As many of you know who might read this column a little over three months ago our daughter Meghan was operated on for a brain tumor that was found to be maglignant.
We learned on Wednesdayeveningthis past December, a week before Christmas Day, the results of the pathology report following Meghan’s operation for a brain tumor the previous Friday.
The oncologist sat downthatnightwithher, our son-in-law Terry and Pat and me and informed us that although the surgeon had been able to remove the entire tumor, that it is cancer.
It has some long name and I’ve forgotten exactly what that is, but this particular type of cancer forms in the brain. Apparently it’s the most common kind of cancer that forms in the brain.
My wife asked the oncologist, who was very compassionate but straight forward, about the fact that the MRI had shown that the surgeon was able to remove all of the tumor then how come it was still cancer?
Graciously,Meghan’s oncologist explained this type of tumor sends out what I believe he said is spindles to other areas of the body.
Since then we, along with countless others have continued to pray for her success in recovery and from the radiation treatments and the chemo pill that she began taking several weeks ago.
A week ago Monday, on March 10, Meghan achieved her first hurdle. She completed radiation and for now won’t take the chemo pill for about 30 days.
Knowing that was going to happen, our close friendsMarianandGary Salwierak and Rhonda Ellard decided to cook up a little surprise for Meghan. Marian and Gary are Meghan’s GodparentsandRhonda is a cancer survivor who is over nine years cancer free.
All of them are our neighbors as well.
The three of them drove up to the old Norma Regional Hospital where the treatments tookplace.Havingcompleted radiation herself almost 10 years ago and knowing what the staff does to mark when it’s is over, once they arrived Rhonda kind of took over.
Understand that Meghan, husband Terry and son Liam (our grandson) had no idea this was going to happen.
Rhonda let the staff know why they were there and once the final treatment was completed, one of the nurses went outside and signaled Terry and Liam to come in. Meghan still had no idea what was getting ready to happen and Terry and Liam wondered why they were being signaled inside.
Then, it all began to happen.They presented Meghan with a Certificate of Achievement and she rang a bell (it can be seen in the photo) marking the completion of radiation as husband Terry and son Liam, along with Rhonda, Marian and Gary and the staff watched.
Meghan said it completely surprised her all right, that she had no idea. As I understand it, Liam also got to ring the bell to mark his mom’s achievement.
This was a wonderful and well-deserved surprise for Meghan. Rhonda knew best what she had achieved and we are all so pleased. It was surely a time to celebrate.
Pat and I were invited over by Meg and Terry this past Sunday evening to have supper and we enjoyed the meal and also the time to be with them. Now we anxiously await an MRI that will come in about four weeks or so.