Rachel’s recovery continues to go well, but her headaches have not gone away. She’s off the prescription meds, but she still needs Tylenols all day. She went back to school last week and really enjoyed seeing everybody. She had been going stir crazy by the end of the holidays. However, the headaches were worse at school.

This morning we had a consultation with Rachel’s surgeon, Dr. Cheshier. He didn’t like that the headaches were worse at school, and so he instructed Rachel to stay home from school this week, and just go in for half days next week. During that time, he doesn’t want her to do homework. (“No sneaking off to the study, young lady!!!”) She did get permission to take a history midterm this week, since she has already prepared for it and wants to get it out of the way while everything is fresh.

Dr. Cheshier gave us really good news about her tumor. It was a ganglioglioma, which means that it was a completely benign tumor, and conveys no additional likelihood of future tumors. The next consultation is in mid-March, and she will have another MRI shortly before that.

Until then, she is still enjoying her half-shaved look. We even bought some “stubble clippers” at a mall last weekend. Thus BOTH Rachel and I are having new and completely unexpected experiences: she’s hanging out in the Mens’ Shavers section, and I get the pleasure of shaving my daughter’s head. You just never know what life will bring!