October 2, 2007

Hello!

It is so wonderful to be able to write an update knowing that I have so much good news to share.

Dirk had an MRI early September and everything looked the same - there has been no growth in the area where the suspected tumor was located. This good news allows Dirk to go six months until his next follow up appointment. I don’t think waiting for the results will ever get easier. The process is very stressful on both of us because you either get good news or bad news, which means your lives may potentially change again in one moment. I don’t question our ability to handle change or difficult situations, but I would rather not be faced with having to dig really deep for strength at this point; I’m still recovering from last year- as is Dirk. He is reminded daily of what he’s lost, but he finds the strength everyday to persevere and try new things.

Our really big news to share is that we are expecting twin girls early next year - talk about a new challenge! After 17 weeks, we are starting to get over the shock of two babies and focusing on what a blessing this is for us. It was nice this summer to have something positive to focus on as we hit the year markers from Dirk’s hospitalizations, return home and brain surgery. We’ve come a long way in one year!

Dirk had an eventful past month. He traveled with friends to Ironman Canada and to Colorado. The time apart was challenging for both of us (maybe me more than him), but it was another stepping stone in Dirk’s recovery. The trips forced Dirk to be more independent and push his comfort zone. While he was in Colorado he went fly fishing, played softball, and ran on a single track trail. Despite some fear he may have had while doing those activities, he was pretty proud of his accomplishments. I worried a lot when he was gone, but I know it’s more important for him to take trips and try new things when the opportunities arise versus staying at home with me.

Dirk also started a month long internship last week for a company in the city. This is a chance for us to gage where he is at in his recovery with regards to work. Hopefully it will help us answer questions like, how long is he able to work without becoming too fatigued, how much longer does it take him to accomplish a task compared to a coworker performing the same task. It’s a great beginning point for him to see if going back to his old company is a possibility in the near future. Unfortunately his double vision and mild impairments in his fine motor skills play a large role in all of this. My one concern is that I don’t want him to feel as though he has failed if things don’t go well, but as long as he knows this is just a trial hopefully he can think of this time as a learning experience.

I hope that everyone is well and enjoying the transition to fall. I’ll keep the updates coming. (I started this one right after Dirk’s MRI, but I wanted to also share the great news about the twins so I waited until we were in the clear).

Best wishes to all of you,

Kelsey

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