I want to start this post with a few disclaimers:

1.) It is going to get very deep and personal, so if that will make you uncomfortable, please stop reading. In the same sense, it is very cathartic for me and something I felt needed posting.

2.) I am telling this story from my perspective. I may not get all the facts or lingo completely correct, but it is how I remember it.

3.) This is going to be a long post.

Feel free to read on!

Angela and I were attached at the hip since birth. While I've heard of twins who hate each other, we were the opposite of that. We were best friends, partners in crime, little terrors to keep our parents on their toes. We had our own language, inside jokes, and lots and lots of laughs. Our friends knew we were a packaged deal and wouldn't go anywhere without the other. Angela was the more outgoing twin, and I was the shy one. (Hard to believe, right?) Unfortunately, this would all change in 6th grade.

Angela started experiencing blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting that year. At one point, the eye doctor gave her glasses to help with her vision. (If only it were a simple fix like that.) She had a slew of other tests and MRI scans. The summer of '96, my family went to the 4th of July parade and drove to Milwaukee right after to go to the Children's Hospital. At one point, my parents took me into the hallway to tell me she would have to stay at the hospital for a few weeks. Even the thought of being separated for weeks had me in tears. I had no clue how serious the situation was, and how everyone's life would change.

Angela had a malignant brain tumor. She had cancer. How does a 12 year old wrap their head around that?? She had an initial operation to put a shunt in her head to drain some of the excess brain fluid and relieve the pressure. She then had the main operation to remove the brain tumor. It was a terrifying moment, but I don't think anyone thought death was an option. They WILL remove the tumor. She WILL survive. She had to have chemo and radiation, and pretty much spent the summer that year at the hospital. I remember how excited we all were when she finally got to come home.

The road to recovery wasn't easy for anyone in our family, but Angela maintained the most positive attitude she could. I fully believe that she has been in remission since and is here today because of that attitude. It may have been a hard thing for a 12 year old to grasp, but I don't think death was ever an option to her either. She's had to adjust to a few side effects, including loss of balance and short term memory loss. She's had to endure people staring at her because her hair never fully grew back and you can see the scar on the back of her head. She has her moments of sadness, as anyone would, but she ultimately tries to live life like anyone else. She has her own apartment, works at a grocery store in Sheboygan, and volunteers with the Red Cross. She's funny, honest, and selfless. She's always worried about other people, and what she can do for them. It's amazing.

I will always admire Angela for dealing with something I could never imagine. For bouncing back and embracing her second chance at life. She will always be my best friend, and she will always be my hero.