Someone asked me, "How do you do all of this and have a young family?" I am used to hearing people say, "Do you ever sleep?" Yes, I sleep. In fact, I need at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Rest is important for me to function at full speed as well as for my recovering brain. It's a fair question. When I was a beginning teacher, I would arrive at school early in the morning and stay there until past dinner. Then, most nights I was doing work at home before bed. It would've been really difficult for me to be an excellent teacher if I were just now starting with littles at home (not to say that others who are just starting and have littles at home can't be excellent teachers, just that it would've been hard for ME). But due to that hard (and likely unhealthy) work back then, I have a lot of strategies in my teacher tool kit and many resources to pull from. I also spend an hour each day in the summer working on resources that will help me durin
On Oct. 7, my life did a 180.
In August of 2021, I checked in with my general doctor because I was having what I thought was feelings of anxiety caused by starting another school year during a pandemic. All the stress that teaching brought last school year was about to continue and the unknown of it all makes teaching even more difficult. I was experiencing lightheaded episodes, slight vision changes, and exhaustion. My mother has multiple sclerosis, so I thought that might have been the cause of these feelings. My doctor scheduled tests to explore.
I was diagnosed with a breakthrough case of Covid on September 21, then isolated myself away from my family in my home for 10 days. Being away from my two children, Mario 7 and Mila 5 was the most difficult part of the quarantine. I managed to get by with a relatively easy case of Covid because I was vaccinated. After I was back to school for a week, I was still experiencing lightheaded episodes and wanted to be checked out by my regular doctor. That office told me to go to the emergency department because they were worried I had a clot, so I left school at 10am on October 7, told my class I'd be back shortly, and went to St. Clair Hospital where I spent the day having tests run. When my brain scan came back with a dark spot, the doctor ordered an MRI. At 5:30pm that day, the compassionate emergency department doctor held my hand as she told me the MRI revealed a large brain tumor in my right temporal lobe (behind my right eye). It was news I never could have been prepared to hear.
I was taken via ambulance and checked into Allegheny General Hospital at 10:45pm to be seen by their neurosurgeons. I was admitted for observations.
The next day, on October 8, Dr. Matthew Shepard showed me my brain scans and scheduled me for brain surgery the following Wednesday. Then he ordered more tests and released me later that evening to go home and spend the weekend with my family. At that point, I feared for my life. I had a racquetball-sized tumor on my brain and the thought of not surviving the surgery consumed me. I spent the weekend savoring every moment with my family. I even walked my sister through how I wanted Mario and Mila raised. She agreed to dance with them at both of their weddings in place of their mom. I wrote in their journals so they would always know how much I love them.
Through the weekend, I couldn't help but think of my fourth grade students. I had been in touch with my principal the whole day and she was filling them in, as they were worried when I never returned. I reached out to the parents of my students and gave them the details, encouraging them to to explain what was happening to their children as was appropriate for nine year olds. The night before surgery, I packed my bags for the hospital stay. I remembered that I run a Facebook bedtime stories group and someone from my school reads a story live each Thursday night. This week was my turn to read, so I packed a book I had picked up from the library. I chose Mr. Walker Steps Out because it was written by one of my favorite middle grade authors, Lisa Graff. I hoped that I would be well enough to continue with my Thursday bedtime stories, even if that meant this week's story was from the hospital. Packing that book gave me hope that I'd live.
On Wednesday, October 13, my dear husband drove me to Allegheny General Hospital. We registered at 5:30am for surgery. He sat in the waiting room all morning waiting to hear of my successful surgery. Around 3pm, he was allowed back to the ICU to see me as I woke up from the anesthesia. I did it, I survived. The rest of that day and much of the following day are understandably blurry. My husband did a wonderful job of keeping people updated, but I was still worried about my school community. So that night, I went live on Facebook for a bedtime story just like I do most Thursdays. I did it to show my students and school community that I was going to be okay because I knew they were worried. Just like Mr. Walker, I would return to where I belong.
The outpouring of community support was incredible. Parents of past, current, and future students signed up to deliver meals to my house for the next month. My story was picked up by WTAE, local Pittsburgh station. Then other media outlets across the nation picked up my story and it went viral. People from across the country reached out to me to wish me well and to share with me that my story had inspired them and given them hope. Thank you to all those who sent love, support, mail, packages, texts, and called. Your kindness lifted me during this extremely difficult time.
Four days later, I was released from the hospital to continue recovery at home. My daughter picked out a rose colored cane for me to use as walking was very difficult. Occupational and physical therapy technicians came to my home and at first we worked on walking a lap around my kitchen island and showering independently using a shower chair. Two weeks later, I was Zooming with Howie Mandel from the Ellen Show in my dining room! That experience was incredible. The show aired over a month later on December 17.
Seven hours after I filmed for Ellen, I was in an ambulance going back to the hospital where I would be diagnosed with sepsis, struggle with extreme fevers for the next 5 days, then be released still not knowing exactly what happened. It was likely an allergic reaction to the medication they had me on for the brain surgery, but it was never officially determined and may have been a virus that just had to run it's course. Either way, that was the reason I wasn't able to walk and more scans of my brain as well as another lumbar puncture to test my brain fluid showed that the brain surgery was successful, the tumor was totally gone, and there was no infection in my brain.
I returned to work for half days starting on January 3 and returned full time on January 10. Being back at school is good for my heart and soul.
As I write this article on January 29, 2022, I feel grateful for so much. I am grateful to be alive and my continuing growth in regaining my strength and stamina (I still attend physical therapy twice a week). I am thankful for the love and support of so many people during this journey. People supported my family and me in a way I wasn't expecting and the compassion will never be forgotten.
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Brief including links to videos and articles throughout my journey:
After having breakthrough Covid,doctors discovered a racquetball tumor in my brain. Surgery scheduled a week later on October 13. Since 2019 I've been hosting a bedtime stories Facebook group where I go live on Facebook every Thursday and read a bedtime story for the students and families in my school (2019 newspaper article). Since then I've gotten other teachers and even students to be readers. The day after my surgery just happened to be a Thursday, so of course I packed a library book in my hospital bag. I went live with Mr. Walker Steps Out from the ICU:
Mr. Walker Steps Out Bedtime Story by Mrs. Meucci
The local news picked up my story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVzSremnJrw
Two weeks later, I filmed remotely for The Ellen Show which aired on Dec. 17.
7 hours after taping the Ellen Show (on October 28), I was sent via ambulance back to the hospital with sepsis and spent 5 days in the infectious disease ward where teams of doctors ran every test they could think of to try to figure out what was happening with my body. I was released still with no definite answer, but on the mend.
After lots of physical therapy and resting, then on January 3, almost 3 months after brain surgery, I went back to teaching and I was so touched by this video made by my colleagues and friends!
The local news ran my comeback story:
Bethel Park Teacher Returns to Classroom After Brain Surgery
I'm getting stronger every day. I'm thankful to be alive and get more time to make an impact in this world!
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