Hello Fellow ANer's
It's Michelle, Chelsea's mom. This morning Chelsea graduated for the University of Redlands with her BS in Mathematics!!!! I wanted to wait until it was all over (to make sure it really happened) before posting. It is only a few days shy of 5 years since her diagnosis that has taken her (and us) on this journey of multiple surgeries, radiation, regrowth, surgery, facial paralysis, and more surgery as recent as March of this year. Through it all she has kept her chin up and put one foot in front of the other (as they say) to get her to where she is today. She has the drive and fortitude along with a huge support system that includes all of you that keeps her going.
It is through this site that I learned what others are going through and what they did to deal with every obstacle that got in the way while regaining some control of what was happening to them. I would then pass this on to Chels and it would help her realized that she was not alone and did what she needed to move forward. She is still dealing with the facial paralysis and we know it will be awhile before her latest surgery gives her some of the results we are all hoping for. She will have another surgery next March as the second phase of the nerve innervation-gracilis muscle transfer. Then she'll have to wait again for 6-8 months to see if she gets any function. Her plan is to do her student teaching in the fall, surgery in the spring, and then look for a job teaching or
? and if nothing is available then go back to school for her Masters Degree.
She has been through just about every complication that this AN tumor has to throw at an individual and still bounces back. Oh, the miracle of modern medicine and the advantage of youth.
Thank you all for your support over the years. You are all such a loving and caring community and it has been a blessing to have found you!
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend,
Michelle
