Alexis S.
Texas
Birth Date - December 11, 2001
Main Diagnosis - Craniopharyngioma, panhypotuitarism, hypothalamic
THEME: INSPIRATIONAL WORDS (HOPE, LOVE, DREAM...excluding RELIGIOUS WORDS)
and can include a flower, heart, bird, butterfly, etc. AND CANCER AWARENESS
RIBBONS (GREY) for BRAIN CANCER. It can be a grey ribbon
or a pattern that has a grey ribbon included (see attachment for ideas)
Quilt Deadline: 10/1/2014
Alexis's Story
Alexis was a happy normal child. She would get headaches off and on and had
a learning and speech delay. We kept taking her to the doctor because I
thought something was going on but couldn't figure it out. She had not grown
out of a size 6 and she was 9. She had been wearing the same shoe size for 2
years. Her headaches got worse over the summer of 2011. Finally a doctor
ordered an MRI in Sept of 2011. That same day we found out she had a brain
tumor called a craniopharyngioma. 2 weeks later she had surgery. The
doctors tried to prepare us for the loss of all hormones and some rapid
weight gain, possible loss of sight also. After she woke up from a
craniotomy to remove the tumor we were so relieved she could see and was OK.
Then the journey really began. She woke up hungry. Her body believed it was
starving. All the hormones were controlled with medicine. But, we could not
control her body from telling Alexis she would starve to death if she didn't
eat. Alexis gained 150lbs in 2 years.
We felt like our last option was bariatric surgery. On March 21 2014 she had
a gastric sleeve operation. We learned how sick she really was. Her liver
was taking up most of the room in her belly. She probably didn't have much
longer to live. Within 24 hours her type 2 diabetes was gone and she began
healing. We are hoping this will give her some of her life back. She really
has been through so much. I don't know how she does it.
CLICK HERE SEE WHAT HAS BEEN STITCHED
"Thank You"
Thank you so much! It's perfect in her new room! Now she can look at it and read it when she is feeling down. It's wonderful. Thank you.
