On a Friday morning in February 2013, Maggie woke with a headache. She had an 8:50 exam. Despite excellent overall health, the headache wasn’t a surprise. She had occasional migraines. Yet this one was different; the pain was on the left side of her head. She got migraines on the right.
Maggie went into the University Health Services’ East Campus Mall clinic. They did a few inconclusive neurological tests, and encouraged her to get an MRI.
Maggie went home to South Milwaukee, and saw her family doctor the next day for the MRI. She was still feeling it was somehow connected to her migraines. When the test was completed, Maggie was asked if she had come to the office by herself. (She had.) You might want to get a parent and come back, the doctor said. We need to talk.
A short time later, Maggie and her mom listened as the doctor explained they had found a mass in a part of her brain known as the thalamus. There were numerous possibilities: an infection, multiple sclerosis, cancer.
They showed her the MRI image, a white circle on the left side of her brain. “In my head, I was trying to convince myself I was all right,” she said. “I wasn’t sick. It was surreal.”
Next, a flurry of appointments, a prescription for a steroid that diminished the tingling, and soon an appointment with Dr. Wade Mueller, a neurosurgeon at Froedtert, The Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center in Milwaukee. They needed to do a biopsy to identify the mass. Maggie learned it was in a portion of the brain difficult to reach. Mueller assured her — and her parents, who were at most every appointment — he could get to it. Then they talked about birding, something to lighten the mood. Maggie was taking an ornithology course; Mueller’s wife is a birder.
The biopsy was scheduled for Feb. 22, 2013. The night before, she didn’t sleep. After the surgery, Mueller stopped by to say they got a good sample. That night in the hospital, Maggie was groggy and worried something had gone wrong. You’re supposed to feel groggy, the nurses said; you just had brain surgery.
The biopsy results took two weeks. Maggie and her parents met with Mueller when the results came in. It’s a grade two astrocytoma, the doctor said, a low-grade tumor that without treatment would likely advance to a malignant tumor.
She met with other Froedtert doctors — radiation oncologist Malika Siker, and neuro-oncologist Jennifer Connelly — and they settled on an extended treatment schedule of radiation and chemotherapy. It was the most aggressive of the options presented to Maggie.
She dropped out of school, but appreciated a note from her literature professor saying if his daughter was in a similar situation, he would want her to concentrate on getting better.
The treatments were difficult, but not debilitating. On June 11, 2013, she had her first MRI since the surgery. The tumor was shrinking. Maggie stood up in her sister’s wedding later that month and came back to Madison, preparing to re-enroll in September. The treatments continued for more than a year, until August 2014.
Treatment worked. Maggie had no active tumor cells, though she continued to undergo MRIs.
In December 2014, Maggie graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in wildlife ecology. In December 2016, she completed her master’s program in environmental conservation.
In May 2017, after a few years of good MRIs, Maggie had one that didn't show up too well. Her doctors have found more growth in a different part of her brain, specifically on her brain stem.
Unlike last time, she wasn't showing any symptoms and the tumor was only discovered because of her routine MRIs. She began treatment again, doing the same chemo pills as last time and a new infusion chemo drug. She was able to handle them and the side effects well. She continued living and working in Madison, and stood up in her other sister's wedding.
As of December 2017, Maggie had two stable MRIs. The tumor remained the same size but hadn’t gotten any bigger since she started treatment. Maggie continued to feel good, with little side effects.
In May 2018, Maggie’s last few MRIs were a little questionable and her doctors felt that the MRI scan was showing growth, not the whole tumor though just a nodule off the side. Both doctors recommended radiation after seeing the scan and that's what Maggie decided to do. She began radiation treatment, in addition to her chemo treatments, and completed radiation on July 4th. The radiation maintained the growth of the current tumor.
In August, after completing radiation treatment, Maggie and her roommate from college, Alexis, traveled to Ireland, a trip they both dreamed about since undergrad.
Maggie never fully recovered after her extensive radiation treatment and in October her doctors began noticing significant changes in her memory and overall motor control.
On November 8, her MRI scan showed minimal changes, however; her doctors recommended she take some time off from her beloved job at the DNR to allow her body to rest and recover. The decision wasn’t easy but Maggie decided to move back home with her parents. She continued to show signs of decreased memory, motor control and noteworthy fatigue.
On December 11, Maggie had an MRI that revealed significant changes both to her existing tumor and in new areas of her brain. Her doctors recommended she discontinue all treatments and medications and began focusing on making Maggie as comfortable as possible.
Maggie continues to show signs of extreme fatigue and spends most of her time sleeping or resting. She has difficulty recalling specific information, displays signs of memory loss, and easily becomes confused, especially with time and events and when her routine is interrupted. She is unable to walk unassisted and complete daily activities without help. We have been told these things will continue to rapidly progress.
She receives care from a wonderful hospice nurse two days a week. The health professionals have advised that we continue to make her feel as comfortable as possible by creating a structured daily routine to limit her occurrences of confusion, anxiety, and sadness.
We are extremely thankful for all the support, thoughts, and prayers we have received since Maggie’s initial diagnosis. She has always felt the team of supporters behind her and we are grateful for each and every one of you. We will do our best to keep this website updated with any major changes and updates with Maggie’s health. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
For 6 months I have clicked on Maggie’s Caring Bridge site and found strength and comfort from so many of you. I would sit next to Maggie and read your words of encouragement, support, and love. The comments and stories would help me make conversation that made Maggie laugh, smile and kept her feeling connected. Often times, we would re-read and re-tell the same stories several times but she always enjoyed hearing and chatting about the daily comments.
As our journey now changes, I need to post one final time to say THANK YOU all, for so much. Each and every one of you have helped us stay strong and care for her lovingly. I felt your love and support every single day and so did Maggie! You were all a blessing to her and to us. Life will be different now, but we will never forget all that you have given us as a family, and to help us continue to carry Maggie in our hearts. THANK YOU ALL!
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