A few years ago, my wife and I attended a Nickel Creek show at the 9:30 Club in DC. Before the show, we managed to get a seat at a table in the tiny basement bar prior to the show. We shared the table with 2 gentlemen that arrived about the same time we did. My wife, ever the gregarious type, almost immediately struck up a conversation. Introductions were made, and the usual pleasantries were exchanged. At one point, my wife asked why one of the 2 men (named David) why he was not drinking (anything with alcohol). He removed his hat to reveal a rather large surgical scar across his head. "Brain surgery" he replied.
At this point, you never know where the conversation will go. Do we ask what kind of surgery? Do we move on to lighter topics? Do we stammer and stutter? We asked about the surgery.
Turns out David was more than willing to talk about it. He seemed to enjoy it, really. He explained that a few years previously, at the age of 38, he had a seizure that prompted a brain scan. The doctors found a lemon-sized tumor in an "inoperable" area of his brain. At that point, he made it his sole priority in life to take care of the tumor. He finally found a surgeon to operate, and that operation was in May of 2005.
Over the course of the evening and concert, we had a terrific time. I doubt that there were any political issues that we saw eye-to-eye on, but that didn't matter to him (or us). We had some things in common (we're both marching band geeks), and a good time was had by all.
David also told us that he maintained a blog of sorts where he detailed his treatments and info about the tumor.
We looked it up when we got home. It's detailed. I mean really detailed.
I check back in every so often, following his treatment progress. On December 18th, David found out that there has been some new tumor growth.
His surgery is scheduled to begin at 2:00 this afternoon.
I suppose I'm posting this in the ether in the hopes that every little bit helps. Call it what you want; prayers, goodwill, vibes, whatever.
If you're so inclined, follow his progress on his site, www.38lemon.com. It's worth it.
1 comment:
What a horrible thing to have to deal with at such a young age. I hope all goes well with the surgery. As far as Nickel Creek... I love them and missed the opportunity to see them here in Connecticut. I will be checking back on David's progress.
Post a Comment