Fun at the Memphis Zoo!

We had a "brunch" and then headed off to the zoo. It was a long day for Jude, but we saw monkeys, bats, giraffes, lions, gorillas...and many more. Jude loved the bears we saw. Jeni loved the bats and also the pandas that they have there. As usual, Jay kept us giggling all day too. We had to go the hospital to have his IV flushed and re-done. Then we were back here for dinner. Jude was tired and opted for a movie in the room instead of the big TV in the lobby.

I love my friend!!!

There were many sayings carved in the rocks all around the zoo.

See how Jude gives kisses...ALL the time!!!

Daddy and Jude....

Jude holding his zoo ticket...St. Jude patients and up to 3 family members get in free!

Tidbits from Memphis...

Yesterday was a full day for Jude. He had radiation, speech therapy, occupational therapy AND physical therapy. Wow. Big day... In physical therapy, he played "Whack a Mole", which was cute. He didn't want to stop. In occupational therapy, he played with legos building a little and a lot of transferring blocks from one hand to the other obeying instructions from the therapist. It teaches him coordination and it was interesting to watch him think about the connections in using his left hand versus his right. He tried to take shortcuts, but she didn't let him. Of course, in typical Jude style..he giggled throughout. The weekend is time off from the hospital. They go back Monday for more radiation and therapy.

We laughed a lot yesterday. For going through so much already, I so appreciate the upbeat attitude of Jeni, Jay and Jude. I think Jay cracked us up all day long. He likes to pretend fall and make Jude laugh. He did hit his head on the slide in an uncalculated move. haha Jeni and I are enjoying catching up and...again...laughing together. Jude is happy all day long, as Jeni said. He is kissing her and Jay non stop. He was also kissing his Bible this morning. Jeni thinks he keeps doing this because he can't say "I love you". That is precious!!! Jude got to ride a big wheel with help from daddy and loved it! He is getting stronger all the time his parents say. Every day brings accomplishments that were not there the day before. Wonderful!!!

Today we are going to go to the zoo here. I can't wait to take pictures of that adventure! We put a branch on the outside of their door here, along with a sample of Jude's artwork he has done while here. Stay tuned....

Cracker eating action in the cafeteria!!!

The Ronald McDonald House and hospital pictures...

Jude in physical therapy...he's getting stronger every day

Happy happy happy....

Here we are with Captain Sulley. He is the US Airways pilot who landed the jet in the Hudson River. Very cool...

Jay, Jude and Jeni

On a wall of the Ronald McDonald House. Jeni loves this....I do too.

The kitchen to cook in. 5 rooms share each section like this. There are 2 large kitchen areas. I think this is the nicer of the 2.

The dining area....one of them anyway.

The room.

The lobby...

The front of the Ronald McDonald House.

Look at him go!!!!

Off to visit Jeni, Jay and Jude tomorrow!

Well, I am writing prior to my flight out to Tennessee tomorrow afternoon. I am very happy to be able to go out to see them. My dad helped me out getting the ticket and I appreciate that so much! I will be there for a week...getting home next Thursday.

I am looking forward to updating this blog while I am there since I will have great opportunities to take pictures of the hospital and the Ronald McDonald house where I wil be staying with them. Jeni says the hospital is beautiful and that the house is great as well. We may even get out and about with little Jude this weekend if he is up to it. We'll just have to see.

Jeni has said that he will receive 31 radiation treatments altogether..and I believe as of today, he will have had 5. After 3 weeks she was told it would be more difficult for him I think. He is still not talking and can't support his own weight. But I will post a video after this that shows him pushing himself in a wheelchair...which is awesome. It brought me to tears. I mentioned to Jeni on the phone that she sounded so upbeat and happy. She said that the reason she is like that is all because of Jude. HE is so happy ALL the time...giggling and smiling. She can't believe it. She said I won't believe how much better he is with the syndrome since the last I saw him. He was a little rag doll before he left. I can't wait to see him smile and wheel himself around! I am bringing cards, a fleece blanket from the Joyful Foundation, Jude's yearbook and a few other little items for them. I wish I could pack some rocks for him (he wants rocks from what I have heard) ...but those would be too heavy for my luggage. haha

To say something about my dear friend, Jeni....she is such a loving mother and kindhearted person. She knows I am coming and she tells me they are cleaning for me and she hopes I am not bored while I am there. With all she has to concern herself with...it touches my heart that she even thinks about that!!! I told her not to even worry about ANY of that. It's just the person she is and a person I am privileged to call my friend.

Jay is a great support for her at this time...and cares so much for his little guy too. It is so nice to see teamwork for the good of Jude. Maybe that is why Jude is so happy too. He needs them and they are there for him.

The diagnosis was "updated" to 'anaplastic medulloblastoma'...which was not great for them to hear. It is a far more aggressive type of this cancer. However, there has not been significant growth in any of the remaining tumors as of yet. And in talking with my dad, who is also a doctor, he said this type of cancer, while not good, can respond very well to chemotherapy. Jude comes home for 3 weeks following radiation. Then he will go back for 4 months for the chemotherapy. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Again, I will post updates while there. I will have an even more accurate post since I can have Jeni right next to me while I type it!!!

Jude started radiation...

This is the latest update from Jeni...

"Today was Jude's first day of Radiation. I guess it went well..?? They tell us that nothing really happens until the 3rd week. He did have a fever alot of the day though. Other than that he was a little tired, but still doing well as far as moving around alot more and stuff. What is the big challenge now is to get him speaking again. He opens up his mouth to say words, but nothing comes out. I'm sure pretty soon it will come when his brain remembers to make the right connections. We have another zap tomorrow, then a 3 day break because of the holiday weekend. Hopefully Jude will do ok, and we will get through this quick and come home soon!!! We miss everyone sooooo much and love all our brothers and sisters and family so much!!
Love, Jeni"

Another picture of Jude....smiling....so cute

Another pic of little Jude....

He really IS smiling now!!! Yay!

Another cute video of Jude....he's movin' now!

Weekend news.....

Jeni sent me the video clip below of Jude moving his legs~~~ She has a few more to send that I will post when I receive them. It is so sweet to hear her excitement for him in his accomplishment!!! Here is her latest note.....

"Jude has been amazing us with his new movements. He wiggles his fingers, kicks his legs, holds his arms up at the elbows, and holds his head up in his wheelchair. The docs are really amazed at how fast he's progressing. Our weekend is full of freetime finally because this whole week was full of sedation, spinal taps, bone scans, mri's, cat scans, and a surgury to get that central iv line put in. His bones are clear, but he does have spreading also down his spine, which we already assumed. His radiation will start midweek next week. Tomorrow we will be moving to the Ronald McDonald house and I have to learn how to put Jude's IV stuff in, and flush it and change dressings, etc. AHH!! I do not want to be responsible for all that. Oh well, they say everybody does that here, and that it's easy. Maybe so,,,, anyway, I will write more later. Thanks again for all the thoughts and well wishes and prayers. Love everyone so much!! Jeni"

Jeni and Jude outside St. Jude in Memphis

A beautiful mommy...inside AND out....with her little guy.

Jude at Zoomar's the day before he went to the hospital

How cute is this??????

Jude dressed as....guess what?.....a TREE!!!!

This is Jude when he was in CHOC hospital. That's his little brown bear under his arm.

The Day after testing....

Jude is an inpatient right now at St. Jude in Memphis and Jeni and Jay stay with him there. Down the street is the Ronald McDonald House where they will stay in a 2 bedroom place with a kitchen and everything once they release him. They will be able to stay at the RM House for the course of his treatment. Jeni's mom, Jan is staying there now and comes to the hospital every day. In fact, this pic is the view from him room right now in Memphis.....I am SURE Jude likes that he can see trees. If you know Jude, you know he LOVES trees. I guess Eucalyptus is his favorite. :)

Well, one minor correction that Jeni pointed out to me...is that I guess Jude had been vomitting almost 2 months, rather than weeks as I had stated. I did not realize it had been an ongoing thing that long.

Jeni sent me an update from yesterday's mentally and emotionally exhausting day of testing. She says she does not know how Jude does it....and honestly I do not know how THEY do it as parents either!!!!! She said a particularly difficult thing was when the central IV line was surgically put into his little chest. Rough stuff for a mommy!!!! She is a trooper. I told her how much everyone appreciates hearing about him and several are following this blog to keep up to date. She was very glad. Here's her update...and I will post the other pics she sent me after this post.......

"Jude's bone scan was clear, and his hearing is perfect. They want to check it first, because radiation can damage hearing. Tomorrow he is getting an MRI of the brain and spine, and I think a spinal tap. He will be asleep for all of it, thank goodness. He is really holding up good so far. I don't know how he does it. All that strong will he has is coming in handy. He was playing a game with us tonite by wiggling his fingers for us while we clapped and cheered him on. A huge improvement since this syndrome started. He is also practicing saying the MMMMMM sound. He can still say uh huh, and yeah but only sometimes. He has speech therepy in the morning, and they are confident that he will regain his speech soon. Meanwhile he is eating like a horse and constantly has a Buddha belly.!!! Radiation won't start until mid next week, and today the doc told us about all the side effects. Ugggh........ They had to mark his head and spine with all these x's for when they start. Talk to you all soon, and miss everyone soooo much!! Thank you again so very much for your love and concern. It means so much!"

A couple earlier pictures of Jude and my son Davis. They have some fun....

Being silly together in computer lab at CHEP

Jude graduating Kindergarten last year....

Jude and Davis in their matching shirts!!!

Jude and his dad Jay at the hospital in Memphis! He is looking happy!

Some notes from Jeni's room that I thought were adorable that Jude wrote to her. One is an apology for not listening to her....

He was trying to smile for the picture.

With his dad Jay...trying to smile for the pic. This was taken the day before they left for Memphis.

The beginning...

As you already probably know...Jude Goodman was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma cancer. I will do my best to relay information I have received as well as continue to receive now that he and Jeni are in Tennessee. I am sure others know things I do not so I will do my best to gather info to post here....and if anything I type is not correct, please let me know!!!

He was admitted to CHOC hospital April 24th after having at least 2 weeks of morning nausea and vomitting. He had a headache one of the mornings at least and also Jeni mentioned that he had an occurrence of blurred vision. He had lost weight....But certainly nothing would have indicated to her, or anyone at that point I would imagine, that it had to do with brain tumors! I told her maybe it was a parasite! We were waiting on that Friday morning at CHEP for music class and I texted her to see if she was on her way. She sent back that he was still not well and she was taking him to the hospital. By Saturday morning they had determined surgery was necessary immediately for the tumor that was indeed cancerous. Imagine!!!!!

He had a golf ball sized tumor in the back of his head as well as 50 more small tumors sort of horseshoe shaped around the back of his skull. They removed the large one and suggested treatment for the others.

The surgery went well. The tumor was removed. Postsurgery, however, Jude developed Posterior Fossa Syndrome. I am including something I copied and pasted from the internet that is similar to what happened to Jude:

"Brain tumors are the second most common malignancy in children less than 15 years of age and the most common solid tumor of childhood. Approximately 60% to 70% of pediatric brain tumors originate in the posterior fossa. A postoperative syndrome, labeled posterior fossa syndrome, has been identified in certain children. This syndrome involves a variety of signs and symptoms including mutism or speech disturbances, dysphagia, decreased motor movement, cranial nerve palsies and, emotional lability. These signs and symptoms develop from an average range of 24 to 107 hours after surgery and may take weeks to months to resolve. "

St. Jude Hospital in Memphis TN is where she decided to have Jude receive his treatment. They wanted her there ASAP...and they were able to fly out there Sunday along with Jude's dad, Jay and Jeni's mom, Jan. I asked Jeni to send me updates and any pictures or videos she wants for me to add here....so I will add things as I get them.

I know Jeni is very appreciative of everyone's thoughts and kind words of support. She is a wonderful mother and a terrific friend and I am very happy to do this for her. Her good friend Christie Wilson has set up an account through paypal for any who would like to help sine Jeni has taken off from work to be there for the treatments.

www.paypal.com and send funds to judeebug911@gmail.com That transfers right to her bank. She does not want any to feel obligated but is touched to the heart even for people to be thinking of her and expressing love and concern. You can email Jude at that address also. When I get an address for the hospital, I will post that so any that want to send things to them will have her mailing address. I am sure cards and such would be very much appreciated. Maybe even pictures she can show Jude!!!!

Jeni sent me the first email tonight and I am copying and pasting it here:


"Jude is doing better with the syndrome, he is moving his head arms and fingers. This is a really nice hospital. They have alot to offer kids and try to make them feel really comfortable. It is really hard to be so far away. The first night I was here I felt so alone...even though Jay was here. They told us today that tomorrow, Tues, Jude will get a central line surgicly put in his chest so that they can put medicine and treatments and all that stuff in there, and he has to wear it for at least a year. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I did meet the sister here and her husband, and my mom is going to the meeting with her tomorrow night. She is really sweet. Jude has alot of tests tomorrow, including planting that iv in him tomorrow. I hope he makes it through all this and comes out in one peice. Or even 2 pieces. As long as he comes out ok. Thankyou for all your prayers and kindness. Hope to see some of you soon.........
Jeni"