Here in the Midwest, the robin’s arrival back in the neighborhood means that winter is almost done and spring is just around the corner.

Our deck’s underside has been “robin nesting grounds” for the past seven years.  It is neat to be able to look down through the deck slats and see the nest, then the eggs and finally some baby robins.  They hang around for several weeks and then they are gone.

We have had the same momma robin back for three years in a row.  How do I know that?

No, we haven’t tagged or implanted microchips in the bird.  This momma bird first arrived three years ago looking very different than the other momma robins.  It seems that she got into some white paint and she was permanently stained with white paint leaving an easy to recognize spotted white pattern across her wings and back.

The first year I saw her I thought she looked rather strange.  The second year she arrived back to our deck I recognized her and noticed she was in the exact same nest.

Then this year in early March she was back again in the same spot!

How did she remember where our deck is?  Where does she go after she leaves us?  Why does she choose our deck?

The part about the robin that I have thought about the most is the memory part – leaving and then remembering where our deck is.  Even birds have unbelievable brains.  Maybe the meaning of the term “bird-brain” needs to be revisited.

The Rock has decided to take up residence near the short-term memory section of my brain.  This started me thinking of the importance of memory and how easy it is to take for granted.

I realize that God, prayers from family and friends, my surgeon’s skill, science and statistics are all on my side and the Rock will be evicted without any effect on my memory. 

Having said that, I also allow my thoughts to go to dark paces (I do have a few anxiety genes in my make up) where I have no memory post surgery – I know this won’t happen…but the robin just got me thinkin’.

Amazing what a Rock and a spotted robin makes me think about.

Have a good weekend.  Time to go make some memories.

 Greg

We had an awesome graduation party for Jamie along with his good friend Jon on May 13.  My parents surprised us by flying in from Tucson and my youngest brother Jon made the trip all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark.  Sue and J along with my Uncle Jim, Aunt Marilyn and Cousin Stephanie also were on hand for the celebration.  Thanks so much for coming – you made a special day for Jamie over the top good.

Thanks for all the prayers and support – we are all doing well.

After breaking the news to Kim on Monday night, we both sprang into research and plan mode.  One of our best friends (who I met while a student at Univ of Iowa), Kristi, is our family doctor.  Kristi provided unbelievable support and answers as we put our plan together.

First thing to get done was to get into the neurosurgeon’s office.  It was three agonizing days of waiting before we were able to get an appointment scheduled for Tuesday with the MRI and a neurosurgeon in Des Moines (8 days after the news).

Concurrent to the appointment in Des Moines, Kim and I also decided pursue an appointment at the Mayo Clinic for another opinion.  I was able to secure an appointment with a neurosurgeon on the day following my appointment in Des Moines.

My MRI indicated that the tumor/lesion was located on the anterior left frontal lobe and was subarachnoid.  The MRI also showed the Rock (formerly referred to as tumor or lesion) was also a little larger than the CT scan showed.

The neurosurgeon in Des Moines recommended that the Rock be removed “sooner, rather than later.”  Kim and I asked all the usual questions – what would he do?  What was my prognosis?  How long for recovery?  What were the risks?  When I told him I was heading to Mayo that afternoon, the surgeon was very supportive of that.

With my CT and MRI scans and reports in hand I set off for Rochester, MN in the early afternoon.  The drive up gave me time to think about what was happening…..at this point we still hadn’t told the kids what was happening.  Kim and I wanted to be able to give the kids facts and a plan before we told them about the Rock.

The Mayo Clinic was eye opening for me.  I have never been in a place filled with so much hope and so many desperate people at the same time.  All were looking for answers.  The lobby of the main clinic reminded me of Charles DeGaulle airport in Paris – like the airport, all the countries of the world were there in the Mayo lobby…….I saw Africans, Europeans, people from India and the Middle East as well as plenty of Americans.  All of us were there to do one thing: get answers and cures to what ail us or our loved ones.

After arriving on 8^th floor I was feeling pretty good as I shared the elevator with kids and adults who were in a lot worse shape than I was!  People in wheelchairs, hooked to IV’s, bags and who knows what else.  After seeing the courage and fight in my elevator companions eyes, I knew the Rock’s time in my head would be limited after my Mayo visit.

I need to do a special shout out to my aunt Sue and uncle J who drove down to meet me in Rochester for my Mayo visit – Kim stayed behind to care for the kids and guard her precious vacation days for later use post Rock surgery.  Having Sue and J there was fantastic – they have been like a second set of parents to me through the years.  Thanks Sue and J!

My neurosurgeon was confident yet calming and reassuring.  He spent over an hour with us reviewing my scans and offering his opinions on the best course of action.  He agreed that the Rock must go – sooner rather than later.  He said he could do the surgery next week or next month.  Because my symptoms had been very minimal he was ok with me waiting 5 weeks to do the surgery. School would be finished, Jamie will have graduated, Will well into football lifting and Taylor through with a couple of triathalons and we would have a few weeks to get some things done before the surgery.

We scheduled a date of June 23 for the Rock’s eviction from my head.