"OUR STORY" written by Tawan's wife, Nicole:
Tawan and I met and fell in love in 2001 and were married in 2008. We were so happy, still very much in love, and extremely tired...all to be expected. We were both working hard, trying to get things in place so we could buy a home soon and continue our dreams of having successful careers while raising and caring for our beautiful baby and awesome litt
le dog. Then Tawan started noticing some strange symptoms at the beginning of 2013. First, he started having dull (in the background) headaches. Next, he had an eye twitch that wouldn't go away for the entire month of February. Also in February, he noticed that his vision started acting strangely. He says it was like someone had turned a bright light on after being in a dark room for a long time. Then he had trouble putting his words together while on the phone with one of his colleagues sometime back in mid-April. Being a communication major and always an eloquent speaker regardless of topic, this was a big concern. He got off the phone, went into the living room with Buddy (our little dog), and tried saying the alphabet. Sadly, he had a difficult time. I came home shortly afterward and heard what had happened. We made an appointment to see his doctor. The doctor said it was probably nothing to worry about, but ordered an MRI just to make sure. Once the results came back, they called to tell us he had several masses in his brain. The surgery took place on June 6, 2013, but the tumors remained. The large tumor they went in to remove that day looked too much like the surrounding tissue, so they were only able to take out enough of it to send to pathology. The pressure was released and a shunt was inserted to relieve any possible future buildup of fluid. The doctors told me in the waiting room after the surgery that it was a success, even though they didn't remove the tumor. The pressure was down and he should be okay. He had several crazy days in the ICU and was released the day before our son's first birthday. We were SO HAPPY to be home celebrating our baby's birthday with him and later that week, Father's Day. At least for a little while. Only two short days after Father's Day, we were back in the Emergency Room. Tawan was experiencing intense (and still unexplained) stomach pain. Once in the ER, Tawan's mental status became severely altered. He stopped responding to simple tasks that the doctors were asking of him. The CT scan showed that the tumor was hemorrhaging. This was really bad news. We were taken back to the ICU. They decided he wasn't hemorrhaging after all, but more bad news was still ahead. That day, June 18th, the neurosurgeon told me the news that UCLA pathologists had determined Tawan's tumors were not benign like they (Kaiser neurologists and pathologists) had told us several times already. In fact, they were the exact opposite. CANCER. And not just any cancer - the worst possible brain cancer - Glioblastoma Multiforme. Everything went into slow motion for the next 24 hours. Luckily I was surrounded by close family and friends that day/night as Tawan lay asleep in the ICU because our lives were crashing down around us and I didn't know what to do. It didn't (and still doesn't) seem real, especially the part about having insanely horrific news about the life of my partner, soulmate, best friend, and father to my baby, and he was none the wiser. Since that dreaded day, our lives have been a fast-paced race trying to get answers about what is best for Tawan, his health, and our family. All of this is helping us get Tawan healthy again, and we have to remember that each and every day. We are doing great considering everything that is going on, and we are proud of ourselves that we're still moving forward with our heads up high, even though "normal" life has proven to be really tough at times. March 2, 2015: This is my first attempt at updating Tawan's BIG Recovery page since our dear sweet Tawan died on October 30, 2014. All I can say at this very moment is that Tawan's BIG Recovery lives on (now Tawan's BIG Legacy) and we can't forget the love, hope, faith, optimism, strength, and courage of this wonderful man and how he inspired us all then, now, and always. He fought so hard. He fought with a smile on his face. He wanted to make everything better, for everyone, all of the time. Allow Tawan and his memory to fill your hearts on good days and bad. Remember what's important in life is to be true to yourself and be good to those you love. Love always,
Nicole and Valen
