After being diagnosed with lung disease in August 2006, and almost dying, I underwent major lung surgery (a thorocotomy with recortication). Upon awakening from my lung surgery I discovered I had lost the hearing in my right ear. Once I was well enough and able to move, I visited an ear, nose and throat Dr. He immediately ordered an MRI of my head, only to discover that I had a massive brain tumor. I started radiation very soon thereafter, but with no success. I was scheduled for my first brain surgery at Barrows Neurological Insitute, here in Phoenix, Arizona, which took 12.5 hours. I was so grateful to have made it through the surgery well. However, after encountering some complications, and 15+ hospital visits, and admits, I had to undergo a second brain surgery, which took 8.5 hours. Again, I was so grateful I made it through well. I still have extreme head pain, but know that 75% of my tumor has been removed. I recently have beeen having much difficulty closing my hands completely, and doing so without extreme pain, and also was having difficulty walking without extreme pain in my knee region and below. I was since diagnosed with RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) which is a debilitating disorder which apparently only gets worse. Unfortuntely, the only place that offers anything close to a cure for this condition, is a hospital and Dr. in Germany. I will not allow this to stop me. I will continue to persevere and endure. I am so humbled with all these health issues, because I was always known by my family and friends to be the perfect example and epidemy of health. I worked out everyday, ran an average of 5 miles daily, and frequented my naturopathic physician for vitamins and supplements regularly. I believe that most of these conditions were brought on by stress, This is because I ran language schools around the world for more than 15 years. This was my absolute joy and passion; also, because I am fluent in 7 languages. Here in Phoenix, we moved into a new school facility which was absolutely beautiful, on September 1, 2001. Ten days later, our country was attacked by terrorists. From one day, til the next, my schools were no longer able to accept students who were here on foreign student visas, because the hijackers had entered this country using foreign student visas. The Department of Justice was thereafter taken over by the new agency "The Bureau of Homeland Security". My school's income was cut by more than 95%, because the English as a Second Language program was our largest and most popular department. We had students from Europe, Asia, South and Central America. I was so stressed, because I went from having everyone of my language school locations being profitable from the first year of operation; all this was taken away within days of this horrible day 9/11/2001. I know that stress is the leading cause of the majority of health problems. My schools, and our staff were so excellent and what we did, and it just almost killed me to see teachers without their jobs and students no longer being able to take their classes. Now I am so humbled, because I do not want to lose my home. I am trying my best to overcome these health issues, and my dream would be to reopen my language schools. I am challenged, because my Social Security Disability income of about $640 a month, will not cover my mortgage, electric, gas, water and living expenses. Even though I am so grateful for this income, I know that if I were able to reopen my schools, do what I am so passionate about doing, that I would return to the amazing individual I was prior to all of this happening. I am so blessed to speak 7 languages, and to be well-educated, that I know God has not brought me this far to drop me off now. Thank you for reading my story and thank you for possibly adding me to your prayers. I know that I will overcome these challenges, keep my home and be able to continue teaching people the gift of being able to communicate in a new language.
