<p>Best of luck to you Creekland, and to everyone who has health challenges to deal with.</p>
<p>Still no new news from here, but it feels good to be back at work.</p>
<p>Less than a month now until Thanksgiving and two until Christmas. The school semester has been flying by.</p>
<p>Tomorrow is Halloween. I bought a bag of candy, but we never get trick or treaters here on our farm. The sad fact is SOMEONE has to eat the chocolate afterward as I hate to have it go to waste…</p>
<p>We used to take our boys into the nearby town for Halloween. Anyone else have Halloween memories? I recall fun events in my college days too. I’ll have to ask college boy what he did when he calls this weekend.</p>
<p>Oops… today is Halloween. At least I have an excuse now for my brain lapse. Before I had to blame such things on old age… ;)</p>
<p>Tonight youngest is heading to the nearby town for their Halloween parade. Hubby and I will be on our own with a bag of chocolate…</p>
<p>Creekland - thanks for checking in - I’ve been thinking about you. Hopefully, you get some news (positive) soon. Waiting is no fun.</p>
<p>Enjoy that bag of chocolate! I have already gotten into our big bag!</p>
<p>The good news is we can bring our extra Halloween candy to work to get rid of it. The bad news is everyone else will be bringing the extra candy to work to get rid of it. Son went to 5 Halloween parties on campus last year. Not sure about this year. I’ll have to ask later. Best costume of the night (perfect for procrastinators): middle school kid in street clothes with a sign around his neck reading: “Nudist on Strike.”</p>
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<p>Love it!!!</p>
<p>I did get news last night that my tumor is currently inoperable due to its location and the risks of surgery being worse than what I’m dealing with now. I’m ok with that - perhaps naively, but I’m ok with it - rather happy it came out that way actually.</p>
<p>So, my options were to wait and watch it or head toward a radiation specialist to see what they can do toward stopping growth. Since I know it is growing (based upon symptoms), we’re heading toward radiation - no clue as to the time frame yet.</p>
<p>The other great news we got last night is that my guy has been nominated by his professors to be pointed toward prestigious fellowships/scholarships (like Fulbright and oodles of others). I know a nomination is a long way from winning anything, but it sure brings out the proud mama feelings. I knew he’d been doing very well. It’s nice that other, non-related, knowledgeable, people feel that way too.</p>
<p>It’s really nice getting good news for a change. (I THINK the radiation deal is good news, but I’m really rather clueless on that overall.)</p>
<p>Creekland . . . thinking of you.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son, Creekland. It’s a big honor to be selected at his school to be nominated for those things.</p>
<p>Thinking of you as you prepare for radiation.</p>
<p>Hoping the specialist devises a successful treatment for you, Creekland.</p>
<p>I finally got to talk with oldest last night and think all went well. All is certainly going well with him (senior in college this year, plus married, plus working and trying to decide between keeping his own business or working for corporate options after graduation). He quieted down a bit when I told him, but I’m pretty sure it ended well, esp since at this point we all think it will be routine and not really life changing. It’s just the initial shock that hits. (A janitor at our school had a brain tumor and went from diagnosis to death in three weeks. That was a different type of tumor, but most of us non medical folks aren’t so “up” on that at first.)</p>
<p>Less than a month until Thanksgiving now… then a short time until the semester is over and kids are home for Christmas!</p>
<p>Creekland. Glad there is a plan. Radiation is not easy, but better than surgery, or both together.</p>
<p>I stopped by to see my DDs yesterday on a business trip. D2 (my 2012/2016) kid is deep in picking classes for next year, finding housing and deciding where and when to go abroad. She is also buried in rehearsals for a cappella and for the drama department winter show. Somehow she is squeezing in time for her boyfriend and fun. She did her first summer internship application (due 11/1) but the rest will wait for her winter break. At the moment she is handling it all with grace and a smile. Hope that lasts! D1 already has a bit of senioritis, and is feeling stressed about life after college and her honors thesis, all understandable. They are coming home for a visit next weekend. Yay!</p>
<p>Im glad you will be seeing a specialist, Creekland. They have lots of new techniques in radiation now.</p>
<p>Big congrats to your son, Creekland! I know they have to work hard to get themselves to the point of being accepted for fellowships, grad school, etc. but it’s great when their colleges can step up to help smooth the way for them a bit! </p>
<p>Also, sorry to hear about the health issues. A few days before Christmas last year, my kids’ dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (We were married for about 17 years but aren’t now although we’re friends) He did well enough on certain medical tests that his doctor sent him home for Christmas and delayed his brain surgery until early January, the day before his 51st birthday. After a successful surgery, he did radiation treatments and then weekly chemo.</p>
<p>I hate this stuff and the level of fear always caused to all concerned but it does help to try to laugh about some of it even though “gallows humor” doesn’t seem appreciated by everyone! Hoping for great treatment and wonderful doctors and nurses overseeing your care as you and your family conquer this beast together!</p>
<p>Congrats to your son, Creekland! It’s great that the college is recognizing his achievements and potential.</p>
<p>Creekland, sending good thoughts your way. Sorry to hear about your health issue. One suggestion that I have is to go to the best possible medical center for your condition, maybe you are already there. I work in a medical office, and so often, patients with a problem are reluctant to travel to the city (they could go to NY or Philadelphia from here), and stay with local hospitals. Those big teaching hospitals usually have people who are more specialized and can offer more options. We feel like we can treat the run of the mill problems well, but if it is more complicated, the subspecialists are the best choice.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son Creek! I pray for you as I think of you.</p>
<p>For a little honesty here since most of your kids seem to have it all figured out. S told us yesterday he wants to change his major (again). He’s never declared so its more changing ideas and focus. He didn’t go to school with any idea what he wanted to do so he started with engineering. Took an engineering class and said this just isn’t my thing but I really like this math stuff, so he started turning his focus to math. I had him to take a computer class to perhaps minor in that so he had a shot of getting a job. He has no interest in the phd route of math. So yesterday he tells us he wants to flip flop, major in computer science, and after one more math class he’ll have a math minor. But as you all know, the more you change the more off course you get to graduate in 4 years. So while it’s not unheard of to start sophomore year, it’s going to be a bit more of a challenge. And let’s just hope this is it. I actually think the change makes sense and he’ll certainly be way more employable. </p>
<p>I’m happy he’s figuring himself out and he’s at a school flexible enough that its possible to just change from thing to thing. I’m just hoping this one sticks!</p>
<p>anothermom2 - this one is being dealt with at Hopkins.</p>
<p>eyemamom - I get envious of my kids with the way they seem to know what they want (and get there). When I was in college I changed my major/focus three times. I started engineering, but changed that prior to starting, then went cs (when that was rather new), then switched to physics/math (minor) and psych. Changing ideas is a common factor for many of us.</p>
<p>I still change my mind about what I want to be when I grow up! ;)</p>
<p>Sending healing thoughts to you, Creekland. </p>
<p>I’d second the suggestion to seek out an expert in the field, if you haven’t done so already. My husband has a relatively rare autoimmune disease and after diagnosis, he researched and contacted an expert on the East Coast. His treatment was somewhat unconventional and state of the art. It was administered locally, but made a potentially grim diagnosis, change to a chronic, manageable condition. Best wishes to you.</p>
<p>Eyemamom, S has honed in on CS and Math as his majors. CS is very demanding and until this quarter, he had only taken one class per quarter so will have to step up the pace! He was fortunate to have been fairly advanced in Math coming in, so won’t have too much trouble finishing that degree. Good luck to your son, I’m sure he’ll figure it out. S was wary of making the declaration, but we’re encouraging him to find an advisor in CS to help him chart a path through his many choices.</p>
<p>Sending healing thoughts to you Creekland</p>