Friday's Update

Mike called with a new update this morning. Jessie was a able to take a shower last night. It wore her out, but after more rest, she walked the halls for about 15 minutes. Her swelling is starting to go down, however she is still dealing with quite a bit of pain. They were able to go to the Hope Lodge today and if her night goes well, she will be able to return home tomorrow. Mike and Jessie have asked me to explain that Jessie will have a hard recovery still after she is home, and to please not call or visit for a while. Each day has shown improvement, but it has seemed very slow for Jessie. I will try to put new updates as much as I can, and fill you in on her improvments. She has a long road ahead of her so please post a comment of encouragement or send a card- she loves getting the mail!

Prayers Are Answered

I just talked to Mike, and this report is better then the last. Last night Jessie's pain level was a 9-10. This morning her pain level was a 6-7. And tonight her pain level is at about 4-5. She did eat a very small amount today, and she was able to get out of bed briefly. Rest is the best thing for her right now, and she slept most of the day. Each time she wakes she feels slightly better than before. Dr. Barnett is very pleased with her progress; even in the past 24 hours. Her bandages can come off in the morning and they will wash her hair. If all goes according to plan, and if Jessie is up to it, they can go to the Hotel tomorrow night. I'm sure Jessie would be thanking everyone for all the prayers, and we know that they are being answered. Mike said he saw a great amount of progress from this morning to tonight. He seemed much more encouraged by this; "relieved" was the word he used.

Thoughts of Jessie have consumed all of us these past few days. Her struggle is teaching us all so much and encouraging our hearts to be faithful. Jessie- thank you for being such an example of God's amazing grace. I cannot wait to see your smile again. I love you-Janel

Wednesdays Update

Jessie is coming along fine. She definitely is struggling with a lot of pain. Please continue to pray for her to be comfortable, and pray that her spirit and attitude stay positive. Her strength amazes us all.

Jessie's Post-Surgery Report

Jessie came through surgery fine. The surgery lasted from 10am -3pm. She is talking, so her speech has not been affected. She will be in the ICU through the night, and probably in the hospital for two more days. We are all rejoicing with the good report and thanking God for His sovereignty. Praise the Lord!!

I will try to keep everyone posted as I recieve new reports.

Test Results

Jessie will be having surgery on Tuesday morning at the Cleveland Clinic. She will arrive in Cleveland, Monday morning for her pre-op. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Barnett who is the chairman of the board of brain surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. The surgery will last from 5-7 hours. Jessie will be awake during the surgery. There will be neurologist who will be speaking to her all through out the surgery, and she will be quizzed with flash cards as well. She will most likely have no memory of this when she wakes up in recovery, and may stay in recovery though out the night. Test results did come back that her brain tumor is a low-grade cancer, but the cells are mature and slow growing and should respond to chemotherapy. At some point she will be taking 5 pills a day, for 5 days, every 28 days. This routine will last for a year. She will continue to have MRI pictures taken every 3 months, and will have blood drawn often. If everything goes according to plan, she will be in the hospital 2-4 days and in a Cleveland hotel for another night after that. Jessie's attitude continues to be positive, and she remains very optimistic. Keep praying that her spirits remain high and please keep Mike, Audrey, and Luke in your prayers as well.

Surgery Has Been Scheduled

I spent the day with Jessie today. It was over all a very normal day. We took Luke and Beau to Story Hour at the Archbold Library, and played at memorial park. Jessie was in very good spirits today. She was anxious to talk with her nurse from the Cleveland Clinic, and they finally returned her call. Surgery has been scheduled for Tuesday the 25th. They are hoping to get the results from her biopsy on Wednesday of this week when they return for her follow up. If they can't get the results then, they will hope to get a call on Thursday or Friday. Jessie definitely has a peace about her future. She has been so overwhelmed with all the meals and multiple cards that come each day. (The stack of cards is quite large!)



I feel so honored to be Jessie's friend through this time in her life. She is teaching me so much through her renewed spirit of thankfulness. She is hoping to post a comment soon, and we'll try to keep everyone updated along the way.

Day After Biopsy

I talked to Audrey this morning, and she had a good report of Jessie. She said that Jessie had slept well last night, but was still pretty tired this morning. She had eaten breakfast, and was in good spirits. They were waiting to get discharged to go to the hotel and still hoping to come back to Archbold on Thursday. As of now, they are planning on returning to Cleveland on September 19th just for her follow-up from the surgery. They will probably not get her results back from her biopsy that day yet, but I think we can pray that these results will move along quickly.

"He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20)

Biopsy Completed

After a few delays, Jessie has come through her biopsy fine. Dr Barnett was successful in this procedure with steady hands. Praise the Lord! Now, unfortunately the waiting game begins. Jessie will not get her results from the biopsy for at least 10 days; possibly 3 weeks. They have postponed her September 20th surgery until her results come back. If everything continues to go well, they will be able to come home on Thursday as planned.

Luke spent the day with Jamie Woolace today. She said they had a great day, going to the library and grocery store-then taking a three hour nap. Mike's mom Lisa is staying with Luke so life can be as "normal" as possible. Pray for the family- even extended family. This has been an emotional time and I'm sure they are all grateful for your prayers.

Mike said "Jessie was a trooper today". So many of you have called her an inspiration. She truly has inspired us, hasn't she?

Biopsy

Jessie's biopsy has been scheduled for today at 2:00 pm. The surgery will last for 2-3 hours and then she will be in recovery for 2-3 hours. When I hear how she came through, I will post an update. It may be morning before I can get a full report. Until then, we will all keep praying and please remember to pray for Mike and Audrey as well. This will be a long day for everyone.

Many people have shown interest in bringing meals to the family when they come home. We are just asking you to call out to Studio 66. We are keeping an organized schedule for them .

Studio 66 445-9100

If any one has questions, you can e-mail me.
janelreeder@earthlink.net

Prayer Service for Jessie

I just talked to Jessie. Mike, Jessie, and Audrey, are leaving for Cleveland in a few minutes. She is in high spirits and is very optimistic, but very thankful for all the prayers.

We at Studio 66 are inviting, all that want to attend, out to the salon for a prayer service in honor of Jessie. We are all meeting Monday night at 8:15pm. Please feel welcome and if you have any questions, you may call the Studio.

Studio 66
6790 State Hwy. 66
Archbold, OH 43502
(419) 445-9100

Kim Parsley- Michelle Short- Paula Moore- Linda Rupp- Jamie Woolace- Janel Reeder

Jessie's Message to All of you

Hello!! Jessie here again. I just wrote a really nice long comment, then lost it so this one may be on the shorter side. Tomorrow starts our week at Cleveland Hosp. I'm feeling good about everything, I'm sure there will be tough times ahead, but thanks to all the support we've had and faith in God, we're going to get through this and I'm going to be fine! I want to make sure that everyone who has called or stopped by and we've either not been home or what ever, please know that we appreciate everything!! Our time with Luke has been limited so we are trying to make the most of it! If we have not returned your call, please know it does not go unnoticed, but instead it lifts us up and puts a smile on our face and keeps us strong!! I hope someday someway I will be able to return all of the awesome generosity we have been receiving! We will be in touch and I'm sure Janel will be keeping you informed. Thanks again Janel!!!!!! Keep up the prayers, they are going to work!!!
Love, Jess and the boys!

A Beautiful Family

Jessie- we are all still praying.

Cleveland Clinic

Well, if you are viewing this blog, then you know about Jessie's diagnosis. Jessie, Mike, and Audrey traveled Thursday to the Cleveland Clinic. They met with Dr. Barnett, a neurosurgeon, who specializes in brain tumors. He is 90% sure that Jessie does have a brain tumor. He has scheduled a biopsy to be done Tuesday, September 11th. The biopsy will determine if the tumor is malignant or not, or if they even need to do surgery. Some tumors do not require surgery, however Dr. Barnett is 80% sure she will require surgery. They went ahead and scheduled a surgery date of Thursday, September 20th to remove the tumor. So for now, Jessie and her family are able to enjoy the Fulton County Fair , and they will plan on attending her cousin Lindsay's wedding on the 8th. (Jessie is a bridesmaid and Luke is the ring bearer.) These were two events that Jessie was hoping to enjoy, and we're thankful she will.