First Post: What happened, what happens next

Hey friends.

This is Joy...thanks for showing your interest and support for Joel and our family. What a time.

Many of you already know what's happened up to this point, but it's hard to keep track of who we've said what to, so we'll try to update on here as we can.

I will relay medical information as best I can, but I'm not trying to teach a course or be a resource on this stuff. Forgive inaccuracies.

We'll start the story on Monday (April 1).

Monday morning, Joel had a grand mal seizure at work, seemingly out of the blue. His staff took great care of him until the EMTs got there (thanks, TomTod!). He was not injured, and he was being kind and making puns before he even was fully conscious. They brought him to Mercy and he gradually came back to full orientation.

From all the scans and tests, they have determined that he has a tumor in the back right side of his brain (parietal lobe), about 2-2.5 inches around (a little bigger than a golf ball). There is significant swelling around it, which is part of what caused the seizure. He is not in pain.

On Wednesday, April 10, he will have a brain resection at Akron General. It will likely be a 5-6 hour surgery, with an hour of prep before, and an hour to gradually wake up. He'll be at the hospital for 2-3 days minimum after that, and if he's doing okay he'll come home. Apart from major medical complications, people often have some issues with proprioception, which can lead to falls/disorientation. PT will assess and send him home when he's ready. He'll continue to recover, take meds, and we'll hope for the best outcomes!

The tumor tissue will be sent to be analyzed, and after a few weeks we will know the nature of the tumor and create a treatment plan at that time. It can't be diagnosed until the biopsy, but it is very likely cancerous. In that case, there will be follow up with neuro-oncology and a plan of action will be developed.

He cannot drive until he's been seizure-free for 3 months (Ohio law), but he can work/move/eat freely as he's able. He's on meds to help with seizure suppression, brain swelling, and immune system function.

We have met with a neurosurgeon and oncologist. All professionals have been responsive, thorough, and sensitive. We are impressed by and confident in the surgeon team.

This is not private information and may be shared, but please be sensitive with what you say to your kids or our kids. We will do another post on that. Probably.

Joel has been empathetic to all others around him who are struggling with this situation (and his staff who helped him through the seizure), he's been funny, he's been responsible and proactive, he's been emotional, he's been feeling gross and tired, he's been loving, he's been scared, he's been keeping priorities straight. It's not a surprise at all, but I'm amazed by him nonetheless. This is not news that anyone wants to hear, and not what he thought his Monday morning would lead to. Things can change so fast. He's just the best guy, and I'm glad you all love him (how could you not!?) and want to follow along.