Brian’s Story: Meningioma
“Carefree” is the word Brian uses to describe his life back then. He was 39 years old, happily married and the father of three children under the age of 5. “Life was busy, but that felt normal,” he says, reflecting. “The only lingering health issue was consistent headaches for a period of two-plus years.” That […]
Blake’s Story: Medulloblastoma
Blake knew he was in the right hands the moment he saw the surgeon’s wrists. Dr. John M. Tew, Blake’s neurosurgeon, was wearing one of Lance Armstrong’s yellow LiveStrong cancer bracelets. So was Blake. Dr. Tew, who was also sporting a Tour de France lanyard, was an avid cyclist. So was Blake. The two cyclists […]
Jerry’s Story: Spinal Tumor
On an ordinary day in February 2009, John M. Tew, MD, got one of the true surprises of his career. He was seeing patients in his Mayfield Clinic office on the University of Cincinnati medical campus when an unexpected guest arrived. Jerry, a retired law enforcement officer from rural Kentucky, walked into Dr. Tew’s office […]
John’s Story: Glioblastoma
John, a retired painter and carpenter, is a tall, solidly built man with a strong inclination toward getting things done. A former Vista volunteer who was equally comfortable running a food co-op in an underserved neighborhood or standing near the top of a tall ladder, he is a natural at lending a hand to people […]
Joe’s Story: Oligodendroglioma
Joe calls it a miracle and a gift from “a higher power.” Others might call it a fortuitous turn of fate. Either way, Joe’s experience embodies a reversal of fortune that is both wonderful and startling. Once a man with a brain tumor and little hope, Joe is today cancer-free and buoyed by a favorable […]
Sandra’s Story: Glioma
Sandra (Sandy) is a smiling, breathing reminder that hope exists for patients with even the most challenging type of brain tumors. Nine years ago, when Sandy was first told that she had six months to live, she stared back blankly at her doctor. “Who are they talking about?” she remembers thinking. “That isn’t me. I’m […]
Rick’s Story: Epilepsy
Rick’s strategy for managing his epilepsy wasn’t perfect, but it had worked well enough for most of his career as a theme park project manager who traveled the world. Whether he worked in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore or Germany, his routine was always the same. After arriving in a new city, he would find a local […]
Jeff’s Story: Airway Reconstruction
Jeff’s remarkable story has two parts: recovery and reconstruction. He doesn’t remember the first part — the recovery from a ruptured aneurysm. But he vividly remembers the second part — the reconstruction of his airway. He is living the followup to his story now: back to work full-time as an engineer, back to volunteering at […]
Ameer’s Story: Pituitary Tumor
Ameer’s friends noticed the weight loss, and they kept asking him about it. Was he OK? Ameer wasn’t concerned at first. Then he began to notice that he couldn’t see people approaching him from the side. His peripheral vision was deteriorating. The third symptom landed him in the hospital. After getting up unusually late one […]
John’s Story: Epilepsy
In golf they call it a “bad lie.” A golfer strikes the ball, hoping to place it in a comfortable location on the fairway or the green, but the ball winds up somewhere else entirely – on the side of a slope, perhaps, or in a clump of weeds in the rough. Extricating oneself from […]