4/25/2022 This week has been up and down. It finally set in that this was SIster Schmidt and is last week together. I think it has been really hard for her to gather her final thoughts and emotions. I have…
Archives for April 2022
Week 14: I finally get it. Pure love!
4/18/2022 Last week I had another amazing P-day. We had a super sweet member, Sister Hainsworth, offer to take us and another set of missionaries around downtown Boise. To start off the day and make it interesting, it was pouring…
Life Changing News
10/4/2020 In September of 2018, Kim and I received life changing news when I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. What a journey it has been since then! In September of 2020, we received more life changing news, but…
Second Brain Surgery
8/29/2020 ***Warning: At the end of this post is a photo of my cut open skull. If that makes you queasy, don’t look. Morning of Surgery It’s been a while since I last posted… That’s mostly due to a challenging…
Brain Surgery Update
7/29/2020 Another Round of Steroids Several weeks ago, after three failed attempts to manage seizures with steroids, I met with Dr. Randy Jensen, the neurosurgeon at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) to discuss what to do moving forward. After a…
Infusion with Port Access and Arm X-Rays
7/29/2020 On July 9th, I had another infusion and x-rays for my arm. This was my first infusion wherein I would be awake while my port was accessed. I had been told to use a numbing lotion prior to the…
Port and Infusion
6/27/2020 When I first started my infusions about a year ago, a port was brought up. I knew I’d be receiving infusions for a couple of years, and so a port seemed like a viable option. For whatever reason, though,…
Scan Results and Brain Surgery Status
6/13/2020 This past week was a big week with a couple of visits, some new scans, and another infusion. The fallout of this last bit of radiation on my brain tumor has been quite the adventure! I haven’t ever experienced…
Third ER Visit and Second Set of Seizures
6/6/2020 Here’s a bit of a recap… On April 2nd, I had a small tumor, that had grown in size over the course of two consecutive MRI’s, irradiated. I didn’t experience any issues following the treatment until April 20th. On…
Medical Alert System and Limitations
5/23/2020 After my seizure episode, Kim approached me about something that I never thought I’d have to deal with. At least, not as a 33 year old. She approached me about getting a medical alert necklace so I could alert…
Another ER Visit and Infusion
5/23/2020 On April 20th, as you may already know, I went to the ER as a result of several small seziures, which resulted in a major seizure shortly after arrival at the hospital. I spent a couple of days up…
No rest for the weary…
5/9/2020 After my visit to the hospital for my seizures, I was prescribed Keppra. Keppra is an anti-seizure medication. While it is effective, it can come with some side effects that aren’t the greatest. In my particular case, it makes…