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Bryan’s Story

Published on July 17, 2019 in Share Your Story

You always hear about other people losing someone to cancer but you never think it could happen to you. Well it does!

Bryan, the love of my life was diagnosed with Stage IV Glioblastoma in October 2017. If we could only turn back the hands of time to see if we could have caught it early by recognizing some of the symptoms and thought he was being his normal self. He had suffered years of back pain, two spinal fusions and was walking, golfing, yard work all the thinks he loved to do. But this is what took him from us.

He fought hard and was a trooper every step of the way. We drove 1-1/2 hours every week to Boston and there were times we were there for five days a week for 8 weeks with radiation and chemo.

He was a kind sole, who would do anything for anyone and there is not one bad thing you could say about him. He loved yard work and golfing, especially playing with his two sons. When they came home after playing a round of golf, the stories that took place at each hole will always be with me. He loved boating on the lake and our Friday evenings – subway sandwich and sunset. What I wouldn’t give for those Friday nights again.

He did not suffer much with pain, in fact we could not tell if he was in pain. Eventually he lost his voice and was unable to move around as easily. We had great support from friends, family, co-workers and the team of Drs in Boston at DFCI. Could not ask for a better team.

He left us in February 2019 – shortly after my birthday and before our 36th year of marriage. He missed his son’s wedding to a beautiful girl but his memory will remain in our hearts forever.

Please consider donating to this organization, we need to remove GBM from our vocabulary.

— Andrea Oppenheimer


Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.

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