Post #2 Olivia update :)

Hey there everyone, I know you all have been wondering how Olivia is doing. I am so grateful that you are all keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. I have been trying to answer emails from everyone so here is what I know right now.

First of all.....Olivia is HOME :):):):)

This is a post from her mom Christina Klauer's facebook page.
August 30, 2011-
Wowzers...today was a day of alot of information!!! Started off that we found out for sure Olivia was going to have to have some physical and speech therapy,we were given some time to ask around about great places in our area and for the most part, we heard the most positives about The Children's Therapy Center in Moline & Augustana's Speech therapy.We decided to start with The Children's Therapy Center in hopes of keeping it all in one place.We learned results of Olivia's pathology report, her tumor is a Grade 2, Ependymoma & was located in the Posterior Fossa. With that said Olivia has great things in her favor, one being they removed the entire tumor, the 2nd being the MRI after surgery shows it is no where else. Olivia's treatment plan will consist of 30-34 radiation treatments given Monday-Friday for 6 or so weeks.She will start with a simulation session probably next week, which will include a very detailed CT and MRI, then she will have a impression of her teeth made for a bite plate as well as be fitted for an eye mask.These are both used during her radiation treatments. After that initial appointment, they will be able to start treatments a week later.You ask, "why radiation if they removed the whole tumor"...the chance of reaccurance is 50% without radiation and with radiation she only has a 20-30% chance of it coming back.If Olivia can sit still and cooperate she can get her radiation treatments without sedation..i have my fingers crossed!!!After radiation Olivia will be having MRI's done at least 4 times a year for the first couple of years, then it will decrease to 2 a year and so on.Thank you all again for your continued support, love, & prayers!!As Dr. Menezes said at our first consultation our lives are changed!! We will get through this just like we got through the surgery!!!

September 1,
We are finally home after 17 days in the hospital, Woo Hoo!!! It is so great to all be under one roof again.Prior to being discharged from the hospital yesterday Olivia was seen in the Otolaryngology Clinic where they placed a small tube with a camera attached into Olivia's nose to check her nose & throat. Olivia's Cranial Nerves 9,10,11,& 12 have been affected by the tumor/surgery it is hard to determine if this is long term damage or not, they are pretty confident it is not & all will be determined after radiation, because that can also affect the cranial nerves.These nerves control things such as the taste on the posterior 1/3 of the tongue, the somatonsensory information from the tongue,tonsil,pharynx,& controls some muscles in swallowing, head movement, and the muscles of the tongue. We will ba going back to Iowa City on Tuesday to have Olivia's Radiation Simulation Session (which i described in last post) and then she will get her stitches taken out in the Neurosurgery Clinic. Radiation should then begin the following week.

Here is a picture of this weeks mail call for you....again your thoughts are prayers have helped her so much!!! I have misplaced my paper with all the names on it...(actually I think I left it at Olivia's house) so I will post names of everyone later this week.




Again I want to thank EVERYONE for all of the well wishes. Her eyes light up when I come with mail!!! I do know that we are now over 100 cards/packages....and she does NOT stop until every single one is open!!! :)

Stacy