So........

....the MRI is showing some "areas of concern".

What does that mean?

Here's what we know:

• The MRI is showing some areas on the outside of her brain that are changing.  This is not necessarily cancer, but is not good.
• The changes may be some damage that the brain has suffered through the intense regimen of chemo, but that is not overly likely.
• Shelley sat with our Oncologist, Dr. Robertson, and looked at the MRIs, and compared the last one to this one.
• The changes are indicative of what happens with Medulloblastoma, specifically that after it is attacked at it's primary growth point, that it sends out cancer cells to try to take root elsewhere.
• They are going to wait three weeks (the first week of school!) and then do another MRI and a Spinal Tap to look for cancer cells.  Once that comes back, they'll be able to compare the two scans and see what is what.  
• Once they do the next MRI, we'll know if, what, when, where, and how things are going to progress.  Until then?.......

So now that I gave you all of that, here's some pictures for the non-FB people of the last 5 weeks since we posted on the blog.

The Potter Park Zoo in Lansing does not WOW like others, but it has some really cool parts to it.  This is one of them.  It's a bird house the size of a good sized pole barn, and filled with HUNDREDS of parakeets and other small birds that I ought to know the name of, but honestly have never cared about.

Amie LOVED feeding them, and Anya as well.

Shel goes to the library with the kids on a weekly basis in Howell, and this is one of their excursions.  They had a foam table set up, and who the heck wouldn't want to play in that.

This was a picnic in the park a few weeks ago with Marci, Lilly and Matthew in Howell.  Anya looks like quite the super-STAR!

Shelley bought a Travelzoo package to The Henry in Dearborn.  It was all fancy schmancy, and something we could never afford/purchase, but it was stupid cheap for the room $100 of dining credit, and 4 tickets to the Village.  We had $17 credit after dinner, and got a pint of ice cream delivered to the room for dessert.  The girls were beside themselves for delivered dessert, and eaten in bed to boot.

This picture was taken today, for dinner.  Amie looks great, sounds great, and acts no different.

Just have to keep hoping that's the case.

No need for lots of messages telling us it's going to be ok.  We're doing alright.  If nothing else, we've got stamina and patience.  We're just really, really disappointed in all of this.


PS.  The blog now has over 100,000 views.  How freaking crazy is that?!?