Kelly in Wonderland

“The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things; of shoes -and strings- and sealing wax- of cabbages and kings- and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."  "But wait a bit," the oysters said, "before we have our chat, for some of us are out of breath and all of us are fat."... (poem from Alice in Wonderland)

Dear All,

If you believe in magic, then you’d know that one should never have the staples removed from their scalp while on an empty stomach and certainly not without celebrating the event with a tea party!   So, at 10:30 am yesterday, the Dillon family made a very special stop at Alice’s Tea Cup to munch on pumpkin scones, drink aromatic teas and enjoy the enchanting ambiance from Alice in Wonderland!  Once done and with our bellies full and tongues still wagging, we sauntered happily over to the hospital to get Kelly “unzipped“  (for the long row of staples looked just like a zipper across her head).

We entered the doctor’s office en masse to witness the event (even Rabbi Goldwasser squeezed into the room).   Nurse Amanda used this neat little tool that looks like a scissors but it has 3 fingers and acts like a staple remover.  It bends the center of the staple at the same time that it pulls the staple out of the skin.  Kelly just sat on the examination table, bent her head over and… clip, clip, clip…out they came, all 43 of them.  It took all of 10 minutes (Ani filmed it).  Kelly assured us (as we all looked on and grimaced in anguish) that she didn’t feel anything other than a little pinch…..until the doctor got to the last three staples...the one's in front of her ear.  Ouch, those three little buggers hurt (the face being a more tender area than the scalp)!  EVERYONE checked out the wound and "ooohed" and "aaahed" at how beautifully it had healed:

“Let me see!” says Mama Bear.

“Move over!” says Papa Bear.

“Hey, I can’t see…Get out of the way, I’m filming!” says Little Sister Bear.

“It’s amazing! Thank the Lord!” says the Rabbi.

“Did it hurt?” says Hector.

“Not really, only here.” says Kelly Bear as she pointed to her ear.

“Back away everyone, let me finish!” says Nurse Amanda.

“Keep the staples! “ excitedly piped up Little Sister Bear, “I want them!”

“OH, DISGUSTING!” groaned Mama Bear! 

“Go for it, Baby Bear! Make us something beautiful!”  smiled Papa Bear.

“Here they are!" laughed Nurse Amanda.  “I put them in a test tube, just for you, Little Sister Bear.”

Then Nurse Amanda asked Kelly Bear, “Do you have any questions to ask me before you leave?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have several.” replied Kelly Bear as she pulled her list out of her cuadernito (notebook):    

#1.  Can I have a massage….my neck has been killing me?

#2.  Can I wax my eyebrows….I’ve got a forest growing?

#3.  Can I use my new Easy Tone Reeboks?

And the list went on...

Nurse Amanda, took a deep breath and signed, “Yes, live your normal life and do the things that make you happy, Kelly Bear!  And, by the way, your question about waxing the eyebrows, is a first, I never heard that one before!”

And so the staples are now gone, and Kelly Bear won’t have to worry ever again about them freezing and popping out in the cold, cold NY weather!  (Wonder what interesting art piece Ani will design from them?...)

We are so glad to have the operation behind us.  Alleluyah!  One down, two to go…..

Yesterday, we also went to pathology for the update.  We were informed that the additional pathology studies confirmed that Kelly’s tumor is not an oligodendroglioma (low grade tumor), but rather is a glioneuronal tumor that is equivalent to a high grade astrocytoma (ana plastic astro/ WHO grade III). [WHO= World Health Organization]  Astro cells have tentacles that travel and this type of tumor can return.  It will have to be treated with radiation and chemo therapies, so treatment will probably begin after Thanksgiving.

Our task now is to find the best place for Kelly to receive the treatment; a place that specializes in her type of tumor.  It may be here in NY or it may be elsewhere.  Since tumors respond to different kinds of treatment, and hospitals are known to specialize in certain types of tumors, we have to find the right place for Kelly.   Friday, November 19, we have a meeting scheduled with Dr. Jerome Posner, chief of neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (across the street from NY-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill-Cornell .)  We await Dr. Posner’s recommendation to know how to proceed.

Mark and Hector head home to Panama today.  They will return next week to be here for Dr. Posner’s meeting on Friday.  In the meantime, Kelly is to lead a normal life while her wound continues to mend.  We will remain in Mountainville.  Kelly will start learning how to use the new school administration program called Admin Plus, Ani will begin work on our school yearbook, and I will be working on school business.  We have much to keep us busy.  And between it all, we are planning a bang-up Thanksgiving with family and friends from around the globe.

Now that things will calm down a bit and we’ll be home more, Ani will be able to post some of the many great photos the girls and Hector have taken.  Please keep us posted about the life in your worlds.  We miss Panama terribly and think about everyone all the time.  Your messages help keep us going (hits to Kelly’s blog now number above 12,419!).  And don’t forget, please continue with your prayers.  We want nothing less than a miracle, and lots of PMA will get us there!  We believe and feel that in our heart.

Big hug and kiss,

Mama Bear