It’s been a while since I wrote an update and I keep wishing I had more definitive news to share.  Recovery is a bumpy, windy, lengthy road.  Michaela is definitely healing well from the surgery, but challenges keep cropping up.

Michaela has been struggling with insomnia since the surgery.  She says it has given her a lot of compassion for people who deal with it chronically.  Even sleeping pills have not seemed to help.  Some nights she sleeps fine, other nights no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Eating has also proven unpredictable.  Some days Michaela is hungry and feels capable of eating most things, other days it seems like nothing will stay down.  About a week ago, she went through a couple of days where she couldn’t keep anything down and since her temperature was elevated, her doctor prescribed antibiotics.  Antibiotics have always made her nauseous, so this exacerbated the situation.  She needs to eat when she takes antibiotics, but they make her feel queasy so there is very little she can stomach.  She has become very skinny and we are doing everything we can to keep her well nourished.

Fortunately, this round of antibiotics are over, so for now her appetite is better, though still not what we would like to see.  Digestive enzymes are helping her process what she does eat.  Several people have asked us to reinstate the meal train, but due to the unpredictable nature of what she can eat, she prefers not to waste people’s time or food.

We still have very little information from her doctors.  The pathology report was inconclusive, meaning that we simply need to wait and monitor to see if the cancer comes back.  Her surgeon was supposed to take her case before a panel of experts, but has not had time to do so yet.  I will try to update this site a little more frequently for those of you who are paying attention and wishing her well.  Every other week is my goal.

Through it all, Michaela’s attitude is still very positive and her life force is strong.  She is deeply appreciative of all the love and good wishes people are sending her way, please keep it up.