Pain Continues

Finally resting peacefully
A concerned Dr. Maris talks with Christi
After a decent night in terms of pain (no crying out for the most part) Christi woke up feeling a bit better. This morning it seems to be her leg hurting more than her leg. We've just returned from radiation where they again did a whole brain zap leaving me in tears outside the big radiation door. This girl is such a trooper; she felt horrible and had me rushing back into the room at one point because she felt like she was falling off of the table. Upon leaving today she tried her best to joke with the sweet folks in radiation at HUP by saying, "Don't drop anyone else off of your table today." (Well, Christi doesn't realize it's Labor Day and they are only doing emergency cases today.) I wish she felt better. It is so hard watching Shayne push her in a wheel chair with tears from hurting rolling down her little cheeks.

Some have asked if surgery were an option for this new large mass inside her skull. Dr. Maris told us immediately yesterday that surgery would be too dangerous and she probably wouldn't make it through. He also said if she did, the recovery would be long and hard and the disease could take off even more at that time. He told us that he felt it best to do whole brain radiation instead of just the one large mass because there are other areas in her skull ready to take off so this will hopefully slow it all down versus trying to catch the spots taking off later. Regardless, it's heartbreaking and I just keep relating it to torture of our precious sweetheart.

Today we're anxious to get Shayla back and to hopefully have Christi's pain decrease. Her cheeks are so red and flushed today, but we were told that was from the steroids. Tomorrow, when the regular radiation team is back at HUP, they'll begin radiation to her entire right femur as well as her brain. Does this ever get any easier?

I've attached some more pics taken yesterday.