Each year when October 16th rolls around, I set aside extra time to reflect on life and give thanks to God for all my blessings.

The reason this date is so important to me is because, on October 16, 1990, I had surgery to remove a benign, slow-growing tumor from my cerebellum.  I was only fourteen years old.

My Parents

I have a tremendous amount of memories from this time.

I can vividly remember saying goodbye to my parents as I was being wheeled into surgery. I will never forget looking back at them and seeing both the immense love and the incredible fear in their eyes.

While they always put on a ‘brave face’ in front of me, I can’t imagine how my parents must have felt in that moment. I wonder what it was like for them to watch their child go through this experience with feelings of helplessness.  They had no control or ability to help me.  Their only choice was to send me off into the hands of strangers to (hopefully) save my life. I was too scared at the time to pick up on their emotions, but thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes.

One of the things I feel most blessed for in my life is my parents.  They have had a significant influence on me and have been my biggest cheerleader – even when I didn’t deserve it.

My brother and I are the beneficiaries of their selfless sacrifices which put us in positions to succeed and be happy in life.  They have an incredible love for their children and grandchildren. We are nothing short of utterly blessed…

My Best Friends

After the surgery, I stayed in the hospital for about ten days.

I spent the next few weeks recovering and learning how to walk again; just in time for the 9^th grade school dance at Fred Moore Junior High.

The dance was less than a month after surgery and the back of my head was shaved.  However, it was VERY important to me that I go to this dance because I didn’t want my classmates to think I was some “scary-looking kid hooked up to a bunch of different tubes and hoses.”

Considering I spent the previous month re-learning how to walk and I still had a pretty hefty scar in the back of my head, I guess it was a little risky that I went.  I found out many years later that my parents were pretty scared for me that night but they let me spread my wings anyway.

A couple hours before the dance, my best friends Jennifer and Karen came over to my house to help me with my hair and makeup.  The picture above is the three of us in the car about to get dropped off at the dance.

Like the amazing friends they were (and still are), Jennifer and Karen stood by my side as I nervously walked into the school gymnasium.  They helped me the whole night and we had a great time.  I am forever indebted to them for being there for me in every way during this challenging time.

I have been blessed with an abundance of loving and supportive family and friends.

The Dance

This morning when I was thinking about this junior high dance, the Garth Brooks song “The Dance” immediately popped into my head like a flash of lightning!

“Our lives are better left to chance.  I could have missed the pain but I’d have had to miss the dance.”

Tony Arata, the song’s writer once said, “It hit me that you don’t get to pick and choose your memories in life. You have to go with things as they play out.”

To me, this song highlights how this experience taught me at an early age that life is uncertain and sometimes you have to go through some incredible challenges but you’ll also be rewarded with some incredible blessings too.

2020

If you ask most people, 2020 has been a pretty crappy year.  It’s actually been pretty good to me, and today is an extra special day for a couple of big reasons:

1) 30 years is a Significant Milestone

Thirty years ago today I had surgery to remove a golf-ball sized tumor sitting right next to my brain stem.

Living 30 years after having a surgery like that is a significant milestone to hit.  With each new birthday, I always feel blessed, and I am not the least bit bothered to get older.  It’s a luxury not everyone is afforded.

Back in 1990, my neurologist said that if the tumor doesn’t return within 20 years, it probably never will.  Pretty big words from a doctor.  I feel like doctors typically are more pessimistic so as to prepare you for the worst-case scenario.

Today I celebrate a clean bill of health that is one decade beyond my neurologist’s 20-year milestone.

2) Living the Dream

Today is so special to me, not only because it marks the 30th anniversary of my brain surgery, but because “I’m living the dream”.

As many of you know, I’m traveling full time now. For many years, it’s been a dream of mine to travel and now I’m making it happen. I’ve been living in Croatia the past two months, focusing on enjoying life, reading, writing, and meeting new people.  In fact, I’m writing this journal entry on a bus, traveling down the Adriatic coast to Dubrovnik, enjoying all Croatia has to offer. What more could I ask for???  My cup runs over!!

As you can see, today is a big day for me, and I’m excited to share it with you!

Thanks for reading this and joining me on a trip down memory lane.  😊