Bobbie's Progress After Brain Tumor

I've been thinking about this month, realizing that it is a very special month, for some time now. No, not because traditionally February is the month of love because of Valentines Day. And no, not because it is the month we wait to see if the ground hog will see his shadow. And not because of President's Day either. This month has become to have an even more important meaning to me.

One year ago, on February 17^th, my oldest daughter Bobbie had a brain tumor removed. It was one of the longest days of my life. There were so many fears in both of us, all of us. The many complications that could have come of this tumor and surgery were almost incomprehensible. Some here in the AC community have asked how Bobbie is doing. This is my response...

We were told there were many possible complications that could arise after the surgery due to opening of the skull and touching the brain, as well as where the tumor was located. Her tumor was the size of a golf ball near the right frontal lobe. The growth caused the brain to be pushed towards the left side, crowding in so to speak.

One possibility was that she would have severe permanent memory loss. This has not happened. She has mild blanks in the past few years and wonders how her daughter grew up so fast but other than that she woke knowing who we all were that day. This was my greatest fear I think, besides the possibility of her dying, her not recognizing me. When she woke and spoke to me as mom I felt so much anxiety melt away. That was music to my ears, that word "mom", all over again. She regains memories/thoughts/activities almost daily and no longer seems to be bothered by not remembering something that someone may tell her she did.

Another possibility was seizures. She is on an anti-seizure medication and was told she would be for a minimum of one year and they would see about it after that. This may be a medication she will have to be on for her entire life. At this point we still don't know. I'm happy to report she has not had one seizure the entire year. That is at least not one that we know of, I suppose only a scan could tell us that for sure. WooHoo! They did a brain scan 6 weeks after her surgery and reported no new growth. I am expecting she may be contacted for another MRI sometime in the next few months. Maybe not, but as is, we know what behavior to watch out for now. What to report to the doctors during regular visits. If she starts slurring words, stumbling, falling down, showing schizophrenic signs you can bet we will alert the right doctors immediately, just to be sure.

The next concern shared with us was the possibility of paralysis on one side. The day of the surgery and most of the day after this looked probable. Bobbie's tumor was on the right frontal lobe. This affects the left motor skills among other things. But then she moved a toe and her stubbornness was still intact and she moved the leg. Then the next day the hand started twitching. She now has weakness on the left side but is not paralyzed. She has to be careful on bad days how she steps or what she attempts to lift but other than that she is mobile, and usually without her cane.

Bobbie still has a few obstacles to overcome or keep in check but she's doing wonderful. Her weight is down and she has that thick head full of hair back. Her diabetes is under control and she seems happy. She even seems to be able to recognize when her panic attacks are coming on better now and will warn the person she is with or just head home quick. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder you know how scary this can be.

Bobbie is still bi-polar, but it is under better control with medication and therapy. She fully understands and trusts the importance of taking her medication. She is hearing her body's signals now instead of the many voices/sounds in her head. When she shares with us about the many words, noise, voices, sounds, migraines, fears, confusion and more that she was living with, and the pain among other more personal problems, I can only imagine the chaos she must have felt going on inside her. I think before the surgery there was so much going on in her head she couldn't concentrate long enough to understand the subtle signals the body will give us to let us know we are about to hit that panic button inside ourselves. I believe this explains many of her sleepless nights and paranoid days and disappearances.

Bobbie tends to flee from stress and anxiety. It is a natural self defense factor in all of us but for some it can be a dangerous response, such as for a manic depressive. I'm happy to report she has not disappeared once since the surgery. She checks in to let people know where she is going and when so that if by chance something was to happen to her or her daughter someone would know where to find her. Many of her friends have said she is a whole new person and some High School friends have said the old Bobbie is back. All I know is my girl is still with us and re-bonding with her little girl all over again. She is learning to keep house better and cook better and learning to prioritize. I've noticed she seems to act more like she's in her 20's than 30's which makes me believe that tumor was there a lot longer than any of us thought. She will be honest and let us know when she isn't feeling well and when she's just feeling lazy. And don't we all feel that way sometimes? She is honest with me about feelings and emotions that we have both kept bottled up for some time. And this is definitely a good thing for both of us.

What a blessing God gave us through all of the many folks that prayed for Bobbie and through the surgeons hands. I thank you all and our Great Lord in Heaven every day....