All in the timing...

What a difference a day makes! Today is the second month anniversary of my diagnosis with stage three anaplastic astrocytoma... Two months and one day ago, I'd never heard of such a thing. My life was "normal" and I was living in ignorant bliss of the 'monster within.'. If my oncologist is right, I've had this tumor for six, eight, maybe even ten years, waiting within my brain to wreak havoc. Yet it is these two months that have proven to be a massive wake up call. I am learning the true value of each day lived, learning humility from those around who continue to be so supportive. In the past two months, I have learned an entirely new vocabulary and done my best to educate myself on cancer--from the biological basics of cell division and gene expression to the complex world of treatment. I have learned that Radiation therapy has come a long long way from my preconceived notion of whole brain radiation to the point where now we can treat rumors much more intensely than a decade ago while trying to spare the healthy tissue as much as possible. I have learned that, as rough as chemotherapy side effects can be, they are far far less severe than they used to be thanks to new, more targeted drugs. Beyond all this, however, I am now seeing and truly learning how strong I am as a human being. Two months and one day ago, I could never have imagined being emotionally or physically able to go through this journey...through an intense surgery and seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation and yet here I am! I am here today because of the incredible skill of my neurosurgeon, because of the knowledge and dedication of my radiation oncologist and his whole team of nurses and technicians, because od the compassion and intellect of my oncologist, because of my friends and students who have helped me tremendously, and also most importantly because of my family who have held my hand from the very beginning of this journey...helping to be my rock no matter what comes our way. Finally, I am making this journey with those of you out there who are also on this road. We are all at different points on this journey, and hearing from those of you who have survived this provides me a continued hope that I, too, can beat this. To each and every one of you, THANKS