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I want to thank
Here is an update to the funds in the account.
Balance remaining after expenses $7,667.00
Total expenses for 2nd visit to Mayo $22,268.42
Thank you to
Lisa underwent surgery on November 4th at Mayo
Clinic and everything went very well. Even though the surgery was complex and
specialized the prognosis is extremely positive and they believe Lisa may not
require a 2nd surgery. We’ll keep our fingers crossed! Her eyes are
healing very well and now the images are starting to move, this is to be
expected and may take a few weeks to align. We are scheduled to go back to Mayo
in January to assess the success of the surgery.
Our applications have been submitted to the ministry of Health for payment of
the surgery. Now we are looking to CHEO to support our claim to the ministry to
reimburse the surgery, this is a mandatory requirement. Hopefully we will know
by November 21st.
With the recent news for the
Goal (revised after Mayo visit)
$25,000.00
Total raised to date (before expenses) $15,510.86
Total expenses paid to date $7,950.96
Balance remaining after expenses $7,559.90
We’re back!! The trip was a GREAT success and I want to share the
news with everyone. We began our appointments on Monday September 27th
and reviewed Lisa’s condition with several departments, neurology,
neurosurgery, neuro-oncology and neuro-ophthalmology
with a stop at the pain management clinic.
The specialist offered some helpful advice in most
areas and confirmed Lisa’s treatment and results to date by CHEO. The area with
significant news was in regards to Lisa’s vision. Mayo clinic can correct
the double vision!! It will not be perfect but the images should align when looking
forward and down. This will have a trickle-down effect for Lisa and her
symptoms. Her permanent headache is caused by her brain trying to constantly
align the images so this should disappear as well. From an overall perspective
since Lisa will have fewer issues to deal with she should be able to
control/manage the permanent side effects a little more.
Surgery is booked for November 4th. There
is a 70% chance that this will work the first time but it is possible that Lisa
will require up to 2 more visits. This is day surgery requiring 15 minutes
per eye (can you believe it). Lisa’s eyes will not be bandaged after surgery
and will require drops for several weeks. We will have to go back in two months
to follow up.
This was the best possible news we could have hoped
for and are very excited!!! Thanks you everyone for you support and we will
keep posting the updates.
My name is
Lisa has always been a happy go lucky girl who tries to look
on the bright side of life. In recent
years however, she has had to face many challenges. 5 years ago, she enjoyed school,
cheerleading, and hanging out with her friends.
Since then, things have changed significantly for her. In November 2004, at the very young age of
12, Lisa was suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor.
The tumor was identified as type 1 (which usually means slow
growing and a small chance of re-growth), yet 6 months later Lisa had to
undergo surgery again because the tumor had grown back aggressively. Before the second surgery, Lisa was advised
she would have radiation and/or chemo treatments to supplement the surgery to
help ensure the tumor would not grow back.
All but 2 small nodes of the tumor were safely removed and, at that
time, it was felt the nodes left behind would be absorbed by the body and not
cause any further issues. A decision was
made to hold off on any treatments and reassess her condition after a few
months.
Lisa experienced several side effects as a result of these
surgeries; including double vision, slurred speech, balance problems, and the
inability to process information quickly.
Fortunately, through rehabilitation, Lisa overcame 90% of her side
effects and was back in school quickly.
In the fall of 2007, Lisa was again experiencing headaches,
double vision and balance issues. The Children’s
Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) operated on her again, this time,
to place a shunt to drain fluid that was putting pressure on her brain. Unfortunately, this did not resolve the
issues and CHEO felt that although they could not see growth within the tumor,
Lisa was being affected by the nodes that were left behind.
Lisa underwent 30 radiation treatments in Jan of 2008 in an
effort to remove the residual nodes.
Following this treatment, Lisa once again underwent rehabilitation to
address side effects. However, this time her progress was slower and the
results less effective.
In March of 2008, Lisa was not feeling well. A battery of tests was performed and she was
observed in hospital for a few days.
After many consultations with her doctors, it was believed that Lisa’s
shunt was over-draining and Lisa underwent surgery to have the shunt replaced.
Unfortunately, shunt surgeries are very sensitive and Lisa had to endure 4
surgeries in six days before the shunt functioned properly.
Since August of 2008, Lisa has experienced constant double
vision and headaches, with pain ranging from tolerable to excruciating. We have not been able to find any natural
method nor medicine to help her.
In October of 2008, in an effort to determine the cause of
the constant headaches, an IPP test was performed (an orthostatic hypotension
probe was placed in the front of her brain to monitor the fluid flow for a 24
hour period). The results of this invasive test were inconclusive.
In February 2009, Lisa’s side effects had greatly
intensified. We brought her to the
hospital again where, this time, they found a very large cyst pressing on her
brainstem with enough pressure for it to be fatal. The doctor was amazed that Lisa was able to
walk into the emergency. She was immediately admitted to the ICU at 9 PM and
underwent surgery first thing the next morning.
Lisa’s issues were always expected to be acute but she has
not followed the typical path for this condition. Recently, a decision was made
to continue her rehabilitative care under Dr. McCormick’s guidance through the
Ottawa Children’s Treatment Center. Their programs are suited for children who
are facing long term challenges, much like Lisa is.
Unfortunately, for the moment things are at a standstill and
little improvement has been made with Lisa’s condition despite the continuous
efforts of the medical team at CHEO.
We have recently come to the realization that we have
received all of the help that is available through the Canadian health care
system. We came to the conclusion that it was time to make a decision
concerning future treatment options. Extensive research brought us a glimmer of
hope when we learned that the MAYO Clinic in the
We contacted them and after reviewing Lisa’s medical
records, they informed us that they believed they were in a position to help
Lisa. We have applied to the pediatric division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Minnesota. Although we’re preparing for
little change, we are hoping for the best.
The Clinic has requested 4 ½ days of testing/consultation,
which are scheduled from September 28th to October 2nd. We
have been told to prepare for 8 days and the testing schedule is subject to
change once the schedule is underway. Lisa will be seen by 8 clinics/doctors
for their input and recommendations.
Medical care obtained in the United States, even though
referred by a Canadian doctor, must be approved by OHIP. Generally these
services are not covered. A preliminary estimate, based on the testing schedule
indicates that the cost of the initial 4 ½ days of testing/consultation will be
over 10,000 US dollars, plus our flights and hotels.
We are hoping to
raise some of the funds to help with this expense. If you would like to help
Lisa and our family, you can go to any Scotiabank and
make a deposit to Business bank account 611760032719. The account is under the
name, Lisa Cater In Trust. Deposits can also be made at any Canadian banking
institution. The institution code for Scotiabank is
002, Transit code is 61176. REGRETTABLY TAX RECEIPTS CAN NOT BE PROVIDED. If
you have any problems please contact Heather van Leeuwen
at Scotiabank (613) 834-4290.
To ensure
accountability, we have also placed a respected friend, Sue van Berkel, on the account as signing authority. Sue will be
monitoring the deposits and expenses for tracking purposes. If you would like
to contact Sue, you can reach her at 613-204-2421 or via email at Sue Van Berkel.
Any funds raised that are not used for Mayo clinic
consultations, flights, hotel and any recommended treatment will be donated after
6 months to CHEO’s 5th floor for medical
equipment, such as thermometers, blood pressure machines, wheelchairs etc.
Dr. Keene has followed Lisa, from a neuro-oncology
perspective, making sure we have all the information we need and he supports
our recent decision to look for healthcare consultations outside of
Canada.
Any treatment recommendations made by the MAYO Clinic that
can be carried out in Ottawa will be done locally. We are hoping that this initial visit will
lead us to a new approach to treatment.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story, we will
post updates on Lisa’s condition on our web site on a regular basis.
Sincerely,
Lisa Cater
Mike Dowding
Laura Cater