Posted on 06/04/2002 2:13:59 PM PDT by MrConfettiMan
Hi, Everybody.
I just wanted to write a small note to let you all know that I had another MRI on May 20th. This one was nine months post diagnosis / surgery and the local doctors have deemed the scan "clean". The scan shows there is still some minor healing occurring at the surgical site (though not as pronounced as the previous scans have shown) and, more importantly, there is no new growth from any residual tumor. I sent the scans down to The Brain Tumor Center at Duke yesterday, as is part of our standard procedure these days. I hope to hear from them within a week and don't expect to hear anything different from what my local doctors have told me. My next MRI will be in August followed within days by another visit to Duke.
In other news...For those that don't know, I resigned from my job back in February. My work environment back then was simply not conducive to survival and I decided to leave, much to my wife's dismay, without having anything else lined up. I didn't have much interest in going back to work full-time doing software engineering since my priorities had shifted somewhat the past several months. (At any age, facing your own mortality can have that affect on you. You begin to realize what's truly important and worthwhile. Your appreciation of how you spend your time increases by a factor of at least one hundred.) Eventually, financial reality set in and I decided to make some phone calls to previous employers, one of whom hired me for some part-time duties that I could, and do, do from home. Problem solved.
Having already decided to become a stay-at-home husband, I decided I needed a companion while my wife was at work. Since MrsConfettiMan didn't like my proposal of a rotating shift of Hooter's waitresses, we settled for a puppy. We picked up Maggie (we officially named her Magpie Moose the Magnificent - click the link to see some pics) from the Caroline County animal shelter in early March. She's five months old and is three weeks away from failing her first training class. She does several of the exercises very well, but there are one or two things she just won't do at all. (I know, I know, many of you will probably say it's not the dog's fault but the handler's. Yadda, yadda, yadda. :) We took her to the Dog Park and the Dog Beach at Quiet Waters Park this past Sunday and she had an absolute blast. As you can probably tell, she's a joy to have around the house. Why didn't we do this sooner? Because we're both allergic to dogs!
On May 5, in Washington, DC, I participated in The 5th Annual Cassidy & Pinkard Brain Tumor Society 5K Run / Walk, an event held during Brain Tumor Action Week. I was hoping to finish the race in at least under 45 minutes, so I was astonished to learn I'd completed it in 39:52. Sure this isn't a great time for an accomplised runner but when you consider that, 1) I'm not an accomplished runner; 2) it was my first foot race of any kind since a grade school field day; 3) I was 15 lbs overweight (yes, my diet has slipped a bit back towards the unhealthy); and, 4) I didn't train one bit, I thought it wasn't half bad. Though I fight back the urge-to-hurl when using the word, I found the experience very "empowering". I couldn't help thinking how powerful it made me feel to realize nine months ago I was having brain surgery and now there I was running (jogging, walking, limping, crawling) in a 5K. I made a promise to return next year and cut my time in half.
Unfortunately, the docs and I still don't have my seizures under control. The frequency (every 3 weeks or so), duration (about 2 minutes), intensity (numbness and some finger twitching) and locality (right foot and right hand) haven't varied much over the past several months but the hunt continues to find the right medicine and dosage to stop them once and for all.
Finally, let me tell you, the 7-10 days leading up to the next MRI can be filled with a lot of anxiety. It's referred to as PMS in the BT community, pre-MRI syndrome. I'm sure I've said it before, but every three months it feels like I'm being told whether I have another three months to live. (Think about that for a second.) However, once another clean scan is reported, I can literally feel the anxiety wash off my body. These days, I'm feeling good all around: physically, emotionally and clinically. Who could ask for anything more.
Many people would be hesitant to share their situation, events and, especially, the personal impact as frankly as you have. This trust and honesty leaves us feeling blessed and appreciated, and for that we thank you.
We hope you constantly are aware of the whole troop of distant friends behind your hopes and efforts pulling for your in our thoughts and prayers. When you get that PMS you describe, lean on us. We will be ready.
I'm sure some of us can come over to cheer you up or take the family out for some good Eastern NC BBQ.
Heck, I'd even let Maggie take a dip in our pond (I doubt the attack Schnauzers would mind).
Each day is indeed a gift--thanks for the reminder. May God richly bless you and your household.
Great to hear from you.
Keep it UP!
Tonight on at RadioFR! June 6, 2002
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. EDT / 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. PST...
YO!
ANNA AND MERCURIA
DO THE "REYNOLDS (W)RAP"
(Well, you knew it had to happen sometime...!)
WITH SPECIAL GUEST
DAVID PALMQUIST
"THE KING OF CONSPIRACY"
Prayers do work.
5.56mm
I just loved the pics of Maggie especially her apparent choice to sleep. She won't fit there for long. LOL I am still laughing at the pictures on your web site. There is nothing like a loving pet (ahh...especially a dog). I have a standard poodle and did you know that people who have allergies can usually handle poodles? Because of their hair not fur. However, my poodle, Bart, has terrible allergies himself...go figure. LOL But we control them with allergy meds and cortisone.
Just so happy to see you are doing well. The pix with Debbie and Maggie is sooooooooooo cute.
God Bless you and your family.
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