A few things to share:
My sister gave me a gift card to Liberty Heights Fresh for Christmas and I finally used it this week. That is my idea of a good time shopping :)
Mark got a deal on a massage through UpZen health last week. Probably the best massage I've ever had. Yes it was relaxing, but it was the kind where you can feel it for the next couple days. I also saw a chiropractor there. Mostly for interest sake, but I also have a few issues and some random back pain. Turns out my spine is not as healthy as I'd think. He suggested doing therapy for the next 6-9 months and I can probably get the curvature back to normal and relieve my symptoms. Too bad I don't have a few thousand dollars laying around. Tell me your thoughts if you've been to a chiropractor.
We still haven't turned on our sprinklers. I type this as I look out the window to our yellow lawn.
Jenn and her fam came to visit, the best! I love playing musical children so the cousins can play as much as possible. They move into their new house today :)
Ruby is potty training. We started about 2 weeks ago. She's gone 6 days without an accident! Yesterday I took her to pick out some new undies. Kind of a big deal when they can get their own bodily fluids in the toilet. Yay! She had shown interested a few months ago, but I didn't want to train her until she was more interested. But then she got a wicked bad rash so we'd try to keep her diaper off. It naturally made me try to get her to go on the toilet. She's been the easiest of the 3 to potty train, in part thanks to Siri and Jane for being good examples! She'll be in a crib until she figures out how to get out, so night time potty training will be a whole other task down the road.
We own a townhome in North Ogden. We are having tenants move out and new ones move in next week so we'll be busy trying to clean/paint and hopefully get in some new carpet. If you happen to be free Tuesday the 28th, Mark would welcome any company who'd like to help him paint :)
We went to St.George the end of March, loved it as usual. Easter was great. I loved having General Conference at the same time.
Ruby got xrays and saw her neurosurgeon, Dr.Brockmeyer, yesterday. He said her spine looks great and we don't need to see him anymore. Best news! This week I got a call from a genetic counselor who said that the genetic test we've been waiting on has finally gotten approved by insurance. More best news! The test will tell us if the gene mutation that was in the mass that was removed, is or is not also in every cell of Ruby's body. The results won't change anything now, but will help us determine how to care for her going forward.
We also got an email from the oncologist that has been working with us since Ruby had surgery. Here is part of the email:
"Long story short, the people who seem to know most about pediatric melanoma (at St Jude, USCF, and Moffit Cancer Center in FL) AND adult melanoma here locally (Dr. Grossman) feel like there are likely spots in this big lump that were removed that are worrisome for a LOW GRADE (meaning less aggressive melanoma). USCF actually called some of the cells "melanoma", but this was also based on the CDKN2A mutation (i.e. they look the same under the microscope, but with knowing this other piece of information, they would call something more aggressive). No one really seems to think that this is a melanoma arising from a congenital nevus which is an aggressive form of melanoma that we would definitely treat. We are calling this an atypical melanocytic neoplasm AND feel that it has been taken out in full (i.e. there aren't any tumor cells remaining that we know of at all in Ruby's cute little body). For this reason, we don't feel like giving her treatment for melanoma at his time is in Ruby's best interest. "
"FINALLY - for follow up - we do think that Ruby may be at high risk of developing new lesions. I think we should see her every 3 months for now with a chest XR, a neck ultrasound, and a YEARLY MRI of the brain. At each visit, we will get a thorough skin exam, feel for any weird lymph nodes and then use the images above to assure that nothing is going on. I also spoke with Dr. Grimmer and he would like to see Ruby YEARLY and does feel that cosmetically, he can make her neck scar look better, but he wouldn't want to do this for a year or so to make sure that nothing is growing back at that spot."
More best news! I mean, not the part about developing new lesions, but everything else. Seriously, Ruby is a blessed girl and I'm so happy and thankful. This is all better than the best case scenario I had imagined way back when we found out there was something wrong.
and a quote for good measure
"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. " -Julie Beck
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