MRI's yesterday and his tumor has grown. The exact size after surgery is unknown but I can even tell it has grown. Size is 1.6x1.8x1.5.

Radiation

Tomorrow is Jason's first radiation appointment. I have to admit.......I am really scared and so is he. We struggle with this decision because we know how terrible radiation is for ones body but on the other hand we are dealing with an agressive cancer and it needs agressive treatment.....whether this is the right thing to do or not is unknown.

I stay up really late mosst nights researching and researching only to come across things that are screaming at us to NOT do the radiation. But I always leave the decision up to Jason. He does not want to do it but is going forward with it because he is hopeful that it will at best slow the tumor down long enough for the other alternative treatments to have time to take effect.

Here is a some very interesting information about radiation and other treatments. If you have the time I would encourage you to read the whole document if not here is the first two paragraphs. Information obtained from http://curezone.com/diseases/cancer/cancer_radiation_therapy.asp

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us take a look at the results and benefits of the so-called cures obtained through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Radiation

The rationale behind X-ray therapy is the same as with surgery. The objective is to remove the tumor, but to do so by burning it away rather than cutting it out. Here, also, it is primarily the non-cancer cell that is destroyed. The more malignant the tumor, the more resistant it is to radio therapy. If this were not so, then X-ray therapy would have a high degree of success—which, of course, it does not.

If the average tumor is composed of both cancer and non-cancer cells, and if radiation is more destructive to non-cancer cells than to cancer cells, then it would be logical to expect the results to be a reduction of tumor size, but also an increase in the percentage of malignancy. This is, in fact, exactly what happens.

Cancer: Radiation Therapy ?

curezone.com

Cancer: Radiation Therapy ?

Cellect

Would you be interested in donating items to our garage sale?

We are planning on having a garage sale next weekend to help raise money to pay for the Cellect that Jason is taking and needs.www.cellect.org - The cost is $80 per container and Jason needs 14 containers per month - total cost is $1120 per month. We have researched and found that this product is crucial in Jason's beating brain cancer!!

We have spoken to Jen Nash-Kasuga who was diagnosed with a stage 3 brain cancer, she tried several different therapies but nothing worked until she started taking Cellect!!! She is has been battling brain cancer for 10 years and is cancer free!!! To learn more about her story you can visit http://lhasalove.com/ and her MRI's can be viewed at http://www.ncrf.org/jenn/

If you are interested in donating items to our sale please comment/message/text/email/call - whatever works for you! We just appreciate your help!

We also are in need of tables for our sale. If you have any that you are willing to let us borrow please let us know.

Thank you all for your love and support! Today I told Jason that I don't know what I will do when they tell us someday that his MRI is clear and that there are no tumors.....will I cry??? will I scream out of excitement???.....All I know is that I can't wait for that day to come....

CELLECT

www.cellect.org

Stupid cancer

Saw this and had to post it "Stupid cancer....Some of us want a new house...a new car....a new cell phone....to lose weight...but someone battling cancer wants just one thing....to win the battle"

This week has been incredibly hard on our family. Normal life stuff like kids, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and balancing life in general is not an easy task as I am sure anyone can agree. Now, add in the stress of dealing with cancer, remembering to take medications and vitamins, eating healthy which requires a lot of planning, appointments, a million pieces of paper and documents that everyone needs, phone calls for hours, income loss, and not being able to spend time as a family because we are so busy with all the other "stuff".

I feel like we have tried to be so strong through out all of this but the reality of what is going on is finally hitting us hard. The other night we sat down to talk. I was crying and really upset about how me being stressed out was affecting him. He reminded me that we will get through this like we have with everything else we have been through. He really has a wonderful spirit and attitude. When we were in Tulsa and Jason was having his surgery our family was concerned about me being alone and I told them I wasn't alone, I had Jason with me. Jason's strength and courage is what is helping me get through this....I don't think I could do it with out him and he reminds me that he could not get through this without me ♥

Win a Quilt!

We are having a drawing to win this Quilt, 100% money raised goes to Jason & Nicole.  The winner will be drawn by Jason and announced on August 31st.   The last day for your donations to get in the drawing is August 15th.  This is a beautiful green Crazy Scrap Quilt, its standard size (75x80).  

You want to win it?  Here is what you need to do:  For every $10 you donate on this site you get your name in the drawing once.  Please remember to put in the notes section when donating "Quilt".  If you would like to mail a check please email fightingforjason@yahoo.com to get the address to mail it to.

Back in Oregon!

Jason had an MRI yesterday and an appointment today with the radiation oncologist. His tumor is about 1cm. I am unsure what the size was right after his last sugery. I am hoping to find that out so we know if it has grown at all. He starts radiation next Tuesday. The radiation is Rapid Arc. I went in with him for his MRI and I have to say that machine is the loudest thing ever, and they make him lay perfectly still for a really long time. I can't believe he has had to go through that multiple times. Apparently it wasn't the smartest thing for me to do but since they let me I wanted to be there for him. 

His helmet it really bothering him where is incision is. I feel so bad for him because I know how much it must be hurting him. It is right where his skull was cut and it rubs on it. I am going to see what I can find out about getting him a new helmet or something to alleviate his discomfort.

I found out yesterday that my work will not allow me to work from home as I had hoped they would. I completely broke down......I really was hoping that this would an option for me because I am really worried about leaving Jason home by himself due to the possiblity of him having a seizure. What if that happens and no one is here.....I wish I didnt have to work and I could just focus on taking care of him. The reason they said I couldn't work from home was because I would be too much like a care giver. I think that is completely unfair. I had a letter from a doctor recommending I work from home and it specifically stated that I would not be a caregiver and that he was capable for caring for himself. In the coming weeks Jason will grow stronger and will not need my help as much but I do not feel like it is the best idea for him to be here alone. It is not like he broke his leg. I am supposed to return to work next month. Praying by then that there are big miracles that happen.

Ice Cream!

Jason got his staples out today and had ice cream!!!! He kept saying "it was so good!" He hasn't had any "sugar" for about a month so this was a treat! It is good for him to have some cheat days but we have to be careful how many of them he gets. We stopped for ice cream after going on a tour of Tulsa with other cancer patients and families. The highest point in Tulsa is called Turkey Mountain and it is hardly a mountain! It should be called Turkey Hill! It is so flat here. It is also against the law for anyone to go swimming in or walking across the Arkansas River. I thought that was odd until I found out that there is quick sand. Certainly don't want to mess with that. Also the walking across part is because there is hardly any water in parts of the river because of the dam. We saw a beautiful statue and some amazing churches. I will post some pictures. Jason had a great time but I think the highlight for him was hands down, the ice cream!

Today was the first day that he did not take a nap during the day since his last surgery. He also was walking more and hardly spent any time his wheel chair. He is making great progress when it comes to strength and energy!

We are so excited to be coming home and see everyone! We will be busy with appointments almost everyday so please call or text us so we can figure out the best time for you to come by and visit. Jason will be having his radiation treatments at OSHU. In order to alleviate him being overwhelmed I will be making a schedule each night with him of the next day's appointments, activities and visitors.

Jay dub enjoying his first taste of ice cream in awhile