Sandy Beardsley
Living with a Brain Tumor
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11/03/05
Day Fifteen
Filed under: General
Posted by: Dan @ 7:25 pm

4:30pm…

I left Sandy at the hotel this morning so she could relax and have some much needed time alone before we leave tomorrow. I went for a 4-mile walk on some trails in the rolling hills above the Stanford campus. It was beautiful and peaceful up there in the warm sunshine — dry golden grass with small groves of oak trees dotting the landscape — and big views of the entire area from San Francisco in the far distance, the campus, through the Silicon Valley and out to the hills east of here. Lots of hawks and meadowlarks up there too. It’s not the North Cascades, but in this urban sprawl it was paradise.
Tomorrow morning we’ll pack up, check out and go to the appointment with Sandy’s oncologist. He will go over the pathology reports and map out the chemo treatments Sandy will start soon.
Many people have assumed that Sandy’s brain surgery to remove the tumor is the end of the story and she will be fine now. Unfortunately this may not be true because with the type of cancer she has now - a high grade, faster growing type - all the new active area of the tumor could be removed, but not all of the old tumor can be removed surgically. This means that there is always a chance that areas of the old tumor could become active and grow again. The surgery was just the first leg of the journey. So the need for the chemo treatments is to break up the DNA of the cancer cells so they cannot continue to replicate. She will be on a brain-specific chemo drug, probably able to take it at home in pill form for one week out of every month for an unknown length of time, depending on its effectiveness. Further surgery and / or cyberknife radiation may also be used in the future if needed. Having said that, we still have a lot of hope and belief that she can get through this. Her doctors say everything is in her favor - she’s young, healthy, has a great attitude, and they caught this change in the tumor early on.

This has of course been a difficult journey here, but a big part of what has kept us going is all the love and prayers from everyone. Words cannot express our gratitude and thankfulness for the powerful connections this has created. The love and energy we have felt flowing our way has really been a life support system for both of us. The hardest part of this journey is that there is no quick finish line, but the medical professionals have given us a lot of hope and confidence in the treatments to come.
I may not be able to update this blog for two or three days as we travel on the train and head for home. But I will keep this wonderful blog thing going….

"Be strong, go with your heart, and believe in miracles because anything… anything can happen." - Marlo Javidando

Good night,
Dan

9 Responses to “Day Fifteen”

  1. pvd Says:
    Nam myoho renge kyo SandyDan, G’night and peaceful rest.
  2. mary pat barton Says:
    sandy and Dan Glad you got to Half Moon Bay (twice)it is very quaint and with magnificient views of the ocean. Definitley different from the san fran and san jose traffic patterns. Your motel (aka stagging area )seemed relaxing also. Sanford Medical Center definitely knows it’s stuff - Glad you found them. Again John is in the millbrea /san fran area still - so if you need any thing - or your plans change and you just need another night or whatever just call him(another cell # 509-590-6298) We have thousands of free room points to the best Western hotels Have a wonderful trip home - Friends have taken that starlight trip up and down the coast and they say the views during daylight/ firstlight and sunset are spectular from the dome car. Let the train porter know you just had surgery and they’ll be extra helpful/ Maybe better seating or perks. Call or e-mail if you need anything once you are home / Laurie Reister mentioned that Whitt is going to see Cameron Play Ball at Thankgiving time. Maybe they can bring back some pictures of his great running style. Safe Journey and God Bless you both. Love, mary pat
  3. Eric S. Beardsley Says:
    Hi Dan and Sandy, so glad you’ll be on your way back home soon. I’m sure it will be a beautiful ride back, and we’ll look forward to hearing from you then. Sounds like much more fun than a plane flight Sis. Have a great ride, can’t wait to get together with you,Love you, Pat and Eric
  4. Millie Watkins Says:
    Travel safe Sandy and Dan. Thanks for the update on the doctor’s report. We are adding our faith and confidence to yours. It will be good to have you home. Millie
  5. heather & pat Says:
    Dear S&D, as I write this, you are probably with the oncologist right this minute, so I’m praying hard for you to have all the information you need and the Doc’s hands/heart/mind are giving you the best direction possible. I’m glad you’re giving yourselves the gift of time to come home slowly. Prayers to you our friends. Breath deeply. As to the blog, my best friend from High School has just tuned in, she is undergoing chemo and your story has been helping her. Thank you for sharing Sandy and DanO. I love you guys. - Heather PS - this week, we had 3 days of rain, totaling 2.6 inches in the gauge at our house. Today the clouds are heavy on the peaks, but the sun is shining through. The snows right above town are gorgeous. It will be a beautiful welcome home. Stevens may open on Wednesday 11/9! PSS - “Barky bark bark” from Clover
  6. Lee and Anna Says:
    In Virginia visiting my folks…Watching the flocks and gaggles and bevies of little birds winging their way south for the winter. Thinking of you two finally headed north to the little house with the purple fence. So glad to know you are homeward bound!! -Anna
  7. Ann F Morgan Says:
    I am sending you well wishes from Florida. Pat(of Eric and Pat) is my sister and she updated me on your progress. I wish you well
  8. Carol Truitt Says:
    Welcome home in advance! Hope you had an easy trip home and I know how good it will feel when you finally walk through your own front door again. So glad to have you back!! Love, Carol
  9. Marlo Javidando Says:
    Out of curiousity, how did you find my senior quote online? I, as well as many other people, randomly ‘Google’ my own name from time to time and I have found that many people like using my senior quote. Thanks for attaching my name to it, I know I should have it copywritten.

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