Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

Good Afternoon,

Sorry it took me a few days to write again.

Firstly, great news!! Marin's MRI looked a little better than the previous month. It really is an answer to a prayer! The report read "stable" with a slight decrease in enhancement. This leans towards the belief that the growth is really radiation damage that will slowly dry-up and disolve into the the "other stuff." The docs said we could try to come down from the steroids although Marin has been dizzy for the past few days making me a little weary of doing this. The swelling in her face has become noticable and is bothering her tremendously so trying to get off the steroids would be optimal.

The docs were filled with joy, as all of us are, regarding Marin making the Beijing team. They feel fully confidant that Marin will make it there regarding her health issues. They first are going to travel us to Okinawa, Japan for a few weeks and there is wonderful medical facilities available there with the US Naval Base. We just have to all keep praying for her swelling to decrease, the dizziness to stop, and her feeling good again so she can go there and have the swim of her life.

Even though Marin was dizzy yesterday, we did make it to the Bellevue club and swim. She continues to look beautiful and strong in the water and has a smile that fills up the whole pool.

Today the dizziness increased so we have been laying it low and I have been making her soup, pasta, etc while she sits with her eyes closed and knits.

The weather here is cold and rainy. We are hoping for warmth and sun.

Have a wonderful day!

Marin and mom
Matt, Camlyn, and Michael

Monday, April 14, 2008 2:09 PM CDT

Good Monday Afternoon,

I appolgize we haven't updated the site in a week. I think we're all recovering from the excitement. Firstly, thank you so much to all of you whom sent flowers, cards, ballons, well wishes on the site, food, etc. Marin so deserves each and everything she has received these last few weeks. I can't even begin to tell you how more and more the hero in her exceeds any expectations that I couln't have even dreamed of.

The last week Marin has continued to swim daily feeling good and working ######### Friday she started feeling dizzy and by Saturday was throwing up, etc. I don't know what I allow to let it effect me so much but I just fall apart these days when she is sick like that. The intensity of her spinning and vomiting is almost too much to bear. For Marin, on the otherhand, she just works through it to proceed to the next day.

On Sunday we went swimming with Kiko, one of the Paralympic Coaches and a visiting coach. She had a great time even though the first half she was dizzy.

Matt, living in Washington DC, had his brother Ed come out and visit him and the two of them did up the town in DC. I think they had a nice time and got to visit with some cousins also.

Today Marin and I are at the hospital getting an MRI. I will post again this evening to let everyone know what's going on in her little brain. Please pray hard for her recovery and for these symptions not to be cancer.

Thanks and yea for Marin!!!!!

Big hugs, Nancy, Marin and the gang

Sunday, April 6, 2008 3:58 PM CDT

Beijing it is!

What a day it's been. We are awed to be able to tell everyone that Marin will represent the USA as a member of the 2008 Paralympic Swim Team in China this September. We gathered with other swimmers and supporters this morning at the Aquatics Center in Minneapolis where the team announcement was made. When Marin's name was announced, we were all amazed and overjoyed while Marin was absolutely thrilled. She walked up to the front of the room to take her place among her USA teammates and was beaming with a smile that will never fade. Along with coach Andy, and coach Kiko who is also US Team coach, we all had tears in our eyes as we witnessed Marin realize her dream of making it to the 2008 games. She stated that as her goal, even after she was diagnosed with brain cancer, and even when she was stricken with paralysis after surgery. And against some pretty incredible odds, Marin has done it. We're obviously so very proud and happy for her, and today, frankly, we're a bit blown away.

Since that moment it's been a whirlwind. After the announcement where each team member was introduced and given a USA hockey jersey with their name and 08 on the back, we began the process of getting ready for the long journey by filling out piles of paperwork. We are submitting two sets as Nancy has been named as a special assistant to the team and will travel along with Marin every step of the way. We were excited to learn that the team's pre-Olympic camp prior to the games will be held in beatuiful Okinawa, Japan (here we come, Oki Swim Mom) and not Korea as was previously stated.

The announcement was followed by a nice photo opportunity for the media and families and the happy, smiling faces of everyone in the room was just wonderful. Then, after a brief pause to check out of the hotel, the team was loaded on a bus and taken to the Minneapolis Metrodome where the US Paralympic Swim Team was honored before the game between the Twins and the Royals. Everyone on the team (including Nancy) surrounded the pitchers mound while a video ran on the stadium big screen TV's. Then one member, Justin Zook, threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the baseball game and the crowd gave the US team a standing ovation as they left the field, with a few of the Royals giving them pats on the back. It was a really cool scene and we were so proud that Marin was a part of it.

From the ballpark, it was quickly off to the airport where our friend Brett Cohn was a hero getting Marin & Nancy to their flight on time. Without much time to begin spreading the good news, calls and text messages of congratulations started coming in. We are so appreciative of the love and support and as we continue on this amazing journey with Marin. It's been a whirlwind weekend and we're all still spinning a little bit.

Thanks for being with us,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Saturday, April 5, 2008 9:09 PM CDT

Well, the competition here at the Paralympic Trials was completed today and overall Marin had a good meet. Today, on the final day of competition, Marin was scheduled to swim in two events: the 200-meter Individual Medley and the 100-meter Freestyle (which she swims on her back). She awoke feeling well; ate a decent breakfast and after arriving at the pool, she warmed up well. But after getting out of the pool, Marin was hit with a bad case of the spins and started to feel really sick. The end result is she could not get in the pool for her 200-IM and had to apply for a medical scratch from this event, something that is not taken lightly and the commitee considers closely. Marin was both hurting and at the same time upset about her inability to compete.

After sitting in a darkened corner with her eyes closed for a little more than an hour, the time came to decide if she could swim the 100-free. After discussing it with us and consulting with coach Andy, Marin decided to give it a try, feeling better but not knowing if she could complete the race. She had tears in her eyes at the start of the event, and we told her to simply start and then grab the ropes if she couldn't complete her swim; this would result in a DQ but not a no-show scratch, which is much worse. So Marin swam the 100-free in the prelims, gutted it out to complete the race in a time that was some 8-seconds off her best mark, and still qualified for the finals in second place for her classification.

After a good lunch (blackened Mahi-Mahi sandwich & broccoli, plus s plurge on tater-tots) and an even better afternoon nap, Marin returned for the evening finals feeling much better. And her performance showed it. She swam the 100-free style (on her back, starting in the pool) in 1:48.36, about two seconds off her best time but almost 4-seconds faster than in the morning. She won the finals for her classification and received her second gold medal of the trials. This was a really nice way to end the competition, but we remain uncertain about her status for Beijing. We will learn Sunday morning at 9-am CST whether Marin has been selected to the team. We have done some preliminary calculations, and according to our investigation, Marin is right on the margin of making the team. We won't know until tomorrow, so we're going to sleep with a lot of anxiety this evening, as we know many of you are as well. We'll update at the first opportunity on Sunday.

All the best,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Friday, April 4, 2008 7:51 PM CDT

Hi Everyone,

The news here from the Paralympic Trials is good, but not great. To begin with, Marin felt relatively good this morning and we're very thankful for that; she still has some dizziness and double vision, but she was doing well when she woke up and she ate a good breakfast before going off to the pool. On her first day of competition here, she swam her best event, the 50 meter backstroke. While she swam better times in earlier events that didn't count as official times, her American record mark going in was 50.46 seconds. Her best time is 49.28 and she was looking to drop in to the 48-second range in order to reach the US Elite Team standard and move up into the top-5 in the world rankings, which would all but assure her a spot on the Paralympic Team for Beijing. So... this morning in the preliminaries, Marin hit the water and swam a very good race. She won her heat by a wide margin and clocked in at 50.12 seconds. On the books, that's a new American record. We were awed by her performance, especially considering how she's been feeling for the past few weeks and how difficult her preperation has been. Marin was pleased but not truly thrilled because she knew she needed a lower time to clinch a spot on the Beijing team. Still, she had another shot in the evening finals, and again she swam a very good race but clocked in at 50.16 secods, 4/100ths slower than the morning. This time, Marin was disappointed even as the rest of us continued to be very impressed by her courage and performance under such difficult circumstances. Her better time in the morning moved her from 7th to 6th in the current world rankings and could help her make it to Beijing, but now it seems like a long-shot and we have to sweat it out over the weekend. The team will be selected by a panel of USOC officials that will try to pick the 20 women that have the best chance to win the most medals in China. We would say that Marin is unofficially 'on the bubble'.

Saturday she swims in two other events that she's not as highly-ranked in the world. She'll swim the 200-meter Individual Medley, then later the 100-meter Freestyle. We'll see how that goes and perhaps she can help her case with the panel by making a good showing. Frankly, we just want her to feel better and be able to enjoy the experience. We believe she is better, and although her competitive spirit is a little disappointed, she seems to be having a good time when she's not feeling sick.

Marin enjoyed meeting an old friend of Matt's, Brett Cohn who lives here in Minnesota and his 6-year old daughter Alexis who came to the evening session wearing their "Super Marin" Wave of Courage T-shirts. That was a terrific gesture for the Cohns to show up in support.

Friday night will be low-key; eat in and get some great sleep for another great performance Saturday. Thanks for the love, prayers and support.

Swim Strong!

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Thursday, April 3, 2008 4:18 AM CDT

Hi Everyone,

We can't even begin to express how much we appreciate all the notes of encouragement that we read here in Marin's guestbook every day, particurly this week. She had a good day Wednesday, spending most of her time simply relaxing and getting rest, or doing her best not to feel sick. On this day it was a success.
Marin's most troublesome issue right now is simply feeling well; she wakes up dizzy and does her best to take in the nutrition she needs daily. But she continues with an amazingly good attitiude. Marin received a care package that included some wristbands that are designed to off-set her naseau and while it's early, we choose to believe they're working. She's also wearing an eye-patch to compat her symptoms of double-vision. It's not flattering, but it's helping. Right now it's all about feeling as well as she can... the plan is to rise early Thursday, get to the pool as she'll need to Friday, get acclimated to the early schedule, and do her best.
The excitement of the event is intoxicating and we are all enjoying this lifetime event. We have a great appreciation for the fact that so many others are coming along with us and riding the emotional waves with us. Please know we are honored to share this all with you.

All the best,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 7:52 PM CDT

With the aftermath of a spring blizzard all around, Marin & Nancy are getting acclimated to Minneapolis and the Aquatics Center where the Trials get underway Thursday, although Marin won't be competing until Friday and Saturday. Over the last two days she's been going to the pool and while still feeling dizzy, she's gotten in for some good laps and is feeling good in the water. She's having a tough time getting around out of the pool, her dizzy spells are almost constant, but when she's in the water she looks good. Coach Kiko has arrived and along with the US team coaches, they've commented on how well Marin seems to be swimming. Perhaps she's actually turning in to a fish. Her coach Andy is helping her get prepared and we're all looking forward to the weekend.

In the meantime, she's been trying to take care of herself and feel better. A couple days of chilling out in a hotel room can be helpful, but unfortunately after swimming earlier today, Marin had a tough day with the dizziness and naseau keeping her restless for most of the day. This is very difficult on Nancy who's trying to keep her comfortable and getting her nutrition while Marin continues to feel bad and can do little but rest with her eyes closed because of the dizziness. It hasn't been a good day, but she continues to keep a good attitude and looks forward to feeling better tomorrow.

Thanks for the well-wishes and suggestions to remedy her condition. We're always looking for anything that can help, so all thoughts and recommed=ndations are always welcome.

Hoping for better days ahead,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:23 PM CDT

Hi everyone,

We're requesting a little extra prayers for Marin this week as she prepares for the Paralympic Trials in Minneapolis. She hasn't been feeling very well and we're hoping she can have a good week and compete well on Friday and Saturday. Nancy and marin arrived in Minneapolis this afternoon and after a good flight, Marin became very ill upon landing. She had an extreme case of dizziness and nauseau and couldn't deplane until paramedics came to her aid. She was given IV fluids and Zofran, an anti-dizziness drug that we've used when necessary over the last few years. She took the IV while laying on a couch in an airport lounge and began to feel better, but she remained there for a few hours taking a nap. The EMT responders suggested this could be a reaction to her vertigo complicated by dehydration from the flight, which makes sense because Marin doesn't drink as much as she should on a daily basis.

Naturally, this whole scene was very difficult for Nancy but she was well-composed when she relayed the story. Thankfully, our swim team friends Nancy Kaplan and her family were on the same flight and they were able to help the cause. They're staying in the same hotel so they've been able to be very helpful and they're getting around together. We appreciate Nancy and Bob's help a great deal.

Cammie and Micheal are spending spring break visiting their cousins in Southern California and they're having a wonderful time. I'll be joining Marin & Nancy in Minneapolis for the trials at the end of the week. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support.

Have a good week,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:50 AM CDT

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the nice prayers, well-wishes and entries in Marin's guestbook over the Easter weekend. We had a nice holiday and Marin has been feeling relatively well. While she continues to struggle daily with dizziness, the medications seem to be helping. We're consulting with some specialists to see if there are some other affective approaches other than drugs. Marin has been doing her best to keep up with her training, but the meds take a lot out of her; she's more tired than usual, and on many days she has a hard time completing her therapy of school work. Still, she tries hard everyday and Marin always enjoys her time with her teachers and therapists.

In the pool, she's working with Coach Andy on a training program to get her ready for the Paralympic Trials next week. She's very excited and very nervous about the big meet. We'll be traveling to Minneapolis early in the week to allow her to get adjusted with the competition over the weekend. We're praying for a good week health-wise and the rest will simply have to take care of itself. We're looking forward to an exciting week and the biggest meet in Marin's swimming career so far. Thanks for the love and support.

Swim Strong,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Thursday, March 20, 2008 10:48 AM CDT

Hi Everybody,

Marin went in for her MRI Tuesday and we had to wait until late yesterday to get a full assessment by her doctor and the tumor board. As has been the case for several months, there's areas of concern around the tumor cavity, but there remains uncertainty if this is cancer growth, swelling from radiation, or just what we're seeing. There is indication of edema, or swelling of the brain, which may likely be a cause of her symptoms of dizziness and naseua, which she continues to feel. Marin has been on medication to relieve her symptoms and there has been improvement, but she feels overly fatigued from the meds and we don't want to simply continue throwing drugs at the problem.

The better news is she continues to feel better and she's been keeping her food down, so our concerns over her nutrition are being relieved a little bit. She is swimming everyday and her training has been going a little better this week. Through all this, Marin remains cheerful inspired by her opportunity to swim at the trials. The notes of encouragement we read here are very helpful in getting us all through some of the tougher times. Thanks for your concerns and we appreciate the prayers... they are felt by our whole family.

We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Easter weekend,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:44 AM CDT

Hello everyone,

While Marin has been feeling and functioning better over the last week, we still have a lot of concern for her general health right now. The dizziness and naseau that's thrown her off track over the past several weeks has lessened, but she still feels off on a daily basis and we're trying to understand just exactly what is making her ill. Thankfully her naseau has been rare and she's doing much better keeping her food down. At the same time, her appetite isn't all that strong so we continue with the daily struggle of getting her to ingest as much nutrition as possible.

Still, Marin is doing her best to keep up her training, although at this point she hasn't been able to have an all-out, worry-free work-out in the pool for a few weeks. She makes a good effort at it almost every day, but most of the time she's either dizzy when she arrives at the pool and needs to take time before she begins, or she feels dizzy toward the end of her swim. We only hope and pray she'll continue to get better in time for her Paralympic trials coming up the first week in April.

On the bright side, she's felt good today as she goes in for her monthly MRI. She could certainly use some stron ptayer support once again as we continue to monitor the tumor cavity and the areas around the lining that may or may not be growing. We'll know more once we see the pictures and after the tumor board doctors meet to confer on the results tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for the support and we'll keep you posted.

Praying for the best,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Cammie & Michael

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 11:57 AM CDT

Hi everyone,

It's been a rough couple of weeks as many of you know, but with good hope we're feeling that things are improving for Marin. Since her stay in the hospital last week she had a slightly better weekend. She was still feeling dizzy several times during the day on Friday. Her doctor then prescribed valium, a common medication to fight vertigo, and while we aren't thrilled to simply throw drugs at the problem, it has seemed to help her dizziness, at least the severity of it.

Over the weekend she felt a little better on Saturday morning and made a game-effort to get back to her training. We went to the pool to meet coach Andy. She started feeling car sick and by the time we reached the pool, she was not feeling well at all. Still, after some time sitting still, Marin made the effort to get in the pool and get in a workout. Great effort, but she was too dizzy to swim more than a few laps, so we called it a day and went back home. More than anything, Marin was disappointed because her training has been thrown off track for a week and she really feels she needs to work out. The better news over the weekend is that she did not vomit at all (although she felt close to it a few times), we'll take any victory we can get at this point.

On Monday, we demanded to have her seen by the neurology department, which had been saying she couldn't get an appointment for six weeks. She spent the morning in with the doctors who examined her thoroughly and would be consulting with her oncologist today. We're waiting to hear their opinions later today. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, she's giving it a go in the pool today. She's still dealing with some mild dizziness and the affects of the valium have her even more fatigued than usual, but our Marin is determined and we continue to be awed by her will to get the most out of her day. Thanks for all your concern, prayers, and well-wishes.

Love,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 6:49 PM CST

Thanks for the well-wishes on Marin's behalf. We're happy, but cautious, as we report that she's felt better today. She spent all-day resting... no workouts or any such schedule keeping. Marin must have been exhausted because she slept until almost noon. She did have a good appetite though; she ate well and kept everything down. She's spent the day relaxing with her knitting and reports feeling good. We're trying a medication called meclizine and so far it's been a good day. We'll keep you posted on this as we're never too confident. We shall see. Thanks again for the love & support.

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Micheal

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 9:03 PM CST

Hi again everyone,

Well, it was a tough day as many of you know but Marin was released from the hospital late in the afternoon without any real revelations on the cause of her problems. She was dizzy and vomiting very badly this morning prompting Nancy to call 911. Marin was taken by ambulence to Children's Hospital where she essentially underwent observation all day. She had a CAT scan that didn't reveal anything new. She was examined by Dr. Geyer and also the head pediatrician on the staff. We thought (even hoped) it might be an inner-ear problem, which would explain her symptoms, but none of the doctors found anything that would indicate this is the case.

So after a long day without a resolution, Marin was feeling better, but still a bit dizzy. She returned home with Nancy who was given a touching compliment by the head pediatrician who said she's the most amazing mother she's ever encountered at the hospital. That's quite an endorsement. It was suggested that we try an antihistimine called Meclizine, so that's what we'll try next. Thanks again for the prayers and support.

Needing rest,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 4:14 PM CST

Hi everybody,

It's been a rough week for our dear Marin who continues to have bouts of dizziness and nauseau and this morning she was so weak, disoriented, and vomitting that we called 911 and she was taken to the hospital by ambulence. The doctors at Children's hospital are having a hard time diagnosing the problem, but it's just not getting any better despite numerous tries with various prescriptions, etc. She'll have a good day, but then a lousy one... she might feel fine in the early part of the day and get sick later, or visa-versa. It's time that we got this figured out because she needs to be able to feel well and keep her food down. When she's feeling good, she's fine... we all enjoyed a nice weekend together and she swam hard in her training.

Right now the doctors are trying to determine if there's a chronic inner-ear problem that could be the cause of all this. She's getting IV's and resting. We'll keep you updated as we get the information. Thanks for your love and prayers.

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Cammie & Michael

Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:55 AM CST

Marin continues to move forward swimmingly, although she still has occasional issues keeping her food down. We remain concerned, but we're definitely seeing improvement. We've met with a nutritionist and another doctor to try to dignose the problem and it may be as simple as eating a certain kind of cereal to settle her stomach first thing in the morning, or changing the order in which she eats certain foods. In any event, Marin continues to rise and shine cheerfully and swims every day with earnestness and focus toward the upcoming Paralympic trials in April.

In speaking with her oncology team after the tumor board examined her latest MRI, we have little that's fresh to report. The tumor board is a group of pediatric oncologist from across the country that conference and share cases and information on a weekly basis. Again this time, the consensus is that there are areas of Marin's tumor cavity that remain a concern and that some swelling or growth can be noted, but this is the same area that was radiated a few months ago, so it's reasonable to believe that this is swelling that related to that. We'll hope that's the case, and look at it again in March. Enjoy the extra day in February.

Happy Leap Year,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael
(Happy Birthday Dad)

Sunday, February 17, 2008 7:46 PM CST

Thanks for all the well-wishes on Marin's MRI and her swim in the HS state meet. Saturday night in Federal Way, she competed in the disabled 50-yard freestyle as the only girl at the entire meet. She represented Eastlake High and raced against six others in the event, all boys, and she took fifth place out of seven. Marin swam the 50 on her back, starting in the water so she didn't have the benefit of a racing start, and she clocked a very good time of 43.24 seconds. She was very pleased with a strong performance, and so was her coach Andy. We were concerned that she might not have a great night because she hasn't been holding food down lately. But Marin came through in the clutch and she was very happy.

Our friend and one of Marin's therapists Beth H. went along for support and brought her husband as well. Beth took some really nice pictures and we've uploaded them on the pictures page (which hasn't been updated in a while, but we're starting to get this figured out). Enjoy the photos and our thanks to Beth for her friendship and photography skills. Have a great President's Day.

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camie & Michael

Sunday, February 17, 2008 7:20 PM CST

Thanks for all the well-wishes on Marin's MRI and her swim in the HS state meet. Saturday night in Federal Way, she competed in the disabled 50-yard freestyle as the only girl at the entire meet. She represented Eastlake High raced against six others in the event, all boys, and she took fifth place out of seven. Marin swam the 50 on her back, starting in the water so she didn't have the benefit of a racing start, and she clocked a very good time of 43.24 seconds. She was very pleased with a strong performance, and so was her coach Andy. We were concerned that she might not have a great night because she hasn't been holding food down lately. But Marin came through in the clutch and she was very happy.

Our friend and one of Marin's therapists Beth H. went along for support and brought her husband as well. Beth took some really nice pictures and we've uploaded them on the pictures page (which hasn't been updated in a while, but we're starting to get this figured out). Enjoy the photos and our thanks to Beth for her friendship and photography skills. Have a great President's Day.

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camie & Michael

Friday, February 15, 2008 8:36 PM CST

Thanks as always for the love, prayers and support. Marin underwent her monthly MRI today, and as has become the norm, we're sweating out the official reading of the results. An overview indicates there are areas of concern around her tumor cavity where parts measure larger than they did a month ago. Our hearts skip a beat when we see this, but at the same time we try to stay optimistic as this is preliminary reading of her MRI. We'll wait for the official reading from entire tumor board next Wednesday, and hope for an optimistic approach. It doesn't make the weekend any easier. We understand that Marin is not cancer free; we only hope that it can be contained.

On the bright side, Marin will be swimming in the Washington State High School Championships Saturday night in Federal Way. She's nervous about competing against likely all boys in the races, but she performed great at this meet last year and we're sure she'll do great. We'll post tomorrow on how she does.

Have a great weekend,

Marin & Matt, Nancy, Camie & Mike

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:34 PM CST

Hi everyone,

Since returning from vacation and getting back to everyday living, we've been very busy. Marin is back in to full training mode, working hard with coach Andy as she tries to get in peak condition for the Paralympic trials the first week in April. Last weekend, Andy and his wife Sarah, who's also a coach and works with Marin, took underwater video of Marin's strokes and identified some key details to work on. It's really neat that they've taken a very detailed approach to her training and have embraced very seriously Marin's goal of earning a spot on the Paralympic team for Beijing. On Sunday, Andy organized a fundraiser at a local restaurant where the proprietor pledged a percentage of his gross sales for the afternoon to Marin's fund. Very, very cool.

Marin is still having some eating issues as we're trying to figure out why she tends to becaome nauseaus shortly after her workouts. She takes a long time to ingest her food, so it's always a big part of her day simply to finish eating. We're trying to find a nutrtionist to help us perhaps with her combinations of foods and maybe the different times of take certain types of nutrition. In the meantime, she's happy and healthy and working hard on her lessons with Ashley.

We had a great time celebrating Michael's birthday twice last week. There was his actual birthday on the 5th. And then we celebrated with his friends on Friday night with a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Everyone had a fun time, especially Michael who enjoyed playing all the games with his little pals and his Dad too.

Here's to a good week,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Michael

Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:56 AM CST

Home from the Grand Cayman, we arrived tanned and rested Wednesday night after almost a week in paradise. We had such an amazing time thanks to the wonderful people at the Grand Cayman Rotary Club who made sure we saw all the sights and experienced the island hospitality to the fullest. Even with a full schedule, we had plenty of time to relax in the sun on the beautiful beach and swim in the amazing blue carribean sea. Just off the shore, the snorkeling was terrific with many brightly colored fish swimming right along with us. Marin was a little reluctant to get in over the rocky shore line, but with help from Dad it went fine and once she was in she really enjoyed herself. Our time on the island was wonderful and we created memories of a lifetime.

Of course, getting back to real life is always a little tough after a vacation but everyone was back to the grind Thursday morning. From sand and surf to ice and cold, the transition was stark, but that's life. Marin was back in the pool at the Bellevue Club and although she did some workouts in Cayman, she really felt good getting back in the proper size pool and digging in to her training regimen that has been put in place by her coach Andy who's really been terrific. In fact, he organized an upcoming fundraiser at a local restaurant to help support Marin's travel to the meets she needs to swim in. We feel very fortunate that Andy has taken such responsibility in Marin's training. We're looking forward to next Saturday when she will swim in the state High School meet in Federal Way. This year, the disability events will take place during the boy's state meet, so Marin may be the only girl competing that day. She really looks forward to competing so this should be a fun week.

As always, thanks for the love, prayers and support.

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Spi-diddy (who really has taken to his new nickname)

Saturday, January 26, 2008 7:03 PM CST

Greetings from day 2 of paradise!!

This has to be the most beautiful place on earth! The people are some of the nicest people as well. First thing we learned is the pronuciation of the word Cayman. It's pronounced like Caveman, but Cay-man, with the emphasis on the second syllabol.

Yesterday we woke up to a spectacular view of Seven Mile beach out of our third story balcony condo. The water is green-blue with the sand as white and fluffy as clouds. We sat on the beach, watching the rolling surf, catching lots of rays, and swimming in the beach-side pool. We ate lunch and dinner on our balcony over-looking the ocean.

Today we had a very busy day starting out with being picked up by "Dexter" who has a beautiful boat. He took just our family out on a cruise to "Stingray Bay." O.K., everyone ready. We were let off the boat in the middle of hundreds of stingrays to swim, play, and hold them! They are really very calm creatures of the sea and only freak out when you freak out. We remained calm and they swam around us, rubbing themselves on our skin. We even kissed them as they looked eye to eye with us.

Right when we approched the stingrays, we were greeted by the Cayman Island Police for something I will never forget. One of the police officers climed upon our boat and presented Marin with a plaque from the Cayman Island Police force. He then sang a song which brought tears to all of our eyes how God is watching, healing, and loving Marin. I am still speachless.

We then traveled back to land and returned to our condo to enjoy a lovely lunch on the balcony.

From there we visited the Turtle Farm and got to pet, play, and hold sea turtles ranging from little babies to ones that looked way over 100 years old. Again, an experience of a lifetime. We are now getting cleaned up to go eat dinner at a highly reccomended place.

I must admit this peace myself and the rest of us are finding here is something that was needed to re-fuel and press onward. The world and it's many people are something we need to appreciate and thank God for daily.

Beyond content in the Caymans,
Marin and mom
Matt, Camie, and Spy-diddy

Thursday, January 24, 2008 10:08 PM CST

Hello All! After a rough start this morning, we have safely touched down in paradise!!

Today we came to the Grand Cayman Island. We arrived at the airort at 5:00 a.m. for a 6:00 flight. When I got to the counter, I realized I was missing Marin's passport! We called our neighbor, Yvette Cook, and she took off on an almost impossible mission to get Marin's passport from our house and arrive at the airport in 1/2 an hour. Well, Super Yvette made it, with the passport, and we got on the plane with about 4 minutes to spare.

The rest of the day went smoothly first going to Chicago, then Miami, the arriving in the Grand Caymans at around 7:30. The Rotary Club was there with all it's officers to great us and smoothly take us through customs without any hassles. We then went out to the parking lot and a white, stretch-lemo was waiting to take us to our condo. You can only imagine the kids excitement as we rode through town in this beautiful car. Camie and Michael were doing back-bends, playing catch with their travel pillows, and pretending they were movie stars. Marin and I sat and laughed.

Next we arrived at the condo to be once again greeted by the lovely people we met at the airport and they showed us into the condo where a fully stocked kitchen awaited. There were also numerous gifts covering the table including a beautiful floral arrangement. A big Welcome banner was hanging over the sliding glass door which takes you out to view paradise. We overlook a beautiful pool, perfect for Marin to swim in, and only feet beyond that is the ocean.

This is truely an experience of a life time. Marin fits in here like a fish in water.

Swimmingly dreams,
Marin and the Morrison gang

Monday, January 21, 2008 2:47 AM CST

The last several days have been eventful. Marin underwent her MRI and PET scan last week and the results were somewhat inconclusive but we positive for the most part. The MRI showed the area that was radiated last fall was swollen with what could be tumor growth but is just as likely to be the result of radiation at work. There was other spots within the swollen area that were clearly dead or dying and the panel of doctors that looked at the scans were all in agreement on this. Bottom line, we continue to watch with caution but have reasons to be optimistic that her treatments are having a good affect. Thanks for all the prayers that are surely helping Marin in her struggle.

She remains positive and upbeat and she took her good attitude with her to the pool for a meet Thursday through Saturday. Her coach Andrew Hay from Eastlake HS entered her in this one and he took her to and from the pool Saturday. She swam Thursday in the 50-fly but didn't take a time as she lost her cap & goggles on her dive and couldn't recover. She swam a good time in the 50-free on Friday, just about her best, but didn't lower it any. And then she swam a little better in her 50-backstroke on Saturday. Our thanks to coach Andy for helping Marin in her training and getting her in to this competition and taking her there over the weekend.

Camie & Michael continue to enjoy school and their activities which include skiiing at the local slopes on Saturdays. Mike is quite the speed-freak and Camie is becoming a pro on the snow board. In light of their dance classes mentioned here, we like Uncle Andy's suggestion that the hip-hop Mikey might want to use Spi-diddy as his club handle. It works for me.

Have a great week,

Marin & Nancy, Matt, Camlyn & Spi-diddy

Monday, January 21, 2008 3:22 AM CST

Hello friends and family,
We've gotten all the test results back and Marin is experiencing these dizzy spells, etc. the doc's believe due to radiation! This is great news for us. The MRI showed a slight increase in swelling around the same area of concern, but with a small black dot in the center. The black dot means that that part of the tumor is dead. The PET scan results showed this same result. Mild to moderate growing cancer cells existed but the fast growing cells were no longer showing in the scan. Dr. Geyer said they will review it at "tumor board" which meets every Wednesday just to make sure it is a shared view with all the different doctors.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Marin's coach, Andy Hay, got her in a long course swim meet to swim her events in time trials at the end of the meet. She swam her back stroke two days, and attempted butterfly one. The butterfly ended up to be a little bit of a mess. Marin is trying to start her dive from the block yet it makes her really nervous. When she gets really nervous, her right side of her body starts shaking, without her being able to control it. Needless to say, her right side started shaking really bad. She finally gave up trying to dive off the block and went from the side. I think it upset her so much she took about two butterfly strokes and felt like she couldn't breath so she didn't swim it. You have to admire her strength and determination in situations like this. Truely remarkable.

Marin's swallowing fears continue. She is starting to hold all those pills in her mouth too long also and the coating is coming off, thus making her throwup. I continue to get angry at her which, in turn, makes me feel awful! I know she can't help it and is trying her very hardest. I think all the suppliments are very important yet I can't be giving them to her if they're making her thowup now.

The weather here is in the thick of rain and it's hard to be hanging out inside all the time. Marin loves to go out side yet gets really cold in the weather here. Michael and I bundled up today and went for a bike ride in the drizzling rain. Fun? I guess.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Fondly, Nancy and Marin
Camie, Michael, and Matt

Wednesday, January 16, 2008 2:44 PM CST

Good afternoon,

After discussing Marin's conditions with her doctor, they decided to have me bring her in today to do a pet-scan and another MRI. A pet-scan measures the metabolic rate at which the enhancements are growing. If it is growing faster than a normal rate, then they think it could be cancer. There always is the chance that it is radiation damage. Marin's doctor, Dr. Guyer, believes it is radiation damage and these symptoms are mearly caused from the radiation. There is really no for sure way to determine this without surgery, which we are not doing.

Despite all this testing, Marin's dizziness and such, she continues to smile and be happy. She once again told me yesterday that it's quite all right that she does not have use of her right arm. She functions pretty well with the left, (and a lot of mom's help!). Her swimming is going wonderful and she is looking better and better in the water.

Yesterday, while I was waiting for new breaks to b