Tabitha Lou is 19 years old and a sophomore at Kent State University. Diagnosed with brain cancer March 2007: this is her journey.

Upon entering her freshman year in August 2006 at KSU, the headaches and back pain had already begun. She had an eye appointment, which showed no significant changes in her vision. She went to the student health center on campus, where she was given pain pills and muscle relaxants. When they no longer helped, she was sent for a massage. Out of options, she went to her family physician in November and a brain MRI was ordered.

The day after her MRI, she received a call from her PCP and was ordered to the hospital. She went to the ER not knowing what was wrong, and no one would tell her anything. Surgery was scheduled for the next day, and no one would tell her what they were going to do. An hour before surgery, a neurosurgeon finally came to see her. She was informed that there was a growth on her brain stem, but that it was benign and was not an uncommon growth. The headaches were being caused from the growth blocking the tube that drains the fluid from the ventricles in her brain. A shunt was implanted to relieve the pressure from her brain.

In January, the headaches were not much better and had a follow up CT. Feeling that all was not well, we obtained the results from her initial MRI. The radiologist report stated that a malignant glioma was likely.

She kept her follow up appointment with her neurosurgeon. She expressed her concern about the continued headaches. He wanted to schedule her for surgery to implant a second shunt. When she inquired about the possibility of a biopsy being done, he informed her that it would be too risky. She informed him that she was going to go for a second opinion. Her neurosurgeon said that any doctor would tell her the same thing that he did.

She took the first available appointment at the Brain Tumor Institute at the Cleveland Clinic the beginning of February 2007. At that time, they felt that it was most likely a low grade (slow growing) glioma. Gliomas are given stages 1-4, 1 being the slowest and 4 being the most aggressive tumors.

Her biopsy was at the end of February, without complications. The pathology reported a stage III astrocytoma.

With this shocking diagnosis, her life changed. She began 6 ½ weeks of daily radiation and chemotherapy in March. IV chemotherapy is ineffective with brain tumors because the medication can not cross into the brain, so her chemo was taken orally. Oral chemo does not cause hair loss, but the radiation did. She lost a lot of hair, but not all of it. Before starting treatment and losing her hair, she cut off her long thick beautiful hair and donated it to Locks of Love.

After the end of radiation, she entered into a clinical trial. She is to have 6 rounds of chemo - one course every 42 days. She takes oral chemo for 5 days and then is off until the next round at least 37 days later. Her blood platelets take a hit with every round of chemo; she has weekly or biweekly blood work depending on the platelet count.

Tabitha finished her freshman year and passed all of her classes. She is currently in her sophomore year at KSU. Short term memory loss, which is a side effect of the radiation, keeps her from having the 3.6 average she had at the end of her first term at KSU. She is learning how to effectively study with this complication.

Through this ordeal, Tabitha has maintained a positive attitude and is an inspiration to many. She knows that she will be cured and will not hear otherwise. This positive attitude, and her faith, has kept her healthy through this entire ordeal.

She has started back to work at the KSU bookstore part time and is active in the on campus ministry. She is the youngest of 5 children and has a good relationship with her siblings. Tabitha depends on God, family, and friends for daily comfort and support. She couldn’t do it without them.

November 2007: The newest MRI shows that the tumor is growing. She has now embarked on a regime of IV chemotherapy, every other week for the next year.

May 2008: She was given the worst possible news; the tumor is going at a high rate. There was no cure. IV chemo was stopped and she went home to be with her family.

June 29, 2008: Tabitha passed away peacefully at home with her family. A rainbow appeared over the house to take her to heaven.