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AN INSPIRATIONAL MOMMY WARRIOR | Jenny McCarthy

BY Jenny McCarthy

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As I’m sure you have noticed, I wear a lot of different hats. But my number one job is being a mom, and a warrior one at that. It’s hard enough being a mom in today’s world without life throwing you a major curveball. I’ve been through the ringer at times, and I am so moved by stories of other tough mommas that power through, come out stronger and are sometimes lucky enough to help others in the end.

This time of year, I am always reminded of a family friend whose story is absolutely amazing. She is one tough chick. She was fighting her for her life and has now defied all odds by relearning how to talk, walk and carry out all of the daily activities that we don’t even think twice about. She is taking care of her two sons on her own while her husband works and travels, and she has even written a book to help other moms teach their little ones about disabilities.  I thought I would give you all a little glimpse into her touching story.

Jenny: So what exactly happened the night of July 5, 2009? 

Carolyn: I woke up suddenly to Landon crying, who at the time was 22 months old.  I rushed in to check on him, and as I lay down in his bed, my heart suddenly stopped. When the crying didn’t stop, my husband Luke woke up to see what was wrong. He found me lifeless, not breathing and without a pulse. He quickly called 911 and did CPR until the paramedics arrived. After an estimated 15 to 20 minutes without oxygen, they finally restarted my heart. They cooled my body temperature down to decrease the degree of brain damage and I was taken to the hospital, where I would spend three weeks in the cardiac ICU.

Jenny: OMG, I cannot even imagine what Luke went through. So what happened?    

Carolyn: The doctors did not have very good news for my family and prepared them for the worst, expecting that I would be in a long-term care facility for the rest of my life. I would most likely be blind and would not be the same girl that I was before. Along with Landon, I also had a second son, Parker, who was only 2 months old at the time. In an instant, our perfect family was being thrown a major curveball. I was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome.

Jenny: So how in the world did you get to where you are today?

Carolyn: After I spent three weeks in the ICU, they implanted a pacemaker and defibrillator combination in my chest. I headed to a rehab hospital in Charlottesville, VA, where I had to relearn everything. I could not even sit up on my own. I was in a wheelchair with a catheter and a feeding tube.

If I could not take care of myself, how was I going to take care of two little boys?  I was ready to show every doctor that they were wrong. I had children so that I could raise them, and that became my motivation. Everyday tasks that people take for granted, I then had a new appreciation for. Walking, getting dressed and feeding myself all became daily challenges. I spent three months there, working hard and challenging my brain daily.  I progressed to using a walker and feeling some sort of independence. I spent the next year in therapy for walking and vision.

Jenny: How difficult has it been raising your two boys over the last few years?    

Carolyn: Thankfully, as I have gotten better, my boys have also gotten older. Parker learned to walk on his own before I did! The way that I had to relearn, I could take that and teach them how to dress themselves. I can no longer drive because of my vision, so that is hard with two boys that are 4 and 5, but I feel blessed to be here, no matter how challenging things are. My vision is still slowly improving, and I am in no way blind. I do have visual deficits, but we all work together to figure things out. Landon has started reading this year, so he has become my big helper if I need it!

Jenny: So tell me a little about your book, Mommy, What Is That For?

Carolyn: My children, Landon and Parker, were the inspiration behind my book.  I wanted to be like any other mom and walk Landon into preschool, which I did, but still had to use a walker. I would pass other parents with their children and the child would always stop, stare and either ask me or their mom what my walker was for. I wrote the book to serve as a teaching tool for parents and teachers to discuss different handicap devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes. The book is now available through Kindle and Nook.

Let’s all support this fascinating mommy! Now you can see why I think Carolyn is such a rock star. She knows what she wants and goes after it! Carolyn wouldn’t take no for an answer, and nothing is going to stop her from reaching her goals. We think we have it tough … I think we can all use her inspirational story as motivation in our own lives.

BABY BEN

I am counting down the days to meet this little bundle of joy!  I cannot wait to meet our grandson.  By the time we get to Virginia, he will be almost three and a half months old.  What a perfect age.  This will be just when he is starting to smile and recognize people.  Oh! I can't wait.  I will however, have to share the hugging and the squeezing and the loving my my own two little ones, who are more than thrilled to be aunt & uncle.  It should be quite the interesting visit.  Only 8 more days!

I love him so much and haven't even met him yet!  Here he is with a smile that melts my heart!

RECIPE: Mini Tortilla-Crust Pizzas

Click on link for step-by-step recipe of Mini Tortilla-Crust Pizzas

SECONDARY DROWNING ( A Real Life Experience)

A warning on the dangers of children around pools and the dangers of "secondary drowning." This story is brought to you by   "The Delighted Momma" blog:

"Over the weekend I experienced one of the worst things since becoming a mother.  It was a moment where once the shock set in as to what might actually happen a thousand memories, regrets...things that I wish I had done differently that day flashed through my mind.

I tend to hesitate when it comes to sharing super personal experiences on the blog since I like to keep some areas of my life private but this particular event I decided that it was best to share, even though it made me feel like the worst mom in the world.  I felt like bringing awareness to what happened may prevent something from happening like this to you."

Here is the story:

"It was a pretty normal Saturday (or so I thought).  We woke up early, Ian and I made coffee and we had our weekend family tradition of scrambled eggs. We played in the backyard and then Ronin and I headed off to Target to pick up the usual necessities.  On our way home I ran over a nail and got a flat tire. Major bummer.  2 hours later we finally got the spare on.  At this point it was 2:30 in the afternoon and we were supposed to be at my niece's birthday party at 3.  Somehow I made it home in time to shower, get the kids swim trunks on and get them all sun screened up.  We made it to the party at 3:30.  It was a pool party so all the cousins were in the pool, jumping around splashing and having a great time.  All the adults were also all outside sitting around and enjoying the nice weather.  I was watching Ronin who was sitting on the big step on the spa, where he had basically stayed put since entering the pool area.

Here is where everything went all wrong... I was sitting right on the edge of the outside of the spa, just a few inches from where Ronin was playing.  I shifted my sitting position to talk to my sister-in-law.  I turned around for maybe 5 seconds tops. I turned back around to take a peek at Ronin and he was not on the step. Mom panic and fear kicked into overdrive.  I frantically scanned the spa and saw him being whirled by the jets to the other end of the spa where his little head was bobbing up and down trying desperately to get air. I pulled him out as fast as I possibly could.  The whole ordeal was  around 20 seconds from when he fell into the water until when I got him out.  Other than Ronin being visibly upset and coughing to get the water out he seemed totally fine after he had calmed down.  I am the most over the top over paranoid mom ever and I was so mad at myself that this happened literally inches away from me!  He did seem more tired than usual after it happened but I figured he was exhausted from what just occurred combined with all the heat and exercise he had had for the last few hours.  We left the party soon after.

At home Ronin just didn't seem like himself.  It could have just been chalked up to him being overly tired but I felt in my gut that it was something else.  He also started doing this weird cough that made him tense up every time he exerted the effort.  I wondered maybe he was still just trying to cough up any water from earlier.  I called my pediatrician and left her a brief message explaining what had happened and what his symptoms were at the moment.  A few minutes later (that was quick I thought as I answered the phone) she called me back.  Now Ronin's pediatrician is usually pretty calm.  And most of the time when I phone her for an "emergency" she says everything is going to be fine and gives me a list of symptoms to watch for and tells me if my kids get worse then to bring them in to be seen.  Her motto is if it's not too serious then it is better to care for my boys at home rather than bringing them to the ER where they are exposed to all kinds of sicknesses.  This time was different. She was stern and said I needed to take Ronin to the ER NOW because he could be experiencing what is called secondary drowning.  You can read more about what that is here.  I hung up and we all rushed to the ER.  The nurses immediately brought us back.  Within moments the Dr was in.  He got my story again and in a scolding tone asked me why I didn't bring him in sooner.  I told him that right after it happened he seemed totally fine.  I told him he was breathing normal and gave no signs that he was in distress.  He did not like my answer and knowing what I do know now, I don't blame him.  They took Ronin's temp and it was 101.  So weird since he was definitely not sick that day.

The doctor ordered an immediate chest x-ray along with a whole list of blood tests.  At this point in the evening Ronin was acting limp and almost unresponsive.  Once the results were in the doctor came in with the update.  His facial expression did not look like it was going to give good news.  He said Ronin's blood work came back normal (that's good I thought!) but....the chest x-rays were not good.  He said his lungs aspirated.  Consequences of this range from no injury at all, to chemical pnuemonitis (from the chemicals in the spa), to death within minutes from asphyxiation.  He said at this point it was very serious and he needed to be ambulanced immediately down to Children's Hospital in San Diego to see a Pediatric Specialist.  He said all the arrangements were already made and the doctors and team of nurses were waiting for him.  My heart crushed into a million little pieces at that moment.  I felt like it was literally getting ripped out of my chest.  This was my fault no matter how many times people were telling me it was an accident and it could have happened to anyone.

On the ambulance ride down to Children's Hospital Ronin's oxygen levels started dropping.  I watched as the little screen in front of him went from 98% to 92% to 89% to 74%.  The team on board scrambled to attach an oxygen mask over his little face.  I panicked!  They tried to keep me calm and told me he was okay but I have never felt so helpless in my life.  When we arrived at Children's hospital a pediatric specialist along with 4 nurses were waiting for us.  They brought us to our room where there was a x-ray technician waiting.  They did another chest x-ray and more blood work.  They told me at "this point" we just had to monitor Ronin and wait.  Wait for what?! They hooked him up to all kinds of machines and we waited...all night long while Ian and I watched him sleep.  On Sunday the sweetest doctor came in and talked to us.  She told me that this freak accident called secondary drowning happens more than I might think.  She said we did the right thing of bringing Ronin in and that many times it goes terribly wrong (such as parents putting their kids down to sleep and then they never wake up again) because parents think that there kids are fine if they start breathing normally again after a near drowning incident.  She also told us that there were 2 other little boys on the same floor as Ronin who were also there for the same exact thing!

She said she was very pleased because the latest x-ray had shown that the water trapped in his lungs was beginning to clear significantly.  The not so good news was that he had chemical pneumonitis due to the chemicals from the spa getting trapped in his lungs.  His lungs were irritated and inflamed but she told us that things were looking better despite the diagnosis.  At this point she said the staff will monitor him a little longer making sure a fever or other lung complications do not arise.

Ronin woke up around 10am on Sunday.  What I mean is for the first time since the incident he woke up beyond pissed off that he had all these little tubes on him, an IV in his arm and a heart beat monitor wrapped tightly around his big toe.  I have never in my life been more happy to see such a grouchy little man!  He was back and acting like his normal Ronin self.  The nurses came in because they heard him making such a commotion.  This was a great sign.

Later that day we got the news that Ronin was officially in the clear and was able to get discharged and go home. Praise God.

I am forever changed since this happened.  I will not let this define me but you can guarantee that I will be doing things much differently from here on out.  It was a huge wakeup call.  And it really taught me that yes...in just a few seconds your life can change forever.  I got a too close taste of what that really can be like.

Before Saturday I had never heard of secondary drowning.  If I had heard of it before I would have done things differently.  I would have brought him in the moment I noticed a change in his behavior even if it was just me being over paranoid or thinking he was just exhausted from the days activities.

What you need to know:

Secondary drowning can be difficult to recognize since the victim appears to be ok right after a near-drowning event.  Your child may breath in a very small amount of water and seem like they have successfully expelled it through coughing.  In secondary drowning the water may fill up some of the oxygen rich pores of the lungs, which reduces the ability to oxygenate blood as it passes through.   The heart does not slow down significantly with this process but rather very very slowly so your child will still be able to talk and walk.  The only symptoms may be a sudden change in personality or level of awareness (just like Ronin experienced) as the blood oxygen level drops over time.

So if your child has experienced a near drowning experience (it can happen in as little water as a puddle or in the bathtub) watch for a sudden change of personality or energy level.  You can save your child's life if you act quickly and get them medical treatment immediately.

I hope this brings awareness to all who read this.  I am so thankful that Ronin is okay and that I decided to not put him to bed that night thinking everything was fine.  I have said many many thank you prayers over the past few days for that.  I want to make sure this never happens to another child so pass this on and please share with those who you think might need to know."

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ON THE MENU - TUESDAY: CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

If you like eating flank steak, here's a nice twist for dinner, while still using the same kind of meat, "Ropa Vieja" (Cuban-style)  

 Ropa vieja is a Cuban stew-like dish consisting of shredded beef in a tomato-based sauce. Literally translated, it means "old clothes" and refers to the way the beef breaks apart after being cooked (twice.)

<  This is what the meat looks like at the super-market.

The most important thing when making "ropa vieja" is time! NOTE: The beef may be marinated in cooking wine overnight beforehand, which will help tenderize it.

  

Ingredients  

Original recipe makes 6 servings  

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef flank steak
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    
  
  
  Directions:  (via Skillet & Slow Cooker)
  
  
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
  2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with rice and beans if you like.
     
   

ON THE MENU: CAMARONES ENCHILADOS (Cuban-Style)

I remember growing up, that delicious smell on a Saturday afternoon when my mom & dad would cook  Cuban-style creole shrimp (camarones enchilados, if you are Cuban!) And yes, my parents cooked together, although the enchilado part was kind of my dad's specialty!  I remember how he use to put me to work by peeling the shrimp that we purchased from a guy on a truck selling seafood.  When I think about that today, I would never buy seafood from a guy in a truck, but back in the day, growing up in Hialeah, we knew the guy and we knew he was a fisherman and all his seafood was fresh.

I figured this would be a great recipe to make my kids since they love shrimp. Now, all I have to do is convince my husband to get involved and he will give it the "creole" part since he loves cooking with spice.

I found a Shrimp Creole recipe that comes slightly close to my dad's recipe!

Camarones enchilados recipe
1 1/2 lb shrimp (21-25 per pound size), peeled, de-veined, peels reserved
1/2 tsp salt
1 T plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 8-oz can low sodium tomato sauce
1 cup jarred red pimentos, and their liquid
1 T white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/4 cup fresh parsely, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a small saucepan, saute the the shrimp peels in heated olive oil over medium high heat for about (5) minutes. Add 3/4 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the shells. Set broth aside.
2. In a caldero or 4-inch deep large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, green bell peppers, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. Saute, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not caramelized.

3. Stir in wine and let reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the shrimp shell stock, the peppers and their liquid, vinegar, and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the peeled shrimp and fresh peas, cover and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and curls slightly. (Be careful not to overcook them; they can turn rubbery if overdone.)

5. Stir in the parsley and let cook for another minute or 2. 

Serve over a bed of white or brown rice. I of course, prefer white rice!  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Camarones a la Criollo is a tasty mix of shrimp and sweet tomato sofrito sauce served over rice. It is a quick and fail safe recipe. One of the things I like about typical Cuban foods like this recipe is that you don’t have to use a lot of seasonings or spices, because every thing is simple and made with ingredients that grow naturally.

Read more at http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/shrimp-creole-3#yoDerewhs0cgYiUA.99

ME & MY MOM

It is things like this that make me relish the moments when my kids were really little. Even though I am now going through that "middle-school age" difficult phase with my daughter, it is comforting to know that despite all the bickering and butting heads we do, she knows deep down, I will ALWAYS be her best friend no matter what!!

MOM'S NIGHT OUT: Official Trailer

Now here is a movie I'd love to see with my "Mommy Warrior" friends!
"Mom's Night Out," starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins.

 Plot Outline:

All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms' night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours—what could go wrong? MOMS' NIGHT OUT is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting.

SUSHI, SAPPORO & CHER

Last night I had my first public "debut" with no hats nor bandanas, ever since my craniotomy five     months ago! Yay me! I went with my best friend to the CHER concert and had a great time. We thoroughly enjoyed some sushi, sapporo, girl talk and the concert!
 

 

 ^ Me & the BFF having Saporro beer and some sushi - my favorite California Rolls with cream cheese and masago.

The opening act was Cyndi Lauper, who took us back to our high school memories with, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"  

The Cher  concert is appropriately called the "Dressed To Kill" tour, which was absolutely spectacular. At age 68, she still rocks it! Below are a few pictures of her in her costume changes and she was beautiful!

 

This was us right before walking into the CHER concert with a drag queen that was at the booth for a local radio station!

And of course, this is CHER looking amazing as always!

 

20 WAYS TO KEEP KIDS STUFF ORGANIZED

Really?  I can never keep my home like this with my kids around!  Not that I have ever been "Susie Homemaker" but it seems that my young son running around playing indoor hockey all the time, it just became harder and harder to maintain the house!

Here are some tips on how to keep the kids stuff organized!  I better read up on it myself!!!

http://www.stylemepretty.com/living/2014/05/08/20-ways-to-keep-kid-stuff-organized/?icid=maing-grid7|maing11|dl12|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D477155

For example:

Baskets & Bins Are Your Friend
Baskets and bins are an amazing way to keep every kind of mess at bay. Organize each according to a specific toy or category (think: dolls, cars, Legos, Mr. Potato head and all his parts…) And then instill a house rule where only one can be removed at a time.

(ref. Style Me Pretty.com)

TWELVE WAYS TO BUILD YOUR CHILD'S SELF-ESTEEM

Recently, I read this article about how to build your child's self-esteem.  I thought it was a great 12 suggestions, so here I share with my readers:

So how do we endow our child's bank account? How can we, as parents, build up our child's self-esteem? The following are some suggestions:

1. Show love and affection to your child. All our dealings with our children, starting from infancy, should be done with a lot of affection and love. A baby who was dealt with love and affection will get a subconscious feeling that s/he is worthy and important enough to be loved.
   
2. Compliment your child. Give your child compliments as often as possible, whenever they do something right. Say, "I am very proud of you. You are very special. I like the way you have done it."
   
3. Make your compliments credible. It is important, however, that the compliments be credible. Exaggerated compliments like, "You are the best in the world. You are the nicest person that ever lived" can actually be counter-productive. The child will develop an inflated ego, and that can affect his relationship with friends, which in the long run will have a negative effect on his or her self-esteem.
   
4. Set goals for your child. The goal should be something attainable--to get dressed by herself, to get a certain mark on his next test. Set goals that are suited for the child's age and capabilities (setting a goal which is unattainable will have a negative effect). As the child works toward the goal, coach her along and compliment her success each step along the way. Once the child reaches the goal, compliment her achievement and reinforce her self-image as an achiever.
   
5. Criticize the action, not the person. When the child does something negative, say to the child, "You are such a good and special child, you should not be engaging in such an activity," instead of saying, "you are a bad child."
   
6. Validate your child's feelings. When your child suffers a blow to his self-esteem, it's important to validate his feelings. For example, if the child gets offended by a hurtful comment made by a friend or a teacher, say to the child, "Yes, you were offended by what that person said" or "you were offended by the fact that the other person doesn't like you." Only after the child feels that his feelings have been validated will he be open to you bolstering his self-esteem by pointing out the people who do like him, and the positive things that others have said about him.
   
7. Be proud of your child. On a regular basis, we must remember to tell the child how fortunate and how proud we are to be her parents.
   
8. Talk positively about your child in the presence of important people in his life, such as grandparents, teachers, friends etc.
   
9. Never to compare your child to others, saying, "why aren’t you like Johnny?" When such comparisons are made by others, reassure your child that she is special and unique in her own way."
   
10. Make sure that others dealing with your child know your child's strengths. At the beginning of the school year, speak with your child's teachers and tell them what your child's special strengths are and about the areas in which he or she excels, so that the teacher will have a positive outlook towards them and will continue to build on those strengths.
    
11. Tell the child on a regular basis that you will love them unconditionally. When they fail, or do the wrong thing, remember to say to them, "You are special to me, I will always love you, no matter what!”
    
12. Tend to your own self-esteem. You need to see yourself in a positive light. Parents who lack self-esteem will have difficulties bringing up a child with a high self-esteem. A good positive parent is a parent who knows that he or she is not perfect but values him or herself, while always trying to grow and improve.
    

By Yaakov Lieder

HEAVEN CHANGES EVERYTHING: The Homecoming (Ben Sauer)

 May he rest in peace, little Ben Sauer.  And G-d bless his family and his
AMAZING mother for their unwavering courage, faith and strength during this
painful time.   R.I.P. Ben Sauer.

Pray for Ben Sauer: Heaven Changes Everything: The Homecoming: Ben is in heaven.   He took his last breath here and first one in heaven last night around 8:05pm. May 5th, 2009 was his Birth Day. May 13th, 2014 was his Heaven Day.

FINALLY DID MY HAIR!

Okay, so I did it! Five months after having a craniotomy, I finally went to get my hair done. I explained to the girl who always use to do my hair what happened, with a shocked looked, she said "don't worry, we'll take care of you" and then she had someone wash my hair and comb through my hair and color it.  As creepy as it felt at times, I survived! 

The funny thing is God has a way of telling you there is always someone much worse than you. Seated next to me in the hair dryer machine, was a lady who was blind and had just been in a car accident recently and could not see or walk properly. She asked me for help in getting up and then     I realized... Am I lucky! And here I am, before during and after!

HAIR DUE!

Okay, today is THE day that I am finally letting someone "do my hair since I had my brain surgery!" I am long overdue. Just the thought of someone shampooing and combing through my hair with all the bumps and grooves is giving me the "jeebie geebies," but I have to do this. It has been 5 months (post-op.) It is time! Only my Meningioma Mommas can relate to this anxiety! 

 I will keep you posted on how it goes! Hopefully, no more hats or bandanas!

AFRAID TO OPEN THE DOOR

So I put myself "out there again," I update my resumé, I update my social networks with my job skills, I announce that I am ready to get back to the real world and then when opportunity knocks, I am afraid to open the door!  Aaghhh!

How do I give up the perks of picking up my kids in school or taking my son to his hockey practice three times a week, or helping them with homework?  I claim I want to have my freedom back and make money but how am I suppose to do that sitting from behind this desk?

If only, I could get that "big wig" Social Media job right here from my home, then it would be just right!

I promise to do a great job?  Anyone?

PRAY FOR BEN SAUER

Pray for Ben Sauer: How You Can Help: 1. One of the most significant ways you can help is through prayer.   "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he w...

As I read this blog this morning, I sobbed uncontrollably. How is it that I can survive a brain tumor, relatively unharmed and this innocent little 4-year old boy must go through this pain and suffering.  These poor parents must endure the heartache of inevitably losing their son, one of their twins.

There are no words to express the heart ache I feel. As a brain tumor survivor, this story has broken my heart at how life is just so UNFAIR.  I am sure Ben was "borrowed" to his family to teach them about love and strength and courage.   I ache for Ben and his suffering, because right now he is suffering. And for his family and for the grief they feel.  It is unimaginable.

It is only through faith that we survive the greatest blows in life. I pray that God gives this family the strength to bear the unbearable.

May god bless you Ben Sauer and give you the peace and freedom you deserve.  You will soon be an angel watching down upon your family. God bless...

P.S.  I ask you, my "warrior" friends and readers to please pray for Ben & his family.

Meningiomas | Dr. Isaac Yang - UCLA Neurosurgery