Our next adventure...

So it's a week later and my tears have dried up.

I actually started feeling much better after a hiding in my bed and indulging my misery most of a night/morning all thanks to Jacob getting me up and outdoors, the sun, and the Son.

It also helps me immensely to feel of your love through blog comments, emails, texts, phone calls, food, and thoughtful gestures. I appreciate all that people do to help lift and encourage and love me. Especially before, during, and after those rough days. I really don't mean for the blog to be a call for help, but can I say that it's awesome when people read and respond so quickly?

Truly, thank you all. 

So, who is curious about the Optune scalp device?

Our kids have spring break next week, and then Jacob is set to start wearing it full time on Monday, March 30.

First off, we need to come up with some good tag lines for the thing. You know, the elevator speech or one liner to use as we're out and about and people stare, ask, or are curious about Jacob's new look.

We want to keep it simple. Like saying "brain cancer" (while pointing to the device), "science experiment" (again pointing to the device), or "super charged cerebrum" (signaling the device).

So as you read please comment or email anything that comes to mind. We definitely want to keep people smiling, while also satisfying their curiosity.

Here are a few pictures I took last week as we visited his neurooncologists office. She has the device on a mannequin and it was good to see it in person.







Basically you have these electrodes attached to white adhesive tape that you adhere to your scalp. Then they each have a charge running along them that hooks into a wire. The wires collect in a bunch and run down the back of your neck (hopefully not around your neck as pictured...that would be rather uncomfortable) to plug in to the backpack pictured below. The backpack weighs 6 pounds, and carries the charge that keeps the electrodes running and sending their cancer division blocking signal to the brain.



Seriously, this stuff seems almost too sci-fi to be real.

Since he will have to shave his head completely, Jacob decided to go halfway first so on Monday we clipped him down to a 4. He looks great and is hoping to get some sun on that white scalp.

 

While we were at it, we also clipped this sweet Tommy boy's hair too. He didn't love his first haircut, but made it through. His face is seriously the best.



Many people have inquired after Jake, and want to know how he is feeling. The week after his seizure was rough as he was taking several new medications, in addition to his monthly round of chemo. He felt mentally foggy and physically weak through those days.

In the last week, however, he has been able to go to the gym and have some good workouts, and is feeling much more alert and focused in his thoughts and conversations.

One struggle with this disease is trying to isolate the variables. Is he feeling (insert word here) because of surgery effects, radiation effect, medication side effects, general treatment effect, the tumor cavities, possible new growth, dietary changes, lack of sleep, or because he is a 35 year old husband and father of four?

Most of the time it is impossible to know.

Jake continues to be a wonder to me and I am grateful every day to be by his side.