I decided to share this on social media, even though it’s a personal reflection. There are folks who follow this page who might know my friend Charee. If you did know her, then you know that when Charee had your back, you could never fail. If you didn’t know her, maybe you have (or are) a friend like that.
When she was on KAFE radio at the end of 2010, she and her on-air partner Dave welcomed me to talk about GIMMEAMINUTE on the radio.
When Alzheimers came for her, her level of strength and joy was never diminished. I know her passing brought her peace.
Thank you Greg Tillotson for permission to post all this.
Hi. I’m Marla. Gimme a Minute. It’s Acoustic Neuroma Awareness week. If you know me, that’s like every day.
If you don’t know me and have never heard of an Acoustic Neuroma, here it is. An Acoustic Neuroma is a benign tumor that grows on the 8th cranial nerve, the vestibular or balance nerve. The tumor is an overabundance of schwann cells, so sometimes it’s called a vestibular schwannoma.
Yeah. It’s considered a brain tumor. Sometimes, treatment involves brain surgery. Sometimes Radiation. Sometimes, patients can just live with it.
Live with it!
If you think you might have an acoustic neuroma, or know you do, this is for you:
Dear Newly Diagnosed person with an Acoustic Neuroma, (and/or person who doesn’t have their MRI results back yet,)
DON’T FREAK OUT.
If you have an AN, freaking out is not going to make it go away. (If you don’t have an AN, you still don’t know what’s wrong with you.)
I’m saying this to you because I wish someone had said it to me.
All that being said, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOU FREAKING OUT BECAUSE I DID TOO.
Breathe.
There are a lot of us here on the other side. And we are ok.
Research. Ask questions. Make your decision. And be aware.
Hi. I’m Marla. I wanna talk to you about people in life that you rarely see, and hardly ever talk to.
But when you do, it’s magical, like no time has passed. Even though you may have a lot of catching up to do, there’s just a natural, easy way you relate to each other.
I’m not very good at making an effort to stay in touch on a regular basis and keep up with the day-to-day. I sort of suck at it.
I have my excuses, none of them are good, but it’s not that I don’t care…..
I have this one good, wonderful, close, and at times, best friend that I hardly ever see. We have so much fun when we’re together, we laugh so hard sometimes we cry. We can talk about anything.
We’ve known each other for years, yet it feels like our friendship is still new and exciting. We love spending time together. When we occasionally talk on the phone, or get together in person, we fall into an easy rhythm.
Saying goodbye is tragic, whether it’s after a good long visit or a short check in. Our visits and conversations make me feel refreshed and fulfilled for days after.
It’s a small world we live in, Disneyland notwithstanding, and chances are I know I’ll randomly or intentionally get to spend time with this person again….
And I hope I see you soon. I’m Marla. Thanks for listening. See ya.
It’s been a long time since I posted a new minute here..but I HAVE been busy…my first (and only…so far) solo show…see if you can find the FIVE minutes stuck in here!
(disclaimer….this Minute was recorded earlier this year, when I first heard the studio I had been using was going to close….I’ve been saving it….just for today…)
Hi. I’m Marla. Gimme a Minute. I wanna talk to you about waiting till the Last Minute. Read more of this post
Marla's Gimme a Minute 