As my friend Steffanie so obviously said on her Facebook page she is going in soon to have her brain picked - literally. To us that know her, this comment is humorous, true, and very real - Steff has a brain tumor. Her surgery is scheduled in two weeks.
Why am I writing this? Because I want to tell you more - you see, there's more to this than the brain tumor, or the O.D.B. (Old Dirty B*****d, if you didn't know what O.D.B. means), as Steffanie so fondly calls her tumor. The O.D.B. is just a part of the bigger picture. In the bigger picture you find much more - dedication. The dedication to find resolve, find focus, the dedication sticking to your guns and knowing what is right for you. And the dedication to giving of yourself and your beliefs to create the best scenario for everyone you can.
Learning and researching her O.D.B., Steffanie has gone through a lot. She isn't one to sit around and do nothing, nor is she one to be o.k. with something in her brain that isn't supposed to be there. So, with a lot of research, and a lot of 'no' answers in our area, Steffanie has found a surgeon in California that will operate to try to remove the tumor. I swear, if I ever need extensive research done, I am going to call Steff! It is only through her perserverance that this surgery is taking place- and taking place with the best surgeon for the type of O.D.B. she has and for where it is located.
Steffanie and I met when our (now) 6 year old boys were in preschool together. She's a great mom, a great friend, a person who is down to earth, and a dedicated Christian. One of my favorite things about her is her star-gazing. Not night sky star, but celebrity star. Steffanie is my celebrity-chaser friend. I get a kick out of it, since I occasionally enjoy reading People magazine, though usually on an airplane. In no way, shape, or form, though, do I have what it takes to be Steff, she knows the business and what is going in with her fav stars!
Just like many 30-something moms out there today (and I will admit, I am one of them), Steffanie adores the Twilight series. The books, the movies, everything about it! She can name the actors (I can't - not being a celebrity chaser, but if I wanted to know I can defer to Steff!), she knows their family history, their jewelry, costumes, everything about it all. She has read the books many times, and fondly reserves one set of books for reading and her other set to collect. If I had to bet, I also would guess that she has the most autographed items over anyone else I know.
Living with the O.D.B., Steff has taken an altered perception of life than that which she previously had. As she said to me one day "We all know we have one life to live. For me, I know that the life I have to live is limited, therefore there are things that I am going to do that I may not have done before. If I am going to live this life, I am going to live it." One of the things that Steffanie has done- she signed up to go to a Twilight convention that will be in the Chicago area this fall. Guest appearance include (character names) Mike Newton, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Jasper Hale, and Eric Yorkie- from the Twilight movie. She bought her gown for the vampire's ball, and she is about set to go. With the convention also comes an auction, with proceeds to benefit a not-for-profit organization.
With all that is happening, and through the research Steffanie has done, she wrote a letter to the head people putting together the convention introducing the American Brain Tumor Association, and asked that the organization be consider as the beneficiary of the proceeds from the auction. I quote from her email to the organizers of the convention:
I suggest this as I am a Twilight fan/wife/mom, 34 years old, and have a low-grade glioma brain tumor. I am having surgery on June 29 in San Francisco. I am trying to get the word out to people that although most think of brain tumors as something "old" people have, this type of tumor affects many individuals in my age group, often parents of young children as I have. There is very little awareness about this disease in the media, and it is my hope that more awareness will be brought to it.
Well, with a bit more perserverance on her part, she did it! They are donating the proceeds to her charity, and even better- Steff is going to be accepting the check at the Twilight convention, on behalf of the ABTA.
Dedication - from the get-go Stephanie has been dedicated to trying to make the best decisions about her health. She has been dedicated to doing her research to make well educated decisions, and she has been dedicated to base those decisions upon the opinions of many physicians, radiologists, and neurologists. Steff has also found a new dedication for an organization that exists to promote brain tumor research and offering information and support to brain tumor patients and families.
So, if you are attending, please give a huge round of applause to Steffanie when she walks up to accept the check. Steffanie - a friend, mom, wife, sister, daughter, neighbor, counselor, organizer, dedicator, and celebrity chaser!
Here are the details of the convention, and if you scroll down to the Charity Breakfast section, there's another star listed. :) We love you, Steffanie!
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