Discovery

I had just returned from a long trip to Alaska, partly for work and 5 days of vacation with the family on one of our ships.  A number of challenges at work resulted in an enormous amount of stress.

One Sunday afternoon I was working on some travel arrangements for a trip for my 13 year old daughter and had an overwhelming sensation come over me that I can only describe as a premonition.  It was so strong that I shutdown the computer and had to go outside.

Over the next week I had several of these “episodes”.  The following week I began having them more frequently but less intense.  I would even wake up and have one.

One day I decided that I should see my doctor and get checked out.  Unfortunately he was on vacation but I was able to schedule an appointment with another doctor in the practice for the next morning.  Over the course of that day I had more of these spells than ever.  That evening Alisha took me to the ER.  I checked out fine and we chalked it up to stress.  I had texted my friend Kevin on the way to the ER and let him know what was going on.  Kevin is an old college friend and a pediatric surgeon in Kansas City.

I kept my scheduled appointment the next day and after a number of simple neurological tests was diagnosed with “Acute Stress Reaction”.  Another indication that I needed to manage my stress better.  But Kevin sent me a text after I told him the results of my two medical visits.  He suggested that I see a neurologist.  I contacted the doctor I had sen the previous day and asked for a referral.  He said that he didn’t think that I had any cause  for concern but sent a referral at my request to a large medical group here in Seattle.

Over the course of the next two days I make 6 or 7 calls to the neurology department to schedule an appointment but never spoke to a person and left several messages to call me back.  Finally I gave up and cold-called the neurology department of another large medical group in Seattle called Virginia Mason.  Not only did I speak to a person but was scheduled for an appointment the next morning.

The doctor I saw examined me and listened attentively to my story.  He suggested that it was possible I was having a stress reaction but also that it could be partial or focal seizures.  He asked me to schedule an EEG and MRI in order to rule out seizures.

I went straight to the scheduler but the first MRI available was about 7 weeks out.  Later I was talking to another doctor friend from college who encouraged me to try again and see if I could get a MRI at another location.  I made the call and was able to schedule one for 5 days later.

I received the results of the MRI on a Wednesday afternoon, scheduled an appointment with a neurosurgeon on Friday morning and went to the operating room on Monday at about 5:30 a.m.  So, in the span of 5 days we went from expecting a normal MRI and a plan to better manage my stress to surgery to remove a tumor from my right temporal lobe.

A month later it is still difficult to recount those days.

Thankfully I recovered quickly and with full functionality and with only a large scar to show for it.  My treatment plan includes 6 weeks of radiation treatment and a daily chemotherapy pill.

In spite of the trial we have many things to be thankful for.

• I’m thankful that my friend encouraged me to see a neurologist.  Otherwise I would have continued on not knowing what was going on in my brain.
• I’m thankful for the overwhelming prayers, support, generosity and encouragement from so many family, friends and colleagues.
• I’m thankful that God has brought the right people at the right time into my path.
• I’m thankful that I have full functionality and a quick recovery from surgery.
• I’m thankful that I live in a place with access to unbelievable medical care.
• I’m thankful I have an amazing employer fully supportive of me, my family and our situation.
• Most of all I am thankful for my amazing wife and kids who bring a smile to my face every day.