John Skinner

OPERATION: Bunnies at work #2!

2010-08-25T00:18:00.009-05:00

Well it's been long overdue, but once again we have another OPERATION: Bunnies at work!

(see the first OPERATION: Bunnies at work!)

Here goes...

So we drop Ava off for school, and I make sure Bunny is all strapped in for the ride.

We get to work and head to the Iostudio Fun Fridays company breakfast!

Bunny decides to sit with the girls to eat and chat.

Wow, Bunny almost cleaned her plate! Full tummy = :)

We hang out and for a bit and mingle with our friends at work.

Then Bunny finishes off with a couple donuts for desert :P

Then Bunny had to uh,... you know...

Then after cleaning up, we head back to a wonderful day at work.

As it turns out, Bunny has a natural knack for annimation. So she was able to help Gary out on one of his projects.

Good Bunny!

Then she helped out the HR dept by making some needed copies of the anti harrassment training materials.

"Bunny, are you sure you know how to work that copier?"

"Bunny! Stop playin' around! That's for office use only. Not for coppying your head!

Let's find something else for you to do to help out."

Bunny decided she would like to hang out in the lobby and greet everyone coming and going.

She had to try out some of the jokes she learned from Ava, sometime. Brenita & Jaime thought they were funny anyway :)

Then it was time for an afternoon coffee break.

Bunny mentioned there might be a basket sale this weekend and wanted to check for the add.

"Come on Bunny, break's over. Back to work!"

She couldn't help but stop by and check out our beutiful view from here of downtown Nashville.

The finance dept was having a busy day, so Bunny helped crunch some numbers with them.

(my cell phone rings)

"Hello? What's that,... "

"You say the call center lost their connection to the new portal the programmers just launched?!!!"

"COME ON BUNNY, we gotta run!"

It turns out, Bunny found a network cable that got pulled out.

"Nice find Bunny. Thanks!"

"Well, Bunny,..."

"It's time to go home and see Ava."

"Hey! Wait up for me!"

Bunny had a great, fun day at work with Daddy!

I think Daddy had fun to :)

2010-01-29T23:12:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to try out posting an audio clip.

This is Pinch (now defunct) and the song is "If only for a while".

Ava's Tumor is benign!

2009-06-25T22:05:00.002-05:00

We are happy to let you know that Ava's neurosurgeon called tonight to tell us that Ava's tumor is benign. It is an extremely rare type of tumor. Her neurosurgeon said he has only seen one other tumor like hers in his career. He said he only knew of 16 or 17 in the world. We knew she was special! :) It is an Angiocentric glioma. She was born with a certain type of cell that developed into this tumor. It is not hereditary. No further treatment is necessary at this time. She will have her follow-up MRI's every three months for a year. The other case that her neurosurgeon has followed has shown no regrowth for three years. We are hopeful that she will be fine.
Thank you for your concern and support!!!!
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Gifts for Ava!

2009-06-11T18:28:00.002-05:00

Muddy's Bake Shop

Goodie basket, stuffed dog & baloons!

And more to come (document)

Bowling in the playroom

2009-06-10T12:13:00.001-05:00

Playing with Pet Shop & Polly Pocket toys

2009-06-10T12:03:00.002-05:00

Balloons from Erin, and a cheeseburger

2009-06-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

My Little Pony pillow case. Thanks Sheri!

2009-06-10T11:37:00.001-05:00

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Wireless EEG connection In the playroom!

2009-06-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

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Playing Ball In The Hall With OT

2009-06-10T11:28:00.001-05:00

Geolocate this post.

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Ava's Journey to Memphis

2009-06-09T19:53:00.031-05:00

June 9th 2009

For those of you that haven't heard we are with Ava , our 5 year old daughter, at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis, TN.

The history behind this:

In October of 2008, my wife, Beth, and I started to notice Ava was loosing control of her right hand for small periods of time. Ava would say "My hand is crazy right now", so we all called it "crazy hand".

Beth took her to our Pediatrician, who referred us to a Pediatric Neurologist (Dr. Willie Anderson). Dr. Anderson told us that Ava was having complex partial epileptic seizures. He ordered Ava to have an EEG test at Vanderbilt, and it confirmed that Ava was having seizures.

Dr. Anderson started Ava on Kepra, slowly increasing the dose up to 3 ml twice a day. Then he scheduled Ava to have an MRI to check for a brain tumor as standard procedure.

We took a trip for Beth's birthday to Pigeon Forge in April, and Ava had two big seizures in the middle of the night that were very scary. Dr. Anderson upped her Kepra to 4 ml twice a day.

Then we went for the MRI. The MRI found a mass about 1" in diameter in her left frontal lobe. It was right down the gyrus path from the wrist part of the motor control area. He is pretty sure that the tumor is the cause of the seizures. He said that there were no signs of hemorrhaging or scar tissue, and it didn't look or act like a cancerous tumor, but they couldn't be for sure until there was a biopsy of the tissue.

Then Dr. Anderson referred us to Dr. Matthew Pearson of Vanderbilt Pediatric Neurology, and we scheduled an appointment for June 1st. During our three week wait for the Vanderbilt appointment, Dr. Anderson upped her Kepra to 7 ml twice a day, and added Trileptal trying to control the seizures. The "crazy hand" seizures seem to go away for about a day, but them came back to about 10 a day. Dr. Anderson had Ava take home a 24 hour EEG kit to record how many seizure activities were happining a day. The same number of "crazy hand" episodes we documented during this period were the same number recorded by the 24 hour EEG.

June 1st finally came, and we went to see Dr. Pearson, who said it should be removed and recommended we have surgery the following week.

We wanted a second opinion, and Dr. Anderson recommended we have everything done at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis, TN. He said that they would have more experience and had more equipment to get more detailed imaging of the tumor/mass.

So we came to Le Bonheur here in Memphis.

Ever since we've been monitoring her, she's had about 4 or 5 big seizures involving more than just her hand.

Here are some updates that Beth sent out to friends and family since we've been on our trip to Memphis:

Date: June 8, 2009 12:33:00 PM CDT

Ava is currently getting her MRI. She has already had the MEG and a CT scan. Her IV was put in, and that was the worst part. She cried for about 10 minutes, but that was mostly drama. She needed some extra love and attention. She has done so well. I am so proud of her. She will be in her MRI and recovery for about 2 hours, and then she can finally eat. After that, she will have her 24 hour EEG, which will not hurt. She has done this before. I think the next two days will be pretty laid back. They have a play room and an outside playground. I haven't met with anyone regarding the surgery. I'm sure they will gather all this info. and then come and meet with us.

They have child life specialists here. Their only job is to educate the children and make sure they are doing OK. We have two games waiting on Ava when she gets back from her MRI-(Operation and Chutes and Ladders). I also played BINGO this morning, and she won a Baby Alive (what a great prize). We are all doing well. It has been so nice to have John's support. I was able to go and get something to eat while he sat with her during her MEG. I'm already at home here in
the hospital room. Everyone is really nice and supportive. Our room number is 7819. I think Memphis is a really pretty city. Talk to you soon.

Beth
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Date: June 8, 2009 4:39:32 PM CDT

We met with Dr. Wheelis today, and we will be removing the tumor, which is exactly what we expected. Dr. Boop will be doing the surgery, and we will meet with him tomorrow. We met with Joe, who gave us a book on brain tumors, and I talked with him about the surgery. He couldn't give me any definite information, but he said that her incision would probably be a c-shaped incision on the top, left side of her head behind her hairline-much better than I had imagined. The surgery will be Thursday morning around 7 am. The surgery may last for 4 hours. Dr. Boop is world renowned, and everyone smiles when I tell them that he is doing the surgery. So, everything is going as expected, and Ava is finally done with her tests for today. She is currently doing her 24-hour EEG, but she can move around and play. She is tired but has done very well. John and I are doing well, also. Ava received an Elvis teddy bear for doing so well with her EEG. Thank you all so much for your positive thoughts and support. I know everyone feels like they want to do something to help, and you are being helpful by caring about us and thinking of us.

Love,
Beth
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Date: June 8, 2009 7:05:46 PM CDT

Here are some pictures we've taken today.

1.) Ava with her electrodes on her head & ready for the MEG

3.) Daddy John in scrubs!

3.) Ava with Beth, getting hooked up to the MEG machine

4.) Ava and John (still both being silly) right before the MEG.

5.) Ava in the MEG smiling for a picture (she can see, but it's hard to see her eyes).

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Date: June 9, 2009 3:43:43 PM CDT

Well, Ava's so-called 24 hour EEG is really a 48 hour EEG. They failed to mention that. So, we had promised her that she would be able to go walking around the hospital and go eat in the cafeteria, etc., but that's not going to happen. Poor thing is stuck in her bed. She is a trooper. On a lighter note, she received several Mylar balloons from her best friend, Erin, today! YEAH! What a pick me up! She has met with Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapists today to get a baseline for her. She has had a neuropsych. eval. I will meet with the neurosurgeon tomorrow. Everything is OK, and it is nice to have a cafeteria in our new home-no more cooking for me. I usually enjoy cooking, but it is nice to have a break. I will update again after I speak to Dr. Boop. She will have her EEG removed tomorrow and then go for another MRI with a few electrodes to get a more detailed look. She already has an IV, so that shouldn't be too bad, but one can only handle so much of this. Even I am stir crazy, and I have been out to Starbucks, the YMCA, Bookstar, and Walgreens, and I haven't had to have all these tests. John is stir crazy, too. He took a walk to the park. I know being bored is much better than being stressed. We will hang in there.

Later,
Beth
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Date: June 10, 2009 11:50:35 AM CDT

We met with the neurosurgeon today. Her surgery will begin at 7:30 am tomorrow, and I forgot to find out how long it would last, but we will be updated every hour or so. There is a 90 percent chance her seizures will stop within 4-6 months of the surgery. There is a 10 percent chance of permanent paralysis in her right hand. The incision will be over the top of her head, and they will remove part of her skull and screw that back in with titanium screws. She will have another MRI the day after surgery to make sure they removed all of the tumor. If not, they will go back in while we are still here. Since she will have swelling in her brain from the surgery, they will not be 100 percent sure they removed all of the tumor until her 3 month follow-up MRI. They will biopsy the tissue here and at St. Judes, and we should get those results within 10 days. If the two biopsies do not give the same results, they will send it to a third party. Her tumor tissue will also be saved for research to help other children. She is already doing volunteer work and doesn't even know it. :) We will have a two week follow-up back here in Memphis. It was interesting to find out that they would have removed this tumor regardless of seizure activity, and I was told by her current neurologist that surgery would depend on whether her seizures could be controlled by medication. So, I definitely recommend second opinions. I am getting a little more anxious, but I have no doubt that she will be fine. Thank you so much for your emails and your support! Ava is doing well, and she is looking forward to being able to eat lunch after her MRI today.

Beth
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Date: June 11, 2009 11:35:16 AM CDT

Ava is out of surgery, and it went well. They are closing up her incision, and we will be able to see her in about 45 minutes. They think they removed all of the tumor. They did have to cut close to the motor strip, so he said she might be weak on her right side. I'm so glad she is finished, and the surgery didn't take as long as they said it would. I will speak to the surgeon in a little while so he can give me a detailed update. YEAH!!!!!!!!!
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Date: June 11, 2009 6:07:07 PM CDT

Ava has been doing GREAT. She is awake and out of ICU and back in the room we've been in the whole time! I can't believe it! She is not showing any weakness in her hand and is now watching cartoons. She looks good, and we are just thrilled with her progress. She had a
little bit of morphine in the ICU, and she was chatty Cathy. She honestly kept me entertained for 2 hours. I took my book down to ICU to read, but I didn't need it. Thank you for your thoughts and all your support. The love we have received during this has been incredible and very touching. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
What wonderful friends we have!!!!!!!
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Date: June 12, 2009 2:44:05 PM CDT

Good news! Ava's MRI came back, and it looks like the entire tumor was removed. Also, the preliminary biopsy came back, and the neurosurgeon said that he thought it was a tumor but that it looked like brain tissue, so that was a good sign. Ava is recovering very well, and I'm thinking we will be discharged Sunday. Her IV's are gone, and all her anti-swelling meds and antibiotics are finished. She is now only on Tylenol, when needed, and her anti-seizure meds, which she will continue for at least one year. How amazing! She has done so well, and we are very happy!!!!!!! I also wanted to say thank you again to all my friends and family who have supported us in so many ways. Love to all. We will be home soon.

Beth
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Date: June 14, 2009 1:35:48 PM CDT

The doctors discharged Ava yesterday morning!
We packed up and carried everything out to our car. When we stepped outside Ava said "Outside!", and we realized Ava hadn't been outside for a week!

Poor thing, she's been very, very brave through all this.
So, we got home, unpacked, gave Ava a bath (first in a week!) and took her to see the movie "UP" in 3D!

Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers and positive energy!
It has all helped :)

Love,
John, Beth & Ava
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Date: June 25, 2009 9:57:00 PM CDT

We are happy to let you know that Ava's neurosurgeon called tonight to tell us that Ava's tumor is benign. It is an extremely rare type of tumor. Her neurosurgeon said he has only seen one other tumor like hers in his career. He said he only knew of 16 or 17 in the world. We knew she was special! :) It is an Angiocentric glioma. She was born with a certain type of cell that developed into this tumor. It is not hereditary. No further treatment is necessary at this time. She will have her follow-up MRI's every three months for a year. The other case that her neurosurgeon has followed has shown no regrowth for three years. We are hopeful that she will be fine. Thank you for your concern and support!!!!
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New HDTV

2009-06-05T03:03:00.003-05:00

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Enjoying New TV

2009-06-05T03:03:00.001-05:00

Just enjoying my new TV. Using my iPhone to post this.

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Testing post from iPhone

2009-06-04T12:44:00.001-05:00

Hello world!

OPERATION: Bunnies at work!

2008-10-31T15:23:00.007-05:00

Ava's school doesn't like them to bring toys to school with them.

So we were leaving the other morning and she had three stuffed bunnies with her.

I asked her "Ava, what are you doing with those?".

She realized what I was getting at and said "They are for you to take to work and show everybody!".

So I did.

They lounged at the swimming hole..

Got in the Halloween spirit...

Had lunch...

Played with some other toys...

Visited with Tom's baseball stuff...

Took turns diving for candy...

...in the trick-or-treat bowl...

had a safari tour....

took a coffee break...

& made some copies!

They had a great time thanks to their new friends (pictured below).

Thanks to all for making "OPERATION: Bunnies at work" a success!

Ava giggled and giggled as I told her the story above!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-09-28T01:25:00.001-05:00

Molly brought us a cake for our 10 year anniversary. Yummmm!

2005-09-14T23:26:00.000-05:00

This has been a great first vacation!

2005-09-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

This is wonderfull

2005-09-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

My last day enjoying the waves

2005-09-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

No Uncle Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-09-14T23:23:00.000-05:00

Here is the baby alligator

2005-09-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

Our hotel had Alligators!

2005-09-14T23:21:00.001-05:00

I liked Savanna!

2005-09-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

I got to see a lot of monuments

2005-09-14T23:20:00.001-05:00

They had a lot of water sppouts in Savanna.

2005-09-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

Daddy and uncle Paul rode with me in the limo

2005-09-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

Ridding in style!

2005-09-14T23:18:00.001-05:00

Mommy likes the limo too!

2005-09-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'm getting in my first limo!

2005-09-14T23:17:00.001-05:00

I'm out again

2005-09-14T23:17:00.000-05:00

Who's that over there?

2005-09-14T23:16:00.000-05:00

Beach baby

2005-09-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

Me and my Mommy & Daddy at the beach!

2005-09-14T23:14:00.001-05:00

I'm out

2005-09-14T23:14:00.000-05:00

I't getting late, but I'm still going.

2005-09-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

Run from the waves!

2005-09-14T23:12:00.001-05:00

Daddy tells me to be carefull

2005-09-14T23:12:00.000-05:00

This is a big bathtub

2005-09-14T23:11:00.000-05:00

This tastes funny

2005-09-14T23:10:00.000-05:00

I'm at the ocean!

Hello Blogger world

2005-09-14T22:59:00.000-05:00

This is my first Blogger post ever. I'm not much of a typer, so therefore I'm not much of a writer (or a blogger).

Enjoy!