Hello colleagues and friends.
If you have been anxiously awaiting daily blog posts about my experiences in the Philippines as part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) program, I apologize for the delay. On the first day of the 17-day trip I got a call from my family in Boston telling me that my youngest sister Emily, who had been experiencing headaches the week before I departed, was diagnosed with a cherry-sized brain tumor in her right Temporal lobe.
Needless to say, this was shocking news. Luckily, my family lives in Boston about three miles from some of the best hospitals and surgeons in the world, and her doctors agreed that a Craniotomy to remove the tumor and surrounding irregular brain tissue was the most prudent course of action. Emily’s surgery date was pushed back to Monday, July 14, and I decided to participate in nearly the full TGC program and return to Boston two days early on Thursday, July 10. It was great to spend quality time with Emily and my family before the surgery. Emily has one of the leading brain surgeons in the world, and he is confident that her surgery was a success. I have spent the majority of my time with Emily and my family during her recovery, and Emily has been making progress every day. She is walking around the house, sitting up for long stretches, starting to eat solid food, and even playing cards. She has a meeting Thursday, July 24, with her surgeon and Neuro-Oncologist to hear about the preliminary pathology results. We have our fingers crossed for good news.
It was my intention to post blog entries every day on my trip and this did not happen. Between the long days on the program, Skypeing with Emily and family both early in the morning and late at night, spotty internet at times, and slow picture upload speeds on WordPress, I decided it made more sense to post about 40 pictures with captions and a short description of my activities each day on Facebook. Blog posts with pictures, videos, and reflections about each day in the Philippines will be arriving soon now that Emily is fairly stable and making progress. Thank you for your patience!
I appreciate all of the love and support of friends, both old and new, during this difficult time. My family and I thank you.
–Paul