Tumor

I mentioned that August 8th was a grey day at our house. Madeleine received three vaccines, and I had minor surgery. But what made the day grey was some earth shattering news from my mom. You don't have to know me well to know that my mom and I are exceptionally close, so you can imagine that my world shook when she told me that she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

I never liked the word tumor, but I've hated it every time I've thought or heard it since August 8th. It's a word that is sharp and piercing and filled with danger and unknowns. Granted, my mom appears to be one of the lucky ones with a tumor. That is, hers appears to be encapsulated (wedged between her skull and brain without invading either one) and of a variety that is benign 80- to 90-percent of the time. She and my stepfather remain very positive, and, while I'm hopeful that her surgery on Monday will be successful, I am still terrified. Tumors are scary business.

As fate would have it, George, Madeleine, and I were already scheduled to be at my mom and stepdad's house this past week to attend my grandfather's memorial service and introduce Madeleine to our family. Now that we're home, I'll soon be sharing photos and memories from our visit. Hopefully first sharing this news will give you a bit of context on how this recent family visit was even more precious than most. Also, thoughts (and prayers, if you're the praying type) for my mom, her medical team, and our family are greatly appreciated during this pretty frightening time.