My Friend

One of my best friends from high school and college was diagnosed with a brain tumor about 3 weeks ago. Mary Ellen has 3 sweet kids, a cute husband and way to much good stuff going on in her life for this to happen. Mary Ellen and I became friends in middle school, mostly because we both played sports. That friendship has lasted through high school, Snow College and beyond.


Mary Ellen had a biopsy about a week and a half ago. The doctors were very positive and told her they thought it was benign and should be easy to treat. Of course they had to wait until the official results came in from the biopsy before they would know for sure. Well, this past Tuesday, Mary Ellen went in for a meeting with the doctor. She called me after. They pretty much told her that she had a tumor that could not be cured.

"How many kids do you have?" the doctor asked her.
"Three" she said.
"Don't have any more" he replied.

Wow. I didn't know what to say to my friend. They didn't give her any estimates on time, he just told her that he's never seen anyone live longer than 20 years with this type of tumor. They can't operate. That scar is from the biopsy surgery.



As I talked to Mary Ellen, I was amazed at her positive attitude. She said they went to get ice cream after the doctors appointment. Live it up, right!

So Mary Ellen is doing just that. Our friends from college all got together yesterday to spend some spiritual time at the Women's Conference at the Conference Center. We had so many friends there, some LDS, some not, but they all came together for Mary Ellen. We went to dinner afterwards and Mary stood up to thank all of us for our support. It's amazing and unfortunate that sometimes something so tragic has to happen to bring us all together.


With this happening to Mary Ellen, it has made me reflect on my own life. How would I live my life differently if I knew my time was limited? I hope that I can look at myself and improve my life. I hope I can be a better mom, better wife, better friend, daughter, etc. My friend Mary Ellen is a great example. I've never known anyone who enjoys life more. I hope that she can enjoy life for a long time to come.