Emily graduated from Bryant University in May of 2015. She started working at CVS Health in July 2015, and is currently one of our amazing Field Collegue Trainers. She recently found out she has a tumor on her brain that needs to be surgerically removed. Can you imagine being out of college for only one year, having piles of students loans and then finding out you have to be out of work for 3 months!? I can't even imagine, that's why I want to help raise money for Emily during her recovery!
Emily started having frequent migraines about a year ago, they had been going on before that less frequently. Despite being told by doctors, parents, etc. to get a CT scan, she put off going to the doctor like most of us do.
After finally making the appointment for a CT scan, she was then asked to go back in for an MRI so that they could have a clearer view. When she finally met with a neurologist to discuss the images, expecting maybe something small to be wrong, she was shocked to learn that she in fact has a brain tumor in the left front part of her brain, which controls language and memory.
The exact medical term for it is a left frontal glioma (probable oligodendroglioma), which as far as they can tell from pictures, is thankfully not cancerous. In simple terms, it’s basically a slow growing tumor that she has probably had for several years. If not removed, it will continue to grow until it is too large to safely remove, and will eventually start to cause seizures and other issues.
The surgery will take place at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. It will be a 4-6 hour procedure, during which Emily will have to be awake (although sedated) to make sure that they don’t affect her ability to speak. After surgery she will spend the night in ICU to make sure there are no complications, and then spend 2-5 days in a recovery room depending on how she is doing.
She will have to have a follow-up appointment a week later to remove the stitches and check on her progress, as well as one in 3 months to make sure the tumor was fully removed. If it begins to grow back, or they are not able to remove it all with surgery, she will undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation (even if it isn’t cancerous) to target what is left.
For the first few weeks after the procedure, she will have severe headaches and be in bed on pain medication. All together, she will be out of work for 3 months, assuming everything goes well. During this time she will be on Leave of Absence from work, receiving only 60% of her salary. Unfortunately, she will be unable to stay in her current apartment and will be leaving Boston for her recovery.
Originally, Emily’s surgery was scheduled for June 24th, but because of the nurse’s strike at Brigham and Women’s, it has been tentatively postponed until July 8th. Emily has a high deductible plan meaning these procedures are going to cost her at the very least $2000. I want to raise even more than that to help her cover her medical bills and help her to move back to Boston!
Emily started having frequent migraines about a year ago, they had been going on before that less frequently. Despite being told by doctors, parents, etc. to get a CT scan, she put off going to the doctor like most of us do.
After finally making the appointment for a CT scan, she was then asked to go back in for an MRI so that they could have a clearer view. When she finally met with a neurologist to discuss the images, expecting maybe something small to be wrong, she was shocked to learn that she in fact has a brain tumor in the left front part of her brain, which controls language and memory.
The exact medical term for it is a left frontal glioma (probable oligodendroglioma), which as far as they can tell from pictures, is thankfully not cancerous. In simple terms, it’s basically a slow growing tumor that she has probably had for several years. If not removed, it will continue to grow until it is too large to safely remove, and will eventually start to cause seizures and other issues.
The surgery will take place at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. It will be a 4-6 hour procedure, during which Emily will have to be awake (although sedated) to make sure that they don’t affect her ability to speak. After surgery she will spend the night in ICU to make sure there are no complications, and then spend 2-5 days in a recovery room depending on how she is doing.
She will have to have a follow-up appointment a week later to remove the stitches and check on her progress, as well as one in 3 months to make sure the tumor was fully removed. If it begins to grow back, or they are not able to remove it all with surgery, she will undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation (even if it isn’t cancerous) to target what is left.
For the first few weeks after the procedure, she will have severe headaches and be in bed on pain medication. All together, she will be out of work for 3 months, assuming everything goes well. During this time she will be on Leave of Absence from work, receiving only 60% of her salary. Unfortunately, she will be unable to stay in her current apartment and will be leaving Boston for her recovery.
Originally, Emily’s surgery was scheduled for June 24th, but because of the nurse’s strike at Brigham and Women’s, it has been tentatively postponed until July 8th. Emily has a high deductible plan meaning these procedures are going to cost her at the very least $2000. I want to raise even more than that to help her cover her medical bills and help her to move back to Boston!
Organizer and beneficiary
Emily Grenier
Beneficiary