Next MRI is scheduled for July 23 and I'll be meeting with Dr. Hu afterwards on the same day. At least I won't be meeting Dr. Hu on my birthday like I did last year!

My Old BrainTumorThursday Blog Entry

This was my blog entry that Megan (memomuse) posted in her BrainTumorThursday series back in July of 2012. I came across this the other day and reread what I wrote and it still resonates with me. Though I'm at a "better" place physically, emotionally, psychologically, and have moved forward a bit in my "new normal" post-diagnosis life, the feelings I put down below are still there, just under the brush.

Archaeology of the Brain

I hope….

To one day not have to "act" normal, but just be. To be able to live my life the way I lived it before my diagnosis and not have the thought of my own mortality be at the forefront of my daily life; not have so much uncertainty as there is now in my life; not have to live my life one MRI-cycle at a time; and not have to second guess all my actions and ask myself, "Am I only doing this because I may not get a chance to do it again?"  

I hope to finally do that cross-country trip I've wanted to do since I read On the Road, to finally go back to Cusco and visit Machu Picchu, and to finally do the century ride from Orange County to San Diego I've planned since 2008.

I wish…

That a cure, not a treatment, but a cure will be found not only for curing brain tumors, but all cancers. I wish that once this cure is found, that all will have access, not just the opportunity, but actual access to it no matter who they are and where they come from. 

I wish for a day where we won't need #BTSM, #BCSM, #cancersucks, #scanxiety, or #BrainTumorThursday.

On a more personal level, I wish I didn't have to put my family through this, particularly my folks, Mom and Dad. They've been through so much and have faced so many challenges in their lives, so I wish for that day where they won't have to worry about me anymore.

I dream…

About that special someone who I will come across randomly, of which we will become great friends because she gets and finds my terrible humor "amusing."  I dream of that dedication and passion we will develop that only two people who truly love each other develops. I dream of our first child, a girl named Isolde who is inquisitive, independent, passionate, and kind and of course a great big sister to her little brother Rand, and little sister Dagny. I dream of my three children growing up to be passionate about a cause, to be compassionate of others, to think freely for themselves, to never stop learning, and to overall be decent human beings. 

I dream of the milestones they will reach, graduation from kindergarten, then 6th grade, middle school, high school, college and the rite of passage we all go through. I also dream of the little bumps along the road they will face of which their mom and I will be there for them to help guide and steer them to come to a solution. All in all, I dream to grow "old" and to see my love ones grow up before my eyes. It is all but a dream though...

I am (be)…
Just me, someone who's doing my best to unravel the mystery of this so-called life.


3 things about me;
---I was an archaeologist

---Have been to Cusco twice, but never to Machu Picchu

---I loved The Fountain Head, but threw The Atlas Shrugged across the room several times...

diagnosis and treatment;
February 9, 2011: Lesion in medial right temporal parietal lobe found from CT scan, confirmed by MRI
February 15, 2011: Stereotactic Needle Brain Biopsy which diagnosed lesion as a hamartoma.
August 4, 2011: Craniotomy performed which diagnose lesion as grade II oligoastrocytoma
December 6, 2011: Radiation Therapy Session 1 of 28 (180 centigrade of radiation per session, 5,040 centigrade total)
January 18, 2012: Radiation Therapy Session 28 of 28
Current: Ongoing evaluations for recurring "episodes"

favorite quote;
"Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish just like grape..." - Mr. Miyagi

"Do or do not, there is no try..." - Master Yoda

Brain Tumor Social Media a.k.a. #BTSM Tweetchat (1st Sunday of the Month)

*Update* The #BTSM Tweetchat is held the first Sunday of each month.


The “Brain Tumor Social Media” Twitter community successfully organized its first “tweet chat” a few Sundays ago, 7 PST/10 EST. The chat was so successful that Cure Today’s Elizabeth Whittington wrote about it just a few days later on their blog.
The #BTSM group will continue convening through the tweet chat format each Sunday from now until Twitter no longer exists. Join us!
An important thing to remember is that #BTSM is a patient-run Twitter community and is not owned by any organization, nonprofit or otherwise. We are for patients, by patients. #BTSM tweet chat moderator @CBlotner_ is working on organizing guest tweeters from the brain tumor community, like physicians, researchers and advocates.
Just in case you don’t use Twitter, or do use Twitter and have never participated in a tweet chat, here’s how you can participate:

How to take part in the #btsm tweet chat

1. Register for a Twitter account. Scared of Twitter? Hey–if you have a Facebook account, you can find your way around Twitter. 
2. Stay logged in to Twitter… then visit TChat.io
3. In the box in the middile of the TChat home page there is an area to enter a “hashtag.” (Find out what a hashtag is.) The brain tumor social media hashtag is BTSM. Then click “Start Chatting.”
4. The #BTSM tweet chat page will load and you will see all tweets where a Twitter user used that #BTSM hashtag.
5. The page will automatically refresh itself every few seconds to load more tweets.
6. When you are ready to take part in the tweet chat you must click the “Sign in” button in the upper-right corner of the TweetChat.com page. TweetChat will then want to link your Twitter account to the TweetChat website. This is safe to do! Click “Authorize app.”
7. Once you are logged in there will be a box at the top of the page where you can enter your message (tweet). This box will automatically add the #BTSM hashtag for you.

Easy, right? (I know some of you are shaking your fists at me right now.)
Leave questions for me in the comments… or tweet me at @TheLizArmy. You can also send questions @CBlotner_, the #BTSM TweetChat moderator.