About Us

We have four children and four grandchildren. Currently we have two dogs (but I want more): a Pomeranian and rat terrier mixed with a lab, and this weird poodle bully mix who has the coloring of a cow. They are quite the pair. As you can imagine imagine the chaos in our home is something else! 

I am from Buffalo, New York and my husband. Ken, is from Toronto Canada. We have been married for 13 years. I can’t imagine a better man. He has been my rock through all of this.

We received my tumor diagnosis shortly after we were married. The tumor was diagnosed as an Oligodendroglioma. Nervously we started going to MRIs every three months. After a while, I stopped having my MRIs, because nothing was changing. Honestly, I just forgot about the tumor. (Who does that, right?! 0 out of 5. Do not recommend)

On October 30, 2021, I had a grand-mal seizure at around two in the morning. Thankfully, I was in my own bed. When it occurred our local ambulance service couldn’t take me to the larger hospital. The EMTs help my husband get me into the car. (BTW- our two year old grandson was staying the night!) We went to the hospital the next town over but I don’t really remember much about that. I know they gave me Ativan.

The local neurologist put me on a high dose of Keppra and dexamethasone. (We will talk meds later) My primary care physician insisted that I make the trip to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. He told us it was the best cancer hospital in the world - a sentiment that I have heard several times. 

That first trip was made in December. The neurologist and surgeon were ready to operate within a couple of days. I ask them to wait until after Christmas so I could spend it with my family. Ken and I moved to Houston on January 1, 2022, for three months to support my recovery. Honestly, I had no clue what was about to happen. Neither Ken or I really believed that I needed to be in Houston for three months. 

On January 6, 2022 I had brain surgery. The neurosurgeon elected to keep me asleep through the whole procedure due to my high level of anxiety - even though an awake craniotomy would have been more efficient.

I remember as I woke up, I was talking 100 miles an hour. They kept trying to get me to go back to sleep. They had to give me drugs to slow my heart rate. I remember my husband being called into the room to try to calm me down, when I woke up a second time I was in the recovery room. I was told that I couldn’t have any pain medication due to my slow heart rate. I had already been told prior to surgery that there wouldn’t be a lot of pain except at the incision point. It’s good to know that the brain has no pain receptors. when I was finally responsive enough to take medication. It was simply Tylenol.

And then the seizures started. Although seizures after brain surgery are very normal and common, my story is not. But that part of the story is for another time.

Through these blog posts, I hope you will digest what I have to say. I hope it makes you stronger and more informed.

I will say it over and over again: I am not a medical professional. I am someone who has learned a lot and wants to share my story.