As you may or may not know, I was diagnosed with a grade II astrocytoma brain tumor in the summer of 2005. My diagnosis came after visiting a neurologist and a neurosurgeon to determine why I was experiencing random periods of numbness on the right side of my body. I had surgery on August 29, 2005, that resulted in a successful 100% resection of the tumor.

After waking up from surgery, I was grateful to find out that the tumor had been removed, but I soon realized that I had a long road to recovery ahead of me. I had extreme weakness on my right side and issues with my proprioception. My first time getting out of bed revealed that I would also need to learn to walk again. Fortunately, I had highly skilled doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals working with me to help me regain my strength and skills and achieve my “new normal.” Equally important was the love and support of my family and friends, which was critical to my recovery.

It’s because of the research and initiatives of organizations like the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) that diagnosis and treatment options are constantly improving to help ensure earlier detection of brain tumors and better survival rates for brain tumor patients.

I encourage you to support the NBTS by sponsoring or participating in this year’s Brain Tumor Walk. Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort over the last several years!

Matthew