Hit the Paws Button...

Ah the life of a dog. What could be better than engaging in play time, pausing for naps and partaking in a tasty treat only to start all over again?! Our four-legged friends remind us that it's acceptable to hit that paws button more often and relish what is easy to miss out on.

Today I am thankful for:

*Dogs, especially my own.

Pondering the Dying Art of Letter Writing...

"Letters are expectation packaged in an envelope."--Shana Alexander, American Journalist

Yes email, Facebook, Twitter are quicker. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the anticipation of opening my letter box (ok so it's actually a 25 yard walk to a cluster of metal bins)and hoping to find a treasure among the daily airline credit card offers and useless community coupons to establishments I'd never frequent much less ever heard of.

On rare occasions, I relish the arrival of a handwritten note, card or letter.

Today I am grateful for:

*Not one, but the arrival of two handwritten cards

Won't you take the time to pen your thoughts, affix a stamp and send your own treasure? I assure you the recipient will be grateful.

Simple Pleasures...

Sunday, the day before manic Monday when the madness begins all over again after a 17-day reprieve (not that I was counting) from dashing through the kiss-and-go lane, homework, after school activities, throwing dinner on the table, packing lunches...only to repeat and repeat and repeat!!!

So today I savored many a simple pleasure.

I am thankful for:

*Pajama day

*Reading the Sunday paper cover to cover

*2nd season premiere of Worst Cooks in America

*Polar fleece blankets

A Fresh Start...

I know the calendar says it's time to come off our post-holiday high of parties, presents and pounds and face the music in the name of New Year’s resolutions. Personally, I believe this annual, thinly disguised attempt to break bad habits and establish newer, healthier ones is doomed for failure.

We all strive to take better care of ourselves; be nicer, more tolerant people; vow to read New York Times bestseller books; take that trip we’ve been promising ourselves for years; but in reality, it never happens. So rather than share my previous resolutions I have yet to achieve, I resolve and propose we all take the time do perform the much simpler-easier-to-attain task of taking inventory of our lives on a daily basis. Giving thanks need not occur once a year in November.

After my first meningioma brain surgery I struggled with overwhelming feelings of depression often wondering how I would start life again. My childhood best friend suggested I keep a gratitude journal to focus on the "can dos" rather than the "can't dos" negative thinking I was consumed with. Initially I was skeptical about penning my thoughts on blank paper. I surprised myself when this regular act of taking just a few minutes or even longer on a regular basis created a shift in my thinking, not to mention the immensely huge difference it made in my healing and recovery.

To this day I still pull out that gratitude journal to remind myself that yes, I did make a fresh start and even if recording something as simple as "I walked around the cul-de-sac without any assistance" or "Sleeping through the night."

And so without any pressure (we all have enough daily demands in our life) I propose to share what I am thankful for over the course of 2011 and invite you to do the same. Ideally, it would be great to compile 365 days of gratitude, but hey I'm realistic that even the best intentions get sidetracked.

So here's to a fresh start beginning now.

I am thankful for:

*Ringing in the new year with board games, bad-for-you food & bed after the EST ball drop!

*Hannah & Hunter hugs

*Koufax is still managing well with diabetes and blindess and is determined to play ball every day!

*Snow--we finally got some!

*Home-made cinnamon rolls & chocolate truffles--the walking can wait!

Still Trekking up Meningioma Awareness Mountain!

Interview with Liz Holzemer

Gradually Ascending the Mountain to Elevate Meningioma Awareness!!!

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=842

Simply Remove Meningioma=Cure!

Dear Dr. Sanjay Gupta,

I take great exception to your recent Twitter tweet.

"this is a meningioma, a benign brain tumor. once removed, patient is cured."

Who knew it was that simple?

I've responded to your blog, but my letter must still be under moderator consideration as it has yet to post. Allow me to share with you now.

I shouldn't even be writing to you today. Ten years ago, my neurosurgeon informed my husband and me that my baseball sized meningioma should have already put me in a coma and killed me.

As a 10-year meningioma survivor and the founder of the nonprofit, Meningioma Mommas, I can assure you that the thousands of patients we've provided support to would disagree with your inaccurate statement, " this is a meningioma, a benign brain tumor. once removed, patient is cured."

No wonder we have such a struggle getting media attention and funding for this most common primary brain tumor. Dr. Gupta, this is your perfect opportunity to feature meningioma on an upcoming show. I'll be more than happy to put you in touch with thousands of patients, caregivers and family members (and those who have lost a loved one to a so called benign meningioma) who are affected by this disease. I can't think of a better time to educate the world about meningiomas and the more than 120 brain tumors there still is no cure for than during the month of May, which is also the 2nd Annual Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

I also invite you to attend Meningioma Awareness Day in Boston on Oct. 2 where you can meet face to face with hundreds of "cured" patients.

It is a miracle I am alive, but I would hardly consider myself cured especially by the numerous deficits my meningioma has caused. And I am one of the lucky ones.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Liz

p.s. If you do read my letter, I urge you to read the following feedback to your tweet from other "cured" meningioma survivors:


"My sister has had 4 meningiomas, I have only had one. Cured after one?"

"If he can't explain himself properly then he should not say anything as it is misleading at the best."

"My daughter has had 2 craniotomys and an additional surgery to implant a VP shunt due to getting Meningitis in the hospital?? We go every 3 months for an MRI. He needs to make a public correction!!!"

"Cured from what?? How unfortunate that he would state something so misleading and insensitive."

"So does that mean my second one wasn't real?? And when they say it will come back that its a lie??? Wow obviously this person has never had or had a loved one deal with this since he can dismiss it so easily!!"

"A prime example of why medical doctors should not use Twitter!!!"

"If I still have 30% of my tumor left and have to endure yearly MRI's would he consider that a cure?"

"How is it possible to be cured if they are unable to remove all of the tumor because it is on your brain stem. Why would we need MRI's yearly if we are cured? Is he saying then that all other doctors that are having us get the MRI's are doing so when there is absolutely no reason to do so (wouldn't that be against their oath?) If the deficits we have, the remaining tumors we have, the regrowths some have are his definition of cured I am afraid that he did not understand anything taught in medical school. The questions we all have when diagnosed and thereafter send us to the Internet in search of understanding. It is a shame that some very unaware and fearful people may end up linking to his FALSE information. I look forward to nothing less than his retraction and apologies for his grossly inaccurate statements."

"What an irresponsible statement for a physician to make. If I was cured 11 yrs. ago after my 1st craniotomy, why did I need Gamma Knife, then 5 yrs later IMRT, then last year a second surgery for three new tumors??? Glad he's not my doctor!!!"

"Why does my left side not work and I have seizures? Makes me angry!"

"Definition of Cure from medterms.medical dictionary

Definition of Cure

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. Cures are easy to claim and, all too often, difficult to confirm.
2. A time without recurrence of a disease so that the risk of recurrence is small, as in the 5-year cure rate for malignant melanoma.
3. Particularly in the past, a course of treatment. For example, take a cure at a spa.

The word cure comes from the Latin cura meaning care, concern or attention. The current use of the word cure is believed to reflect the belief that the right care, concern and attention were tantamount to a cure.

Me thinks the good doctor might want to reread his Latin definition for "cura".

"Strange that he thinks seizures, deafness, blindness, etc. etc. are not issues. Must have a 2 month online medical degree."

"Apparently this Dr. never had a family member have this experience..I am 20 months since surgery and deal with sensory and language issues that have completely turned my life in side out. still trying to figure out who I am."

"Really did he ACTUALLY type cured?????"

"I only wish that was true. I am still struggling almost a year after the mass was removed."

"I really wish that was true.. My surgery was almost 2 years ago , I am still having set backs!!!!"

"It is beyond irresponsible for a NS who sees himself as The Great Educator to spread this kind of misinformation when research on this incurable, unpreventable disease is grossly underfunded. To be honest, when I read his tweet I threw up a little bit, in my mouth.

The degree of ignorance about M's amongst NS's is just so frustrating. We see the results of it...day after day with patients being told their symptoms have nothing to do with their brain tumor. What is going on in medical schools? Are they using outdated textbooks? Is it because M's aren't sexy-exciting like lethal GBM's? Is it because they think it's "a women's disease" so they don't care? All of the above?

We have to fight misinformation at every turn, and with ignorance so prevalent it does get tiresome sometimes, but this one, (from the NS who almost became US Surgeon General no less!) is particularly egregious."

"Walk a mile in our meningioma moccasins."