08/01/09 - "Milestone" Birthday

8/1/09. I turned 40 today. I'm not trying to solicit any gifts, cards, emails, or so on - just a reflection of my age so people are aware.

I was first diagnosed with a brain tumor on 8/23/2006. 22 days after my 37th birthday. After surgery, a biopsy determined the tumor to be Medulloblastoma. A type of brain cancer mostly found in children. Less than 2% of adults diagnosed with brain or spinal cancer have Medulloblastoma, while (unfortunately), it is more common in children, with nearly 75% of Medulloblastoma diagnoses occurring in children age ten or less.

Prior to my diagnosis, I ate healthy most of the time(98%?), and exercised on a regular basis. I was pretty healthy... Just goes to show you that cancer can attack anyone. Now, I still eat well and exercise when I'm up for it. Although I haven't been up for it much in the last few months due to side effects of treatment...


My 40th Birthday cake
Well, I didn't plan on it, but now I'm compelled to list a brief history of my disease related to my age. Once again, it first was diagnosed 8/23/06 soon after I turned 37.

It first spread when had been 39 for just over a month, diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor on 9/9/08...

Now, just before my 40th birthday, on 6/2/09, I was diagnosed with a new brain and a new spinal cord tumor - again, a spread of the initial disease.

UPDATE! These were my "newest" tumors, the ones I that mention when I speak of Radiation #3 which has been over for almost three weeks now. I'm currently in "limbo," waiting to see how effective Radiation #3 was, and how to proceed. I'm due to find out on 8/6...

Moral of this post - normally people dread birthdays as they get older, it's the two months before and after them that I can do without. More seriously, cancer can strike you at any time, any place (organ) no matter what your age or health...

By the way, I am still working on a detailed radiation post.