The One in Which I Don't Leave You Hanging

I realized that I left you with a couple of cliff hangers with my last post. Time to release you from the suspense!

Many of you read already about the first issue: my unstable MRI, but just for my blog readers who aren't on Facebook - there's good news! OR "not-so-bad news"? My local oncologist and radiologist, and UCSF neuro-oncologist and the UCSF Tumor Board have all reviewed my MRI scans, including the most recent one with the change in site #2. There was consensus that the change they were seeing was related to my radiation therapy and not progression of the disease. In fact, the site #1 (where the tumor was resected) looked a little smaller). I say "not-so-bad news" because brain changes as a result of radiation are nothing to sneeze at. But the fact that the cancer is responding to the Temodar (no growth) is definitely something to celebrate. I have two more cycles to go - I'm in the midst of one right now. Cycle #11. After Cycle #12, I "graduate". (I wonder if I get a diploma or something? I should get something, don't ya' think? Oh, yea. I'm still alive! That will do nicely as a door prize, thank you!)

The second cliffhanger is more global in scope. If you remember, Steven asked both our local oncologist and UCSF neuro-oncologist at our last appointments (separately) if they thought that we would ever find a cure for cancer. And I left you hanging about their answers. I know they collaborate extensively, and maybe the oncologist gave the N.O. a heads up, but they both answered with similar responses. Their opinions were...

"Not in my lifetime." I'm estimating that these doctors are in the late 30's, early 40's, so that pretty much leaves me S.O.L. if we believe them. BUT they had a caveat! They believe that maybe the scientific community will find a way to LIVE with cancer, in the same way people live with HIV - controlling it so you can have a good quality life and being told you have cancer won't feel like a death sentence. That sounds like a super scenario for me at this moment.

Kiddies, Here's a little history lesson:  I went to college in the early '80's when the AIDS epidemic was just becoming widely well-known. At that time, if someone was told that they tested positive for the HIV virus, it was considered an automatic death sentence. There's still not a cure, but people who are diagnosed with the HIV virus have a lot of hope that they can survive in this day and age - if they get diagnosed soon enough. Be smart, and if there's any doubt, get tested!

So, what's going to make a difference with a cancer diagnosis? How are we going to get there? I'm aware that many of my Warriors out there have made very generous donations to some of the organizations that are working hard to find answers to eradicate Cancer. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Here are some links if your looking to fund the cause:
American Cancer Society
American Brain Tumor Association
UCSF Neurology & Neurosurgery Medical Center

My Legacy
I've been reflecting a lot on how I personally can make a difference - and as many of us do when faced with our own mortality - what kind of legacy I am going to leave behind? Unfortunately, I didn't invent Facebook or Microsoft, so I don't have fortune to create a foundation. So, that one's out. I feel like my contribution is just a drop in a bucket. A very little drop in a very large bucket. Together, we can make more of SPLASH, of course. I don't want to discourage donations and volunteerism. But I want to feel like I made a difference, personally, too.

I remember a riddle one of my teachers in high school shared with us decades ago:
This father and son are driving in a car and they have a horrible accident. Tragically, the father dies instantly, but the son is critically injured and is transported to the hospital. He requires immediate surgery. When he is wheeled into the surgical room, the doctor rushes in, takes one look at the patient and says, "I can't operate on him. He's my son." Who is the surgeon? The students shouted out possible answers:
"His stepfather!"
"His grandfather!"
"His uncle!"

No one guessed the right answer:

"His mother."

How many of you got the answer right before reading it? This is 30+ years later. We need society to view women as just as likely as men to be in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, sometimes referred to as STEM.

source: http://divaneering.org/our-programs

It hit me like a lightning bolt the other day. I was a teacher...I AM a teacher. And one of the things that I was passionate about was instilling in my students' minds that they are not ...or should not have their aspirations confined by their gender. Boys can be ballet dancers; girls can be engineers, etc. Years ago, I was the team manager for an all-girls First Lego League Robotics Team that kicked butt in a regional tournament. Wooot! (FYI - If you have an elementary or middle school child, check this program out! And in high school, they have the FIRST program.) Boys & Girls interested in robotics? Welcome!So, yes, I believe we need to continue to fund research for Cancer, and I would be so grateful if they came up with a way for me to live with cancer for a long, long time. And that could be a man or woman or a bunch of men and women! Imagine that!

But I think that I would like (part of) my legacy to join in the movement to create a paradigm shift...at least for some more people in our culture to encourage girls/women to look at education and careers in STEM. (Just for the record, our NO at UCSF is a woman.) Maybe one of them will find a cure for cancer - or unravel the mystery enough that we can LIVE with high quality lives with the disease?

Regardless, it's time. 

Obligatory Picture of my Granddaughter,Autumn

Maybe my granddaughter will grow up and answer that riddle with confidence and no confusion? Maybe she will grow up believing she can be anything she wants to be. I hope so.

Please feel free to contact me if you think there is an organization or movement to which I could volunteer time and make a difference! And maybe think about ways that you can be a part of this paradigm shift as well.