Kirsten's Feeling Better

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Once again I must thank all of you who've been following this blog to know how Kirsten's doing. She's feeling well. The cerebrospinal fluid leak she developed that was giving her horrific headaches seems to have healed. Her face looks as beautiful as it did before her surgery. We appreciate the cards, flowers, meals, offers of support, expressions of concern and encouragement, and especially Patsy for taking the girls for a couple weeks and showing them a great time in Florida.

Last night we went to a Wichita Wranglers baseball game. The Customer Service Support Group had extra tickets. We had a great time.

Today we went to the Wichita Flight Festival at Jabara Airport. The girls got tired so after I exhausted my four gigabytes of memory cards we left. I got some great pictures.

Picking Up the Girls

Static Wicks
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Kirsten developed a spinal fluid leak this week which stalled an otherwise perfect recovery. She's been ordered to stay completely horizontal for four to five days to give it a chance to heal. If it hasn't healed by Sunday they're going to put in a drain which will require a five-day hospital stay. There is also some risk she will develop spinal meningitis.

Despite Kirsten's most recent setback I got on an airplane yesterday and flew to Florida to spend the weekend with the girls and bring them home. I arrived yesterday afternoon. It has been so nice to spend time with them after a week and a half apart.

This morning we're going swimming and later I'll take Skye and Jenna to Disney World. It'll be fun to hang out with them and watch as they take in all the Magic Kingdom has to offer.

Redneck Rocket Launcher

Kirsten's doing well considering what she's been through this week. She doesn't sleep for long periods and has constant headaches because she can't breathe through her nose. That should last a while. I feel bad for her but there's little I can do except try to keep her comfortable and resting.

Our neighbor, Wayne Mercer, brought over some food. It was delicious. Kirsten's friend Jody Bradshaw brought several frozen meals over with a beautiful flower arrangement. They sat and talked for a while. Thank you both very much!

While Kirsten was sleeping I found this video. Hopefully it brightens your day a bit.

Kirsten Is Home

Corner Mirror
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Kirsten was trying to stop a stubborn trickling nose bleed when I arrived at the hospital this morning. A long shower made her feel much better. After Kirsten's lunch I called Patsy for some medical advice and to let Kirsten talk to Skye, Jenna, and Hayley. They're doing well and enjoyed their time at the beach.

Kirsten wasted no time getting her things together after Dr. Michael approved her release. As soon as we arrived home she got right in bed. When she was comfortable I went to Griffith Elementary to let them know Skye and Jenna will not be in class when it starts Tuesday. When I returned Kirsten was up paying bills and doing other chores. She said she was doing "the usual". I guess she's feeling better.

Going Home

I spoke to Kirsten on the phone this morning. She said they removed the packing from her nose. Dr. Hsu's PA, Wendy, said Kirsten can go home whenever the other doctors release her. Dr. Michael visited her later and said everything looks good and she can be released.

We're finally going home!

Kirsten's going to take the shower this morning she's been eagerly anticipating since Wednesday. That should make her feel better. She still sounds like her nose is full of gauze.

I spoke with my dad this morning. The girls went to the beach yesterday for a couple hours. We're glad they're enjoying their time with their family in Florida.

I noticed in the server log that yesterday someone visited Kirsten's blog entry from last March about the tumor. I've linked to it here for those of you who may want to read it.

Out of the NCCU

Downtown Wichita
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Kirsten was finally moved out of the Neurological Critical Care Unit to a regular room today. It's not as nice here but it means she's getting better and doesn't require constant monitoring.

The sensors have been removed from all over her body. In the NCCU the measurements were displayed on a computer monitor in the room as well as the nurses' station and a central monitoring room somewhere in the hospital. Her last nurse in NCCU, Katie, said the people that monitor patients remotely kept calling to notify her that Kir's heart rate was very low. Katie said Kirsten must run six miles a day to have such a healthy resting heart rate. It's obviously not the norm.

After my second visit today I decided to go take pictures instead of going home. Photography is a great stress reliever. The clouds were gathering in the heat of the afternoon and provided some fantastic sky shots.

Kirsten's watching a DVD. The nurse, Stacey, just removed her intravenous drip. Soon she won't be tethered to anything. I hope this means she'll be released soon. I could take much better care of her at home. Visiting hours ended at eight but her nurse said I could stay longer unless Kirsten gets a roommate.

We're Moving...Hopefully

Hallway to NCCU
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Kirsten is doing well and expects to move out of the NCCU today. Hooray! I'll be able to visit more frequently and stay longer.

She was telling me all about a plot to blow up some airplanes bound for the United States. I haven't been keeping up on current events so it was nice to listen to her tell me about it. She's awake and talkative. When I arrived this morning she was watching Martha Stewart.

They're still managing her pain with Percocet® and Morphine but less frequently. Tomorrow they'll remove the packing from her nose. The swelling has subsided significantly. She'll be--as Patsy says--"good to go".

There were over 120 visits to the blog yesterday and NO comments. If you'd like to leave a comment simply click the comments link at the bottom of this entry.

Smooth Recovery...So Far

Flowers
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

There are only four visiting hour slivers in the NCCU each day. Kirsten's endocrinologist, Dr. Michael, visited her this morning before my first visit. He had to give her hormones because her urine production had spiked. He also said she'll probably have to continue taking Norditropin® and Synthroid® for the rest of her life. That's approximately $700 a month. I'm not sure how the hell we're going to pay for that. Apparently the tumor damaged the pituitary.

Dr. Hsu's PA, Wendy, also visited Kirsten. Before she started working for Dr. Hsu she worked at the girls' pediatrician. Kirsten says she is their favorite PA. Wendy told Kirsten a post-op x-ray confirms that most of the tumor was removed. That's good.

I understand there is little research money for benign brain tumors which is why the medical community knows so little about cause and prevention. What I don't understand is why they can't agree on treatment. If she would have had the tumor removed when it was initially diagnosed it might not have damaged the pituitary. You might have inferred that I'm a little stressed. I am.

Kirsten is doing well. She's in good spirits and smiles as much as she is able. They have her on a complex pharmaceutical cocktail which causes her to drift in and out of sleep. She can't read her magazines so she's resorted to watching the television. The staff has been kind and attentive.

I spoke to Skye this morning and asked her to post her pictures on Flickr so I can print them for Kirsten. Hopefully she'll do that soon. We miss the girls tremendously. They went swimming twice yesterday. My little brother Michael said he might take them to Kennedy Space Center. They'd enjoy that.

Send Kirsten an Email

Please send Kirsten and email! Many of you have expressed concern, encouragement, support, well-wishes, and compassion. I pass all that on each time I visit her at the hospital.

It would be nice if her email inbox became flooded with encouraging emails from all of you. I'll print them and take them to the hospital.

So....please take a moment to send an email to kirsten@danley.org.

Or send well-wishes to:
Kirsten Danley
2151 S. Poplar
Wichita, KS 67211

Perfect Patient, Textbook Surgery

A friend and former coworker, Pat Resser, came to the hospital shortly after I published my last blog entry. Soon after she arrived Dr. Hsu came out to tell me how the surgery went. Kirsten was a dream patient because she's so "skinny" and in peak physical health. The tumor was soft and her tissues behaved optimally. He said since she is so "skinny" (she's going to like hearing that) he was able to easily get the required access. He didn't have to insert a spinal fluid drain and there is no damage to the optic nerve. Perfect.

While we were talking to Dr. Hsu Kirsten was waking up in the operating room. After she was awake they moved her to recovery where they would monitor her before taking her to her room. While that was going on Pat and I went to the coffee shop downstairs to grab a bite to eat and talk. While we were there Wayne and Joyce Mercer, our neighbors, showed up and joined us at our booth. It was nice to sit and chat with caring friends free from the palpable stresses which had been constant since our last appointment with Dr. Hsu.

I'm drafting this entry from Kirsten's room in the Neurological Critical Care Unit at Via Christi-St. Francis. She was awake when I arrived and able to talk. Her nose is quite swollen--I'll spare you any pictures. You're welcome.--and packed with gauze. Other than that she looks great! Dr. Hsu said she'll be here in the NCCU for three to five days before being released. There is some risk of bleeding in her brain which they'll monitor as well as hormone imbalances resulting from a bruised pituitary gland.

Words cannot express the deep gratitude I feel for those of you who offer help; keep us in your thoughts; and have compassion for me, Kirsten, and the girls. Thank you!

In Surgery

We woke up this morning shortly after three o'clock. At a quarter after five we left for Via Christi. Kirsten had completed her pre-op testing and paperwork days before so we were ushered into the admissions waiting room. After a short time we were led to the third floor where we parted ways; Kirsten went to surgery and I found a table where I knew I would be spending the better part of the morning.

The waiting room is nice. There are many families watching t.v., reading, and talking quietly. Doctors frequently come in and out to let family know how the surgeries went. Kirsten's surgery should have started eighty minutes ago. I've been writing Excel VBA code for Skye's arithmetic worksheets, reading The Economist and John Grisham's "The Summons", and eagerly watching the clock while I wait for Dr. Hsu. He probably won't be done for another hour or so.

A Visit From Nana

Nana and Us
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

Late Saturday evening I picked Patsy (Nana) up at Mid-continent Airport. Sunday morning she took the three girls to church. I think they all enjoyed the time together. In the afternoon we had dinner at Abuelo's before going to the book store to get coloring books to keep the girls busy on the airplane.

The computer system at work was down this weekend and didn't come back up until 4am Monday morning. So at 3:30am I drove to work to run my reports and do other tasks to prepare for a week of absence.

Today we had the Power of Attorney notarized before going to lunch at P.F. Chang's. This picture was taken this afternoon between P.F. Chang's and Abuelo's.

The girls are gone! At 2:30pm we helped Patsy get boarding passes, check the luggage, and get to security. We said our goodbyes and off they went. It was hard to watch as they walked away and out of sight. Before they were gone Jenna turned and yelled, "GOOD BYE". They'll have a great time in Florida but we'll miss them tremendously.

Patsy--as usual--was fantastic! We appreciated her help, enjoyed her company, and are very glad to have been able to spend a couple days with her. Dad and Patsy are heroes for taking the girls especially given the fact they sacrificed a long-planned twenty-year wedding anniversary to do it. Nothing is more comforting and brings as much happiness as close family relationships. Kirsten and I are lucky and extremely grateful for our family and many wonderful friends.

Tomorrow's the big day. Hopefully I'll be able to post a blog entry or two from the hospital to let you know how things are going.

Cabin View

Beverly Lake
Originally uploaded by klongacre.

My mom is in Alaska this summer fixing up our cabin. It was built by her father many years ago without the aid of electricity and a decent road. When I was a boy we usually spent a few weekends each summer at the cabin canoeing, waterskiing, swimming, playing tetherball, and roasting weenies over an open fire.

The cabin is on the north side of Beverly Lake in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley near Wasilla.

The last time I was there was with Kirsten in 1995 before we were married.

GPS coordinates: 61.62N 149.57W (not exact)

Kirsten's Prolactinoma

Kirsten's Face
Originally uploaded by brentdanley.

About a year and a half ago doctors discovered a prolactinoma in Kirsten. At the time it was small so her neurosurgeon sent her to an endocrinologist for drug therapy. She's been taking a thyroid medication, daily steriod injection (Norditropin®), and Dostinex® (to reduce the size of the tumor). A couple weeks ago her regular MRI revealed that the tumor has grown significantly.

She's having surgery Tuesday to remove the tumor. Patsy and Dad will watch the girls at their house in Florida until Kirsten is well enough for us to go down and bring them back. Patsy arrives Saturday to accompany the girls on their flights. We are humbled and grateful for their sacrifice and willingness to do whatever they can to ease our burden.

We have received a tremendous outpouring of support from family, friends, coworkers, and our beloved Flickr friends. Thank you all.

Please leave a comment if you have any questions (it'll give me something to write about.) I'll try to post frequently over the next week so everyone who cares will be up to speed.