In January of 2018, my husband had surgery to remove his cancerous prostate gland. In October, he had surgery to remove a brain tumor. The day he was discharged, we received advice from the social worker that stuck with me; I cannot let it go. In December, emergency surgery was necessary to relieve pressure on…
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is something I never thought would affect our lives. While Bruce’s father passed away in his 50s from heart disease, Bruce’s mother lived to be one month shy of her 98th birthday. Bruce has been a regular swimmer for over 30 years; he runs a nursery, a business requiring movement and activity not…
One will often have experienced specific symptoms with a diagnosis of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms typically seen are headache, seizures, and nausea and vomiting. Others include memory loss, decline in brain function, urinary incontinence, personality changes, irritability, and vision issues. Of all the symptoms listed, Bruce…
When I began Finding Merle, my first post was about my grandma and included a one-hundred-year-old letter. My love of family history led me to create an entirely new blog this year (THE MALEVOLENT MATRIARCH), but life happened and my focus has changed. One day, I’ll get back to Orah Myrtle Smith, my feisty great grandma and…
Otis sits on my chest like he owns the place. He can be a real turd. The radiation oncologist upped the dose. Bruce is losing his hair. On one side. I was sad to learn our friend “Sherlock” finished his radiation treatments. I’ll miss Jim, too. He finished yesterday. I try to exercise. I managed…
I follow Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, the I’ve Been Thinking, weekly posts. I follow Maria not because I know her, but because on a weekly basis, she seems to hit the target; she “nails it” with everything from family to community to world news. Maria tackles relevant subjects, and I find I am inspired by…
finding merle 