I have just signed up to do the 50 mile bike Silicon Valley Brain Tumor Ride on September 19th. I’ve never ridden a half century, and this ride isn’t a particularly exciting route, but the cause is meaningful to me.
No, I don’t have a brain tumor, but for a week or two, everyone thought I did, and what with having the brain surgery, enormous swelling and pressure, bleeding, seizures, and associated neurological deficits related to having a mass in my brain, well, I have a pretty good idea of what it might be like to have one. My heart goes out to the people I saw during my month in the Stanford Neurosurgery ward – patients like me, getting their biopsy results, but who did not have the miraculous good fortune that I had to hear that the “tumor” was in fact a pyogenic abscess. While I would not wish a brain abscess on anyone, it is a much better diagnosis than a brain tumor, because although great strides have been made in treating other forms of cancer, improvements in imaging, surgery and chemotherapy, have not improved brain tumor outcomes as a whole over the past 70+ years.
This ride is a way for me to show my support for people dealing with brain tumors, whether as patients or caregivers. If you would like to join me on the ride, I’d love some company. Rusty suggests “Team Abscess” for a team name. (I kind of liked “Team Hole in the Head”). Of course, donations, are welcome, too. Mostly though, I am just glad to be able to participate in the ride myself.
October 26, 2010 7:45 am at 7:45 am |
I found your blog through a search. I just had a craniotomy in July for a benign brain tumor and am still recovering and dealing with the affects. Even though you say your diagnosis is better, it takes a lot of strength to go through something like that! Good for you!
October 26, 2010 9:13 am at 9:13 am |
Thank you for your comment. You are so right, It does take a long time to get back to “normal” after something messes with your brain. The good news, though, is that I find that even now, 1.5 years after my surgery, things are still improving, albeit more slowly and more subtly than at first. Hopefully, with time and patience and exercise, you will experience this, too. Best wishes for a continuous improvement, and a healthy future.