April Branning Newsletter

I guess March got away with me. Ali turned 15 at the beginning of March, we had some friends visit for her birthday and I found out I had a tumor. Two weeks later, Snow passed. March was a rough month for us. Of course, now, as I write this at the end of April, it feels like it all happened in a blink.

I super hate to start things off depressing, but this is real life, it happened, and we are still here. Life knocked us down, kicked us a few times, and we are just now starting to find our footing again.

Work wise, Alex and I have some very exciting things happening. Some are scary, challenging and happy. Ali is excelling in her new school, Valor Global Online. Her and I are attending her first school retreat this weekend in South Carolina to meet some of the other students and families in our region.

Last Monday, I had surgery to get the tumor removed from my salivary gland. Unfortunately, it was larger than they initially saw on the ultrasound and had to cut some nerves in my jaw and remove my salivary gland. On the bright side, NYU has stellar medical care and my nurse, my surgeon and Doogey Howser, my anesthesiologist, were top notch. The bad part was that I’ve been in more pain than I anticipated, and the swelling has yet to go away.

Some of our best friends came to spend some time with us before my surgery, wishing it was for a different reason but all the same so nice to hug their necks and show them our little piece of the world.

Alex has “gotten” to be nurse extraordinaire through all of this, some days I may (jokingly) refer to him as “warden” because he won’t let me do anything, for my own good. But he has graciously and lovingly taken time off to stay home with me, cook meals (I know, I’m as shocked as you are) and take care of my every need.

Ali is an amazing 15-year-old, she is full of integrity and also won’t let me do anything… No but really, we are so proud of the young woman she is becoming. It’s such an amazing time in your life when you look at your child on their way to adult hood and know they have the capacity and potential to do so many things. She also makes a mean meatloaf, I daresay better than mine.

I guess another bright side is I found time to write this update because I’m so bored from “resting”.

Now, come on May…please bring us some beautiful blooms, we’ve had enough rain.