Brain Surgery and other small matters.

  Doctor my eyes, cannot see the sky. Is this the price for having learned how not to cry?
                                                                                   Jackson Browne

    The two days after my diagnoses and before surgery were the most surrealistic days I have ever spent. My whole life I have played the wonder game." I wonder who I'll marry. I wonder what my kids will be like. I wonder how I'll die. Having ADHD is a beautiful gift and a terrible curse, you think, rethink and verify think. Having been diagnosed with what is probably the biggest 800 pound elephant in ones life is terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Every moment I felt almost high! I was alive! I looked at Mt rainier and smiled knowing that I had come as close as I ever had been to not living and yet here I stood with a cup of coffee, in my robe in the sun! In those two days I embraced the irony of finally knowing, somewhat, the answer to that ultimate "what if"! Although, the reality of the Dragon in my head was certainly lurking, the fact of breathing, looking at my grandchild, holding my wifes hand and cooking a simple dinner were divine priveleges that I was savoring.

      On  Friday we were set for surgery. I am blessed to have 2 daughters who both are in the medical profession. This is another of my great lucky breaks.My daughter, Jenae is an oncology nurse. My daughter, Heather is a benefits administrator for a major Health company. I have two goalies in my net, and that allows you to just breathe. Through another nurse Jenae had gone to school with, she found the Iron Man of Nuerosurgon's. Our first nuerosurgeon does 20 operations a year, this guy does 230.

      They walked in with Rock star swagger. Young nerdy super surgeon's on a mission! Dribbling with confidence, they assured me they would remove the dragon. Who am I not to have as much faith as a newborn christian at a tent revival? I surrendered all. Layed back and slept in the knowledge that in Seattle, these guys were the Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Brain tumors and I was waiting for their C++ magic.


      It went quick (6 or 7 hours), and with the exception of a badly placed IV needle and numerous wake ups to check shit out, I slept semi well! I woke up the next morning at 5:00 AM, watched out the window enviously at people who shuffled into work and smiled. With a big scar, a great story and a lot less dragon in my head I was still alive! 
"Whooped em again Josie! Whooped em again boy!"
                                                                       

"He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood; he's the one that makes ya feel alright." - See more at: http://www.physicianspractice.com/healthcare-careers/6-best-doctor-songs#sthash.7f8DSToy.dpuf

"He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood; he's the one that makes ya feel alright." - See more at: http://www.physicianspractice.com/healthcare-careers/6-best-doctor-songs#sthash.7f8DSToy.dpuf

"He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood; he's the one that makes ya feel alright." - See more at: http://www.physicianspractice.com/healthcare-careers/6-best-doctor-songs#sthash.7f8DSToy.dpuf

In the beginning, there was BC ... and BC was good!

     Do you ever just meet one of those people that have lived a very blessed life? If you haven't, let me introduce myself. I am Skip Long. Husband of Mary, father and grandfather. Friend to so many I can't count them and a very lucky guy. I have worked as an electrician since I was 13 and still have all my parts, and work for a quality guy I consider a great friend. My children are both married to spouses I would have hand picked if I could. Over the last 5 years, with a lot of extra work and some good coaching, Mary and I bought a nice little Condo with a view of the Issaquah Alps (you can sit on the porch and watch parasailers glide over the mountains) and were pretty much living the dream, no drama!

      Until May 19, 2014. Mary and I were hanging at the lake ( it's not really on the lake, it just sounds so much cooler than hanging at the trailer) on a Monday. We had saved a little extra and met a lady who had a "newer" trailer she wanted to sell. We were going to make her an offer at 4:00 and figured she'd probably take it , so we were cleaning and putting away stuff from the old trailer in anticipation of having it removed for our new & improved vacation shack!!! As I dried the dishes, we talked about this & that. Mondays at the lake are quiet and nice. I stepped out the door of the trailer and felt the strangest sensation. It was a Deja Vu moment! I was trying to explain to Mary, "this is so weird, I am ... " but then nothing came out and I passed out.

      When I came to, their were two large men with blue shirts with badges standing over me! " Oh Shit Skip! You done messed up now! What was I being arrested for? I have only one jail experience and trust me, it's enough to scare the pee wodden out of you, I wasn't up for this. I tried to sit up. "Mr. Long? Please lay down and relax." "What's happening?" I asked. You passed out and we are just taking you to the hospital to check you out" " Where's Mary?" I asked. She is following in the car behind us. I lay down, in a virtual cloud of fogginess.

       Emergency was a blur, the staff asked me questions, my name, the date, who was the President. Slowly all started to come back a bit and I was happy my daughters showed up. Eventually, they took me in for CT and MRI scans and decided to admit me for observation. It was later that night that a Doctor came in and told us that I had a tumor in my right temporal lobe. It was a unique type of cancer, fairly rare, not known what it's caused by, and called Glioblastoma. He suggested we go in and remove it asap! I agreed, I want no tumor homesteading in my brain! Mary and the girls went home and I slept! Having a seizure, going to the ER and finding out you have a brain tumor will wear a guy out.

       The next morning, after what tasted like an exceptional breakfast, hospital food has come a long way since I was 13, I got brave enough to visit my old friend, Mr. Bing.... Glioblastoma.... a word I'd never even heard of. " OMG Skip! Glioblastoma is , is,it's fricking Cancer! Not only is it cancer, its big ugly mess up any plans you might have cancer!" I was kind of numb. Jenae ( my Nurse daughter) came in. The beautiful part about having a nurse in the family is that they are knowledgeable and truthful. " No, it's not good, but they can get it out." I will have to trust that to them, because even though I have a great set of tools,and I am very good at cutting drywall, I will leave the cranium to the experts. Because of a delay in surgery, and Jenae knowing the best Nuro Oncologist's in Seattle, we opted for a second opinion. That girl is smart!

      We came home on Wednesday, with 2 days to wait to remove my "little friend" hanging in my brain. The only way to describe the mood was dense. Mary was sad, so sad. Heather was sad, very deeply sad. I would get a beer and sit on my porch. I watched the Parasailers. I watched people go out to dinner, get their hair cut, take their kids for music lessons. As they all went on with their everyday lives, I knew ours had changed forever.