The bad luck.

The tiny percentage.

The seemingly non-existent chance that “It could happen to me”.

Somewhere along the lines I missed the body upgrade. Surely version 2.0 (3.0? 4.0?) is available and I just missed it, because like an old iPhone this battery is running dry. I’m tired of all of the crazy fights I have to pick with this version. She fails every few years.

First, a stillborn baby girl (Mya ❤️) at 9 months pregnant.

A few years later, stage 3 Breast Cancer (at 26?!)

Now, almost a decade later, a brain tumor.

Of course I can’t have the type of odds that will win me the lottery.

The surgeries.

The scars.

The trauma to my kids.

The financial instability.

And the never ending battle.

It’s always something, right?

In March I had a Translab approach brain surgery that took my hearing on one side (single sided deafness , say what?! No really, huh?) and my balance, but only half of my (then) 4cm brain tumor. Despite the 14hr surgery, I was left with a lot of unknowns but my BFF brain goblin “Milton” clung fiercely to my brainstem.

Here we are months later - a living Weeble Wobble with one working hand and eyes that can only see when looking down - and Milton is growing. As of May 22nd, he was back to 3cm and squishing the dear life out of my brainstem. Homeboy, let go!

I met with a new Neurology team today. The plan as of right now, since Milton’s testing came back positive for my new BFF NF-2, is to start me on Avastin infusions every few weeks to see if we can starve my freeloader and give me back some normalcy.

But I’m facing yet another leave from work. With Hospital bills mounting ($10,000+ at this moment) and the realization that we will be driving to and from the UC campus multiple times a month for the foreseeable future.. I’m humbly asking help. I am the primary “bread winner” And we barely made it through the last round of Leave. Ya girl needs some help.

The goal is to pay off the current hospital bills to UC and Miami Valley, and cover household bills/groceries/gas for the next few months.