Much better Tuesday

Tuesday was a much better day. She still woke up with a barky cough and a lower fever but she still wanted to go to school. Her temp was back to normal by noon when the nurse checked it because I had called her to check on how Ellie was feeling. She hadn't been coughing a lot. I made a call into her primary doctor here and they did want to see her because by the sounds of it we thought it might be croup. But the results were good and Doc didn't think she had croup. Just throat iritation from drainage, a little cold maybe. So she went back to school today, Wednesday. Last night ended the better day. We were invited to a UNI Volleyball team dinner at the coach's house!

Through a foundation called Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, www.friendsofjaclyn.org, Ellie was adopted by the UNI Volleyball team to be a team member. Our family is to support them and they are going to support us and involve Ellie in a lot in their activities. So we got to meet them last week at the end of a practice and last night since we were home we got to go to their team dinner. It was nice outside and the kids played on the trampoline, volleyball and soccer. The team, coaches and us hung around and talked, shot hoops, some team members found a pogo stick and other toys to try out. It was an all around fun evening. The coaches' kids took Ellie under their wings and showed her the ropes of playing volleyball and trampoline fun. Nate had his own fun flirting with the girls, getting tickled, chasing balls, riding skooters and stuff. He also decided to go down their slide which was kind of steep and bumpy. He got launched off it and face planted in the dirt and grass. He was so cute with a muddy spot below his left eye. He's a wild maniac as Ellie calls him. Fun times, fun times. He ended the evening carrying around a large bag of grapes eating them til he got home.

If you know someone who has a child with a brain tumor or had a brain tumor you can refer them to Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. www.friendsofjaclyn.org They find college sports teams to partner with families to adopt the kids who have the illness. It is such a neat thing. We are having lots of fun already. The volleyball team surprised us with t-shirts for the family and Ellie got a special UNI Volleyball. They taught Ellie for the first time how to pass a volleyball and are trying to teach her to set and hit it but she's not up for that yet. Although Ellie is convinced she already knows how to play. It's so cute.

So that's a little bit about the fun things we've been up to in the midst of the disappointment. Ellie has an MRI next Tuesday, May 4th in IC that we will be taking her to. Prayers that there is still no signs of tumor regrowth. This will be a 12 minute stealth MRI that they don't need to put her to sleep for. We are going to try it without the trauma of being put under. Then we will get results from the radiation oncologist and do pre-op for the scheduled surgery Friday of the week after next, May 14th.

Toodle-oo