A couple of weeks ago I was asked this question by a well-meaning acquaintance in the grocery store. The question came after I told him Bruce had surgery. I didn’t mention there were two, that twice they’ve cut into my husband’s skull. He cares. People care. I understand this. What ISN’T understood is that glioblastoma…
As with most things in life, we often find good and bad. Today will be about the good. When I share my feelings about our new situation, I know it can be hard for you to read. So many people do not know what to say, and I completely understand. I do. While we hope…
Last evening I noticed that Bruce’s right pupil was larger than the left. With a history of A-Fib and two recent brain surgeries, I went on high alert. With a recent history of chemo, radiation, dexamethasone, Keppra, Mepron, and his regular heart medicine, who knows what is causing what. Just when I have the routine…
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…
finding merle 