I have been battling a brain tumor since 1995. This past year has been a particularly rough year for me. I was told in late March 2022 that my tumor had consistently grown over the past four years. The change was definitely visible, but slow growing so they let me wait another three months for another MRI. The next MRI showed still more growth. I continued to wait another three months until I finally decided to have surgery in October, I could not keep postponing the inevitable. My surgery was successful, meaning I was able to come out of the hospital 26 hours after surgery, without being in a wheelchair (which I truly feared). I was left with very limited movement in my arm, upper back all the way down to my fingertips. I have been doing consistent occupational and physical therapies since my surgery. At the beginning of the new year, I will be going through six weeks of radiation, five days a week, along with chemotherapy every day for those six weeks.  Moving forward over the next few months, I will have to call on friends and family to help me through another extremely difficult time in my life. I have always had an amazing support system and while I am very independent and have a hard time accepting help, I have no choice but to ask for it once again.  Thank you to everyone around me for being understanding and supportive of me.  

I want to help give back as well. I am dedicated to helping to fundraise for the National Brain Tumor Society so that other people do not have to be afflicted with the horrors of a brain tumor. Please help me in the fight against brain tumors!  My family and friends are riding together again this year as Lisa's Riders in the annual Boston Brain Tumor Ride for the National Brain Tumor Society.  Please help in any way that you can, and remember, any amount, great or small, helps in the fight!  Last year, with your help, I raised $24,217!  I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.