Michael Sinks

As most of you may know, about two weeks ago, my family brought me to the
 Emergency Department at MCV because I wasn't acting like myself.
I had been experiencing vision changes and a little confusion. The CT scan 
and MRI images revealed a brain tumor, and Iwas admitted to the neurosurgery team. 
They evaluated me, consulted with several different disciplines, did a brain biopsy, followed by 
more tests and scans, until they could finally give this thing a name; I have what they call
an anaplastic astrocytoma. That's a fancy word for the type of brain tumor I
have, which is known to be pretty rare and aggressive. The scans showed this
thing has made itself pretty comfortable deep down in there, in an area called
the insular cortex, so the neurosurgeons cannot safely remove it. 

Several days later, I was discharged from the hospital to recover at home, with plans to start
chemotherapy and radiation in the following weeks. I was home for two glorious
days with my wife before I suffered a stroke, which landed me back in the
hospital again. After a few nights in the Neurosurgery ICU, I am now in the
Brain Injury Rehab unit, working hard every day to regain the strength and
mobility in my left side. The theory is, that the brain biopsy is what caused my
stroke. The doctors, nurses, and therapists here have all been wonderful, and
the food pretty terrible, but my family has been by my side to help keep me in-check
and motivate me. I've been behaving myself and taking one day at a time. I am
not in any pain, but I’m dying for a dirty martini, and am still expected to
begin with radiation and chemotherapy in the coming weeks. My youngest
daughter, Erin, helped me start this page to keep all my loved ones, near and
far, informed on my progress and prognosis. Thank you for taking the time to
read this, for the out pour of love and support, and for being a part of
my life. I am gonna kick this thing's ass and I love you all. Stay tuned..