GARY ALLS
09-01-2008, 17:32
Guys,
For those of you who know Mel, his e-mail address is meldavis48@msn.com Please keep he and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
S/F Gary
Hi everyone,
Between a mixture of phone calls and emails I really cannot remember who has called or who has emailed or who has come by! Please forgive me. My head is a little clearer this morning so as I began to answer some emails I decided to make a "Mel Update" group so I could keep everyone informed at the same time.
First to catch everyone up.
On Aug. 13th, we went to Washington, D.C. for Mel's Marine Corps Combat Helicopter Reunion. On Aug. 14, after a day of touring the city we were getting ready for the reunion dinner and Mel experienced about 5 minutes of confusion. I felt like perhaps he had had a minor stroke as there were no noticeable residual affects from the incident. He refused to go to the emergency room so I figured I'd just keep a close eye on him. Everyone we were with the remainder of our time in DC helped tremendously with watching him. He was just mainly pretty quiet, did not speak much if at all.
We returned home on Aug 20 and that afternoon I had him in to our Doctor. The doctor ordered some tests, mainly to look for signs of a stroke. One of the tests was an MRI scan of his brain.
Mel has been diagnosed with two brain tumors. One is in the front left side of the brain, the area that affects speech and thought processes and some feelings. The other is in the middle of the brain, also on the left side, dangerously close to the brain stem and where the spinal fluids flow. It is completely inoperable. Both are about 2" or more in size, they figure they have been there for a while.
Mel had a CT scan of the rest of his body to see if perhaps there was cancer elsewhere that may have masticized to the brain. This would be a good thing, because then they could of gotten sample tissue from there instead of the brain to see how to best treat him. Unfortunately, Mel is clear of any other cancer. This means that the tumors are strictly brain cell tumors, more than likely malignant, and now very aggressive.
Dr. Murk (Mel's neurosurgeon) put him on steroids and anti-seizure medicine immediately. The steroids are to stop the inflammation of the tumors and hopefully slow the growth also. The anti-seizure is to stop any further occurrence of what happened in DC, the periods of confusion. The seizures are such that I could be talking to Mel about a glass, but to Mel we are talking about a shovel. Confusion. This is why he needs to be watched so close.
The latest update is we spoke with the neurosurgeon again last night. We have two choices. Dr. Murk has consulted with other neurosurgeons and they determined that they could operate on the front tumor, try to get as much as possible and of course get a biopsy of it so they know what they are dealing with, and how best chemo and/or radiation could be used to slow the growth or inflammation of the other dangerous tumor. They are pretty certain that they are connected. That one masticized from the other. This is very dangerous because if you irritate the first one, the second one could get "pissed off" (Doc's words!) and cause a lot of problems or even death right on the table. Both tumors are right at a main artery also, and any disruption to the artery could cause a stroke with very serious consequences including death.
The other option is do nothing. The doc would need to lower the steroid medicine, monitor Mel closely with more MRI brain scans and watch the tumors. If he is on the steroids too long, or too high of dose then when they are needed they may not be effective.
Mel is good now, the steroids have made a tremendous difference, and in fact you can really barely tell there is anything wrong with him at all. He has to stay calm, stress free, and not much activity as everything you do has an affect on the brain.
Stay stress free. RIGHT! Mel is trying to make the right decision as to what to do. Ultimately as we all know it is in God's hands for how long Mel is with us. Could be 10 minutes, could be years.
The main purpose of this email going out to all my friends and family on my email list is to ask for your thoughts and prayers that we make the right decision to have Mel with us the longest and healthiest. I think he is leaning towards the surgery, and that may be as soon as next Thursday or Friday. Please pray that he has the strength to get thru this, and that we all make the right decisions.
Debby and Family
For those of you who know Mel, his e-mail address is meldavis48@msn.com Please keep he and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
S/F Gary
Hi everyone,
Between a mixture of phone calls and emails I really cannot remember who has called or who has emailed or who has come by! Please forgive me. My head is a little clearer this morning so as I began to answer some emails I decided to make a "Mel Update" group so I could keep everyone informed at the same time.
First to catch everyone up.
On Aug. 13th, we went to Washington, D.C. for Mel's Marine Corps Combat Helicopter Reunion. On Aug. 14, after a day of touring the city we were getting ready for the reunion dinner and Mel experienced about 5 minutes of confusion. I felt like perhaps he had had a minor stroke as there were no noticeable residual affects from the incident. He refused to go to the emergency room so I figured I'd just keep a close eye on him. Everyone we were with the remainder of our time in DC helped tremendously with watching him. He was just mainly pretty quiet, did not speak much if at all.
We returned home on Aug 20 and that afternoon I had him in to our Doctor. The doctor ordered some tests, mainly to look for signs of a stroke. One of the tests was an MRI scan of his brain.
Mel has been diagnosed with two brain tumors. One is in the front left side of the brain, the area that affects speech and thought processes and some feelings. The other is in the middle of the brain, also on the left side, dangerously close to the brain stem and where the spinal fluids flow. It is completely inoperable. Both are about 2" or more in size, they figure they have been there for a while.
Mel had a CT scan of the rest of his body to see if perhaps there was cancer elsewhere that may have masticized to the brain. This would be a good thing, because then they could of gotten sample tissue from there instead of the brain to see how to best treat him. Unfortunately, Mel is clear of any other cancer. This means that the tumors are strictly brain cell tumors, more than likely malignant, and now very aggressive.
Dr. Murk (Mel's neurosurgeon) put him on steroids and anti-seizure medicine immediately. The steroids are to stop the inflammation of the tumors and hopefully slow the growth also. The anti-seizure is to stop any further occurrence of what happened in DC, the periods of confusion. The seizures are such that I could be talking to Mel about a glass, but to Mel we are talking about a shovel. Confusion. This is why he needs to be watched so close.
The latest update is we spoke with the neurosurgeon again last night. We have two choices. Dr. Murk has consulted with other neurosurgeons and they determined that they could operate on the front tumor, try to get as much as possible and of course get a biopsy of it so they know what they are dealing with, and how best chemo and/or radiation could be used to slow the growth or inflammation of the other dangerous tumor. They are pretty certain that they are connected. That one masticized from the other. This is very dangerous because if you irritate the first one, the second one could get "pissed off" (Doc's words!) and cause a lot of problems or even death right on the table. Both tumors are right at a main artery also, and any disruption to the artery could cause a stroke with very serious consequences including death.
The other option is do nothing. The doc would need to lower the steroid medicine, monitor Mel closely with more MRI brain scans and watch the tumors. If he is on the steroids too long, or too high of dose then when they are needed they may not be effective.
Mel is good now, the steroids have made a tremendous difference, and in fact you can really barely tell there is anything wrong with him at all. He has to stay calm, stress free, and not much activity as everything you do has an affect on the brain.
Stay stress free. RIGHT! Mel is trying to make the right decision as to what to do. Ultimately as we all know it is in God's hands for how long Mel is with us. Could be 10 minutes, could be years.
The main purpose of this email going out to all my friends and family on my email list is to ask for your thoughts and prayers that we make the right decision to have Mel with us the longest and healthiest. I think he is leaning towards the surgery, and that may be as soon as next Thursday or Friday. Please pray that he has the strength to get thru this, and that we all make the right decisions.
Debby and Family