When I was only six months old, my mom was diagnosed with Chordoma Cancer, a relentless bone cancer in her brain. In 1994 my family went out to California so my mom could get proton radiation at the Loma Linda University. We were out there for about ten weeks and I don't remember much about it, but we were only about an hour away from Disneyland. Of course, because of that, my sister - who was seven at the time - didn't complain too much about being out there because we were on vacation and we got to go to Disneyland many times throughout the ten weeks.
Fast facts:
Location: Occurs in the skull base and spine.
Incidence: 1 per million per year: about 300 new cases per year in the US.
Average age at diagnosis: 49 for skull base, 69 for spine
Average survival: 7 years
Gender distribution: Affects men more frequently than women.
Treatment options: Primarily surgery and radiation.
Source: http://www.chordomafoundation.org/
My mom, who was diagnosed at the age of twenty-nine, is still alive and kicking twenty-one years later. Sure the years have been tough and things have not always gone as planned, but my mom always has a way to see the brighter side of things and make everyone laugh. There isn't a day that goes by where she can be totally serious. Many think it is because she lives life to the fullest and enjoys everything that she is able to still be here with us.
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