|
June
June 27th. General checkup at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
6.00am We started bright and early with an MRI followed by a PET
scan.
1.00pm a quiet lunch with my parents and the girls....the stress and the
anticipation of the results were on everyone's mind, well at least the grown-ups.
3.00pm We had a consult with all the doctors. Dr. Colin Driscoll - ENT,
Dr. Michael Link - neurosurgeon and their entorauge (4 other doctors). They were very pleased with the way Darin is
looking and improving, then they told us some better news yet:
THERE ARE NO REMAINS OF THE ORIGINAL TUMOR AND NO SIGNS OF CANCER ANYWHERE. Thank you GOD!!!
The doctors went over some other things and told Darin he is doing great. They answered all our questions and
sent us on our way. The doctors also told us that he didn't have to have a 6 months checkup this time it would be up to a
year. A great sign. The check-ups have gone from every 3 months, to every 6 months to a year now, so we are progressing.
We continue fighting the insurance on trying to get the Baha Implant approved. This device would help Darin
hear again out of his left ear. The baha implant consists of the implant of a titanium screw in the skull and a device attached
to it that makes the resonance go to the middle ear. Darin has no hearing on the left side and a 100% on the right. Ironically
he still has the ringing in the ear that he started with. The doctors sewed his ear shut due to extensive damage caused
by the tumor. He has no middle ear, but still has a nerve left.
June 11th marks a year since the major surgery. A year full of challenges and blessings;
a tough year indeed in our household.
June 9th marks a year since the cancer diagnosis.
June 3rd. Participation in the Relay for Life. Thanks again to everyone at the
Minot PD for the team support in this great cause. I know the PD has always had a team in the event but this year we
truly appreciated it. We would like to thank all of you for your donations also. It is always a joy to be a part of
the "Blue Pigs".
| BATH |
|
| by: FERNANDO BOTERO |
May
Darin's ability to taste the food has been improving little by little. Dr Foote (the radiation doctor) told us this also
would take time. Patience is what one must have after an ordeal like this. Patience is indeed a virtue, one I don't possess,
but Darin is much better at it.
His beverage of choice is not black coffe anymore, but mocha. He is getting quite proficient at making them daily....Starbucks
watch out!!!! His appetite is big as all of you very well know I have a big boy who eats BIG. His weight is now 155.
He, as always, has kept a very healthy diet complemented by Juice Plus, Vitamins and Weight Gainer. He eats around 6000
calories a day! but we all know he will never be a Botero model....jeje. The amount makes every single person cringe!!! including
me....
Darin's voice sounds just like back in May 2004 before the big surgery. It is a little hoarse, but that was the way it
was before the doctors went in. The tumor affected the vocal cords and the nerve that controls the swallowing. The swallowing
has improved greatly too. There are some foods that are easier to swallow than others and so we abide by those new dieatary
rules. He also lost his saliva gland on the left side due to radiation. The lack of salivation doesn't make things easier
when swallowing.
Darin is all done with his physical therapy. The shoulder movement has improved quite a bit. He still has to excercise
it to improve the range of motion. Biking is one of the things the doctor recommended. The girls and I gave him an early Father's
day present...yeah! you guess it..a brand new bike, so he is peddling at least 20 miles a day....He is very focused on moving
forward! What a guy!
February, March & April
February 2nd, back to Minot. Recovering in Mexico went great. Darin's voice and the ability to swallow are much better.
The surgery was well worth it and a success. Gainning weight is slow, really slow.
The tumor had damaged several nerves, one of them being the one that controls the full movement of the left shoulder.
In April Darin started physical therapy to regain the ability to move his left shoulder.
The physical therapy seems to be improving the condition of his shoulder. Just yesterday he was able to pass the SWAT
physical test. As you know this made him extremelly happy to know he can continue on the team!! Way to go Daddy! His
strength and determination are inspirational.
January
Darin had yet another surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN on January 7th. The surgery was to
fix and correct his vocal cords, so he will be able to talk louder and swallow better. This was a 3 hour procedure and everything
went as planned. Darin and I had to stay down in Rochester for a couple of days after the surgery to ensure that he airway
wasn't going to be obstructed. Everything went without a glitch, someone is watching over us....Thank you God. The recuperation
time will be 3-4 weeks, and we won't see the effects of the surgery until 3 or 4 months down the road.
January 12th off to Mexico we went! he recovered in peace and quiet during our much needed vacation and with the
help of my parents.
|
 |
|
