..and the verdict is: BENIGN!!!!!

Hello all!

I know that many of you, myself and family included, have been anxiously awaiting the report from the pathologist. While hearing that there is an 80% chance that my tumor is benign was reassuring, there was always that niggling 20% chance that it would be something more serious hovering in the back of our minds. No more!

After a few days of my harrassing my neurosurgeon's nurse (she was very understanding), we got word today that they sent my tumor to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. As many of you know, Mayo is one of the best medical facilities in the world, so hearing that they felt it was necessary to send it there immediately sent up a red flag in my mind. However, I was assured by the nurse that this is a common practice in the hospital and does not necessarily mean the dreaded cancer. In any case, she told me that the results wouldn't be in for two to three weeks!! and that I should call back then. I was not amused (it seems like they kept pushing off a diagnosis here, which of course begs the question of why they were doing that...perhaps there was something they weren't telling me?).

But within 10 minutes of that phone call, the nurse called me back to inform me that they had already received results from Mayo (thank goodness) and my tumor is BENIGN!!! Of course, she used some very large medical terms for what kind of tumor it is, but the part I hooked on to were the words "low grade, level one" and "benign." Apparently a grade one tumor is as benign as it gets!!!

It's funny how you don't realize that something is stressing you out until it's resolved. I feel like I was carrying around a bowling ball that has now magically disappeared.

On to better things! I have two pictures for you all: one of which is me in the hospital with a very special hat on that some people should recognize, and the second is me today. I'm wearing these hats (trust me, this is a good thing for everyone) and I have my cane. In front of me is the garden of flowers that everyone sent me over the past week or so. I have to tell you, they made my experience over the past few weeks so much more bearable than it had been. There's such a lovely perfum in the air in my home, thanks to you all.

Today was my first physical therapy appointment from home. Although they aren't very strenuous, I was exhausted at the end and needed to sleep right away. I feel like an old woman much of the time--I need to sleep after the littlest bit of exertion, and usually for 2-4 hrs! I also took a look at the pictures of my brain the doc gave me today. They are quite graphic and detailed. Wasn't quite expecting that, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Thank you so much for all your support! More updates will follow as they arise.