Happy Easter, friends! 

It was two years ago on Easter Monday when Brian received the call from his doctor about the large mass in his brain. There are a handful of things that are forever etched in my memory about that evening, most notable is the spontaneous prayer Brian prayed in the car on the way to the doctor’s office. “God, may we trust Your will and Your purpose in this.” That prayer has remained at the center for the past two years, and we continue on the path laid out before us, with trust in God’s will. 

Brian’s health:

All in all, Brian’s health remains stable. He had some new neurologic symptoms in late January (breakthrough seizure activity) though not uncommon with his diagnosis. The following MRI in February revealed no change in the main tumor location with a few new spots of note in the posterior location of the brain that will be followed closely to assess any changes (these spots may or may not be tumor-related, as this is to be determined by subsequent imaging.) Brian’s next scan is at the end of this month.

We’re going to Lourdes! 

When Brian was diagnosed in 2022, we were encouraged by his radiologist to travel before chemo and radiation began, and many folks encouraged us to visit Lourdes, France. At the time, Brian didn’t feel he had the mental and physical stamina for international travel and the fast-paced nature of a typical, guided pilgrimage. We laid the idea to rest, until last September when our pastor shared with us that our local Bishop recommended that Brian apply to join a pilgrimage hosted by the Order of Malta annually. Brian applied for the pilgrimage and was selected to attend with a companion. Malta hosts a US pilgrimage each year and it is aligned with the Order’s apostolate – to serve the sick and the pilgrimage is designed considering the unique health needs of the pilgrims or, as they call them; the “malades” (“sick persons”). We leave in May for Lourdes on an 8-day pilgrimage with the many wonderful Knights, Dames, clergy, and volunteers of the Order of Malta! You can learn more about Malta, and the Lourdes Pilgrimage here. 

A note about Caring Bridge updates:

Brian would like to make mention that regular updates on the Caring Bridge will generally only be shared when there’s a new or noteworthy medical development. Otherwise, if you don’t see frequent updates here, rest assured that all is status quo, but you are welcome to reach out to him via Facebook, email, or phone! (brianpmccauley@icloud.com) 

Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia – that Christ’s resurrection is our Resurrection. 

g, b, b