I was born with a small right eye with a ruptured vein that bled and a very large cheek that often turned blue and purple. (Hey, I always got extra attention from people. In some ways it made life easier until I became a pre-adolescent) They said I would die. HA! This was in the fifties and they really didn't know what was in my cheek. They planted 26 radon seeds in my face. (It was a little disconcerting when they said if any fell out within ten years, we had to bury them!) I guess it helped as it didn't get bigger.

While I was in elementary school, I spent a lot of time out sick or in the hospital. I got lots of staph infections in my eye. I had pretty bad headaches. I really wanted to be out doing things, so if I could, believe me I was at school.

When I was 14, they took my right eye out. That really helped a lot. No more infection problem (and you can't believe how nice it is to have an eye that can be rinsed under the sink!)

When I was 23, they removed the mass in my cheek. It was a hemangioma. It was and continues to be absolutely glorious to go somewhere and not be stared at. (unless I want to be!)

Life was good for the next 15 years. I got married and had two children (They said I would never be able to do that! HA!) I became a special ed teacher. (and I love it. It is my passion!) I had headaches a lot. Sometimes worse then others. I would wake up in the morning, assess the pain, figure out how many hours I could push myself without adequate pain killers-and then teach with a smile! Of course I often went home and took big pain killers.

11 years ago I had a bleed. (I refer to this time as the winter of my discontent.) It was in the cortex. After a 10 hour brain operation and months in the hospital and out, I completely recovered. They discovered what they said were 3 AVMs in my brain. Okay.

Life went on. In November I had a bleed in my Thalamus. ( This is a mean place to have a bleed. Everything goes through the thalamus.) We didn't know I had a bleed until Dec. 14th when I called my neurologist and said "I think I need an MRI." (I taught straight through until Christmas.)

The thing about a thalamus bleed is that it gets worse before it gets better. I don't think I ever thought during the months of January and February. I mostly sat. One day the cloud lifted. It was now time to survey the damage. I took a really big hit in my short term memory and my ability to pay attention. The worst hit was the emotional one. I always knew this would get me physically sometime, but it never occurred to me that it could effect my thinking. Thinking has always been my best thing! Is this some new test?

In April they told me that I really had 9 cavernous angiomas. That sounds scary, but when you figure I have had them all my life, it's not so bad. I'm going to Harvard to be evaluated soon.

Things truly are better. I have cleared up some more, and rehab is helping so much! I know I will be able to return to teaching in September.

I guess I have learned 2 things from all of this. 1. You have to be able to laugh and make others laugh. It puts everyone at ease, and they like you. :) 2. I can't feel badly about what I have got. It would serve no purpose. I have too much I want to do. I just have to accept it and move on.

I'm doing just that!

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