about

in the middle of the covid pandemic and the hellish year that was twenty-twenty, at the age of forty one, i learned that i had a brain tumor. a slow growing glioma astrocytoma. when my surgeon saw my MRI he said "you and this tumor are good friends. it's been there probably since maybe your late teens..."

so i thought if we're such good friends, she oughtta have a name. talula the tumor was the first thing that came to mind (i am a big fan of alliteration and the tori amos song talula).

when talula was taken out, she filled a coffee cup (i don't know if it was a styrofoam cup, grande or super big gulp). my surgeon had removed 95% of talula and the rest would be up to radiation and chemotherapy.

a few weeks later i got a call from the hospital and a very nice woman asked me if they could keep my tumor in their tumor bank. it would be used for research and might be helpful in my future treatments and/or other patients'.

i immediately agreed. as a member of the tribe of nerdz, i was thrilled to be a part of this. a BANK? like in a vault?? my tumor would not live in me, but live on in a BANK?? tumor banks are really a thing???

talula is my oldest, dearest friend and i am her only friend. so, even though she tried to kill me, i decided i should be a good friend and write her letters while she's there.

meeting talula has brought up a lot of memories, especially of the time we spent together. since she was in my head (where the memories are), i wonder what of them she recalls and has to keep her company in the vault with the other tumors. so, that's what i write letters to her about.