Thursday, November 3rd 8pm

Update: It's been a very busy day for Mandy. Blood draws first thing. Then more electrical studies. This time with a focus on her legs. It took a couple of hours. Then I saw her for 5 whole minutes before they whisked her off for an MRI about noon. (This is the different kind of MRI suggested by the neuroradiologist. It looks more like graphs than pictures and the MRI tech told us they don't even know how to read it. Very specialized) Mandy hadn't even eaten breakfast and it was noon!!! So I gave her a liquid yogurt and she was eating a muffin as they were wheeling her down the hall. Really? Sleeping and eating are obviously NOT priorities around here! She was just a little wiped out when she got back. The lab came in to draw blood AGAIN and we both freaked out. Too many blood draws each day. In trying to cover every possible base, they are now testing for two specific parasites that can cause tumor like lesions in the brain. Interesting. These parasites aren't common in the US but they are in developing countries; and Mandy has been in so many countries. The most recent trip had her in Thailand. Apparently these parasites can live in your body for prolonged periods of time without being recognized. The parasites encapsulate so the body doesn't recognize or respond to them as a foreign body. But apparently the body develops antibodies to them which can be found in the blood. It's a LONG SHOT but we're looking at everything. We're still waiting on a bunch of tests. Patience is the name of the game.

Mandy gets SO frustrated with some of these IV medications. She can taste the chemicals, and some of them make water and other liquids taste funny. She describes drinking water like "drinking hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol." And that is pretty frustrating for a big water drinker! So today when the nurse started to hang the IV she said "Wait! Let me drink some water while it tastes like water." The things we take for granted. Right?

Mandy got up and walked again today. The physical therapist noted definite improvements in her leg's ability to coordinate. We were also able to wash her hair while she was up and that made her feel a little better.

We are working on creating a blog for future information. We will keep you posted on that. Thanks for all of your love and prayers.

Tami