Summary: Debbie's Birthday in 2009
Description:

On May 6^th 2009 was Debbie’s birthday. Debbie is one of the owners of Ace Wigs. Debbie's family gathered around to help lift her spirits and bring her another happy birthday. Debbie is a mother of six children and they all help with Ace Wigs.  But in Lake Tahoe the winters can be long and you find yourself  keeping busy indoors one way or another. Debbie would spend countless hours responding to customers emails even though since November of 2008 she was complaining of massive headaches and dizziness, she thought it was due to the flu that was going around, or maybe a cold.

I told her several times to see a doctor but she was trying to be strong, not knowing what was going to be diagnosed in the near future. I finally had to drag her down to the doctor in early April of 2009, or I told her I would not take her out to the fancy dinner planned at the casino by the lake that night, unless she went to the doctor. This doctor gave her some antibiotics that were useless. She was dizzy as usual and she really should not have been working or driving . That was doctor visit #1.

She started to take this ailment seriously and found another doctor in early May who ran a blood test and requested a CAT scan, Doctor #2. Well the blood test was done immediately but the insurance company “Anthem/Blue Cross” put the CAT scan on hold for a review and approval. This means they threw the file into some in-box while Debbie continued to suffer. She was progressively getting more and more dizzy and losing the feeling in her fingers. A week later Anthem/Blue Cross approved the Cat Scan, but they were too late.  

As Debbie sat on the living room couch on her birthday and her second oldest son presented a monstrosity of a birthday cake he baked for her, Debbie was doing her best to be happy with her family. As I called up Debbie’s Mom to bring her into this family moment, Debbie began to cry on the couch and she could not come to the phone because she was in so much pain, so I told her Mom "I will call you back."  I work with Debbie every day, and as her husband, I saw her slowly deteriorate in front of her desk with no explanation, thinking perhaps she was exhausted from dealing with stressful, impatient customers.  

Her tears on the couch on her birthday made me make the decision to drive her down to the Emergency Hospital in Incline Village despite Anthem/Blue Cross having not yet reviewed her case, or approved the CAT scan.

Doctor #3 ; These doctors did a CAT scan and found a tumor the size of a golf ball in her brain. She was immediately transported down to Reno Nevada by ambulance to the Renown Health Clinic for Cancer, (A very High Quality Facility??). This is Debbie’s second time around for cancer. She survived cervical cancer in 2004.  When Blue Cross refused to pay the doctor bills, we got a lawyer who changed their mind; the lawyers were an online company called Pre-Paid Legal.

When she arrived to Renown Hospital they confirmed that it was a tumor in her brain, and she also had a spot of cancer in her lung that they needed to study. They performed surgery on her brain Friday May 8^th 2009 and removed all of the tumor. I drove 5 of our 6 children, all teenagers, down to the hospital to see her. My teenagers seem to take shock easier than me, as an adult, when I saw her after surgery I broke down and had to leave to collect myself. I walked the hospital halls looking for the strength to bring back to our children. I came back a half hour later,  she was sitting up and talking to the kids! I could not believe it!

The surgeon took me into his office and showed me the images of the tumor that were half way into the back of her skull. This was unbelievable how they could perform surgery to the human brain, and she has maintained all of her neurological functions. I saw her on the 9^th and she literally talked my ear off. She has more energy, and the feelings are back into her fingers already. Debbie had half the town visiting her that day. She is a wonderful person who does not drink or smoke, and definitely has no history of substance abuse. She is a strong member of her community church and takes her children to Church every Sunday, as well as other church events during each week. 

This attitude should be a shining example to all Ace Wigs customers. Debbie and I try to help our customers every day, mostly the customers who go through the hardship of losing their hair due to medical treatment.

Debbie has been through cervical and brain surgery and came out the other side the same beautiful nice person she was.

                                                                                                                                              kim@acewigs.com