Update #18: All good.

Thank you all for being patient for an #ItsJoTime update. Ryan and I both working full time and having both kiddos back in school mean we don’t have as much time to sit around and ponder as we used to when Jo was inpatient. It also means I pretty much fall asleep on the coach around 9 p.m. of utter exhaustion. Bear with me.

Last week, we learned that Josephine’s last MRI showed a continually shrinking tumor. One that has even more holes – evidence of dying tissue. Sure, it’s still there, but there is also a lot more of her brainstorm visible where the massive tumor used to be. We can’t yet declare victory. In fact, we may never be able to truly declare victory. But this picture is as good as we could have possibly hoped for at this time in our journey. The next step is another MRI in 3 months – February.

In the moment, I couldn’t process it. The oncology team was in-and-out pretty quickly during our follow-up. They were all smiles and “see you next year.” I sat there numb. What did I just look at? Did all of that radiation and chemo just, I don’t know, WORK? It seems so unbelievable that she could be so sick, in fact, just weeks away from not making it, and now she’s just, normal again? Amazing.

It hit me a few hours later. Since our clinic appointment ended pretty quickly, Josephine asked to go see her favorite nurses (Leslie Walker Mader and Tresa Sadnick) in Radiation, so we walked over and took the elevator down to the basement to surprise them. When Les walked in, Josephine ran, RAN, to her and JUMPED into her arms. When she was in radiation, she couldn’t walk, much less run and jump. Les barely saw her awake, let alone squealing with delight. “I have good news!” she yelled…”My brain tumor is SMALLER.” Tears welled up in Les’s eyes, and then in mine. Tears streamed down my cheek as we walked around to surprise Tresa (recently promoted to charge nurse for the team), and then down to the radiation team to hug the techs. The realization of how big the news was became much more clear with each step.

Every time she saw a new member of her team, Josephine would yell “my brain tumor is smaller!” and everyone would clap. You can guess how much she got a kick out of that! She told everyone on the elevator when she saw Ms. Yolanda from ENT. She continued updating people the next day at art class with her best friend, Eleanor, and Sarah Swyers Parker. And then again the next day when we did our grocery shopping at Kroger and ran into our favorite butcher, Tommie. “My brain tumor is smaller!” It echoed through the halls at daycare too. Ha, that kid cracks me up. Everyone this side of the Mississippi should know by now.

So, we take a break. We will focus on Thanksgiving and Ryan Wrenn’s birthday and Christmas. We’ll focus on family, fellowship, food, and football. We’ll take a break from constantly worrying everyday about her tumor. We’ll put that on the calendar for February. We will continue to ask for your support, and prayers, and light. This war isn’t over, but we keep coming out of each battle a little stronger than before. We’re all good here. #ItsJoTime

-CHW