Please don't be offended if I can't remember your name or what you said last class or even a few hours ago. I was diagnosed with short term memory loss at age 16 and personally I like to poke fun at it instead of be really serious and upset about it since there really isn't anything I or my doctors can do about it... which leads me to why I forgot things... if you haven't read my about me, there is someone you should meet:
This is Timmy
Yes, I named my first tumor, Timmy The Tumor. We all know you're jealous. I was diagnosed when I was 16 years old and a Junior in high school. Timmy is a grade one Juvenile Pylocytic Astrocytoma that had been growing since the first grade (I was in 11th when I was diagnosed). I spent 3 straight months in Hasbro Hospital (the first time) and have had ten brain surgeries to date. Thankfully however my neurosurgeon was able to remove most of Timmy was removed back in 2008 but in recent scans they have found some regrowth. I also have a Codman Programmable Brain Shunt (named Sasha). She drains the excess spinal cord fluid from my brain into my stomach because my ventricles were so scarred from the tumor, a brain infection, and the surgeries that they no longer do it themselves. I was diagnosed with a large Fibroadenoma (another tumor in my breast), which I named Dee-Dee when I was 21, a tumor in my eye, a cyst in my brain along with numerous other medical problems.
This is me after my most recent brain surgery in 2010. In my spare time I'm pretty much a normal person with the occasional brain seizure, loss of memory, or whatever. But I try not to let things get in my way...
I graduated with my Bachelor's of Social Work about two years ago. I am now working on my independent masters program with Dr. Bogad. We have used the criteria for Child Life Certification as the basis of my program with the hopes that I will someday work at Hasbro Children's Hospital as a Child Life Therapist.
And that is the boyfriend that I "take care of". Matthew and I have been dating since 2008, just after I was diagnosed with Timmy.
We have been together through my last three surgeries and so many other ups and downs. He graduated from URI with math, physics, and electrical engineering (he's one of those); and is now in North Carolina getting his masters in electrical engineering. So yes I admit I take care of him because he can be Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, but at the same time he takes care of me when I need him.
Now meet Tank:
My brother is stationed in Germany and they have a dangerous dog list which includes Mr. Tank. So he is staying with my parents until Bubba (my brother) gets home in two years. He is the biggest pain in the butt but he is my baby boy.
I spend most of my time either studying and doing school work or just at work in general. But I love my job.
So long story short I am just happy to be here and spend each and every day trying to learn something new and do something good for others.
