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Cancer Caregiver
May
23, 2008 |
Recently Michelle Chase and her husband Patrick were faced with a life changing
diagnosis. “He went in for an MRI and they called us into the doctor’s office
the next day to tell us there was a tumor.” Two days later Michelle found
herself contemplating her family’s future while her husband underwent emergency
brain tumor surgery. “It devastated me. But even harder than that was telling
our seven and twelve year old children at the time that they didn’t think daddy
was going to be here at Christmas.” But Patrick was able to beat those odds.
Michelle says, “They told us average would be about six months that he had to
live and that was three years ago. Right now you wouldn’t even know he was sick.
He hasn’t been on chemo therapy since August of last year and his tumor’s
stable.” Michelle says she never expected to become a cancer caregiver in her
thirties, but she says the experience has actually changed her family for the
better. “I have a career he gets to stay at home so he gets to be Mr. Mom so he
enjoys that I don’t think he would trade it for anything. We just make the most
of everyday. That’s what you have to do. You can’t worry about what’s in the
future because you could wake up tomorrow and it could all change just like it
did three years ago.” Michelle says attending a monthly support group has really
helped her deal with her husband’s diagnosis. Physicians say no two brain tumors
are alike. Things like genetics, tumor location, and general health can affect a
patients prognosis. |
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