Guest Blog: The Powerful Platform Offered by National Brain Tumor Society “It is very unlikely that you will not have a recurrence,” my neuro-oncologist said softly, leaning in to fold his hands together, interlocking his fingers, “but you have many positive prognostic indicators in your favor, including your age, IDH1 mutation status, and general good health.” With this information—vague and uncertain to a newly diagnosed patient, […] November 7, 2017
A Brain Tumor Journey, Part III: The Conclusion – Relief, Recovery, and Redemption What follows is the third and concluding chapter of a brain tumor journey, told in her own words, by survivor, Sarah Vannatta.> See Part I> See Part II A few days after my surgery, I was out for a short walk with my ICU nurse, Chris. Chris held my hospital gown closed as I shuffled along. We […] April 20, 2017
A Brain Tumor Journey, Part II: Bad Signs, Strong Emotions, and the Blur of the ICU What follows is the second chapter of a brain tumor journey told in three parts, and her own words, by survivor, Sarah Vannatta.> SEE PART I Awaiting the scheduled CT scan, medication provided by the ER doctor had relieved the vomiting, and though the headaches only grew worse, I still attended a district-wide professional development event. […] April 19, 2017
A Brain Tumor Journey in Three Parts – Part I Introduction: What follows is the first entry from a brain tumor journey told in three parts, and her own words, by survivor, Sarah Vannatta. Sarah is Senior Vice President of EconomicsPennsylvania, where she is responsible for curriculum development and writing, teacher workshops, and program delivery. She lives outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Part 1: New Symptoms, New Normals For […] April 18, 2017
Guest Blog: What Head to the Hill did for my daughter and me The morning of the Race for Hope – D.C. in 2016 was a wet one. However, my daughter, Jessica, and I were so excited to be involved in the pre-race festivities that we didn’t seem to mind the rain. We picked up our t-shirts and even had our picture taken with former American Idol and […] April 13, 2017