Hey there. My name is Brian Anderson and I have cancer. Don't worry...it's not contagious.  I am Active Duty in the military (Coast Guard) and have been for the past 13 years. I've spent about 10 consecutive years at sea wondering why I had headaches all day, every day. Had I purchased stock in the company that makes Excedrin, I could probably be a millionare. On June 6th 2011, I sat down with my boss and talked with him about how important it was to spend time with our families at every opportunity, because of the inherent dangers in our lives, and especially in our job. We face danger every day, and we willingly put our lives on the line and stand tall and proud and ready to protect and defend all Americans from the sea, to defend America from threats delivered by the sea, and to protect the sea itself. We risk our lives every day to save those we love, but mostly, those we dont even know. Well fate is a cold, cruel companion. That very night night, I had a grand mal seizure, and my fiancee quickly dialed 911 (I dont remember any of this night and very little of the entire following week) An ambulance arrived an took me to the ER where they did CT scans and an MRI which revealed a "mass" in my head. I was transfered to another hospital in downtown Nashville, and the military graciously notified my family and paid for thei travel from Texas and California to get to Tennessee as quickly as possible, because they thought it might be the last opportunity for them to see me alive. Our lawyers in New Orleans went to work in the middle of the night and drafted up a Last Will and Testament for me, and I was scheduled for a craniotomy the next day. The biopsy of the tumor revealed a Stage 3 Oligodendroglioma. I was told "If you're going to get brain cancer, this is the one you want." I was scheduled for 30 rounds of radiation therapy which I completed in August of 2011. In September, a MRI revealed that the radiation had reduced my tumor by 40%. The remaining 60% was still running through my brain like plant roots through dirt, so surgery wasnt an option, my body couldnt take any more radiation and MRI scans every 6 weeks revealed that the tumor had stopped growing. It wasnt getting any smallor, but it wasnt growing, so we are at a "wait-and-see" point with MRI's every 6 weeks. If it begins to grow again, I will have to start chemotherapy. I have been documenting the entire experience at my blog site. There are some cool pictures of the "mass" as well as a vew videos. You can start from the begining and read about my entire experience at www.stupidbraincancer.blogspot.com

Below is some more information regarding the I[2]Y (I'm too young for this) and the OMG Cancer Summit.

I 2 Y - I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation Inc wrote -

Young adults, a largely unknown group in the war on cancer, account for 72,000 new diagnosis each year. That's one every eight minutes. It's also seven times more all than pediatric cancers. This is not OK!

The OMG! Cancer Summit is the premiere oncology conference and social networking event for the young adult cancer movement.  A program of the I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation, the OMG! Cancer Summit, now in it's 5th year, has become a pivotal healthcare event that inspires thousands of survivors, cargivers and providers—along with scores of academic, advocacy, research and support organizations—to get organized, build community and unite as one to drive change.

Join our team and support our efforts to ensure that young adult survivors get the chance to attend this event and participate in a life-affirming weekend of support, education, community and hope.

Stupid cancer. Survivors rule.