Just wanted to let friends and family know that Jay's Mom passed away this morning at 10:50am. Melissa and Dad were with her and she went very peacefully. We are grateful to her lung donor family for giving us this past year with her, for the support of friends and family, for the perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and our knowledge that we will see her again.

The following are facebook notes/posts that Jay put up while I was in the hospital. He is such a ham. :-)


She is radio active now!! Break out your geiger counters!!
.by Meg Bowman on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 4:32pm.(Jay) Ok, Meg has placed me in charge of sending out updates on her FB account. I'm not too good at navigating around this thing, but we'll see how it goes. We got to the hospital around 9:45 and were admitted right away. We head up to the room and just start laughing. The entire floor is covered with those disposable towels that have been taped down. Everything that she MIGHT come in contact with, the soap dispenser, towel dispenser, faucet and handles, bed rails, TV remote, etc. etc. etc., has been wrapped in cellophane and medical tape for fear that her radioactive sweat might touch it. She has a big bio-hazard symbol on her door and there are radioactive exposure counters by the door. We get her settled in and wait. Around 1:00pm the nuclear medicine guys come and they are carrying this small metal capsule. Kind of like a really short metal thermos with a red ribbon carrying handle. It has the pill. They begin to open it and that is when I have to leave the room. I wait outside and the doc comes out and totally straight faced tells me "She is radio-active now" and turns and leaves. I'm thinking "that’s it?" No mean, green, hulk like reaction? No torturous screams and fists pounding through the walls?!!? Where was the fun in that?!!!?? So I sat in the waiting room for an hour to make sure that all was ok. She requested a taco combo from Julio G's on her cell, so I went and picked it up and dropped it off. She texted me and told me it was delish and she is doing just fine. So, there you go.


Meg update
.by Meg Bowman on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 11:37pm.
(Jay) Just talked to Meg. She said to put down that she is doing just fine except for a headache and a little exhaustion, which the nurses say is very typical for this treatment. She has no problem recieveing and replying to text messages, but she dosn't want to talk on the phone due to the headache and the agravating effect of noise, not that someone who might call would be considered just noise, but .... you get the picture. So, all things considered, she is doing just fine.

Get your latest radioactive update right here!! Where is the hottest place to be? Not Japan!! It's Banner Baywood Hospital!!!
.by Meg Bowman on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 7:32pm.
(Mega-Isotope's words) "Less than 24 hours left of isolation at the hospital! Dr. just ordered meds for the horrible headache and nausea. That should make for a much better night tonight. Thank you for your prayers. This has been harder than I imagined. Love you, Meg." (Jay-the-soon-to-be-custodial-of-nuclear-wife-material says) A sonnet for my dreary deary: Oh Margret how I miss you, little "light" of my life. The nights are so lonely, though I sleep quite alright. I lack all the "energy" to make all my meals, when there is no one else, I just eat cereal-s. Your "radiant" smile and "glowing" face, their absence makes this home a "desolate waste(land)." Until you come home and "recharge" my soul, I just sit here all alone, watching all my favorite shows. (And work all day. And do homework. And clean the house. And side jobs. And go to the gym. And maintain your facebook in its immaculate condition whilst augmenting its credibility with scholarly content. Oh yeah, back to the rhyming bit.) As time runs longer our "attraction" builds stronger, oh return to me Mega-Isotope, with love, yours truly, your adorable, atomicaly neutral dope.(Thats me!) ;-)

.(To the hospital) So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu! Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you! (Sound of Music)
.by Meg Bowman on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 6:26pm.
(Jay) Hazah, Hazah! Mega-Isotope is home!! Since the bulk of the radiation is gone I shall now refer to her as Minor-Isotope. (Doesn't quite "pop" like Mega, does it?) And with her return I must relinquish command of the Facebook account. I shall miss this new found freedom and power. Yes, this power that I have felt has been both maddening and intoxicating to say the least, and so, I must give it up before it corrupts me completely. It has made me feel somewhat akin to Prince John who was left to be in command when his elder brother, King Richard, left to fight in the Crusades. (For further information on this story and its tragic outcome, please refer to the historical account "Robin Hood" as produced by Disney. A lovely cartoon with the utmost respect for historical accuracy and scholarly details.) But one more post before I go couldn't corrupt too much could it? Good! As I had mentioned, Meg is home and appears to be quite sedate. I figured she would be all "charged" up and rearing to go, but, alas, she is passed out cold on the bed. Her glow would be almost angelic if it was not for the fact that it was derived from chemicals. We apparently have to maintain at least three feet of space between us for the next week. Want to guess how many times we have already broken that rule? Now don't be thinking dirty, I’m just talking about holding hands and a little hug, then a mad dash to the restroom to wash her radioactive sweaty excretions off of me. (I'm a little paranoid, OK?) Regardless it is soooo nice to have her back home again. Just having her around brightens my day. And besides, if I have it figured out right, I can hook her up to the breaker box while she sleeps and maybe save some cash on our electric bill!! Win - win, right?

Skeet discovered the joy of pulling hair and Katie was the victim here

Not so sure about the baseball thing... I will change his mind!

Jay working on his bike after years of it hanging in the garage

Sweet kisses!

My baby boy

Jayne's new glasses

Skeeter Bug


Amazing flowers from my wonderful friends at work!

Skeet sleeping... his poor rash

Snuggle time with mommy, post-surgery

Kristen and her girls came by for a Saturday afternoon on their way to Sierra Vista. It was rainy and gross outside so we ordered pizza and hung out. Super fun visit!

Cousins

My baby Reese!


I love this pic! The drool is the best part...

I got flowers from Bethers!

Skeet loves bathtime, but he loves his towel time even more!

A few piscs from the last 6 months... more to come

Skeet and Grandma Bowman

Three Generations of Cowboys!

Visiting with Aunt Darlene

Took my hair out of the braids I lived in for a few weeks and Jay liked the look. My coloring is finally coming back and the scar is looking so great. :-)

Crazy Rachie
Jay bought this shirt for Skeet...
Best Friends
Breakfast - Mimi style

Rachel is eating a waffle with Mini M&M's in each hole

Jayne has strawberries and whip cream

At least they are happy!

Quick update... my TSH levels were only at 47.52 last week and they have to get above 50. The normal range is between 0.5-4.5 so this is just crazy. Friday was my last day at work until after the first treatment. I just can't function at this point. My mom had already left for SLO early Friday morning when I got the call around 10am. I don't know that I have ever felt the devastation I felt at that moment. I realized it would be 17 days before I could hold my babies again. My parents and Jay were worried about me trying to function at home alone for 10 more days so my dad bought a plane ticket and I arrived here in SLO at noon on Saturday. I spent the first 4 days laying on the couch, not moving much. Sara and Jon were here for the weekend and took care of teething, constipated Skeet and puking Rachel. They were rock stars! Cam is here too and has been a huge help. We will head back to Mesa after church on Sunday. I just had my bloodwork run today (long story) and should have my results by tomorrow afternoon. If they aren't high enough something will be seriously wrong. My treatment should be on Monday. That's it in a nutshell. I am so glad to hold my babies, even if my 6 month old that I swear is at least 20lbs has to be held by his mommy while sitting down. I love my kids!

I have been keeping everyone on facebook updated, but have failed to update here. Life is interesting and incredibly difficult right now, but still good. :-)
I am prepping for my first radioiodine treatment and this is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. I had to go back to work two weeks after my thyroidectomy so I wouldn't loose my insurance. I have been off my thyroid replacement hormones since the morning of the surgery. I have been on the low-iodine diet for 10 very long days. On Thursday I will have my TSH bloodwork done and if it comes back above 50 we are good to go on the radioactive iodine treatment for next Monday. My mom is taking the kids to CA for the week because they can't be around me at all for 7 days. I will be in the hospital for the first three days (thank goodness - I am allergic to the iodine). Then we get to repeat it all again in the fall!

I have such a great family and friends who are so supportive. My mom and Jay keep me going at home and Melisa keeps the kids safe at school when I can't think straight. I am so exhausted that I come home and crawl into bed and sometimes I don't wake up until the next morning. I won't be driving after today... almost crashed the car when I blacked out for a moment on the road.

There are so many blessings that have come from all of this. Right now I am too tired to write them and am falling asleep as I type so good night and God bless!

It's out! The verdict is in... the entire thyroid was removed and "looked bad, like rotten oatmeal in some places." The left lobe was full of papillary adenocarcinoma. Luckily, the parathyroid was unaffected so they got to stay. He also removed the yucky lymphnodes that were under the thyroid, but they were benign! I will have two rounds of radioactive iodine, one in 6 weeks and on in 6 months. That should kill off whatever's left and life will go on.

I feel very blessed to have a wonderful doctor who took care of this so quickly. These last three days in the hospital have not been enjoyable by any means, but I have definitely seen the hand of the Lord in my life. I can't thank family and friends enough for your love, support, prayers, fasting, and service. I am inspired by you!

I should be going home today after the last two rounds of anti-biotics and removal of the drain. The respiratory infection is clearing up and the new antibiotics are working well (I was allergic to the last one). Still haven't seen the scar... it's bandaged pretty well. I am sure that will be shocking.

I guess I should try to get some more sleep while I can. I am in the OB ward in the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center (the med/surge floor was full) and my room is right across from the nursery. I miss Skeet so much every time I hear a baby cry.

He will be in my arms soon enough. I sure love my kids!

So it’s 4am and I have been up with Skeet most of the night. I finally realized that I have cancer last night. I knew I had it, but it didn’t really sink in until my break down last night. Lots of sobbing in Jay’s arms. My concerns: the horrific nature of the surgery, cutting my neck wide open and being so close to major arteries and my trachea, if it’s in my parathyroid and/or lymph nodes, waking up to the pain, possible vomiting after the surgery, staying in the hospital without Jay, metastasis, dying on the table, not being able to breathe after from the swelling, the scar, the distance from my kids, the emotional distance from my kids post-surgery…

These are only some of the concerns I have. I do know that I have one of the best surgeons. He loves the hospital. He has been doing this for years. Despite not recognizing how hysterical I am, he is a great guy who is taking this whole thing very seriously. My tumor does not have a spine! I guess I am strong enough to deal with this. Life will go on. And I am sure it will be good. :-)