My Unexpected Journey Blog - Page 2 of 8

Alleluia!

Jun 27, 202010 CommentsBrain Tumor, Cancer Surgery, Chemotherapy, Epilepsy, Miracles, MRI, Oncologist Visits, Scanxiety

The doctor told us that my tumor has not grown!!!!!! It has taken a couple of days for the news to really sink in, especially after those few weeks of having “episodes.” It is truly a miracle, in my eyes. This means that I do NOT need to have surgery right now! And I do not have to have another MRI until October. Woot! And wow. It was a stressful wait for the news. So much thanks to give, so much gratitude inside me. Thank you so much for being with me as I ride each one of these tidal waves. […]

Dear Friends

Jun 24, 20209 CommentsUncategorized

I want to tell you how very grateful I am for all your thoughts and prayers. I can’t begin to explain how much it means to me to know you are there, praying for me and thinking of me and sending me light and love and caring. Your notes on Facebook and my blog filled my heart with hope and courage. I went into my MRI on Friday knowing – and better still, feeling – that I was not alone. I felt so supported, so accompanied. I have always had some misgivings about Facebook, about how it affects our psychology […]

Prayer Request: MRI Friday, June 19th

Jun 18, 20209 CommentsUncategorized

I’m having an MRI tomorrow at 6:20am. The time is not ideal for me – mornings are hard – but I am grateful to be the first patient of the day during COVID. Hopefully, there will be less possibility for exposure to the virus. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I’d initially cancelled this MRI, not wanting to go to the hospital during COVID times. But after having several “seizure-like events” this past month, I reconsidered. I think we need to know what’s going on with my brain. I am straddling two lines of thought right now: 1) […]

And There Was Much Rejoicing!

Feb 27, 202029 CommentsUncategorized

Great news to share: Yesterday’s MRI showed that my tumor has not grown since my last MRI in November! Talk about being grateful…words just can’t do it… So instead of my doctor telling me to prepare for surgery, he told me I was good to go for the next FOUR months, until my next MRI in June! Four months! To enjoy…to celebrate…to be…to LIVE! What pure gift. How can I share the amazingness of this with you? The miracle of these months? Your good thoughts and prayers and light and love are so bound up in each of these moments […]

Waiting for MRI Results – February 2020 Version

Feb 23, 202015 CommentsUncategorizedUVA Hospital

Last week I went to UVA Hospital for yet another MRI. We’ll learn the results this coming Wednesday, February 26th – Ash Wednesday, as it turns out. Appropriate enough. Let me briefly bring you up to date on our travel news: November ’19: Marshall and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary (which was in October) by going to Hawaii, where we kayaked off the east coast of Oahu. We came home with many great memories and one amazing story – we actually saved someone’s life – which I hope to share here in another post. December ’19: Marshall, Hannah, and I […]

The Plan (As of Right Now)

Sep 16, 201912 CommentsBrain Tumor, Cancer Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation

Back end (heh heh) of a car in C-ville last week. Had to share the picture! Marshall and I met with my oncologist last week and the meeting actually went extremely well. I’ve made some decisions: I will have my surgery at UVA with the surgeon who did it before. I will wait until next year to have my surgery (which means we’ll be able to go on the trips we’ve already planned!) I will plan to have only chemo after my surgery. I will not have radiation. First, I need to share with you the unbelievable and unexpected ease […]

Meeting With My Oncologist Wednesday 9/11/19 at 8:25 a.m.

Sep 10, 20194 CommentsBrain Tumor, Cancer Surgery, Chemotherapy, Oncologist Visits, Radiation, Side Effects of Medications

Tomorrow, I meet with my oncologist. Sadly, he was called away last week when his father died. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, too. There are so many decisions we are going to have to make soon. The first decision we’ve pretty much made: I will very likely be having surgery. We just need to decide which surgeon will do it, where I will have it, and when it will happen. I really like the surgeon at UVA who did my surgeon last time. When I met with him […]

Surgery is an option

Sep 4, 20192 CommentsUncategorized

Let me preface this post with sharing that I developed a bad cold yesterday and feel pretty stinky as I write this. Ain’t that just how it goes sometimes? Well, my novocaine trick didn’t work out as planned at the surgeon’s. Our appointment was for 1:30 and we didn’t get in to see him until about 4:00. My novocaine had long worn off, and my jaw was starting to really ache by the time the meeting actually happened. Not the best of beginnings. Also, we were supposed to meet with two doctors: my surgeon and my oncologist. But my oncologist […]

Meeting with the surgeon at UVA today

Sep 3, 20196 CommentsUncategorized

I want to thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes. I can’t begin to convey how much they – and you all – mean to me. I need each and every prayer and appreciate each and every message, text, email, and call. I feel well supported and loved going into my meeting with the surgeon today. That is exactly what I need. Marshall is here at home and we are getting ready to drive over to UVA in a minute to meet with the surgeon who operated on me in 2016. His name is Ashok Asthagiri. My […]

Cancer is Back

Aug 28, 201949 CommentsUncategorized

Well, sadly, my gut was wrong. My oncologist says my brain cancer is growing back. We will have to decide on a course of treatment in the next few weeks, which probably (hopefully) won’t start until the first of the year to allow us to take a couple of trips we already have planned (including a trip celebrating Marshall’s and my 30th wedding anniversary in October). The doctor says there are four possibilities for treatment: Do nothing Have another surgery Have radiation + chemo Have chemo by itself Doing nothing (at least for very long) probably isn’t the best idea […]

Fran Cannon Slayton

Children's Author on An Unexpected Journey