The Practical Stuff

Tuesday, May 25. I stayed home from work today because I felt awful. I made phone calls and lists and that felt really good. I contacted the Brain Tumor Society. They have a social worker you can talk to and a volunteer program that matches people who have been through brain tumor treatment with those who are starting out (or wishing support at any stage). I asked about getting second opinions and requested a volunteer support person. It was great to talk to somebody. She told me that the usual course of action when a brain tumor is found is to remove it, if possible, and do a biopsy of the tissue. This was comforting to me because that is what my doctor recommended. She also recommended that I choose a place that handles a lot of brain tumors annually. I called my therapist for support. I talked with two friends -- one of them is going to take me to pick up my MRI on Thursday and to my second opinion on Friday. Oh, I arranged for a second opinion. I called my doctor's office to see how many brain tumors he handles per year -- 300. The nurse said it's more than any other doctor in a four state region. I called another hospital and am waiting on the number of brain tumors surgeries they do per year.