Patients Stories

Art (Brother 0f Cheryl)

Bill (Nancy's Husband)

Diagnosis: June 2001-tumor on the thalamus/basal ganglia
Surgeries: Oct 30th and Nov 6th 2001
MRI Jan 2002--New tumor spoted near Optic nerve
Surgery: July 2002 removal of artificial plates & rivets due to allergic reaction
MRI August 2002--two more spots noted on MRI--tumor from Jan--Stable
MRI Dec 2002--the 2 spots(tumors??) vanished!!!--tumor near optic nerve shrank 1/4inch since Aug!!!
Deficits---Homonymous Hemianopsis and hemiparsis
Epilepsy--takes tegratol

On Monday we met with the NS and he confirmed that Dennis had a brain tumor and that we should have surgery right away. That was December 18, he had surgery on December 21, and the news was grim. He had a 4cm GBM IV on his left temporal lobe. The surgeon came out to tell the family that he only had about twelve to eighteen months left. Dennis was given this news, and him being the "warrior" that he is, said that there was no way he only had that time frame left and we would prove them wrong. He was in the Neurocritical Care Unit but within hours was transferred to a regular room and was home celebrating Christmas with him family 2 days later! What a beautiful present that was given to us.

Several weeks later we began radiation. His birthday was quickly approaching and it was to be his 40th. A group of his high school friends decided to throw a surprise birthday party at our local Legion. The news of the party got out to some of my work friends and my boss decided to help and start a fund raiser. The party ended up with about 200 friends, coworkers and family. And they raised nearly $10,000 for Dennis and I. It was beautiful. However, we were all sure that this would probably be his last birthday. So it was also bitter sweet.

During 2001 Dennis did the radiation then began on chemotherapy. All was going fine until May when we found the tumor was still growing. Dennis had Gamma Knife surgery and for the rest of the year, his MRI's were stable.

We began 2002 (and another birthday we weren't sure he would have) with more stable MRI's until mid-February when we found it was back and growing with a vengeance. He had Stereotactic Radiosurgery and then we had to wait 6-weeks for results. On the day we went for the results, he had his first grand mal seizure. Luckily for us we were at the hospital and right outside of the emergency room. Needless to say, when we got the results of the Radiosurgery, we were informed that the tumor again was growing out of control. But Dennis is a fighter. We started him on another chemotherapy cocktail and hoped and prayed that this would do the trick.

He held his own and seemed to be doing fine until August when he experienced another grand mal seizure. Again we were told that the tumor was growing and that the chemo just wasn't doing the trick, however surgery wasn't an option.

In October 2002 the oncologist suggested another type of chemo but explained it only had about a 5% chance of doing any good and that it was very hard on the body.

Well, we just celebrated Dennis's 42nd birthday over the weekend and he is still fighting. Deficits are plenty, but he is still here with us. He hasn't been sick on the new chemo regimen and we are keeping our fingers crossed as we go today for a follow up MRI.

This is her BT Journey:

Week of 4-9-01/intense migraine headache Emergency MRI 4-13-01 – tumor found in right frontal lobe Dx 4-19-01 “gbm iv” during first craniotomy Driving privileges suspended/added dilantin and decadron 6-28-01 completed 35 rounds of total brain radiation 7-11-01 celebrated 26th birthday 7-16-01 MRI showed slight enhancement 8-24-01 Linac sterotactic radio surgery 8-30-01 began Chemo of CCNU 9-6-01 added chemo of vincristine and zofran 10-9-01 MRI showed enhancement 12-10-01 MRI showed enhancement/chemo suspended 12-27-01 Chemo failed of CCNU and vincristine 12-27-01 Chemo switched to 100mgs Temodar x4 daily/Thalidamide, remains on dilantin, decadron and anzamet 2-24-02 MRI = stable 4-24-02 MRI = stable 6-24-02 MRI = stable 7-11-02 celebrated 27th birthday 8-22-02 MRI = stable 8-30-02 completed 11th round of Chemo/doing Great! 9-9-02 intense headache returns/possible necrosis build up extreme muscle weakness, blurred vision, nausea 9-13-02 emergency MRI 9-16-02 admitted to hospital/scheduled 2nd craniotomy 9-18-02 2nd Crainiotomy/pressured relieved/necrotic build-up Temodar & Thalidamide working 9-19-02 a 17 month BT warrior – we celebrate in the hospital 9-24-02 Rapid and serious decline/moved to critical care unit 9-24-02 Cancer Cells have invaded the spinal fluid/placed on “comfort” at hospital 9-27-02 12:25 a.m. Gently Placed in God’s Loving Arms 9-30-02 Laid to Rest Karla is forever in our hearts and we miss her so very, very much.

Karla’s quotes: “Mom, I have cancer but cancer doesn’t have me” “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and good things never die” (adopted from Kevin Mullins, age 17, a BT Angel) Always positive, focused and determined to beat the beast up to the very end … always have “Faith of the Heart” and “HOPE”

Matthew (Son of Andrea Passarella)

Marvin (Father of Linda Whray)

Paul Dorsey (husband of Martha)

Spencer (Son 0f Julie)