Well I haven't given an update on Mia in quite a while, and since this forum is more dead than the collective libidos of Cheesey, Foster, Wayne, Nick, and Wade - I thought I'd bring up a topic.

Mia's doing really well with her recovery. She has a full head of hair again, she's back to dancing with her Just For Kix class, and she is so much stronger. I'd say she's about average in size, but smaller than her twin - so the chemo hasn't stunted her growth terribly. Obviously she has coordination damage due to the location of the tumor - and probably will never get back to 100%. Just something we'll have to accept.

We do have to take an extra trip to Minneapolis in the next month to have cataract surgery on both eyes. They'd do it in Bismarck if she were an adult, but only one eye at a time. In the cities they will anesthitize her and knock em both out at one time. She was put under so many times under radiation that we want to limit the times she needs it. They'll also correct her nearsightedness and astigmatism then as well. Julie and I aren't even phased by this latest occurrence. Don't know if it is a good thing to be callous to medical procedures, or if it is to be expected with what we went through as parents.

She will have a four month MRI next week as continued follow up and monitoring. There's always a little uneasiness about those, but as time goes by, it gets easier. My daughter Hannah has put together a team of girls who are all going to donate 8 inches of hair to a charity fundraiser called St. Baldrick's Day run by Basin Electric. It's a pretty selfless act for 11 year old kids, and makes me proud.

Now that the hardest parts of caring for a child with cancer is over, it's natural to reflect on the experience. Of course, Julie and I are really tired, and I don't think you ever catch back up. But this amazing thing happened to us - we became a closer couple who put away the bull shit and petty things that consume marriages and focused on being a team that had to suck it up for their child. That's a life experience few people get to have, it's as good as any college degree or a lifetime of gathered wisdom, maybe even better. It's the reason I don't look back on the experience with negativity, because I realize it strengthened us.

Whenever we're at church or a basketball game, I catch people looking at Mia with this satisfying smile on their faces. I feel good about that because I know they cared about what happened to her and what she had to endure to get her life back. I also feel good because I know these people cared about our family and were going to make sure we didn't walk alone. Kind of like that Footprints in the Sand poem - it felt like we were all alone at times, but we had our whole community carrying us.

Anyway, I made sure my little girl survived - but I don't think I'm going to be able to fix the libido problem of the aforementioned ex-hippies. I'm DakotaT, not a miracle worker.

great news!
Mia is my hero as much as my son is. Both of them were in combat. Both of them were under fire. Both came thru with a few scars but certainly stronger. I will never say what my wife and I faced was any where near similar to what you and Julie went thru.

I find it interesting that they will correct her astigmatism as well. I didn't think they could do that. My son had his nearsightedness corrected before he went overseas. 5 years later his eyes were getting fatigued so he had a check up and is back to wearing glasses due to his astigmatism.

Hannah is an amazing girl. I understand how important personal appearance is to young people, maybe more so to young women because of what they see on tv and the other media outlets. So that she is giving up her hair for another young girl is incredible.

You and Julie have done a terrific job raising your girls and working on your relationship. It is funny you mentioned how you and Julie put all the little petty things aside and focused on what is more important. Rhonda and I had one of those moments about 10 years ago. We were facing our own crisis. With some help and hard work we got thru it. All the little things just don't matter any more. Life is so much more enjoyable when we don't have to argue the smallest details.

So we gonna catch lunch/dinner this time then?

I work in Maple Grove. There is no excuses. =D

And yes, you have an ass whuppin' coming.

Glad to hear the good news.

This.

This is most excellent. I was supposed to have an MRI done for my knee, but I elected to take an injection instead. I don't think I'd last 20 minutes in a tiny MRI container without going (more) bonkers.

not to hijack the thread but I know they give drugs sometimes to people with anxiety issues. My f-i-l had to take them to get his mri on a couple of occasions.